As you could tell from my last article, I fell in love with Portland, OR when we went there last weekend. I think it’s hilarious that I fell in love with Portland, seeing as how we were in the Pacific Northwest for Seattle’s Gluten Intolerance Group health & wellness expo. But, you can’t help who (or what) you fall in love with – just ask Non-GFBF!
Today’s highlight? CRAVE gluten free bake shop.
**UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CALLED KYRA’S BAKE SHOP AND HAS MOVED NEXT DOOR – CHANGE OF ADDRESS**
If you could die and go to a Celiac heaven, Crave would be there. A ton of you probably know Crave from Cupcake Wars. I have no idea what that is, but I’m so happy to visit a gluten-free bakery. I saw the FAQ’s and fell in love:
“Crave Bake Shop is owned and operated by a professionally trained pastry chef who has a severe gluten intolerance. We have a deep chemical understanding of what gluten is and where it hides and we have a dedicated wheat- and gluten-free bakery. That means no spelt, wheat, oats or other gluten-containing products ever come into our kitchen.”
DONE AND DONE.
I was like a kid in a candy shop – like all those starry-eyed children at the candy store once they heard that Willy Wonky was hiding a golden ticket in a bar of chocolate. But my golden ticket was in every damn cupcake in the bakery. I was salivating from the moment I walked in until I flew back to Phoenix. I am not exaggerating when I talk about how amazing this bakery is. Nothing here tastes gluten-free, everything tastes great. Even though the one thing I had that I didn’t like – the beer frosting brownie bar – was so unique that I had to give it props.
You officially just gained 10 lbs. by just looking at those photos.
My favorite things were the blackberry crumb bar (seriously, it’s unreal) and the triple chocolate doughnut (chocolate doughnut, chocolate frosting, and chocolate chips). Good god, they were SO good. If I lived in Lake Oswego, I might be 300 lbs because I could not control myself around those two items. Other items like the Birthday Cake and Hot Chocolate cupcake were great, but couldn’t match the quality of the bar. And I haven’t even mentioned the scones yet! The chocolate chip scones are DTF, and the espresso scones are unique and delicious. Everyone who went there (I was the only 100% GF-eater) enjoyed it. They could definitely tell that it was a different texture than gluten food. I also had a few “meh” faces on some of the icing flavors – but it was based on more personal preference (sweet vs. savory) than quality. Crave prides themselves in serving the GF community, but making products so good that only 50% of their base is actually GF. Yes, it’s just that good.
Crave is in Lake Oswego, so you’re going to have to take a trip to the suburbs (or the forest – or so it feels like) to go to Crave. It’s a very small shop, but 100% worth the trip. I’m giving this one a 5 out of 5. You will not regret your choices there.
[ratings wheat=”5″]
If you’re on the Find Me Gluten Free app or a member of their site, you can find other’s reviews of Crave Bake Shop here.