Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Eating Gluten Free at Paparazzi

I had heard many things about the gluten-free menu at Paparazzi (Insert Lady Gaga joke here). I've been there before and was never really wowed by their regular menu, and I always found it a bit overpriced. My husband and I decided to give Paparazzi (the Framingham location) a try for lunch one day, and we were pleasantly surprised by the offerings.

First, Paparazzi brings a basket of breadsticks out to every table. My heart broke a little when I saw them, but the server also brought out some freshly toasted gluten-free bread, slathered in butter and topped with fresh herbs. The bread was incredible! The herbs and the butter really made it. The one problem was our server.. she was very nice, but she was either rushed or uneducated. I asked if the gluten-free bread brought out could be used on their burger. She looked at me quizzically and said "You know, I've never run into that before." And then ran off. I assumed it was to go ask her manager or the chef... no. She didn't. She just ran off. I had to specifically wave her down and have her ask the chef, which she did. And yes, the burger can be served on the bread.

Paparazzi also does any of their pasta sauces in gluten-free penne. I ordered the Bolognese, because I am a sucker for a good Bolognese. At first, I thought they had mixed up my order, because the pasta did not taste gluten free. But I was assured that it was, and I didn't get sick, so it must've been. The pasta quality was very good, and the sauce had a good level of flavors. The pancetta, veal, and onions really came through in each bite, with big chunks of mushroom for texture. I did find it a bit on the salty side, but it was still a good pasta dish.

We didn't do dessert because we were in a rush, but I'll have to do it next time. I'm also intrigued by the burger on that excellent bun. It's hard to justify dinner there when it's so expensive, but for lunch, it seems like it's a pretty good deal.

Click here to view information about Paparazzi's Framingham location.

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