Photos courtesy of Noelle Roberts

Best friends and business owners Heather Esposito and Allison Lubert opened Sweet Freedom this past January.

Let freedom ring for local celiacs and vegans as Philadelphia now has a successful bakery that caters to a myriad of food allergies, intolerances and dietary restrictions. This past January, friends Allison Lubert and Heather Esposito opened Sweet Freedom (1424 South Street, 215-545-1899), one of the country’s only vegan and gluten-, soy-, egg-, dairy- and refined sugar-free bakery, the first of its kind in Philadelphia.

Sweet Freedom was conceived as a destination for those struggling with dietary restrictions that typically prevent them from enjoying baked goods, but the bakery’s commitment to top-quality, all-natural ingredients makes it a hit among even those without allergies and intolerances. “Both Heather and I have struggled with our eating habits and with troubling food allergies,” said Lubert, “and we both found ourselves striving to prepare our favorite treats in ways that were both delicious and appropriate for our diets. It’s a challenge to omit animal products, soy, gluten and corn and still create flavorful, crave-able baked goods, but we love to rise to that challenge every day.” Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos by Belle Vie Photography

Local celiacs and vegans now have the first Philadelphia-area bakery to call their own with Lansdale’s Virago Baking Company.

Walk into Lansdale’s quaint corner Virago Baking Company and the cases are packed with one delicious treat after another: dozens of mouth-watering, generously iced cupcakes, hearty pies, breakfast breads, birthday cakes and more. Seems like any other small town bustling bakery business until you take a close look at the menu. Everything in Regina Mason‘s sensationally successful bakery is gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan. “I knew I wanted to open a bakery in Lansdale, but not your typical concept. There really is no way to compete with the local supermarkets in a traditional bakery model and there is very high demand now for what we offer with food allergies being so prevalent. A bakery for the Philadelphia region that prides itself in offering the same items but made for those dietary restrictions in mind are what we pride ourselves on-and, what can I say, it is working,” explained Mason.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Todd Zimmerman

The area’s top culinary talent will be on hand at the Wachovia Center for Appetite for Awareness on September 30th.

You’ve probably heard the term ‘gluten-free’ by now, or, most likely know someone who is not able to include gluten in their daily diet. Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that involves intolerance for the protein found in wheat (known as gluten), affects 1 in 133 Americans. And through their annual event, an Ambler-based nonprofit is working to make Philadelphia one of the top cities in America dedicated to raising awareness and education about celiac disease.

Tonight, September 30th, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness will hold its annual Appetite for Awareness: A Gluten-Free Cooking Spree. Top chefs and doctors will be assembled into teams at the Wachovia Center in a challenge to create the best gluten-free dish. Guests will enjoy sampling gluten-free creations from over twenty-five of the area’s preeminent restaurants, gluten-free beer, wine, and products from over fifty of the nation’s finest gluten-free vendors.
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AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Dozens of free samples of gluten-free products will be available for local celiacs who stop by the Whole Foods Market in Devon on March 21st.

AroundMainLine.com and the Whole Foods Market at Devon are pairing up to present to the Main Line a sensational Saturday event: A Gluten-Free Food Extravaganza! Saturday, March 21st from 1-4 p.m., local celiacs will have the opportunity to sample some of Whole Foods’ top selling gluten-free product lines. In addition, businesses from the tri-state region, who supply Devon’s Whole Foods Market with their growing and diverse gluten-free line of fresh and frozen foods, will be present to answer questions and meet one-on-one with their customers. Two of the most popular local companies who will be offering samples are Spice of Life Bakery from Lancaster (www.spiceoflifelancaster.com) and Cookies for Me! (www.cookiesforme.com) from Doylestown.

Courtney Mendillo, Devon’s bakery team leader, has seen a booming interest in the store’s gluten-free items with their Main Line clientele. Mendillo spearheads the selection of items brought in from Whole Foods’ corporate gluten-free bake house–which offers dozen of delicious frozen gluten-free items, from pizzas to bagels, pie crusts and more. Mendillo also regularly evaluates new products that Main Line and Philadelphia-area based businesses are producing to keep Whole Foods’ varied selection for celiacs growing. “The exciting thing I like about our variety with local vendors, like Spice of Life and Cookies for Me!, is that we are able to showcase the great, gluten-free companies from the Philadelphia region that bring fresh items to us. I can’t tell you how many requests we have had for fresh gluten-free bread. And, when we found the company Spice of Life from Lancaster, those customers were so pleased,” said Mendillo. Now, Spice of Life’s fresh rolls and breads have developed a strong following and are usually scooped up within twenty-four hours of their weekly Thursday afternoon drop-off!
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AML Staff Writer
Photos Courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Going home with gluten-free! Homecooked offers bimonthly gluten-free menus for their growing celiac customer base.

Claire Phillips was working 50-60 hours a week as a marketing manager for a large pharmaceutical company in Santa Monica a few years back and starting to feel a bit burned out. A natural love of cooking was part of her creative personality and a great hobby she embraced as a child growing up in Lancaster. But, with a demanding career, cooking a delicious, healthy meal every night became more difficult and time-consuming. Then Phillips and her boyfriend stumbled upon a small business in their California neighborhood that offered affordable, convenient prepared foods for on-the-go, health-conscious consumers. It quickly became a staple of their hectic lifestyle-too busy (and tired) to stop at the grocery store after a long days work.

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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Publisher’s Note: The two appetizers pictured within this feature are not gluten-free. However, the Spanish octupus appetizer highlighted on the AML homepage is a gluten-free appetizer available at Blackfish.

Blackfish’s Signature Appetizer
House smoked Scottish Salmon, crispy potatoes, deep fried egg, crème fraiche

Blackfish owner and head chef Chip Roman is considered one of the Main Line’s top culinary geniuses. The shy, baby-faced 29-year-old Fishtown native and St. Joe’s Prep alum trained under George Perrier and Mark Vetri before starting Roman Catering at age 23—a business that would rapidly evolve into one of the Main Line’s most beloved BYOBS. Roman invited AML into his kitchen for a rare chat (he usually turns down interviews) on a recent December evening. The quaint, simply designed space in the heart of Conshohocken is constantly humming with couples and parties dining by candlelight.

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