Black's Pub- in Whistler, Canada

       

  Black’s Pub has gluten free food- yummy gluten free food. It resides in the heart of Whistler Village and is an ideal place grab a bite to eat after you get off the slopes or need a break from shopping. A steady flow of foot traffic sweeps by the restaurant, even during its off-season. Since the pub is in Canada, and since lots of Australians come up there to ski, about 70% of the waiters had accents of some sort (be it Australian, Swiss, or Canadian). Our waiter called the appetizers “appies”…seriously? How rad is that?

Now about the food, let’s just say that Black’s Pub had a menu that made me smile. They offered gluten-free pasta, gluten-free pizza, and gluten-free hamburger buns. I did NOT see that coming! The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. When I explained that I was working on a food blog and I needed extra information regarding their gluten-free menu, they said I was welcome to talk to the chef. Unfortunately, once I interrogated one of the chefs I learned their weakness—they did not fry their fries in a special gluten-free fryer (try saying that seven times). This means that bread crumbs floating around in the oil could have gotten on the fries they had labeled “Gluten Free.” Those with celiac disease or intense gluten allergies beware ….Black’s Pub is not a dedicated gluten-free facility, they merely offer options with no gluten.

 This classic Whistler restaurant has a seasonal menu that is subject to change. (Don’t worry! The gluten-free options are always available). The average price of an entrée was fifteen dollars. The demand for gluten-free food is growing and Black’s Pub  first started offering options for wheat-free customers about three years ago. Each gluten free item is marked with a G.F. They also offer vegan and vegetarian options as well. The staff was friendly and helpful even when interrogated (their word not mine). I almost cried however, when I found out that the yam fries were breaded. How could such  scrumptious appetizers be banned from my list of foods I could eat?

Moving on~ My family (otherwise known as my entourage) and I, all ordered a different item off of the menu in order to taste as wide variety of items as possible.

Everyone was in agreement as to which dish was the best: THE HAMBURGERS!  The gluten-free buns were  DELICIOUS! They were not dry or crumbly but had a nice spongy texture to them. The pasta as well was fairly yummy, but nothing to rave about. They used penne noodles to substitute for the regular noodles in all of the dishes. Sadly, the pizza fell short of delighting me. It was extremely thin, almost like a tortilla. And was extremely pale as if it were not cooked through. It was not terrible though- I’ve seen worse. The reviews from my "entourage" are as follows~

The Mermaid Critic (ordered pasta) “It was delicious, ten stars”

 J’aime Fromage (ordered pizza): “I didn’t like it that much…the crust was kinda thin.”

Hypo-allergenic Carnivore (ordered a burger wrapped in a salad wrap): “It was good!”

Picky Patrice (ordered a burger and sampled the pizza and pasta as well): “My favorite was the hamburger because of the bun: it was very soft and airy and spongy. It wasn’t dense and didn’t have a  hard crust. I did not think a whole lot of the gluten-free pizza…it was white, probably mostly tapioca.

Pizza Pete/Healthy Harry (ordered Caesar Salad and sampled the burger): “I liked the hamburger bun I thought it was very good. It was exceptional”

A big THANK YOU to Black’s Pub for offering gluten free options!