Gluten-Free Tucson

Impossible cacti, blazing heat, mountains ... and great gluten-free food. Mike and I hopped down to Tucson for a weekend to celebrate a friend's wedding. After stepping off the plane, we headed over to Piezano's for a gluten-free pizza. We were the only ones in the restaurant, so the guy running the show was more than happy to make us a half "big and meaty" and half Hawaiian pizza. We inhaled it, and didn't regret it one bit.

Then it was time for the rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner at the Old Pueblo Grille, where we had a lovely cocktail hour and sat down to dinner. I had the Avocado Chicken, which they made specially gluten-free for me, and it was mighty tasty.

When we booked our hotel, the Hacienda del Sol, I knew it would be nice, not just because of the price tag, but because they made a note that I'm gluten-free for their in-house restaurants, "just in case" I decided to dine with them. I did - while Mike was out with the groom before the wedding, I ordered myself room service - my very first room service ever.

It was a salmon salad, and the hostess made sure to check with the chef before even placing the order, just to make sure it was totally gluten-free. It was, and I was so glad. The salmon was delicous - grilled to a crisp on the outside, but still moist and tender on the inside. The dressing was good too - light and creamy and just right. At first, I thought the corn was raw, it was so sweet and crisp, but it was actually charred a bit on the grill, then chilled. Yum!

Finally it was time for the main event, which was absolutely beautiful. After the ceremony, we headed back to the hotel, where the reception was, for a wonderful party. We checked with the servers, who checked and assured us that all the menu items for the evening were gluten-free! We had steak and salmon, and both were amazing.

The next morning, we trudged over to the airport to go home. I didn't expect to find much, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Cibo Express Market at the Tucson airport. They had a range of gluten-free snacks, and some were even nut-free. My favorites were these gluten-free cookies that tasted just like Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies. They even had healthier options, like red pepper-artichoke spread, and cut fruit.

I'm sure we'll be heading back to Tucson soon. Have you eaten gluten-free there?