July 05, 2020

Market Place Tavern Review

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Took a few tries, but I was finally able to get a hold of someone from one of my pre-Celiacs favorite spots, Market Place Kitchen. Well, not exactly the same place, the Market Place Kitchen near us never got back to me, BUT their sister restaurant, Market Place Tavern, did. John, the manager was super helpful. After sitting down with Chef, here is what he said they had to offer for a gluten-free diet; Brussels Sprout Appetizer, Nachos, Falafel Bites, Chicken Wings, Roasted Red Pepper & Smoked Bacon Soup, Tavern Mac, Mediterranean Salad, Grilled Salmon, Any Burger, Steak Sandwich and the Po'Boy with grilled shrimp. He also said they have gluten-free buns and pasta and use a separate fryer for all gluten-free items. He directed me to the website for details on the items and suggested that when ordering, let server know, or include in the "notes" section when ordering online, of any dietary restrictions or allergies.

I really wanted the falafel, always one of my favs. Knowing that they are fried, I wanted to keep the rest of the meal on the lighter side, so I went with the mediterranean salad, which comes with falafel, and grilled salmon on top. Unfortunately, there was no gluten-free dessert option, so I was out of luck on that. I placed our pick-up order online and made sure to include "notes" on the dietary restrictions, as John suggested. Not surprising, for three meals and two desserts, our bill was over $100. Although it wasn't the most expensive takeaway meal we have had recently, it was not the cheapest either, sits somewhere mid range.

After picking up our order and heading home, we could dig in. My salmon was packaged separately from the salad and falafel. I placed the salmon on the salad for aesthetic reasons, you know, pics or it didn't happen. The salad was a basic mediterranean with Mesclun Greens, Cucumbers, Red Onions, Grape Tomatoes, Roasted Red Peppers, Crispy Falafel, Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette. The salmon was cooked to my liking, medium-well. I did note that it was not really seasoned, just plain. Like really plain, I don't think there was even salt or pepper, I added my own. The best parts were the lemon vinaigrette and falafel. The vinaigrette was fresh, crisp and flavorful. I even had enough leftover in the little plastic container for my own homemade salad the next day. It really made the entire salad. Best for last, the falafel. It was SO good. The texture was slightly crisp on the outside and almost creamy on the inside. A ton of flavor packed into each bite, garlic and herbs, really great.

All and all, the meal was pretty good, I would go back for the falafel alone. Worth a second trip just for that. I did not get sick after eating or the next day, so that's a plus! Seems like they really understood how to deal with gluten-free and cross contamination. Next time, I might like to try the Po'Boy with grilled shrimp. I am always hesitant to go with the gluten-free bread option, most times it's dry and crumbly. Willing to take the risk, because it sounds super tasty.

Visit their website here for menus and info.