10 Gluten-Free Philly Comfort Foods We’re Craving Right Now

Photograph by Flickr/Simon Law.

So, we’re now officially in the depths of comfort food season. For folks that have rid their lives of gluten, however, scoring comforting foods like pasta, pizza, and sandwiches can be a difficult feat if you don’t know where to look.

Fortunately, it’s kinda our job to make sticking to your diets easier, so we rounded up a list of ten comfort food dishes from all over town, and guest what? They’re all gluten-free. Now, are they healthy? Welllll. They’re drool-worthy, that’s for sure. 

Read on for the list of Philly’s best gluten-free comfort foods to keep you warm and cozy this season.

The Sweet Potato Battered Corndog

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Where: Fox and Sons; Reading Terminal Market, 51 North 12th Street

What: This baby is adorned with chorizo and cilantro sour cream that is destined to comfort your soul. All of Fox and Son’s items are naturally gluten-free (yup, that includes their cheese curbs, funnel cake and fries too!) and they offer a variety of bases for your dog, serving one for nearly every taste: a beef and pork combo, all beef, all turkey, and they have a meat-less vegan option. As if we need more reasons to hang out at Reading Terminal.

The Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese

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Where: The Milk House; 37 South 19th Street, Rittenhouse

What: This sandwich is the lovechild of two of the most soul quenching comfort food dishes on the planet. Make sure you ask for the gluten-free bread, which will be topped with American cheese, ribeye and caramelized onion. Of course, if you’re feeling frisky, you could add some extras like jalapeños, bacon or tomatoes (eh, maybe not in Philly …) and ask for a side of hand cut sea salt or garlic parm fries, which are both gluten-free.

The Fusilli 

Where: Giorgio on Pine; 1328 Pine Street, Washington Square West

What: Let me just lay it out for you: Prosciutto, English peas, and mushrooms tossed in a tomato cream sauce atop a beautiful bed of gluten-free fusilli. A creamy, carb-y and oh-so-comforting meal that gluten-free folks often miss out on, but not here at Giorgio’s, home to a separate gluten-free menu featuring a ton of pasta and pizza options.

The Gluten-Free Waffle

Where: Waffles and Wedges; 1511 Pine Street, Rittenhouse

What: Consider this rice-flour-based waffle, cooked on a separate gluten-free-only iron, your blank canvas for a delicious and comforting waffle masterpiece. Pile on everything from candy to meat and veggies, paired with a myriad of dipping sauces. We’re personally quite intrigued at the thought of a GF waffle topped with bacon. (Insert drooling emoji).

The Reina Repiada Arepa 

Where: Sazon Restaurant and Cafe; 941 Spring Garden Street, Callowhill

What: Here, all the arepas are naturally gluten-free, made with fresh ground South American corn. The Reina Repiada is Venezuelan favorite, and rightfully so, because the filling sounds bomb — shredded chicken mixed with mayo, avocado, and onion held together by a perfectly firm, but still pillow-y, arepa. The mayo and avocado create a creamy filling for this Venezuelan comfort food dish.

The Breakfast Nachos

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Where: P.S. & Co.; 1706 Locust Street, Rittenhouse

What: For a triple-whammy, these nachos are vegan, gluten-free and and soy-free (without the tofu scramble, at least) because, when are nachos gluten-free and vegan? Never. That’s when. P.S. & Co.’s house-made baked corn chips are topped with their infamous red pepper cheese, black bean sofrito, pico de gallo, guacamole. It’s worth noting that this delicious nacho platter is only available during their brunch service, but for this dish, we’ll show up day or night. Who’s with us?

The Truffled Ribeye Pizza  

Where: SliCE; Multiple locations

What: You can score this gem at all four of SliCE’s locations, which is good news because truffle oil is basically crack and you will become addicted. Here’s what you do: You order their gluten-free crust, which is a 12-inch pie and then you watch them pile it high with mozzarella, caramelized onions, ribeye steak (that ribeye though!) and then a slow and steady drizzle of that delicious truffle oil. YUM.

The Nutella Bibingka with Guava Caramel

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Where: Poi Dog Snack Shop; 100 1/2 South 21st Street, Rittenhouse

What: If you’re wondering what bibingka is, here you go: It’s basically a rice cake, traditionally cooked in clay pots with banana leaves, native to Indonesia. At Poi Dog, it’s this sweet gluten-free rice-based cake made with Nutella and drizzled with a guava caramel sauce — which, by the way, we totally want to bathe in. While you’re there, you might as well wash down this delicious dessert with a gluten-free spicy ahi poke bowel because, why not?

The Yellow Curry

Where: Vientiane Cafe; 4728 Baltimore Avenue, West Philly

What: Is there anything more comforting than a steaming bowl of curry on a cold day? We think not. Here, at Vientiane, their yellow curry is totally gluten-free and filled the typical curry fixin’s like potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and carrots swimming in a delicious coconut broth. The only decision left to be made is to pick your protein and then, of course, you simply devour the entire thing.

The Cinnamon Bun

Where: Sweet Freedom; Multiple Locations

What: It’s tough out there being gluten-free, you can’t just pop in to any old place to grab a sweet treat because, inevitably, everything will be ridden with gluten (and who knows what else). At Sweet Freedom, a completely vegan, gluten-free and allergy-friendly bakery, all gluten-freers can rest assured that their sweet treat — like the bangin’ cinnamon bun — will be bereft of gluten and 100 percent delicious.

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