Ali Baba

Today for lunch, my friend and I were in Longwood, and she suggested we go to a Turkish restaurant. She called to see if they had gluten free food, and they assured us that they had a lot of gluten free options. Plus, we had a coupon. So, we collected our husbands and had a double lunch date. :) When we were being seated, I mentioned my gluten allergy, and I was concerned because the food for lunch is buffet style. I was assured that most of the items on the buffet were gluten free and labeled. When I reached the buffet, I saw that was the case. Though some of the signs were missing, the ones that were there listed all the ingredients, and it's dietary attributes (gluten free, low sodium, low fat, vegetarian, etc.). For those items without signs, I asked the staff. They were able to tell me exactly which items did and did not have gluten. There were tons of choices for me. There were at least three salad items, two types of rice, lentil soup, chicken and rice soup, babaganoush, kabobs, a beef and bean stew sort of thing, and chicken. The food was delicious, and I hate to admit, I over-indulged a little. The restaurant also sold items near the register such as Turkish delight (also gluten free). Hookah was available as well. While no one was using it, there was a stage in the restaurant, and dancers perform sometimes. The staff was friendly and accessible, and the restaurant was clean and had a pleasant environment. It is, however, quite pricey, so I wouldn't go all the time. In fact, I wouldn't go without a coupon. But, it was a nice treat!