One of the challenges we face when covering gluten-free eating is that different people have different tolerances for gluten. Making it even worse is that there are only a few dedicated gluten-free facilities in Portland. People who are very seriously gluten-intolerant probably shouldn’t eat at a lot of the places we review. So it’s a good day when we get to review a place that is dedicated gluten-free. Abby’s table is one such place.
Abby’s table is sort of more informal, family-style eating. It is hosted at a kitchen at SE 6th and Ankeny. Dinner is served by chef Abby Fammartino and her team on a bunch of large stainless steel tables. It’s the sort of place where you show up, pay a flat price ($18 a head at this writing), and they serve everyone what happens to be on the menu that night. The meal is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, soy-free, and casein-free. Multiple courses are served and everyone starts eating at the same time, which is 7:00 PM every Wednesday. Check their calendar for nights and events.
Our meal started with baked pears, and…
continued with a curious but amazingly delicious salad, progressed to fried zucchini with Abby’s own “Nude Ranch” sauce, then moved on over to shrimp and/or beans with marinara over polenta, and…
ended with raw chocolate truffles with Abby’s “Dream Date” sauce.
The food was great, and everyone in our party had a fun time. Click here for awesome photos of the event by Portland photographer Shawn Linehan. Abby gave us a free sample of one of her sauces. (In the interest of full disclosure here, I have to state that although we paid for our meals, Abby was aware that we were coming. Normally our policy is to show up anonymously. See our disclosure policy. At the same time, since it’s family style, we ate the same food everyone else did.) The zucchini and salad were among the best we’ve had in Portland. While it was good, the quality of the rest of the food made us expect more from the polenta. It would have been better if the polenta had been more crisp. For vegans, the marinara could be had with beans instead of shrimp, and I was amazed at how good the beans went with it. Sienna liked the raw chocolate treats, but I thought they were only OK. Of course, I’m not a fan of raw chocolate.
The menu changes week by week. With our meal, we liked some things more than others. We got the feeling that Abby’s Table likes to experiment and is working to improve their dishes. The food is adventurous and well-prepared by people who obviously love food and care about health. The service was great. If you’re looking for a dedicated gluten-free restaurant in Portland to have dinner, Abby’s Table is one of the few options I currently know of, and we’re lucky to have such a good place to eat.
We want to know: Do you know of any other places to eat dinner that serve only gluten-free food? Have you tried any of Abby’s sauces? Let us know!
Gluten-Free Safety Rating: Gluten-Free Mostly Safe (as far as we know it’s safe.)
Times we have visited: 1 (So your experience may vary.)
Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price compared to “regular”: Same
Abby’s table
http://www.abbys-table.com/
609 SE Ankeny St Portland, OR 97214 / 503.828.7662
Aleta says
Hell yes! I will vouch for the goodness of Abby’s Table. Wholesome, delicious food at an excellent price with no need to be concerned about gluten contamination or a mistake in the kitchen. I am also completely hooked on the Nude Ranch sauce, I eat it all the time with Mary’s Gone Crackers as a snack, and have also used it as a pasta sauce, kinda like a pesto cream sauce. I tried the coconut turmeric simmer sauce as well and it makes a good curry dish but it’s sitting in my freezer right now because I don’t use much of it when I use it.
juleah says
I will definitely go out and try Abbey’s.. Are they child friendly at all? We have found a mostly gluten free facility in Camas, Wa. called Around the table.. http://www.aroundthetable.com They are awesome and they cater too.. If you can make it out there they are worth checking out and there is a great balsamic and oils place 1 block over too called Navidi’s that I make wonderful gluten free sauces with since there isn’t much that is pre-prepared that is Gluten free in the markets.
Dave says
We’ve heard of Around the Table. Thanks for the tips about Camas. Yes, Abby’s Table is kid friendly!
Sarah says
I’ve had two parties catered by Abby’s Table and she does an absolutely FABULOUS job. I have a lot of allergies to cater to and she always comes up with the most creative, delicious, and aesthetically pleasing stuff. I highly recommend checking her out!
Nadine Grzeskowiak says
Finally, had the absolute pleasure of meeting Abby & attending a dinner at Abby’s Table last night after presenting ‘Kids and Celiac Disease’ at New Cascadia Traditions Bakery. What an incredible experience. We sat with the nicest, most genuine group of people that were very warm, welcoming and fun! The food was incredibly well prepared and presented. Flavorful, colorful and a belly full! I left feeling very satiated, but not overly so. What a complete and utter pleasure not to have to verbalize my dietary needs to ANYONE on staff! And I could happily eat everything presented for dinner AND dessert. My husband is jealous he had to work. Reservations for next dinner please!