That’s all good, you may be thinking, but how does it taste?
We visited the store four times, each time buying a variety of products. Full disclosure: None of my taste testers have food allergies. The consensus is that most items taste like conventional products, and far superior to the cardboard-like texture of many gluten-free products on the market today.
Among the bakery items getting raves were the lemon poppy loaf cake ($4 small, $7 large), carrot cupcake ($2), and raspberry-filled doughnut cupcake ($1.35). Of the pastries sold by weight ($11 a pound), the macaroons and apricot shortbread triangles were outstanding. All were moist, rich, and sweet without being cloying. My only quibble is that none of the lemon offerings were lemony enough.
Customers can also buy breads by the loaf ($5.50 for white, $6.50 for multigrain). Instead of wheat, the breads are made with tapioca starch, and rice, amaranth, millet, sorghum, and teff flours. The slightly spongy texture distinguishes this from traditional bread, but there are no complaints about the taste. After being toasted and made into a sandwich, the unique texture was forgotten.
The cafe serves breakfast and lunch items, such as pancakes, omelets, sandwiches, and soups. We tried a pizza with feta cheese ($7.50), a meat loaf sandwich, and a roast beef sandwich ($6 each on multigrain bread). They were all excellent, if on the small side, but as good as any made with traditional wheat flour.
All Can Eat also sells prepared dishes such as stuffed grape leaves, chicken Parmesan, eggplant salad, quinoa pilaf, and tabouleh with quinoa. The eggplant salad ($6), enhanced with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and parsley, was fresh and tasty, but a bit oily. The tabouleh ($6), with parsley, tomatoes, onions, and a smattering of quinoa, was praised for its bright and vibrant flavors, but one tabouleh connoisseur noted that it was “more greens than grains.’’
Customers are enthusiastic about the business. Josephine Allen of Hingham has a grandson who is autistic and on a gluten-free diet, and learned about All Can Eat from one of his teachers.
