Cafe Avalaun Goes Against the Grain with A Gluten-Free Menu

For some, living gluten-free is a lifestyle choice. For others, it’s a health necessity. Whatever the reason to forgo grains such as wheat, barley and rye, the struggle to find creative options in town hasn’t gone unnoticed by Brian Doyle. The former Beachland Ballroom & Tavern chef opened Cafe Avalaun last September as Cleveland’s first 100 percent gluten-free cafe. He masterfully crafts a breakfast and lunch menu full of delicious items — omelettes, sandwiches and salads — that you’ll want to eat even if you don’t have any dietary preferences or restrictions. His crepes, made with an egg and alternative flours such as tapioca, potato and rice, still manage to be thin and light. Try the Monkeys-BEE-Nuts! ($9), a nice surprise filled with bananas and sunflower seed butter. The Creperitto, a crepe rolled up like a burrito, delivers a mashup of French and Mexican favorites. Each one gets stuffed with ingredients such as the sauerkraut, slow-braised pork and caramelized turnips found in the Gnarly Pig ($11.50). With fun inventions like this, Doyle makes it easy to go against the grain.