Monday, August 18, 2014

Cheesey celebration for celiacs

A first-time visit (EVER!) to a Chuck E. Cheese arcade-restaurant left us wanting to hug the mouse.

(For the record, we didn't, since there's a real person inside that costume who would likely have been freaked out by adults hugging him and squealing with delight.)

After all, how many chain dining options synonymous with kids' birthday parties and pizza really offer gluten-free options?

The Cherry Hill site, as well as more than 500 others across the country, includes on its menu gluten-free versions of pizza and a cupcake. The combo allows celiac children to fully participate in parties without feeling left out. Gotta love that!



Photos/ChuckECheese.com

Endorsed by the Gluten Intolerance Group's certification program, Chuck E. Cheese has this to say about its safety efforts: "Chuck E. Cheese’s gluten-free menu items are manufactured in dedicated gluten-free certified facilities and kept sealed from delivery to kitchen to table to prevent possible cross-contamination from outside particles."

The pizza is a personal sized, bake-in-a-bag variety manufactured by Conte's Pasta company in Buena (Atlantic County). The chain doesn't charge any more for gluten-free than it does for its traditional personal size pizzas. All are $5.99. Nice!

Now, the pizza we tried wasn't hot by the time it reached us, but it was otherwise decent in taste and texture.

We didn't try the available gluten-free cupcake sold by Chuck E. Cheese (made by Fabe's All Natural Bakery in California) for $2.99, opting instead for the party's homemade desserts.

In addition to Cherry Hill, Chuck E. Cheese has Garden State restaurants in Brick, Bridgewater, Burlington Township, Deptford, East Hanover, Edison, Mays Landing, Middletown, North Bergen, Paramus, Princeton, Union, West Long Branch and Wayne.

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