Restaurant Review - Frankie, Johnnie and Luigi, Too!

I was truly shocked to hear that Frankie, Johnnie and Luigi, Too in Dublin had not only gluten free pizza but gluten free pasta as well. We decided to head over there last night. My son is always excited about the prospect of ordering gluten free pasta in a restaurant. This place has a nice family feel to it. We went around 5:30pm so we were seated right away. The waitress was really sweet and tried to answer all my ingredient questions the best she could (can you relate to this?) but what proceeded to unfold was pure disaster. Let me add that it did not help that I was starving.


We decided to order both the gluten free pasta and pizza so we could try both. The menu said that "vegan" options were available along with the "gluten free" but the waitress was not aware of any vegan cheese or alternative butter spread. So, I guess they meant no meat or cheese on your pasta or pizza for "vegan style." There were two options for the pasta, either marinara or bolognese. Since I don't eat meat very often and was a little leery to try the bolognese, we just ordered the marinara sauce. I tried to order meatballs for my son but the waitress said they had both bread crumbs and cheese in them.  We ordered a barbecue chicken style pizza with no cheese.


My son waited patiently for the food but when it came, this is when everything started going down hill fast. First, I could tell by the crust of the pizza (which was about one inch high on the plate) that is was not gluten free. Then I saw the waitress wince at the pizza and say, "Is that cheese?" (of course it was). She announced she would take it back and it would be another fifteen minutes. Since Sam and I would have to share the gluten free pasta, I asked for a small side salad. The waitress told me the balsamic Italian dressing was made in-house and was very good. I took a chance and ordered it which I usually do not do. I like to stick with olive oil and lemon juice in a restaurant. This way, I can be sure my stomach doesn't cramp up. I'm not sure what makes my body react this way to restaurant dressings. I think it may be canola oil if they don't use olive oil in their dressing. This is very common since canola oil is so cheap but is also a GMO. The salad was very good although it did not contain the most healthy greens and vegetables.

Side salad with house balsamic Italian dressing

The pasta with marinara sauce was good. I have a hard time believing the pasta was gluten free. It's a blend of rice and corn flour. The sauce does have a kick to it and was too spicy for my son.

Gluten Free Pasta Marinara

Meanwhile fifteen long minutes later, a man brought out another pasta dish. I told him it was supposed to be a gluten free pizza. He said it would be another fifteen minutes. AAAUUGGHHHHH! Fifteen minutes with a hungry five year old feels more like an hour. I told them to just take it off the bill. We decided to order a gluten free, barbecue chicken pizza (no cheese) from New York Pizza and just have it delivered to our house for Sam to eat.

 

Then, the bill came. I double checked it just to see if they had "gluten free" or "allergy alert" on the bill which I did not find but I also noted they charged us for the pizza we never received and the side salad they gave me. I truly thought the salad would be comped for all the hassle and waiting. I guess not. When I pointed out the pizza charge, I had to go over all the night's events with the waitress to help her understand why we should not have to pay for the pizza. Craziness. Meanwhile, my stomach had started cramping. I am swollen and sore this morning. I'm not sure if it was the salad dressing (very possible) or the pasta which I am not convinced was gluten free. There was nothing on our bill that indicated gluten free pasta or pizza (which is why I believe the pizza came out wrong). There was nothing on our dish that indicated gluten free and the wait staff did not announce "gluten free pasta" when it was delivered. At Jules Thin Crust Pizza, the paper or box that your pizza is delivered on/in is stamped "gluten free." This just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling that I've received what I ordered. I truly feel sorry for people with Celiac Disease when they order out. I can understand why they would just avoid it.

It's my opinion that restaurants who want to participate in the gluten free market should first of all, train the waitstaff properly and then should always mark the GF food appropriately so there are no mishaps. I waited tables for many years in college and am familiar with what a food line looks like. Usually, it is plates piled on top of plates waiting to be picked up. What would prevent a person from mistaking a regular pasta dish for a gluten free (unless it's marked)? I won't be back to Frankie, Johnnies and Luigi's Too any time soon. If you do go, I would be diligent about double checking that everything that you receive is gluten free. If you've had a positive gluten free experience at Frankie, Johnnie and Luigi, Too, I am anxious to hear about it and might consider giving it another try.  More restaurant reviews to come...