I recently visited Phoenix, Arizona, and was able to visit Nourish in Scottsdale. I had, of course, checked them out thoroughly online, and perused their color-coded menu. I was really impressed by the menu – it was very easy to order food according to your food allergies, as everything is clearly labeled as to whether it is gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, etc. I was actually feeling pretty confident about eating there, so I didn’t call ahead as I normally would when going to a new restaurant.
The valet parking was very nice, since I had to wrangle 2 children out of carseats and organize the visiting out-of-town relatives. We were there at lunchtime on a Saturday, but the restaurant wasn’t too busy. The atmosphere was modern and bright. I was pleased to find that the staff is just as accommodating as their website advertised. I spoke to the owner, Kirstin, and immediately found a kindred spirit, at least as far as food allergies are concerned. She gets it, she really does, even to the point of understanding that traces of corn derivatives are still corn! The menu was extensive and creative, the food was delicious, and the prices were reasonable. The entire experience was as awesome as a dining out experience can be when you’re dealing with a special-needs toddler and a baby.
The only negative comment I can even make is that the gluten-free, vegan muffins that we took to-go were pretty dried out and my toddler wouldn’t eat them. But I’m more than willing to forgive them for that, since the rest of the food was so good. Our family will definitely be returning to this restaurant.
Feb 23, 2012 @ 09:11:13
Wish I knew about them last weekend while in Tempe for a Midwifery Conference. We heard about a “gluten free” restaurant , walked a few blocks to find, that while yes, it was gluten free noodles they used, they substituted wheat for corn… I mentioned to the waiter, they might want to add some additional choices in “gluten free” because many of us had multiple food allergy…Out of the 8 ladies in the group 4 of us had special food needs.
Feb 23, 2012 @ 09:19:25
Multiple food allergies are so incredibly hard to manage at restaurants. That’s one reason I loved Nourish so much – the menu was color coded so that you could easily see and avoid multiple allergens. And the food was awesome!
Dec 26, 2012 @ 09:49:55
It’s a great place!