Of course, my first concern when traveling somewhere new is always the food. Will there be any good gluten-free options or am I about to spend the next two days fending for myself?

Luckily, Idyllwild did NOT disappoint. Here’s where we stayed, what we ate, and a few places you should bookmark.

Day 1: Check-in & Italian Food

Where we stayed: Pinetree Hotel

Pinetree Hotel was the perfect little getaway. The cabins are super cozy and best of all, dog-friendly! So naturally, Lumi got to come along too.

What I loved most are all the wellness amenities. A yoga studio, pool, sauna, cold plunge, pickleball, and ping pong. Could spend a fun afternoon just at the hotel without even exploring town!

Dinner at Ferro

Ferro came SO highly recommended and it was probably the restaurant I was most excited to try.

This was a tough one for me because I had two polar opposite experiences in one meal.

Starting with the positives, the gluten-free pizza was AMAZING! The crust was perfectly fluffy with that smoky char from the wood-fired oven. Absolutely would order again. The pasta, on the other hand, was disappointing. We ordered the GF cacio e pepe and sadly it was undercooked and the sauce was pretty watery. I get it, GF pasta can be tricky to get right. But especially after how good the pizza was, I was expecting more. 🥲

The verdict: Come for the GF pizza and skip the pasta.

Day 2: Pancakes, Pine Trees & the BEST Dinner of the Trip

Brunch at Mile High Cafe + Alpaca Coffee

We started the morning picking up brunch from Mile High Cafe & coffee from Alpaca Coffee.

Mile High Cafe had the fluffiest buckwheat pancakes. Delicious! They weren’t overly sweet but came with not one but TWO servings of maple syrup so you can truly choose your own adventure for sweetness.

The iced vanilla latte from Alpaca was good too! A solid start to the day.

Ernie Maxwell Trail

After brunch, we headed to the Ernie Maxwell Trail for a little hike with Lumi. Super easy, low-lift walk. We walked about 45 minutes in and back without doing the full trail. Good enrichment for both Lumi AND us!

A little shopping in town

One of my favorite things about Idyllwild was wandering around town and popping into all the little shops.

A few worth checking out:

• Speakeasy Bookmarket: An aesthetically pleasing little bookstore.

• Art Dept: The cutest arts & crafts store.

• El Sereno Mercantile: A beautifully curated general store.

• Mountain Paws: A little stop for the doggies.

• Wildland: A wellness shop with skincare, candles, and home goods.

Dinner at Cafe Aroma

Hands down, the BEST meal of our trip.

First of all, the setting. A gorgeous wooden cabin with twinkle lights everywhere. Almost like a little fairy house.

But what really sold me? A separate gluten-free bread basket. The LUXURY!

We ordered the gluten-free chicken cordon bleu pasta and ribeye steak and this was genuinely such a perfect meal. Some of the best GF pasta we’ve had at a restaurant! The steak with chimichurri sauce and a dirty martini? The perfect bite + sip!

We finished with their pumpkin creme brulee which was good but reminded me that I’m not really a “pumpkin person”. Still scratched the itch of wanting a little sweet treat post dinner.

The verdict: a MUST on your trip to Idyllwild.

Day 3: One Last Breakfast Before Hitting the Road

Raven Hill Bagels

I was pleasantly surprised to find a spot with gluten-free bagel sandwiches!

Raven Hill uses Canyon Bakehouse GF bagels with plain, sesame, and everything options. I ordered the sausage, egg, and cheese and it hit the spot!

My only complaint is that I’m not a big fan of souffle eggs in my breakfast sandwiches and prefer a fried egg. But beggars can’t be choosers and I’m just happy to have a GF bagel option!

After breakfast, we spent a little more time wandering around town before heading back to LA.

Turns out LA has something Boston was seriously lacking: gluten-free breakfast burritos. Enough options that I can afford to be picky. And believe me, I have opinions!

Burritos are personal, I get it. But before you fight me on these rankings, my perfect breakfast burrito has three requirements:

1. A crunch. I LOVE a crispy tater tot inside.

2. Layers. I want a little bit of everything in every bite.

3. A sauce. I’m a sauce girl through and through and a good one can make or break my burrito.

So here we go. Seven gluten-free breakfast burritos, ranked from worst to best. Based on taste, not price, because that’s an entirely different conversation (yes, Wake and Late, I’m looking directly at you 👀).

#7: goodboybob

After seeing one too many TikToks raving about goodboybob, I decided to give their Santa Monica location a try. I’ve learned to take TikTok suggestions with a grain of salt.

The vibe of the outdoor space was really fun but their breakfast burrito was almost entirely egg with barely any other filling. The other kicker? My iced latte was very watery too.

Maybe it was an off day, but I left wondering what I was missing…

#6: Carla Cafe

Another TikTok find and I am not ashamed to admit that my #1 reason to order from Carla Cafe was their banana cream top matcha. That lives up to the hype 10x! The breakfast burrito, sadly, did not.

It was really eggy and the potatoes weren’t crunchy, so the mushy egg + mushy potato + mushy avocado all blended together. The sauce was delish tho! The burrito itself just needed more layers.

#5: Erewhon

A reliable favorite. SUE ME!

Their gluten-free steak breakfast burrito always hits. The crunchy potatoes, the perfectly cooked steak, their chipotle aioli. It’s not necessarily the most exciting burrito on this list, but it’s one I know I can count on.

#4: The Butcher’s Daughter

A recent discovery! I’ve walked past The Butcher’s Daughter on Abbot Kinney so many times and never knew they had a GF wrap! They don’t mention it on their menu, so I’m so glad I asked.

The thing that makes this breakfast burrito stand out is the LAYERS! They have a crispy cheese layer on the tortilla before adding a thin layer of egg and wrapping the filling inside. I mean just LOOK at that photo! I know it’s a vegetarian restaurant so I can’t dock points for this, but if they had a meat option, it would be higher up on my list.

#3: Wake and Late

Ok this one might ruffle some feathers …

Is the burrito itself amazing? YES! Is it worth the price for the tiny tiny portion? whispers (no).

However, this ranking isn’t price-conscious, it’s taste-conscious. The sauces are amazing, the burrito itself is delicious. You get a great ratio of tater tots to egg to protein. My only complaint is that the filling isn’t always evenly spread out. Sometimes one bite is basically ALL tater tot. Again, blame the small size. There’s only so much room for layers in a burrito this tiny.

#2: Dialog Cafe

Not a traditional breakfast burrito, but their kielbasa sausage + spicy ketchup burrito is truly out of this world!

The hash browns are crispy! The sauce gives it a nice kick! The layering is just perfection.

Pro tip: they can also use the same gluten-free wraps for their Chicken Caesar Wrap and it’s one of my absolute favorites. The perfect zestiness.

#1: Sobuneh

NO NOTES! Perfection.

The crispy tater tots! The salsas + pickled onion! The GF wrap!!

I truly dream of this breakfast burrito. Making it my mission to try every single one they have because I can’t get enough.

I once ordered it before traveling, ate half before leaving, and froze the other half to reheat when I got back.

No, I’m not ashamed. It’s that good!!

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Next up on my list: Saby’s, Best Damn Breakfast Burrito, and LEORA.

Will any of them dethrone Sobuneh? TBD. But don’t worry, I’ll have opinions.

What GF breakfast burrito am I missing? Hit reply and tell me.

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Out of all the cuisines I struggle to eat gluten-free, Chinese food might be one of the HARDEST. Between soy sauce, noodles, and dumplings, finding something I can order is a maze.

So imagine our surprise when we moved to LA and discovered not one but TWO genuinely good spots for the gluten-free dishes we’ve been missing. One Taiwanese, one Chinese American but both offering something I rarely get to experience - OPTIONS!

1. Little Fatty, Mar Vista - Taiwanese

First of all, OBSESSED with the name. I was sold on that alone.

Second of all, they have a dedicated gluten-free menu. Every gluten-free diner’s dream!

No scanning the entire menu for the two or three dishes marked with a sad little *GF. No asking the waiter to check with the kitchen six times. An entire menu of gluten-free options. What a ~crazy~ concept.

We ordered the Walnut Shrimp, General Tso’s Cauliflower, and Beef Chow Fun and I was genuinely blown away. Even my gluten-loving husband said it was just as good as the real deal. And coming from him, that’s a pretty big endorsement!

The Beef Chow Fun was the standout. The chives, scallions, and bean sprouts added a freshness that kept the dish from feeling overly greasy. The rice noodles were perfectly chewy. Easily my favorite dish of the night.

Coming in a very close second was the Walnut Shrimp, a longtime favorite of mine. The radish and orange slices added just the right amount of acidity and bitterness to balance the candied walnuts and sweet sauce. So good!

The General Tso’s Cauliflower was great too, although the other two dishes stole the show.

The Verdict:1

The Husband Test: Fooled him on everything except the cauliflower. A little grainy, but he’d still reorder!

The Reorder Report: Already planning my return! Especially the Beef Chow Fun and Walnut Shrimp.

2. Genghis Cohen, Fairfax - Chinese American

Gluten-free Sesame Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Singapore Rice Noodles? Available for delivery? Say less!

I stumbled across Genghis Cohen on Uber Eats and was shocked to discover they offered gluten-free versions of several dishes.

The catch? You have to do a little digging. There’s no separate gluten-free menu on Uber Eats so you have to click into individual dishes to see whether a “Make Gluten Free” option is available. And every gluten-free modification comes with an extra $1 charge. The GF tax strikes again. 😵‍💫

One detail I really appreciated: every gluten-free dish arrived clearly labeled. A small thing but not having to play “which container is safe for me?” roulette is a luxury.

The Mongolian Beef was my favorite. The onions and scallions worked really well with the sauce, although I do wish there had been more actual beef in the dish.

The Sesame Chicken was another winner. The sauce was delicious, definitely on the heavier side but exactly what I was craving. Unfortunately, the Singapore Rice Noodles were on the dry side and the curry powder was a bit clumpy. Hard to say whether that was the dish itself or simply a casualty of takeout. Either way, I’d skip them next time.

The Verdict:

The Husband Test: Fooled him!

The Reorder Report: Would reorder the Mongolian Beef and Sesame Chicken. The Singapore Rice Noodles? Once was enough.

The gluten-free Chinese food hunt continues…

Next on my list: Dan Modern Chinese and Eagle Rock Green Dragon. Because now that I know gluten-free Chinese food exists in LA, I intend to find all of it.

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