White Sails, Full Plates: A Gluten-Free Win

by Angela Sanford

As summer winds down and the weather cools, I find myself turning my focus back to good eating habits for the winter months. I’ll admit, I tend to loosen up on my dietary restrictions during the summer. Some rules I absolutely must stick to in order to function, but others I bend a little—and one of those indulgences is French fries.

I’ll tag along as my husband and kids make their frequent evening trips to the local ice cream stand, and while I sometimes sneak a little chocolate that I shouldn’t, my biggest treat is fries. That may not sound like much to most people – people who can grab fries at at the Burger Shack or McDonald’s or wherever —but for me, it’s a rare luxury. Since I can’t eat potatoes freely and must avoid fryers shared with gluten-containing foods, finding true, crispy, greasy French fries is like striking gold.

Over the years, I’ve found a few places that could accommodate me, but this summer a friend introduced me to Boondocks in Eastern Passage, where they have a dedicated gluten-free fryer. There, I enjoyed my first fresh-cut, deep fried fries in Nova Scotia in ages—and they were everything I hoped for. So last Sunday, when a craving hit, I figured I’d head back.

But the day before, while scrolling through social media as a passenger on a drive, I spotted a bakery in the St. Margaret’s Bay–Tantallon area that caught my eye. Their posts promised gourmet gluten-free treats, and my curiosity (and my sweet tooth) got the better of me. I decided Sunday would be the perfect day to finish delivering flyers, then check out this bakery and see if their cookies were as good as they looked.

To my surprise, when I arrived, I learned they also had a dedicated gluten-free fryer—and one of my favorite meals: a clubhouse sandwich with fries. Not just a “we do our best to avoid cross-contamination” setup, but a truly dedicated gluten-free kitchen, just like Boondocks. That sealed it. My travel companion and I stayed for lunch instead of driving all the way to Eastern Passage.

We were not disappointed. The portion sizes were huge—we couldn’t even finish half the fries we shared, so I packed some up for Dan. (Cold fries, yes, but nothing an air fryer can’t fix.) Still, the real star was the clubhouse.

Now, I’ve had my share of disappointing “clubhouses” over the years. Some restaurants serve them on a gluten-free bun with no mayo, no bacon, and no toast—basically just a chicken sandwich. Others charge extra for a lackluster version without any gluten-free sides. Needless to say, I don’t go out of my way for those.

But here? This was the real deal: three layers of toasted, homemade gluten-free bread (toasted in a gluten-free toaster, no less), loaded with all the right fixings. I even had my choice of three flavored mayos. I went with sweet chili heat—and it was absolutely perfect. Every bite was mouthwatering. I overate, and still only managed to eat half, so the rest came home with me for the next day’s lunch. (And no, I did not share it with Dan.)

And the cookies? Worth the trip all on their own. I tried three different kinds, and each one was delicious. To top it off, everything was reasonably priced.

Two weeks ago, I would have said Boondocks was my new favorite gluten-free spot. But now? White Sails Bakery has claimed the top spot on my list.

So, if you’re ever in the mood for a lunch date and a drive, give me a call—I’ve got the perfect place in mind.