Would you like to know one of the best surprises to be found in Boerne, Texas? That would be the Limestone Grille which is located in Ye Kendall Inn at 128 W Blanco, right off the main square. It is worth the half hour drive from San Antonio to have to make choices regarding your lunch or dinner. There are so many gluten-free items to choose from that you will have a hard time deciding what to order: pasta or pizza or some of both?

According to their menu introduction, Limestone Grille features naturally healthy cuisine influenced by southwestern, northern Italian, Cajun, and Asian influences, utilizing classic French cooking techniques. They aggressively seek and serve the freshest naturally healthy ingredients.

After a healthy, satisfying lunch of grilled salmon, garlic spinach, and mashed sweet potatoes, I sat down with Elisa McClure (one of the owners) and Executive Chef Oliver Villegas to go over the menu so that they will be able to guide you in your choices regarding a celiac diet. They were very familiar with being gluten free but wanted to be sure that there was no chance for cross-contamination or hidden gluten.

Elisa personally avoids wheat, corn, yeast, and sugar, although she has not been tested for celiac disease. When I first met her at a Central Market Gluten-Free cooking class that she taught last summer, she stressed that the menu would be gluten free but she was not certain it would be up to celiac standards. I was pleased to hear this statement, because so many chefs don’t realize the difference. I asked lots of questions and found the answers to be satisfactory.

All the pasta on the Limestone Grille menu is Tinkyada, and they do not cook anything else in the pasta water, so it is truly gluten free. The only pasta dish not safe for us would be spaghetti and meatballs. It is not the spaghetti that is a problem but the meatballs, which have bread in them. When I say all the pasta, that means that if gluten-eaters order pasta, they too will eat brown rice pasta. Elisa says everyone loves it.

Another pleasant surprise is the little appetizer that comes to the table when you first sit down. It is a bite of lavosh with hummus. This is completely gluten free, made from Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour, and you can order it from the menu for a larger serving. Lavosh is a Middle Eastern flat bread without yeast. A version of this same flat bread is used for their pizza crust.

There is a special gluten-free menu so ask for it when you are seated. The menu will indicate which items are safe for you. Even though you tell them you are a gluten-free diner, it is good to read the menu carefully and remind them about anything that needs to be modified.

The most flexible area of the menu is the Grille section. All entrées can be grilled or blackened, and you have a choice of side dish. This includes Daily Fish, Chicken Breast, Salmon, Filet of Beef, Rib Eye Steak, or Yellow Fin Tuna. You have a choice of Forbidden Black Rice, Sautéed Garlic Spinach, Pimento Sweet Potato Mashers, Tri Bean Sauté, or Green Beans. The only side dish not safe for us is the Gorgonzola Truffle Oil Mashers.

There are a few things to caution you about:

• Only a few menu items are breaded, but these will not work for us because there is not a dedicated fryer. All fried items go into the same oil.
• There are a few items where you will need to ask them to omit bleu cheese or croutons.
• The Housemade Meatloaf contains oats, so be aware of that before ordering it.
• The Texas Chili Con Carne appetizer is okay, but tell them “no yucca frittes” on top.
• The Roasted Onion Soup is made in the classic way and has toasted bread in it so off-limits to us.
• The Creamy Wild Mushroom and Gorgonzola soup is not gluten free at this time. They hope to find a supplier for gluten-free Gorgonzola before long.

Salad dressings to choose from include Garlic Herb, Ranch, Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Honey Mustard.

At this time there are two choices for dessert: crème brulé, ask to be served with no crust; or Bluebell vanilla ice cream.

Limestone Grille has received the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for every year since they opened in 2000, which means you can have excellent wine to go with your excellent gluten-free meal. There is a full page of wines by the glass, and about ten pages of wines to choose from when ordering by the bottle.

Every month there are dining events that have a special planned menu. Chef Oliver looks forward to providing you a modified version of the special menu. This might be Prime Rib Wednesday or one of their Awesome Wine Dinners. It would be best to call ahead and let the chef know if you are attending one of these events.

You enter the Limestone Grille through the front door of Ye Kendall Inn. If you turn left you go the restaurant, or you can turn right and visit the Kendall Provisions Company, which looks like an old fashioned country store with connecting rooms offering naturally healthy organic products, books, and supplements. Many of the items I saw here are not available anywhere else in our area, and they sell their house made lavosh and barbeque sauce in the store. Remember to visit the store on your way in or out.