Gluten Free Oasis

As one who very much likes gluten and yeast, I wasn’t all that compelled to stop at the Gluten Free Oasis (formerly Mama’s Cheese Bread Factory). Everything made here is gluten-free and yeast-free. Gluten-free cakes and cookies and even pie crusts, yes; but gluten-free and yeast-free bread? I thought not… until Mama’s rolls made me a believer. These cheesey spheres are lightweight and yet joyously chewy – a bread-lover’s delight, the sharp flavor of cheese a radically fine substitute for the tang of yeast.

While my sandwich was constructed in the kitchen, the gent behind the counter gave me a little pão de queijo (cheese roll) to nosh as a sample; and as I savored its fresh, big flavor, he described the process by which the breads are made using tapioca flour and fermented leavener derived from yucca root. It is an ancient formula that dates back to South America before Europeans and wheat arrived.

The inventory includes cheese breads of various size, either finished or frozen and ready to bake, as well as pizza shells, and whole stuffed chickens and stuffed pork loins. For those who are hungry NOW, there is a short menu of breakfast sandwiches and lunch sandwiches – all, of course, made on the good bread that is sturdy enough to hold massive amounts of ingredients. The “punta cana” sandwich, for example, is a mountain of moist, shredded roast chicken and carrots dotted with a few sweet raisins, laced with crunchy potato sticks, and garnished with lettuce leaves and mayonnaise. It is hugely satisfying. Other available sandwiches include stuffed pork loin, ham-salami-mozzarella subs, sausage, ham and grilled cheese, and several vegetarian combos.

Note: Due to pandemic precaution, current business is take-out only. The Gluten Free Oasis is now open from 7am to 2pm Wednesday through Saturday.