A few days ago, I was notified that two restaurants in Victoria would begin carrying gluten-free bread products from Origin's Bakery. The Pink Bicycle is one of these two.
I have never had the pleasure of eating a burger, WITH A BUN, at a Victoria restaurant. If I ordered a burger, I would have to get it without the bun...which is hardly a burger at all. It's just a puck of meat with some lettuce. Not very exciting if you ask me. For the longest time, I just accepted this as my only option when dining out.
But something amazing happened this week...something so exciting I could hardly wait to try it: The Pink Bicycle began using gluten-free buns!
The Pink Bicycle has been revered as the "Best Burger in Victoria" for the last three years. I had begrudgingly read their menu and felt as though I would be forever left out of this special burger experience. I was tired of asking for burgers with no bun at other restaurants, it wasn't worth the money, or the shame I felt by destroying "what could have been". I'm happy to announce now though that I have eaten at the Pink Bicycle, I ate a real burger, with a damn good bun.
A little background of the Pink Bicycle is duly needed for this review: All the meats they use are organic, naturally-raised, and as local as possible. I applaud sustainable, and ethically produced meat--not only does it taste SO much better, it's good for our community and supporting small local economy, it's better for our land, and much better for our bodies. The Pink Bicycle also sources many of their other ingredients from local farms and small businesses--I am proud to support a restaurant that is so socially and environmentally conscious. Bravo, Pink Bike, Bravo.
Now, let's talk food!! Some things that gf people need to know about dining at The Pink Bicycle. The first thing, the beef burgers and the "swine burger" are seasoned with a sauce that contains minimal amounts of gluten. I steered away, but if your tummy is not as sensitive as mine, it would be fine. Next, there are three vegetarian burger options and two fish burger options if you don't feel like eating mammals and birds. I didn't get a chance to ask if these were gluten-free, but if YOU know, I'd love to know as I still enjoy a good veggie burger. Lastly, the fries and onion rings are fried in the same deep-fryer...therefore, cross-contamination does occur and those with Celiac should avoid the fries. On the bright side however, you DO get a salad with your burger, and the salad is delicious with candied pecans and local leaf lettuce.
I had the Island Bison Burger with Bacon on Origin's gluten free hamburger bun. The special sauce they put on it is gluten-free so no worries there. The servers are really knowledgeable and understanding about gluten allergies...I felt pretty safe :) Also, the desserts weren't gluten-free, but that's alright...I was stuffed after my burger and salad, plus I was just so happy to have had a real burger with a real bun :) It was so delicious, and I can't wait to go back and try every other burger they have. I'm especially excited about the Blue Cheese Lamb Burger and the Herbed Chicken Burger. This place is an absolute MUST TRY for all you living gluten-freely!
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