In the last ten years, dedicated gluten-free restaurants and bakeries have popped up all around the Boston area. However, many of these places fall flat. At some locations, the gluten-free treats are dry and crumbly; others sell out in minutes. Across the board, tasty gluten-free food that hits every mark is hard to come by.
Verveine Café & Bakery, located in the heart of Cambridge, boasts a robust selection of gluten-free meals and pastries that pass the ultimate test: Can you tell it’s gluten-free?
The answer is no. Verveine proves that gluten-free food doesn’t have to be dry and tasteless — it can be delicious. Each item, from their purple ube brownies to the maitake congee, highlights the care and dedication invested into the menu.
After walking through the glass and wooden entrance, the smell of freshly baked goods wafts toward patrons. The stacked paper bags of sugar, gluten-free oats and gluten-free flour nod to the artisanship behind the counter. Loaves of proofing bread and folded galette dough sit on floured countertops next to mountains of unique pastries. Rhubarb pink peppercorn scones, Basque cheesecake, salted pistachio cookies and persimmon galettes lie on tiered wooden trays and marble stands behind glass.
The menu behind the counter, written in white chalk calligraphy, hints at Chinese, Japanese, Arab and Mediterranean influence in their traditional café menu. The menu features toasts, like the avocado toast with “pomegranate cucumber relish, preserved lemon, feta, arugula and honey harissa vinaigrette,” and sandwiches, like the honey chili tuna melt with “tahini, pickle, red onion, hot honey, local cheddar and Japanese milk bread,” according to their website. Each ingredient proves Verveine’s time and devotion to the craft.
Next to the menu, baskets full of fresh baguettes and stacks of fresh loaves of bread sit awaiting purchase. House-made granola and baking mixes decorate the shelves. The drink station sits behind the counter where ube matchas and black sesame lattes are made to order. Café-goers sit on wooden seats at marble tables around the tiled floor. Most seats fill quickly every morning.
Owners Monica Glass and Ken Oringer founded Verveine Café in May 2024. Glass worked many years at “the country’s top restaurants, including Gotham Bar & Grill, Le Bernardin, The Ritz Carlton, and Ken’s highly acclaimed fine dining destination Clio,” according to their website. From there, she developed WLDFLR, a brand that focuses on well-being and nourishment. Food Network also named Glass a Chopped Sweets Champion in 2021.
Oringer also has many years of experience in the Boston culinary scene. He founded several gluten-free hot spots in Boston, including Coppa, Toro, Little Donkey, Uni, Faccia a Faccia and Bar Pallino. Previously named Clio, Uni earned a spot on “America’s Best New Restaurants” by Esquire and “Top 50 Restaurants in America” by Gromet magazine, according to their website. Oringer continues to be at the forefront of Boston’s gluten-free food scene.
Verveine Café & Bakery is 25 minutes on the Red Line from the JFK/UMass stop to the Central stop. From there, it’s a seven-minute walk from the station. The café is open Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and weekends 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
