Happy Sunday – Can you believe it’s already APRIL?
Sometimes, Friday’s just call for a lunch with your mom. A couple weeks ago, we did just that! Fresh Levant in Raleigh’s LaFayette Village is one of the places we love meeting for lunch. When you walk through LaFayette Village, you feel like you are walking through a little town in Europe and you forget all about what’s going on in your workday, even just for an hour.
The Food Menu
Fresh Levant is the only restaurant in Raleigh that is a dedicated gluten-free facility. It is a mediterranean restaurant that serves fresh, local food; gluten-free and vegan desserts, coffee, tea, beer and wine.
I’m a creature of habit and I always order the Bistro Salad with no cheese. I always let them know of my dairy allergy and they are more than happy to accommodate.
Don’t forget to add the protein!
My go-to protein will always be salmon & Fresh Levant always cooks their salmon to perfection.
My mom enjoyed a flatbread pizza for lunch. Did I mention that their breads are gluten-free and vegan?
Our lunch was fresh, filling and oh-so-tasty. I just love going to a place where I don’t have to worry about cross-contamination. After some great conversation and some amazing food – we ordered some coffee and dessert. Well – I skipped on the dessert this time but I have definitely had my fair share of their sweets. I’ll get into those in a minute.
They have all kinda of dairy-free options for coffee – coconut milk, soy milk and almond milk. They can even make a little latte art too – which ALWAYS puts a smile on my face.
The Dessert Menu
My boyfriend and I are regulars at Fresh Levant. Sometimes, we will do dinner at another restaurant and then make our way there to grab dessert and coffee. We’ve gotten to know the owner and have had really nice conversations with her. She’s extremely talented and just has a way with the special ingredients that are required to make these allergy-friendly desserts/foods.
For my birthday, my boyfriend surprised me with a chocolate hazelnut cake from Fresh Levant. It was vegan and gluten free. The best part is, it tastes completely “normal.” Honestly, probably better than normal. It was very rich and only required a small piece. Nonetheless, the cake was gone rather quickly. Everyone loved it.
Fresh Levant serves donuts, carrot cake, chocolate hazelnut cake, brownies, cookies – you name it. They are all appropriately labeled with their gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free status. You can count on them having clear communication of the ingredients in their menu options.
This place is a safe-zone for me. I can really relax and not worry about whether or not a mistake will be make. Mistakes happen and I totally understand – but when it comes to food allergies, the repercussions can be serious and can last up to two weeks or longer.
Pricing
Fresh Levant is moderately priced. Fresh ingredients that are also allergy friendly ingredients will come at a cost, but it’s really an investment on your health and also just an amazing experience.
Additional information
Next time you have an event – they cater!
Time for a cozy date night? Then check out their menu here.
Ps. They also do Sunday Brunch.
Warning: you may go back many times after your first visit.
BUT you won’t regret it. x
ALL OF MY COMMENTS ARE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESTAURANT BASED ON THOSE EXPERIENCES. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF I HAVE ANY DETAIL WRONG AND I AM HAPPY TO CHANGE ANY INFORMATION GIVEN 🙂