DAY 1
Breakfast: Sift Gluten-Free Bakery
Sift is a dedicated gluten and peanut free bakery. They do handle trees nuts and bake with Kirkland almond flour. That being said they handle cross contamination very carefully and answered and questions I had about that. We had a cupcake, donut, brownie, tahini chocolate chip cookie, and the classic Midwest staple and scotcheroo made with SunButter. The staff was extremely helpful. They also have lots of seasonal and frozen items. My daughter ate here safely and all the times we had were great! Nice texture and flavor for everything we got. Nothing was cloyingly sweet. Will have to come back again next time we visit the cities!
Lunch: Pizza Lucé
We’ve eaten here and gotten takeout. They can make any of their pizzas gluten free and have lots of vegan options. Limited to no nuts on the menu. When we order they always note it on the menu. We’ve eaten here or another locations safely. We love this local chain.
Sun Bum Original SPF Sunscreen Spray
We’ve been using this sunscreen safely all summer! No burns and is quick and easy to use on squirming kids. No issues with our allergens and easy to reapply.
DAY 2
Breakfast: YoYo Donuts & Coffee
Editing this to say we’ve come back and have eaten safely here again. Still in love with YoYo’s and all of their donut flavors. I need to come back to try their ice cream next time! This WHOLE shop is dedicated free of peanuts and tree nuts except for coconut. Ice cream, donuts, coffee. I mean, I could live in here. This was my daughters 1st fried donut from a shop and not at home. The donuts were amazing and the place has won a bunch of awards/been featured on Food Network. Great Covid spacing and everyone had gloves and face masks on. New spot to go to every time we visit the Twin Cities, which lucky for us is often. This is not a gluten free donut shop. We ate wheat donuts for our daughter’s wheat dose, and she ate it happily!
Venue: Mall of America
This is the biggest mall in America and it has a ton to offer for shopping. There are a few quick service type options in the food court that can be safe. We typically dine in though. It’s one of those bucket item type places if you visit the Twin Cities.
Venue: Nickelodeon Universe
A lot of the concessions stands were closed when we visited which was fine for us. All the rides were cleaned and sanitized frequently. Our kids enjoyed the rides and a break to play. If you plan on shopping here it’s a nice break.
Venue: Sea Life at Mall of America
There’s no food at this mini aquarium nor is it allowed in. It’s in the basement at the Mall of America. Everything was clean and it’s a relatively quick visit. There’s a touch tank at the end for anyone with a fish/shellfish allergy but you can definitely skip that. The best part is definitely the underwater tube and seeing all the sharks.
Dinner: CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar
They have a gluten sensitive menu. Our waitress talked to the chef to ensure any selections we made were safe for my daughter. We ended up ordering a California roll for her and the kids noodles and fries, which she ate safely. The kids menu options automatically come with seasonal fruit. They also have a lot of vegan options too. It was interesting to go to a combination restaurant like this. Helped appease numerous palates. There were very limited nuts on the menu if any.
DAY 3
Brunch: Local Roots
This was a low key place we went to eat brunch. Super family friendly. Has outdoor spaces for kids to play inside and out. My daughter safely ate French toast (they have a gluten free one) bacon and eggs. When I called and asked about allergens they told me they could accommodate any. I did notice they have vegan options as well. We enjoyed the atmosphere of this locally owned restaurant. They even have their own garden out back!
Treat: Sweet Science Ice Cream
We went here twice during our stay. The staff got a clean scoop and fresh bin for our daughter and was very helpful. They have a book of ingredients too. My daughter safely ate milk chocolate, cookies and cream and their salted caramel ice creams. Some do have a nut base. They had vegan options as well. The also have a gluten free waffle cone that tasted really good, couldn’t even tell it was gluten free. We will definitely be back. It’s in a cute little area with lots of shops and other restaurants.
Venue: Minnehaha Falls
There is a restaurant at this park as well as mini vendors for shaved ice and what not. We’ve only ever gotten bottled water from here. This place is a favorite for us to visit and has some great scenic walks/hikes. We’ve been numerous times and it’s been clean. Normally I’m on the lookout for wrappers or shells but we haven’t encountered it. You can also stick your feet in the river if you hike down a little ways. Nice on a hot summer day.
Dinner: Hoban Korean BBQ
We safely ate the Korean BBQ here. We ordered pork belly, galbi, and bulgogi for our kids. We did get some calamari but that was too spicy for my kids. They advised us to avoid the bean paste as there was a cross contamination risk for peanuts in it. They have one sauce that has peanuts. Otherwise everything else was nut free. It’s a fun experience for sure.
DAY 4
PracMedic EpiPen Carrying Case
We just got this to use instead of keeping out medicine in a plastic bag, so it’s already an upgrade from that. We can fit two inhalers, two AUVI-Qs, and it comes with a little bottle for Benadryl or other liquid meds, which we also store in there. We got a red one, so it’s easy to find in case of emergencies. With everything in there, there’s no room for an ice pack, so might want to reconsider in the summer if you’ll be out all day, but the case is kind of like a lunch box and a bit insulated. I’m happy because it makes switching bags easy since we keep everything in there and I won’t miss it.
Venue: Minnesota Children’s Museum
The museum doesn’t allow food anywhere but their cafe, which was nice as we didn’t have to worry about toys being contaminated. They have a cafe which you can buy prepackaged things but we just ate the safe snacks we had. There is a water exhibit of sorts so if you want to play in there, bring a change of clothes. I’d also be sure to wear or pack socks as their climbing exhibits require it. Otherwise we had a fun time with our kids. It’s definitely geared towards younger kids and a great way to spend the day.
Dinner: Shake Shack
My daughter safely ate a cheeseburger and fries from here. They do have a gluten free-bun or you can do a lettuce wrap. Would not recommend the fries as they share a fryer with gluten if you have a sensitivity or are allergic to wheat. They have a very detailed allergen and faq online which we checked out before we went. This location had a ping pong and foosball table which was helpful if you have kids. We didn’t feel comfortable ordering a shake here. There are no peanuts or tree nuts on their menu, but there is a risk for cross contamination on some of their things. I really appreciate the transparency on their online menu. The food was great too!
