Gluten Free Lunch in Kirkland~ Cactus

A couple of days ago my dad and I were walking around Kirkland for a bit of distraction before he headed to a trade show in Seattle. After coffee we decided to get lunch there too, unwilling to leave the slightly sunnier, always adorable center of Kirkland, or “little California” as my husband calls it. After narrowing our lunch choices down to “Mexican” we wandered into Cactus right in the middle of Park Lane. The atmosphere is slightly more upscale than a family style restaurant, though it is casual and I watched a young mom having lunch with her toddler a few tables over and they looked completely at home in the setting. After we sat down I started my usual gluten-sensor skimming that counts as menu reading when the waiter informed me that they have a seperate gluten free menu, oh yes! You know you can trust a restaurant when they take time to make a separate menu for the gluten intolerants. The waiter continued to be extremely helpful, somehow knowing I was vegetarian before I even said (was it the Birkenstock clogs?) and had a great recommendation for me which I never would have thought to get on my own~ Butternut squash enchalidas with spinach and mole sauce. She did bring my dad the wrong item, but he liked it anyway and later she insisted on bringing us a dessert to share because “it was our first time there” but probably actually because of the messed up order. Whatever the reason it was a thoughtful touch and we enjoyed the food and experience thorougly. Great find in Kirkland and they have several more restaurants in Seattle.