Anything Sweet & More Cafe

Wonderful cozy cafe on the square. Friendly owners who can tell you what can be modified to be gluten free. Most everything can be modified. The chef will modify for you and you can even get gluten free cookies and desserts. Sandwiches and specials very reasonably priced.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Dedicated gluten-free fryer
• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout

Thank you David.

I’ve eaten here twice. The food is ok… the place is a mess. I haven’t gotten sick but by the appearance of the front, I’d question how safe the food is with concern to cross contamination.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

Hello Virginia, Thank you for your review. I wish you had said something about your food being just okay. It's important to me that all my guests have great experiences at my Cafe & even more so for those with special diet needs because there aren't many options for you in Winterset. I am cluttered, it's true. It is something that I work on daily. I spend more time with the food then on the front & I am consistently short-staffed. I apologize because as the owner all tasks should fall to me. You don't need to worry about cross-contamination. The dining area isn't allowed to play with the kitchen. Everything is separate & the flour lives in another room. If there is anything you would like to have made special for you, don't hesitate to ask.

They have GF food but I would assume everything is cross contaminated. I didn’t eat but stopped in to ask in case I wanted to in the future. The person I spoke with showed me the menu, which had several options, but when I asked about the kitchen she laughed and said “yeah everything is cooked in the same place”. I would not eat here for that reason

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

Other Characteristics

• Good for lunch

Hello Abby. Well, I certainly wish I knew when you "stopped in" & who it was you "spoke" to. Apparently, it was someone not very well informed or thought you were just a fad. Perhaps you will be kind enough to email me & let me know who it was so that should that person still work for me, I can educate her (a description will do if you didn't get a name). You see I'm frustrated because gluten free is the first thing I teach my servers, nevertheless, they all seem to "come and get me out of the kitchen" when people ask about it. I KNOW I wouldn't have told you "everything is made in the same place". Although, we do only have one kitchen. Many places do, have only one. So, I'm not going to lecture you BUT if you are that sensitive to gluten, eating anywhere other than home may not be an option for you. I'm not going to ask that this review be removed because I'm going to say some things to you that others need to read. First, I don't think anyone should review a restaurant that they haven't actually eaten in. I know you're just being a good Samaritan and looking out for others but really all this review is doing is limiting the options gluten free eaters have while visiting Winterset & that's just sad. I have many, many 5-star reviews. I have them because I actually CARE about what I serve & I like being able to accommodate people who need a special diet. That should have been your heads up to question the information you were given about our gluten free options. You see ANYTHING in my Cafe can be made gluten free. ANYTHING. All you have to do is ASK. I serve mainly sandwiches & at the very top of the menu it says we have gluten free bread available--ANY sandwich/panini. I also use romaine lettuce which means ANY sandwich can be made into a lettuce wrap. Most of the soups are gluten free. Know why? Because potatoes are wonderful thickeners. We list those by the way, which soups are gluten free. We always have our signature tomato (yup, gluten free). I also serve frittata; not only is this dish Italian, but it's also gluten free. We have salad, cottage cheese, applesauce, & chips...all gluten free because I read the labels. We even have a gluten free topping to put on the salad. Speaking of salad, all of our dressings are gluten free--I make sure of it (not that you wouldn't want only our State Fair Blue-ribbon winner for your salad). I have a DEDICATED panini maker/griddle for gluten free. When I make you a panini or a sandwich, the first thing I do is wipe down my sandwich cart (with bleach) then I make that gluten free sandwich on a Separate, Dedicated plate. Yup, doesn't touch the cleaned sandwich cart. It goes from the plate to the panini maker, from the panini maker using a CLEAN spatula back to the plate where it is cut with a CLEAN knife before being put onto a plate for you with the clean spatula. It takes longer but it's safe. I use separate pots & pans for everything I make, I don't need to "reuse" any because I have a dishwasher. Want pasta, no problem, we have it & it's gluten free (and not made from Quinoa). German Creamed Chicken? Chocolate Rubbed Ribs? Meatloaf? Murder Mystery Dinner--yeah, it's been done gluten free as well. We offer a dessert, a peanut butter "cupcake"--totally gluten free, made when you order it. The flour? It lives in another room. There is a door & a wall between it and any gluten free food. I wash my hands constantly. I have to, I don't like being sticky. I don't think anyone does...well maybe small children. Am I cluttered, unfortunately, Yes. I'm all about the food. Am I slow, Yes because it's made to order--SAFELY. I hope this clears some questions up for you. Let me know if I can answer any more of your questions. In the meantime, I invite you to come in & dine with me.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Thank you. Remember, you can always call ahead of a visit and request something be specially made for you.

Awesome cafe in the town square of Winterset!! Lisa, the owner, is absolutely fantastic and cooked a delicious homemade lunch for myself, my mom, and my friend. I have Celiac Disease so I called a few days prior to plan a lunch stop on our tour of the Covered Bridges. Lisa went above-and-beyond to ensure I had a delicious gluten-free lunch. She cooked me meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a flourless cake. The meatloaf was so moist despite having no flour. My mom (not gluten free) ordered the State Fair prize-winning quiche and even took a second one home. Very reasonably priced for lunch too. Highly recommend stopping by for lunch if you’re in Winterset or traveling through the area.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Thank you so much for your review. Our murder mysteries have resumed & can always be done gluten free if you wish to attend.

Food was excellent, staff is very knowledgeable. The chef even made me my own gluten-free dessert

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Thank you Callie. Please visit again. We are adding more & more selections for our gluten free diners.

We are back in Winterset for a visit. This place is one of my favorites and the owner is very knowledgeable about celiac.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Thank you Celiaccat. Please visit again. We are adding more & more selections for our gluten free diners. I've been practicing new recipes.

This small cafe is a great place for lunch. The owner is knowledgeable about celiac. She makes a fabulous pumpkin dessert with whipped cream on top. Very yummy! Just ask for GF options. Menu changes daily

Celiac friendly?

Yes