Gluten-Free Portland, Oregon: New Cascadia Traditional Bakery

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and very tasty chocolate cupcake

New Cascadia Traditional
~the gluten-free artisans~
NW Glisan St. between NW 21st and NW 22nd Ave.
(next to Trader Joe’s and in front of Sammy’s Flowers)
Portland, Oregon

New Hours (effective July 1st, 2008)
Tuesday - Friday 11:00a.m. to 6:00p.m.
Saturday 11:00a.m. to 5:30p.m.
Phone 503.887.4392

Teresa Atkins & Chris Gumke, owners of New Cascadia Traditional

When I found out that Portlandia recently gave birth to a dedicated gluten-free bakery, which just happens to be right down the street from where my good friend lives, I put it at the top of my list of things to check out as soon as I stepped off the tarmac.

Well, I wasn't disappointed! (C'mon New York City- Where is your dedicated gluten-free bakery?!)

It turns out that three years ago Chris Gumke, an artisan bread lover, got very sick until he realized he was severely gluten-intolerant. Living without bread was not an option for him, so he started baking his own gluten-free breads at home. Soon he realized that his own gluten-free recipes were much better than most gluten-free items commercially available. Thus  the idea to open a dedicated gluten-free bakery, New Cascadia Traditional, with partner Teresa Atkins was born.

Last year they started selling their gluten-free baked goods at select farmers markets and now they have their own retail outlet in NW Portland. The couple figures that if 1 out of 100 people can't eat gluten due to celiac disease, and that doesn't account for all of the other people that have chosen a gluten-free diet without a celiac disease diagnosis, then the market for gluten-free foods is wide open for a gluten-free retail bakery.

These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies not only look delicious, but they taste amazing! AND they just happen to be vegan too!

Clockwise: Cinnamon roll, apple tart, and bread pudding

If you have additional food allergies there is a small amount of corn in the powdered sugar items along with corn starch based baking powder in some items. There are no bean or soy flours used and the only soy to be found is soy lecithin used in the chocolate items.

Uh, have you ever seen such a gorgeous looking gluten-free baguette? [drool]

It was a typical drab Oregon day, so I apologize for the dim lighting. I still think the gluten-free bread basket looks fetching!

Gluten-free pretzels anyone? YES!!!

These handsome dinner rolls were being shy at the bottom of the gluten-free bread basket.

Gluten-free seeded bread, the favorite at New Cascadia Traditional. Trust me, this made amazing sandwiches!

Chris Gumke takes his bread baking very seriously. He uses traditional bread baking techniques to make the best artisan bread possible. Soon the bakery will be using a new oven, a deck oven, which is most proper for bread baking. Now this type of oven is mimicked by baking stones. Even the bakery name describes the joining of new gluten-free baking techniques with old traditional bread baking practices along with the term Cascadia, which is just another interchangeable name for the Pacific Northwest.

You can also buy New Cascadia Traditional products at various farmer's markets around Portland.

So, if you are ever in Portland, Oregon you must stop by and check out what feels like your very own artisan style gluten-free bakery!

You won't be disappointed!

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Comments

[Justin G.]

Salivating in NYC...

[Jenn]

Soft pretzels and baguettes and totally gluten-free - wow! I think I'll have my friend that lives in Portland ship a care package.

[Lauren]

I love about 2 hours south of Portland, and every time I visit I make a stop at their kiosk! Their bread freezes very well, and now I have a stockpile in the freezer for whenever I get the bread urges. Best of all though are their parisian macarons, absolutely LOVELY!!!

[Letitia]

I visited the bakery a couple of weeks ago after hearing about it. We live south of Portland and the trip is well worth it. My Granddaughter cannot tolerate gluten and she was so excited to be able to eat the baked goods she loves. She thanked me over and over again. What a treat for her to get not only great bread for sandwiches, but cookies, pastries, pretzels, etc. I bought a little of almost everything and froze it in small portions. What a treasure we have here in our own backyard!

[gaile]

I live 5 hours north of Portland, but we're moving there this summer. On every trip we make down there, I stock up on their breads. They have GF sourdough!! it makes amazing breakfast toast. The seed bread is to die for, those little pizzas are the perfect road food for the drive back home, and every one of their baked goods is spot on fantastic. I love these folks, and I'm glad to see them getting some recognition. their products aren't just substitutes, they are the real thing and you can taste the love.

[Michelle]

I live in Pendleton, 3 hours East. Found out from another blog about the bakery and on my next trip to Portland it was my first stop. Cinnamon rolls that taste like cinnamon rolls! Sourdough that tastes like sourdough! Ah, I could go on. It's an amazing bakery and I'm so grateful they are in business. Salivating until Tuesday when I'll be back in town!

[Kelly]

Thank you for all of your testimonials! Please eat some more pretzels for me!!

[allergic girl]

such gorgeous GF bread pics...

[Brooke Guthrie]

I just came from the Kneading Conference in Skowhegan, MA. I was mistakeningly told that creating gluten free artisan bread (such as your gluten-free baguette above) was not possible only gluten free bread loafs were possible. Do you teach others how to make your gluten-free baguettes?
Thanks,
Brooke
Citizen Earth
GF/Earth Friendly (Teacher & Baker)

[Brooke Guthrie]

I just came from the Kneading Conference in Skowhegan, MA. I was mistakeningly told that creating gluten free artisan bread (such as your gluten-free baguette above) was not possible only gluten free bread loafs were possible. Do you teach others how to make your gluten-free baguettes?
Thanks,
Brooke
Citizen Earth
GF/Earth Friendly (Teacher & Baker)

[Robin Carle]

Hello,
I just found out about your bakery. I have celiac disease and I'm having a birthday! I'd like to order a cake for approx. 6 people. Is this a round or flat 1/2 sheetcakeand what is the cost, please? I would want to pick up on Sat Sept. 6 for a next day birthday. When do you suggest I order?
I'm also planning to visit!
Thanks
Robin

[Dana]

Wow! Where have you been all my life?! ...I just recently started a blog with the goal of collecting as much gluten-free info in one spot to help other people. You guys will be my next featured story! Thank you for baking gluten-free, all of us anti-glutenites thank you!

:) Dana
www.noglutenbakery.com

[Callista]

I live in Portland, and I LOVE New Cascadia Traditional. They are at the Farmer's Market outside my front door every Saturday, so I always eat GF pastries for breakfast on the weekends. It doesn't get much better than that.

However, I wanted to ask if you have heard of Babycakes on Broome Street (one block south of Delancey)? My brother lives in Brooklyn, so every time I visit I make a stop at Babycakes. To attest to it's wonderfulness, it was Zagat rated this year, and has been written about in numerous national (and local) publications. It's not only Celiacs who are taking notice. I HIGHLY recommend it.

[Angela]

I went to this bakery last week. It was amazing.

I'm going back for more tomorrow. :-)

[Katrina Logsdon]

New Cascadia is soo great! I'm really sad they moved though... they used to be on the same block as my apartment, so I stopped by all the time, but now they've moved, and I'm a bit too lazy to go across the river and find them...
The only thing I did not like about their bakery stand was that they stored their poppyseed covered bread in the same containers as the non-poppyseed covered bread. Since I am very allergic to poppyseed, this prevented me from trying the majority of the bread there... my first eating a baguette from new cascadia, I made the mistake of not checking for poppyseed in my eagerness to try the gluten-free egg-free bread and ended up breaking out in rashes on my arms.
I am just hoping that their new bakery is larger, and therefore has a different storage system. maybe I'll try and get some fresh bread in the future :)

[Judi]

Their new location at 1700 SE 6th Ave is very inviting and a nice place to hang out and enjoy their great cupcakes and other items. Yum!

[Dom]

D- for being jerks.

The customer service is terrible.
The store front is dirty.

They used to have "normal" breads when at their location on 23rd. But they don't make french bread, baguettes, or white breads any more. Everything had seeds in it, or on it. Which is fine, if that's what you want. But the selection was underwhelming: four types of bread to choose from.

More importantly, the staff were jerks. Un-helpful, unwilling to check in the back for more product, and unwilling to answer questions about the breads (like, what is the taste like, what is the constancy, et).

Totally not worth the trip across town into the warehouse district to get a $6 loaf of bread.

I'm sticking to making the Bob's Redmill Breads.