My husband and I stopped at Flights of Fancy in January 2025 for a late lunch. We enjoyed a great meal. In addition, I had ample time to talk with one of the owners and the head chef. The answers that follow are from co-owner, Kristen Robinette.

Why did you choose to offer gluten free items at Flights of Fancy?

As someone with Celiac Disease, I wanted to offer dining options with a larger variety than your typical restaurant. We can do so by using fresh ingredients, scratch made items, and working with allergy conscious vendors.

Is your menu also free from any other allergens? I.e, nuts, dairy?

We can tend to most allergy needs. The customer needs to let the server know, and we will do our best to accommodate.

Do you have a separate gluten free menu?

Our entire menu can be prepared gluten free with 4 substitutions. Those substitutions include toast points, flatbreads, burger buns, and pasta. We have tasted every substitution to assure the quality and flavor of each item is maintained. We advise our guests to always let the server know it is an allergy to assure extra precautions.

What steps do you take to prevent cross contact in the kitchen?

First, staff know to change gloves with every gluten free order. Gluten free meals are prepared on separate cutting boards with separate utensils. Staff use separate pots for boiling gluten free pasta.

Our fryers and griddle tops are completely gluten free. All gluten free meal tickets are handled with strict precautions.

What training do your staff receive on preparing gluten free meals safely?

We educate about the actual disease and severity. In addition, we do ingredient quizzes and food recognition tests. We assure they know how to order and note allergies as well as identify gluten free items in the window, to avoid issues. We do ongoing reminders and knowledge quizzes to keep them aware and conscious of all allergies.

Do you have a separate prep area for gluten free dishes?

Our kitchen has numerous dedicated gluten free areas, including all our fryers. We keep our gluten containing items in separate areas to prevent cross contact.

What kind of oil do you use for frying/ cooking?

We use canola oil.

What’s your most popular gluten free menu item?

Our entire menu. We have French onion soup, which is often hard to find gluten free. Instead of using bread, our gluten free French Onion Soup is topped with fried onions.

We also have delicious flatbreads. The gluten free crust is fluffy and tasty. The Cloud Nine flatbread is my absolute favorite. It has hand whipped alfredo, cauliflower, crispy potatoes, caramelized onion, and a truffle oil drizzle.

Do you offer gluten free desserts at Flights of Fancy?

Yes, we have many gluten free options and many more to come. We have gluten free creme brulee, warm cookies and a decadent sundae.

Do you offer gluten free beer/ hard cider/ wine?

We have gluten free beer, wine, and cider.

Do you have patio seating? Are dogs allowed outside?

We just built a patio and are certainly dog friendly. We will be hosting many dog-friendly events once the weather warms up.

What unique events do you have at your restaurant? Karaoke? Trivia? Concerts?

We plan on hosting numerous events. We are starting with live music January 31st from 5pm-8pm. Some other events include Galentine’s Day, Bourbon and Bonfires, restaurant week, and exclusive wine dinners.

I advise becoming a frequent flyer by joining our loyalty program. (Find the sign up form towards the bottom of our website.) This will keep you updated with upcoming events, new dishes, and exciting news.

What add’l things would you like my followers to know about your business?

We are excited to bring something fun and new to the area. With our menu, we want you to travel the world by taste and experience. In addition, we offer private event space.

Do you have parking on premises? Any tips on traveling to your business?

We have plenty of parking. It is right off M59, after the car wash. Drive slowly, because it is a fast-moving street, and many people may miss it.

Flights of Fancy Location, Hours and Contact Information

Flights of Fancy Restaurant

7265 Highland Rd
Waterford Twp, MI 48327
(248) 618-3335
Hours: Wed- Sat 11 am – 10 pm, Sun 11 am – 9 pm CLOSED Monday & Tuesday

Now Serving Brunch – Sat 11 am – 2 pm, Sun 10 am – 3 pm

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Email

Flights of Fancy is one of many Michigan gluten free dining options I recommend on my blog. Looking for options in bigger cities? Check out my suggestions for Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Traverse City. Plus, check out my Michigan gluten free baker list!

The post Flights of Fancy Restaurant Gluten Free Options appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Rekindling Traditions

In college, my husband developed a tradition with his roommate. Since dining halls were closed at Michigan State University on Sundays, they dined at their favorite Asian restaurants. Every Sunday. For a while, we continued that tradition. That is, until I realized that most restaurants use wheat based soy sauce. That tradition quickly came to an end.

Lucky for us, there are places like Wing Lauk in Waterford that cater to those with Celiac Disease and other food restrictions. I reached out to my Facebook followers, after hearing great things about this place. They all gave glowing reviews, so I drove 30 minutes from Flint to try it for myself!

Wing Lauk’s Gluten Free Menu

I have to admit, the three page gluten free brochure at this restaurant offers is impressive. More impressive is their dedication to learning about the needs of gluten free diners. This special menu started after they learned a customer’s children had Celiac Disease. They learned from that parent, and the local Celiac Disease support group, how to take prepare food safely for their guests. They print the following on their gluten free menu.

Wing Lauk Gluten Free Preparation Practices

1. When ordering, please inform your server you are ordering from the Gluten-Free menu.
2. Wing Lauk uses corn starch to thicken their sauces.
3. Gluten Free dishes that call for soy sauce, Wing Lauk uses wheat-free soy sauce.
4. Wing Lauk sues fresh vegetable oils to prevent cross contact with wheat flour batters. They cook gluten free items in a separate fryer.
5. If you have a favorite dish not listed on the Wing Lauk gluten free menu, please ask. They are willing to modify a dish to suit your gluten free needs.
6. If you have other food sensitivities (such as msg), please ask for Tony or Diane, and they will make sure your dish is prepared properly.

So Many Gluten Free Options

With such a large menu, it took my husband and I a while to decide what to order. We both started with soup. I chose the egg drop soup, while he chose the Chinese Vegetable Soup. While mine was good, I really enjoyed his! I finally decided on the gluten free Orange Chicken, and he chose the gluten free General Tsao’s.

Knowing how much I love Gluten Free Orange Chicken recipe from Flippin’ Delicious, I wanted to see how this compared. I was immediately impressed with how crispy the chicken tasted. Coated only in corn starch, it had the perfect amount of crunch. I told myself I would save half my dinner, but couldn’t help myself from eating it all.

My husband really enjoyed their General Tsao’s Chicken. He’s so great, and often orders gluten free items, so I an try more than one dish. (Back of ladies, he’s mine.) Like me, he couldn’t help himself from eating the whole plate. (Want quick and easy General Tsao’s at home? It’s now a permanent grocery store item at Aldi’s!)

Ask for Tony

I want to mention that we had a fantastic young man as our server. He answered any questions we had, and seemed well versed on the gluten free menu. I did however, have the pleasure of meeting Tony Gee, the owner. So glad I did, as he shared about how this restaurant has been a part of his family for generations.

He stated his family originally moved to the United States to San Francisco in the mid 30’s. However, it was his grandfather who made the move to Detroit and started the family restaurant legacy. (Please read more about their fascinating story in their “About” section.)  You can tell by sweet notes from kids in the hallway, and always happy customers, that Tony and this restaurant mean so much to the community. He’s just so … nice!

I’ve dined at Wing Lauk twice now, and I can see us returning again. Only a half hour from my house, Wing Lauk offers an amazing menu and great staff. I also highly recommend stopping in at Neiman’s Family Market,!down the street. This grocery store has a great gluten free selection!

Wing Lauk Location, Hours and Contact Information

Wing Lauk
5665 Dixie Hwy
Waterford Twp, MI 48329

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11 an – 9 pm, Sunday 12-9 pm. Closed Monday
(248) 623-6337
Website | Facebook

What would you order first from Wing Lauk? What gluten free Asian recipes do you miss the most? Try you hand at making some of them at home with this round up of Gluten Free Asian Recipes!

**I paid full price for my meal and was not paid or compensated in any way for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please click the following link for more Michigan gluten free dining reviews.**

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