Food for Good Thought is a gluten-free bakery that provides employment opportunities for people with autism. It’s located in a little house in Clintonville, right off of High Street. Guests access the parking lot through the front driveway, or the alley in the back.
Inside, there’s a classic bakery display with cookies and muffins and something called Goatee Truffles: great big rounds of chocolate confection. The clerk confirmed that the “Goatee” referred to goat’s milk used in the truffle filling, an opportunity too interesting to pass up.
In the interest of full disclosure: goat products are not personal favorites. In fact, the whole goat cheese trend has been challenging. Goat stuff imparts a distinct goatiness in foods that actually makes me physically twitch and shudder. That said, there’s a massive population of people who find that same goat accent to be highly desirable, and I can appreciate that.
So, the truffles: goaty or not goaty, depending on who you ask. Two tasters thought the Triple Berry concoction was a fabulously rich chocolate treat, with a silky smooth filling dotted with clots of soft dried fruit. Two other tasters twitched and shuddered.
If goat’s not your bag, the gluten-free Orange Muffin is an excellent palate cleanser. Dusted with a generous coat of powdered sugar, the sweet muffin has a slightly coarse texture (something like cornbread) that supports a distinctly orangey citrus aroma and flavor. Or there’s comfort in a bakery classic chocolate chip cookie, oversized and dotted with little chips of chocolate.
The website for Food for Good Thought highlights a connection between gluten-free products and its commitment to the population with autism. It posts a fairly academic, scholarly discussion about links between the condition and gastrointestinal disorders. The internet itself mentions goat milk as being a therapeutic option as well. You can find it all at 4185 N. High St.