Rhode Island Area Gluten-Free Resources

Let's face it. Gluten-free foods are hard to find unless you know where to look for them. You can order them online, but shipping can be expensive and you can't always predict what you'll need that far in advance. Here's a list of places that are known to carry gluten-free products, along with little reviews by me. If you know of a place I left out, please let me know (and provide a mini-review) and I'll be happy to post it.

• Back to Basics (Main Street/Rte 1, East Greenwich) - Back to Basics is one of the larger independent natural food stores in Rhode Island. Their prices are a bit more than you might find elsewhere, but their selection more than makes up for that. They often carry hard-to-find items.
• Dave's Market (All Locations) - Dave's has recently begun carrying a wide variety of health, organic, and natural foods. Their selection of gluten-free products grows every day and prices tend to be lower than most other places. Because the size of each Dave's varies, selection may vary from store to store. The biggest selection I've seen is in the new East Greenwich store, located near Showcase Cinemas on the corner Division Street and Bald Hill Road (rte 2).
• Stop & Shop (2470 Warwick Ave, Warwick) - This new "Super Sized" Stop & Shop has the largest Natural and Diet foods aisle I've ever seen in a grocery store. They have a great selection of gluten-free products and their prices are comparable with most other retailers.
• Village Natural (18 Post Road, Warwick) - Located in the heart of Pawtuxet Village, this store is a small independent. Their selection is small but their hours are convenient and staff are extremely helpful. Prices are comparable to other places.
• Whole Foods, Formerly Bread and Circus (University Heights Plaza and Waterman Street, Providence) - A full-scale organic and natural foods supermarket, complete with Café/Restaurant. Prices are mediocre, selection is good. Gluten-free items are scattered throughout the store and inconsistently marked, making them difficult to find. Store tends to be busy on typical "shopping days" and parking at the larger store (University Heights) is limited.