Casona is a lovely Cuban/Latin BYOB in Collingswood, New Jersey where we've dined on several occasions since the restaurant opened in 2006. Prompted by an article in this month's South Jersey magazine mentioning that many of Casona's desserts are safe for celiacs, we paid another visit over the weekend.
Owner Mark Infantado presented us with a designated menu that listed more than half of the items, from appetizers to entrees to sides, as gluten-free. This time we skipped our favorite starter, the nacho-style mariquitas (fried plaintain slices topped with marinated pork, ground sirloin and swiss cheese), so that we could share the delicious lechon asado (citrus-marinated pork) and the ropa vieja (flank steak). On the children's menu, the Casona burger (without the bun) and the citrus pork are gluten-free. Notably, the restaurant uses a dedicated gluten-free fryer for its plantain chips, tasty yucca fries and french fries.
All of Casona's desserts except for the tres leches cake are gluten-free. We tried the key lime pie and the chocolate cheesecake, both of which were excellent. Other options include carrot cake and several varieties of flan.
