Bonefish Grill, Orlando

After a long day of hitting the parks, we opted for a Walt-less dinner our first evening in Orlando.
We chose Bonefish Grill, a smaller, mid-priced restaurant that I had read about online.


Usually dining at chain restaurants is a painful experience for Celiacs. However, Bonefish was nothing like your typical Applebees or Fridays.
The atmosphere alone was instantly relaxing, and the decor was elegant and tasteful.
The server knew immediately about gluten, and brought over a copy of the gluten free menu for our perusal.
There was a lot available on the regular menu that was already gluten free, including many seafood dishes and steaks. Even dessert!




In a nice touch, they also listed their gluten-free specialty drinks. Every martini on the menu is safe for the beer-less!

I chose the scallop and shrimp dish, with sides of mixed vegetable succotash and mashed potatoes. The seafood was fresh and delicious, nicely complemented with a mango salsa sauce on the side. This was one of several gluten-free side sauces available for the seafood dishes. It's great to have options!

My mother ordered the Chilean Sea bass, which she reported back as lovely.


Overall, Bonefish Grill gets a solid A for the ease in ordering (feelings of normality!), beautiful atmosphere, and fresh, real food.

A Celiac in The Magic Kingdom

Happy new year to everyone!
It's been some time since I was able to update this site, but my gluten-free 'adventures' definitely didn't stop.
I apologize for the long hiatus, but one of my resolutions is to become more faithful to you, dear readers.

I thought I'd start the new decade out with a bang, and discuss the fantastic experience I had while eating in Orlando, Florida.
I was able to find tremendous places to eat in the Disney World parks, as well as Universal Studios and the greater Orlando/Kissimmee area thanks to online friends and resources, including @GFLifeIreland and @gfregistry.
Every meal was perfect from start to finish, beginning with well-informed wait staff, visits from the chef, and feeling completely reassured about my choices thanks to specially marked gluten free menus.

I began my family trip with a day in the Magic Kingdom. I hadn't been there for over 10 years, which was way before the word "gluten" even entered my vocabulary. I had been doing some research online about the Celiac Disney experience, and had only heard positive things. My day definitely did not disappoint!
Instead of making a reservation, my family had chosen a more "spontaneous" approach to lunch that day, so I made a call to the Disney Dining hotline for a recommendation. The woman who answered the phone could not have been more helpful in locating information about quick-dining restaurants, and directed me to the Pinocchio Village Haus, located in Fantasyland, directly across from the Peter Pan ride and Dumbo's flying elephants.

The restaurant didn't seem promising as we approached, because it seemed to feature pizza and sandwiches. I approached the young woman at the front entrance and asked her about the gluten free menu. To my surprise, she knew immediately what I was talking about, and informed me that the restaurant served both gluten free mac and cheese and pizza.
We ordered both!
When our order was taken (during a very busy afternoon) the manager came out and personally took it to the kitchen, where she supervised the entire preparation and separation of ingredients, then hand-delivered it to our table. Talk about service!
The macaroni and cheese was hot and melty, just the way it's supposed to be, and the pasta wasn't mushy at all.

The pizza crust was a little bit undercooked, and the cheese wasn't totally melted, but that didn't really interfere with the taste at all.

I felt totally confident about lunch!
Talk about the happiest place on earth.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

I've eaten at Mozzarelli's a few times, but this was the first trip when I actually remembered my camera. :P

Mozzarelli's, located at 38 E. 23rd Street (mere steps from the 23rd street stop on the 6), is a little small, but is a treasure trove for the gluten intolerant, for whom the thought of slices of New York pizza seems like a pipe dream. 

Mz's serves big, fat squares of gluten free pizza, crust made from a "secret blend of brown rice and beans", as well as gluten free pastas and plenty of desserts. 

There's no need to ask for any special menus or to be wary of ingredients because "GLUTEN FREE" is posted everywhere! Mz's is quite clear about which foods are gluten free and which ones aren't, and its staff is also very knowledgeable. 

I have yet to try the pasta, but I've heard rave reviews. I usually order a slice of the bruschetta pizza, which is topped with tomatoes, but this time, I tried the mushroom, tomato, and spinach pie. It's baked right after you order it, so that it's served nice and warm. I didn't inquire about the separation of the kitchens, but the g-free pizza is placed on a separate shelf from the other pizzas, scooped with a separate spatula, and is cooked with a piece of foil beneath it in the oven.

 

The cheese and sauce are a little oily, but other than that, there are no complaints about this pizza. The crust is superb, nice and crispy, and surprisingly airy. It had great crunch. The sauce is zesty! A nice slice indeed, especially at only $5.

One cannot eat at Mz's without getting dessert. My mind nearly exploded with excitement the first time that I ate here and saw the whole case full of g-free desserts, neatly packaged and looking so enticing.

 

Cakes, cheesecake, rice pudding, cupcakes, all kinds of delicious treats, silently seducing my gastronomic appetites. 

The first time I ate here, I had a slice of vanilla/chocolate marble cake that was divine, but the real heaven was found when I had a piece of cheesecake with strawberries. It was just how I remembered cheesecake to taste: soft, creamy, light, and rich. I'm salivating as I remember it. 

One last part of Mz's left to knock your gluten free socks off. The wall of cookies.

Seriously, I was in awe. I have never seen so many different kinds of gluten free cookies in one place before. If one can achieve Celiac nirvana, it might be found in front of these showcases. 

And you know what? They're all delicious! And there's a table where you can sample as many different kinds as you want before you buy, just as an added perk. It's hard to suppress the urge to snatch up a sample of every last kind once you taste the first cookie. They're baked by a company called My Dad's Cookies and retail at 3 boxes for $12. Other allergies and special diets are accommodated as well. I saw cookies and desserts that were dairy and egg free, as well as sugar free.

I recommend the creme brulee cookie. After sampling my fair share *cough* I found them to be the best. Another good one is the chocolate "bing bong". Don't ask me to explain the name; I have no clue. But really. Any kind of cookie urge can be satisfied here. 

Mozzarelli's: A hidden gluten free paradise.

Gluten Free NYC-Updated May 25, 2010

I've been accumulating information about gluten free restaurants in NYC for awhile now, so I thought that I would compile a comprehensive list of them, including location, links, and cuisine information. This list will be updated when I receive information about other gluten free eateries in NYC, so please let me know what I have missed! Happy eating!

Slice the Perfect Food

-build your own pizza

-sliceperfect.com

-1413 2nd ave

Mozzarelli's

-cheap gf pizza, ziti, penne vodka, biscotti, penne alfredo

-mozzarellis.com/gluten-free-pizza.html

-38 e. 23rd street

Bloom's Deli

-omelettes, fish, burgers, fries

-bloomsnewyorkdeli.com

-350 lexington ave

Lilli and Loo

-asian food, including fried rice, teriyaki chicken, pad thai, tempura

-lilliandloo.com

-792 lexington ave

Petit Cafe

-french toast, sandwiches, soups, cookies, brownies

-http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/petit-cafe/

-70 greenwich ave

Sacred Chow

-organic, vegan, kosher meals

-http://www.sacredchow.com/menu1.htm

-227 Sullivan Street

Bar Breton

-buckwheat crepes, many gluten free dishes

-http://www.chefpiano.com/bar-breton/menus

-254 5th avenue

Candle Cafe (Candle 79)

-vegan food, pumpkin seed burger, nori rolls, porcini crusted tofu

-candlecafe.com/glutenfree.html

-1307 third ave at 75th street and 154 e. 79th street near lexington

Gus' Place

-greek food like souvlaki (kebabs), grilled octopus, soups, breads, beer

-gusplacenyc.com

-192 bleecker street

Bistango

-upscale italian, lists many dishes and says gf pasta is extra. gf bread

-bistangonyc.com

-415 3rd ave at 29th street

Lili's 57

-chinese food like shrimp rempura, pad thai, fried rice, dumplings, sushi

-store6.geomerx.com/lilis57

-http://store6.geomerx.com/lilis57/index.cfm?fuseaction=category&categoryID=30

-200 W. 57th Street on 7th Ave

Asia de Cuba (at Morgan's)

-expensive asian/cuban food like miso cod, pan seared tuna

-chinagrillmgt.com/adecNY/main.cfm?pp=0

-http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/menuPDF/AdCNY_glutenfree%20(for%20web).pdf

-237 Madison Ave

Risotteria

-italian food, pizza, panini, breadsticks, pasta on tuesdays, "black and whites"

-risotteria.com

-http://www.risotteria.com/web_7.4/risotteriahome//tuesday%20pasta%20menus%20march%202008(1).pdf

-270 bleecker street

S'Mac

-made to order macaroni and cheeses

-smacnyc.com

-http://www.smacnyc.com/glutenfree.html

-345 e. 12th street

Sambuca

-family style italian,

-sambucanyc.com

-http://sambucanyc.com/page/15tas/GLUTEN_FREE.html

-20 w. 72nd street

Lumi's

-upscale italian like salmon tartare, many rice pasta dishes, seafoods and steak

-http://lumirestaurant.com/media/websitelumi.html

-963 lexington ave

Peter's Restaurant

-large menu with pancakes, meatloaf, frittatas, sandwiches, pasta, chicken parmigiana

-petersrestaurant.com

-1606 1st ave

Rice

-asian dishes with different kinds of rice, baked black beans, satay

-riceny.com

-many locations, 115 lexington ave, 292 elizabeth street, 81 washington street, 166 dekalb ave

Market Cafe NYC

-american cuisine

-http://www.marketcafenyc.com/gluten.html

-496 9th Avenue

BabyCakes

-vegan, casein free bakery, cookies, cupcakes, banana bread, cookie sandwiches, muffins, brownies, corn bread

-babycakesnyc.com

-248 broome street

Tu-Lu's Bakery

-muffins, cupcakes, paninis, special order cakes

-http://tu-lusbakery.com

-338 E. 11th Street

Ruby Foo's

-asian food like pad thai, orange chicken, salmon, fried rice, chocolate brownie

-http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/ruby_foos_uptown/index.php

-http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/menus/RF_gluten_8.13.08.pdf

-uptown: 2182 broadway at 77th street

-times square: 1626 broadway at 49th street

Opus

-italian food with gf versions of everything, like gnocchi, penne, pizza, tiramisu, cheesecake

-no website

-1574 2nd ave

Tuttoriso Cafe

-corn and gluten free, pancakes, beer, cider, bruschetta, grilled cheese, burgers, pizza, pastas, risotto, tamari, shepherd's pie, cakes, cookies

-tuttorisocafe.com

-36 richmond terrace, staten island

Pommes Frites

-fries with many dipping sauces

-pommesfrites.ws

-123 2nd ave

Cafe Viva

-corn crust pizza...only specified as wheat free. azteca has onions, peppers, corn, sausalito has garlic, tomatoes, mexicali has jalepenos, sedona is pesto

-http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/cafe-viva/menus/main.html

-2578 broadway

Pala Pizza

-italian, arancini, beer, pizza, pastas, ravioli, gnocchi, lasagna

-palapizza.com or pala-ny.com

-198 allen street

Rice to Riches

-rice puddings in flavors like chocolate chip flirt, coast to coast cheesecake, sex drugs and rocky road. only ones NOT gf: tiramisu, honey graham, cookies and cream

-ricetoriches.com

-37 spring street

Puff and Pao

-"paolitos" are gf. classic has cheddar, peppers, onion, jalepeno. specialty has chorizo, onion, shiitake, ham

-puffandpao.com

-105 christopher street

Pizza Bolla

-italian food like garlic bread, parmesan, lasagna, penne vodka

-pizzabolla.com

-102 north end ave

Blue Smoke

-american style, ribs, beef brisket, chicken wings

-bluesmoke.com

-http://www.bluesmoke.com/blue/PDF/glutenFreeMenu.pdf

-116 e. 27th street

Friedman's Lunch

-gluten free sandwiches, pastrami, corned beef, chicken salad

-friedmansdeli.com

-75 ninth ave at the chelsea market

Nizza

-"socca" (chickpea pancakes), pasta, meat dishes, risotto

-nizzanyc.com

-http://www.nizzanyc.com/photoGallery/Gluten%20Free%20Menu%202-18.pdf

-630 9th avenue btw. 45th and 46th

Hampton Chutney

-indian food, rice batter dosas and uttapas

-hamptonchutney.com

-464 Amsterdam ave, btw 82nd and 83rd

-68 prince street btw broadway and lafayette

L'Annam

-Vietnamese cuisine

-121 University Place

Nice Matin

-French cuisine

-201 W. 79th Street

Grom Gelato

-delicious gelato, with gluten free flavors clearly marked

-http://www.grom.it/eng/celiachia.php

-West Village: 233 Bleecker and Carmine

-Upper West Side: 2165 Broadway and 76th

GustOrganics

-organic foods, smoothies, "tapitos" with gf tortillas

-gustorganics.com

-519 6th Avenue

Epstein's Kosher Deli (Yonkers)

-deli foods like lettuce wraps, eggs, a variety of soups, shepherd's pie

-http://www.epsteinskosherdeli.com/Menu/Gluten%20Free/Gluten%20Free.html

-2574 Central Avenue, Yonkers, NY

BoneFish Grill (NJ)

-steaks, chicken, seafood

-http://media.bonefishgrill.com/menus/gluten_free.pdf

-200 Mill Creek Drive, Secaucus, NJ

Note: Gluten free availability can change, and those changes may not necessarily be reflected here. Always check with the restaurant and your server when dining out, and use your own discretion.

Rice-ly Done

Sorry about that bad pun. I had to do it.

Today I adventured out to the 115 Lexington location of Rice, in Murray Hill (28th street subway stop on the 6). It's a comfortable little spot that manages to look modern and spacious, while retaining a cozy traditional Asian feel. It has soft seating, paper lanterns, and the occasional bag of rice making its acquaintance with the chopsticks at the table it so hiply decorates. 

In the background, Beatles music played, enhancing the calm atmosphere and making me feel quite happy. My waiter was also pretty cute, something that never hurts. :P

I didn't see any signage indicating a gluten free menu, but all I had to do was ask, and I was handed this awesome little book:

Terrific! I eagerly opened it up.

Listed were appetizers, two soups, several "classic" dishes, and some specials, as well as 10 different kinds of rice that one can order alongside your main dish. These included basmati, brown, thai black, and Japanese, as well as "special" rices like Lebanese, green, and rice with peas. There were also sides available, like edamame.

I had a VERY difficult time in choosing my meal. It all sounded so good. To begin, I ordered the Mexican Chicken soup. For an entree, I decided to go with a small order of Ratatouille, which came with my choice of rice. I went with the thai black rice.

The soup:

It was quite good. The broth only twinged with spice, and all of the vegetables in it were very fresh. At the bottom of the unusually clear broth were rice and corn. Tomato and avocado floated on top, along with some cilantro. The chicken was most excellent, and avocados happen to be one of my favorite foods. All of the ingredients blended together perfectly, and no one flavor exceeded the others. It was simple, fresh, and delicious, like the best recipes often are.

Next came the Ratatouille and thai black rice.

The Ratatouille consisted of zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, and onions, cooked together into a stew with tomato-like sauce. The taste and texture of the vegetable were a bit jarring to me at first, but I grew to appreciate the distinct flavors of each vegetable. The sauce was a little bit overpowering, but not to a terrible extent. 

The rice was the best part of this dish. It was thick, sticky, and slightly sweet, with a soft taste of coconut. I couldn't stop eating it. It was gone too soon.

I finished this lovely meal with a pot of green gen mai cha tea at the adorable server's suggestion. 

It came in this cute little white pot,  and with four different kinds of raw honey with which to flavor the tea. I didn't take down the different types of honey there were, but I remember that one was something along the lines of "organic desert flower". It was fun being able to blend the tea to my own sweetness, and to feel like a scientist doing taste experiments with the honey in these chemistry-like vials.

All in all, this was a very easy and enjoyable GF meal, and was not very expensive to boot. There were plenty of options to choose from, and I really appreciated the separate, solely GF menu. 

I'm really looking forward to coming here again and trying more of the dishes. The (dessert!) thai banana leaf wraps are calling my name. Seriously. I hear them.

Pommes Frites!

Bonjour :)
While I'm breaking one of my own rules by reviewing this eatery as it doesn't specifically have gluten notations on the menu or website, I was eager to visit Pommes Frites, a very cute, very small fry shop on the lower west side. (123 2nd Ave, Astor Place stop on the 6.)

(I'm tempted to write "French fry shop", but Pommes Frites makes it very clear that they are selling Belgian fries.)

When I first read of it online, I had the usual Celiac response of oh, wonderful, another restaurant that my salivary glands can only dream of enjoying.

Plain fries are good and all, but if the option of slathering them in a sauces called "Sweet Mango Chutney Mayo", "Parmesan Peppercorn", and "Vietnamese Pineapple Mayo", is available, why settle for plain potatoes?

However, I was sure that these tantalizing options most likely contained some kind of modified food starch-perhaps a greater enemy to a Celiac than wheat. More hidden. Tends to be craftier.

But, lo and behold, after emailing Pommes and inquiring about the gluten content of its fabulous litany of dipping sauces, I was happily informed that all of the sauces are indeed gluten free! Could it be true? "Rosemary Garlic Mayo" could be mine?

Pommes' sign could get lost in the busy cluster of storefronts surrounding it, but the line of patrons and smell of fresh fries emanating from the door leads one right to it.

The sign alone makes me want to parle francais.

Here's a better view of the store, plus a glimpse of their blackboard, deliciously listing the long list of fry sauces they offer.

Upon entering, I was struck with a deep whiff of salt and oil-

my taste buds began to salivate immediately.

It was quite crowded, but when I finally made my way to the counter, breeze after tantalizing breeze of fry-scent kept me in excited anticipation as I perused the list of dips (25!) and watched a batch of the spuds get fried and salted.

A fry-chef hard at work whipping up a batch.

From what I could glean, the fries are sliced in the back, then brought up and placed in the metal tin on the left. The cooks toss the uncooked potatoes into the first frier, then again, for a second oil bath, to make sure they have reached their crisp-potential.

I sampled the rosemary garlic mayo, sweet mango chutney and parmesan peppercorn, and of the three, the parmesan peppercorn was the far superior. I wasn't sure which was which when I first tasted them, because the Parm flavor was not overpowering at all. It was tangy, but sweet and smooth. When combined with the crisp, baby fries, I could have, like my father says,

died and gone to heaven.

The fries were perfectly crunchy, hot, and not too greasy, no small feat.

I also tried them with "frite sauce", but it tasted a bit too fatty and too much like pure mayo for my taste.

Altogether, my fries (regular sized) and sauce were a bargain $5.50.

Also, one more adorable detail about Pommes, their tiny tables in the back have holes cut into them to hold the fry cones!

If these fries had been included in the taste-test, they surely would have

beat out Mickey-D's as "America's Favorite Fry".

Also, "Celiac's Favorite Fry".

S'Mac-in' on Mac n Cheese

Hello again!

This time, I update you from the east coast, and let me just say,  

New York, you're a gluten free girl's dreamboat. 

To me, Manhattan's just a hunk of burning, cheesy love, especially after eating at S'Mac. S'Mac (Sarita's Mac and Cheese) is in the East Village, located at 345 East 12th Street.

It's the cute little orange doorway with the extremely long line outside. 

When we (dining companion Brittany and I) arrived, we stood outside for about twenty minutes before making it in the door. However, seeing the delicious-looking plates of mac and cheese that kept emerging from the kitchen made me realize that if I didn't stay in line, my tummy would be very angry with me.

 

As we waited, I read the long list of macaroni and cheese options. They all sounded delicious and intriguing, with names including "Napoletana", "Parisienne", "Alpine", and the classic "4-Cheese". I also noticed that there are 4 sizes to choose from-Gnosh, Major Munch, Mongo, and Partay.

 I settled on a 'Major Munch' sized portion of Garden Lite, which was filled with cheddar cheese, parmesan, roasted cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, roasted garlic, broccoli, and scallions. I made sure to request it gluten free, and asked for the "bread-crumbs" on top. The deceivingly-named crumbs are just gluten free cornflakes cooked on top to give the mac and cheese a satisfying crunchy top layer.

My food came quickly, and was served in the skillet it was made in! It was marked with a red skillet holder, which I think meant that it was gluten free. Brittany and I compared our dishes, and the gluten-free noodles looked identical to the glutenous ones. I couldn't wait to taste it.

 

One bite, and my mouth was in heaven. The blend of cheeses and the thick noodles was unlike any other gluten free pasta I've tasted. The cornflake top gave it an even more homestyle look and taste. The vegetables added the perfect amount of texture to the macaroni. 

Overall, S'Mac was just a tid bit pricey for my college budget (my meal, with a drink, cost around $15), but definitely worth both the wait and the money. Absolutely delicious! An orange gluten-free paradise.