Tag Archives: Gluten-free options

October 21, 2011

Wonderful Weekend Eats

Leisurely breakfasts and lazy lunches are some of the joys of the weekend. After five days filled with cereal bowls, handheld meals, catered lunches or quick runs to the closest to-go spots, sitting down and enjoying a meal is not only a luxury, but a necessity. Last weekend I enjoyed both a leisurely breakfast and a lazy lunch to their fullest.

My Saturday mornings usually consist of waking up, feeding the kitties, brewing coffee and catching up on current events. In the middle of sipping some delicious freshly brewed coffee D suggested we go out to breakfast. It was a sunny San Francisco day so I picked a place we could easily walk to, Rocco’s Cafe.

Egg white omelet with hot sauce and sliced tomatoes

Rocco’s Cafe is a small restaurant that specializes in old world authentic Italian cuisine. It is a family owned restaurant that prides itself on being “a family tradition and a neighborhood favorite.” The family itself dates back five generations with Italian restaurants opened and run by various family members through the city. We go to Rocco’s because I really like their frittatas and they have many to choose from. On this visit to Rocco’s Cafe I ordered the tomato, basil & provolone cheese frittata. It was delicious! D ordered an egg white omelet served with a side of tomatoes.

Frittata & potatoes

Sunday was equally as wonderful as Saturday, but instead of breakfast with D (D for David) it was lunch with a different D, Dara. Dara loves trying new restaurants and I love that too! After much research on my part (another thing I love is choosing the restaurant), I found a little place in the Mission that serves a gluten-free lunch and brunch. Radish, a relatively new restaurant has a seasonally changing menu that strives to use high quality locally sourced ingredients, makes most menu items from scratch, and does it’s best to accommodate the ever growing gluten-free community. With a mission statement like that how could I pass this place up.

Dara and I agreed to meet at 1:30pm, for a lazy lunch on what turned out to be another gorgeous San Francisco day. The restaurant is small and cozy with a wine bar and an open kitchen. Our server was fun, energetic, knowledgeable and quick to offer us bottomless mimosas. There is a brunch menu and a lunch menu so if you aren’t seeing what you want from one ask for the other. Dara is one of the sweetest people I have had the luxury of meeting. She always has a kind word, she is open to anything, she is judgment free, and as I said before she loves to try new things. With those qualities it was no wonder she offered to share two gluten-free items off of the menu when she saw me struggling with my choice. After 20 minutes of chatting and sipping mimosas we finally ordered. We shared the gluten-free flat bread and the BBQ pork (GF BBQ sauce) sandwich on gluten-free bread.

Gluten-free flatbread of the day

BBQ Pork Sandwich

When the food arrived it looked absolutely delicious. The flat bread arrived first and I knew straight away that they had purchased the flat bread itself from Mariposa Bakery. I was already smiling, because I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. The flat bread was topped with roasted garlic and peppers, caramelized onions and creamy goat cheese. I loved it! The flat bread was warm and soft, but with some crispness too. The garlic, peppers and onions were sweet and the goat cheese though creamy added a little bite. The BBQ pork sandwich was also good, but not my favorite of the two. The pork was fork tender, the flavors of the pickled jalapeno and the chili remoulade worked really well together, and the crunch and coolness of the lettuce added the contrasting texture the sandwich needed. The bread however, though it looked very similar to a biscuit was a little doughy. It could have been that once it is topped with the BBQ pork the bread starts to breakdown, but I can’t be sure. Next time I will try a different sandwich so I can decide what I really think about the bread.

I love living in a city where gluten-free options are springing up all over, especially brunch ones!

Rocco’s Cafe
1131 Folsom St
(between Langton St & 7th St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 554-0522

Radish
3465 19th Street (at Valencia)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 834-5441

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September 23, 2011

Gluten-free NYC Eats- Bar Breton

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Every city should have a place like Bar Breton. Yes, many have creperies, but this place is different. At Bar Breton they serve galettes. A galette is like a crepe, but instead of being made with wheat flour it is made with buckwheat flour, and instead of sweet fillings they have savory fillings. These large buckwheat pancakes are originally from the French regions of Brittany and Normandy.

My girlfriend had suggested the restaurant and I was only too happy to go. I have wanted a crepe for quite a while and as soon as I heard about the galette I was sold. I opened the menu, my eyes widened, and I smiled. The chef had taken the time to identify the gluten-free items on the menu by labeling them with a GF. How refreshing to once again be able to walk in to a restaurant and order without grilling the server first.

We decided to share an appetizer and ordered the smoked salmon galette for the table. This was wonderful! The galette had horseradish creme, thin slices of smoked salmon and was topped with a little frisee, shallots, radishes and chives. Mmmmmm, every last bite was gobbled up. We each ordered our own entrees. I ordered Duo of Chicken, a lemon & honey marinated breast, chicken thigh confit, baby corn, tatsoi (mushrooms), black pepper and shallot sauce. The breast was a touch dry, but the chicken thigh confit was fantastic. The sauce was rich and savory. My girlfriend ordered the salmon with French lentils, brussels sprouts, ginger garlic sauce. She said it was wonderful. My mom ordered the Long Island duck served with a white wine poached pear, sugar snap peas and duck jus. This was my favorite and what I will next time. Dessert was a no brainer, my girlfriend and I wanted chocolate mousse and my mom loves meringue, so that is what we got. I thought the tubes of chocolate meringues dipped in the mousse was genius.

Like I said, every city needs a Bar Breton. It’s romantic, it’s French and it’s gluten-free. Bon Appetite!

Bar Breton
254 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York
10001
212.213.4999

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September 23, 2011

Gluten-free NYC Eats- Risotteria


As I am sure it is clear by now pizza rocks my world. I have tried it far and wide and can honestly say, New Yorker’s do it right. Whether it be a corner slice of Sicilian, a traditional fold em’ and go slice, or a gluten-free pizza, NYC does it best.

Last month I spent a week in NYC visiting friends, family and the city itself. During my trip I sampled many delicious dishes, but it was the gluten-free pizza that blew my mind. I had read many reviews on Risotteria, but I absolutely had to see what all the brew ha ha was about for myself. With my mom visiting me from Philly and happily going where ever I led, I decided I would lead us to Risotteria.

My mom and I hopped a subway to W. 4th and were on our way. As we emerged from the subway on 6th Ave. and started walking to Risotteria, we passed some of my favorite gluten filled pizza joints (Joe’s and John’s). I pointed them out to my mom and relived the joyous times I had eating at them. I really did savor every bite of every good slice I ever ate. As we rounded the corner on to Bleecker I saw it, Risotteria. It wasn’t big, it wasn’t boldly lit, but my eye was immediately drawn to it.

Risotteria is a small, glass enclosed restaurant. We arrived for a late lunch and there was no line, but every table was full. We sat down and a tall glass filled with bread sticks was placed on our table. I had a feeling they were gluten-free, but I didn’t want to grab one and find out I was mistaken. My mom, starving and not caring about whether they were gluten-free grabbed one and started munching away. As she sat there enjoying the bread stick she gave me that, sorry I’m eating when you can’t, look. As it turns out was she wrong, wrong, wrong! These were gluten-free bread sticks that were so darn tasty she didn’t know the difference. As you can see by the picture they are light and airy. The dough is seasoned well and the texture is spot on.

The menu was fantastic with lots of options. Obviously this place is known for risotto, but I was there for the pizza. Even though there were tons of gluten-free pizzas to choose from I ordered the margarita pizza. The pizza was thin, crispy and chewy and cheesy. The sauce to cheese ratio was perfect. This pizza, believe it or not, was better than the one I had in Rome. Yes, Rome! My mom ordered a delightful spinach salad with mushrooms and truffle oil. It was so flavorful she didn’t even need dressing.

I loved Risotteria! The pizza was delicious, the service was friendly and attentive and the location is fantastic. I’ll definitely be back!

Risotteria
270 Bleecker St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-6664

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September 6, 2011

Gone Gluten-Free has gone to Europe-Rome

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Colosseum


Unbeknownst to most including myself until just before my trip, Italy has one of the highest rates of Celiac in Europe (please refer to the AIC‘s site for more information). The general population is tested for Celiac during early childhood. Because of this most restaurants are aware of the disease. With this knowledge I was convinced that Rome was going to be an eating paradise and it was. If you are concerned about making your gluten issues clear in restaurants, print yourself this card Italian Celiac / Coeliac Gluten Free Restaurant Card) and hand it out to your server.

Inside the Pantheon

After a long and beautiful train ride D & I arrived in Rome. It was late by the time we got to the hotel and checked in so we decided not to venture out. The following day we made a plan to visit various ancient ruins and ultimately end up at Obika Mozzarella Bar for lunch. Rome is not the easiest city to navigate, but with two maps and a smart phone we finally found it. Unfortunately for you I do not have pictures of our visit to Obika Mozzarella Bar, but I do have a link to their menu. As I am sure you have figured out by now this restaurant serves mozzarella, several varieties in fact. I had the Stracciatella di Burrata (Buffalo mozzarella with cream filled center) and handmade Mortadella. It was absolutely incredible – so creamy and delightful! The mouth feel was indescribable. Don’t forget to bring your gluten-free crackers to this little slice of heaven.

Another sunny afternoon D and I decided to try a restaurant recommended to me by a dear friend, Miraggio. She said, “The food is incredible. If you go you must order the riso al crema di scampi, it is amazing. Also, if they have the lasagna, (which my friend’s grandmom makes) you must get it.” Clearly our entrees were decided for us, that was a no brainer. She continued by saying, “Definitely get carciofi if you like artichokes, they are famous in Rome, either alla giudea, which are fried and crispy and taste like potato chips, or alla romana, stuffed.” Sadly we could not try the artichokes, because they aren’t in season in July. “Also something I love and they only seem to have in Rome is cicoria ripasata, which is like bitter spinach sautéd in olive oil, garlic and chili peppers….”
*If you go at lunch to Miraggio, keep in mind that restaurants in Rome, and Italy in general, are open for lunch from around 12:00-2:30, then they close until dinner around 7:00-11:00.

Well what can I say, the food is incredible! We started with mussels and clams in a white sauce and mussels in a red sauce. The clams were sweet and delicate. The mussels were smaller than the ones we get in the U.S., and very tender. The tomatoes in the red sauce were so delicious that I continued eating them even after finishing all the mussels. I let Dave enjoy the sauce with his bread. Next we had two sides of greens, chicory (cicoria ripasata) and rapini/broccoli rabe. The flavor of each green was unique, however both were slightly bitter, sweet and garlicky with a little spice. As I mentioned above, Dave ordered the lasagna (this is not gluten-free), and said it was the BEST he had ever eaten. He remarked on how the pasta was cooked al dente, something he had never experienced in a lasagna before. I ordered the riso al crema di scampi, which was divine. The rice was firm and the sauce was creamy; basically it tasted like a rich lobster bisque (except it was shrimp) and, just as impossible to stop eating. Perfect harmony is the only way to put it. We decided to come back at least one more time.

Gluten-free Margherita pizza

Now for the pizza, the food this gluten-free gal searches for wherever she goes. After a little research on TripAdvisor, I found a place with a gluten-free menu serving gluten-free (senza glutine in Italian) pizza called Voglia Di Pizza.

Diavlo pizza


My heart skipped a beat when I read the reviews. The gluten-free pizza at home is a far cry from my beloved favorite food, but in Rome how would I fare? Would it be all I had hoped for? Let’s put it this way, I went two days in a row. The first time I went I had a margarita pizza and it was good, damn good. I ate the whole thing while watching the patrons around me unable to finish theirs. During our second visit both Dave and I ordered the Diavlo pizza with spicy salami. Mine was gluten-free and his was not. Please observe the bit of crust from Dave’s pizza showing in the picture, it looks just like mine. Both days the pizza was thin, but not soggy. The crust had a tasty char on the edges, but wasn’t burnt or a crunchy cracker. I don’t know how they did it, but the consistency was crunchy, chewy and cheesy. It was the closest thing I have had to a gluten filled pizza.

The day before we left we FINALLY found a grocery store. These places are so hidden that it was pure luck to have found one. We bought wine, prosecco and water (still and sparkling/frisante) for a fraction of the price of anywhere else. As well as finding the grocery we also found an incredible salumerie, Rosciolo. Apparently it’s also a bakery and restaurant, but we were there for the meat and cheese.

Mmmmmm, cured meats

On our first pass at the store we bought some Iberico ham, pecorino and roasted tomatoes in olive oil. We walked down the street to a church, sat down on the steps and began eating. I had gluten-free crackers in my bag that worked perfectly. On our way back we passed the store again. This time we were ready to lay down some euros and go whole hog. We ordered various cured hams (Iberico, prosciutto and a Portuguese one), Mortadella, burrata, more pecorino and more roasted tomatoes in olive oil. We took this back to our room and made a picnic.

Cheeeeeeeeese

Rome is a wonderful city. I only wish I had more time to explore all it has to offer. There were more restaurants to try, streets to explore and sites to see. I have just broken the surface and I am ready to go back and see what is beneath.

Obika Mozzarella Bar
Piazza Campo dei Fiori – corner Via dei Baullari
00186 – Roma
Tel.: +39 06 68802366
Open everyday from 8 am to 2 am.
From 6.00 pm “Aperitivo Obikà” with little mozzarella “bocconcini” and tastings

Miraggio Club
Via della Lungara 16, Rome, Italy
06-687-5319

Voglia Di Pizza
Via Dei Giubbonari 33
00186 Roma (RM)
phone 06 6875293

Roscioli Restaurant
Via dei Giubbonari, 21
00186 Rome
Tel: 06 6875287

DS Pizza Point
This shows 460 gluten-free pizza locations throughout Italy

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August 26, 2011

Gluten-free NYC Eats- Flex Mussels

My trip to New York was filled with a considerable amount of eating. Some restaurants looked nice, tried hard, but were mediocre. Other restaurants I liked, but not enough that I remember their names. And one was so awful I have blocked its name from my head. Flex Mussels was not one of them. Flex Mussels is a place I would return to in a heartbeat.

My first morning in NYC, and staying with best friend, she asks me if there was a special place I wanted to go to for dinner or a particular cuisine I was craving. Having gone to France recently, but sadly not having mussels, I told her that mussels are what I would really enjoy. No more than 15 minutes later and I receive an Open Table invite to Flex Mussels, for a 7:30PM reservation. Lovely!

We walk over to Flex Mussels and are hit by a wall of sweet and delicious smells. This is exactly what I was hoping for. We ordered a bottle of white wine, Sancerre I believe, two orders of mussels, Parma mussels and Dijon mussels, and one order of fries. It was really nice to have dinner and enjoy some laughs with my best friend.

Creamy Dijon mussels

Dinner arrived and we got down to business. The Dijon Mussels, served in a sauce of Dijon mustard, white wine, creme fraiche and parsley, was very similar to a French Marinière sauce, but creamier. I could eat these at least twice a week.

Extra rich & dreamy Parma mussels

The Parma Mussels, made with Parmigiano cream, Meyer lemon, scallions, toasted garlic and shallots (these can easily be left off by the Chef to make them gluten-free), came highly recommended. Clearly I couldn’t eat the toppings on the Parma, but I could try the mussels and sauce. These mussels were incredibly rich and creamy. The fries were thin, just how I like them, and they absorbed the sauces nicely while remaining crisp.

Flex Mussels serves delicious Prince Edward Island Mussels in a variety of flavors. If you like mussels then this place is for you. There is a flavor to please every palate.

FLEX MUSSELS
(13TH STREET Location)
154 W 13th St.
New York 10011
212-229-0222

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June 3, 2011

RN74 dinner review

I search high and low for nice restaurants that make tasty gluten-free dishes without having to leave out ingredients, like the ones that make that dish what it is. Certainly dining out and ordering a protein or a salad is always an option. But for me, now and then I want a meal prepared by a chef that isn’t so simple and plain I wonder why I am spending money on something I can make just as well myself, but for less money. If that is also something you find lacking in your gluten-free life, then RN74 will be a welcome addition to your list of restaurant options.

This past weekend a few of us went to dinner at RN74. To my surprise there were several gluten-free options that I could choose from. The minute I asked the server to please find out what dishes would be suitable for my gluten-free diet, he began pointing them out on the menu. When I asked which dishes were gluten-free and didn’t need any changes made to them, he knew those too. It was very refreshing.


The appetizers were shared so we could try as many as possible. The entrees and dessert were not. We started with 1/2 Doz. oysters served with the sweetest mignonette sauce I have ever had, very complimentary. We also shared escargot, in the shell, with a butter, herb, and garlic sauce also inside the shell, and a side of tomato compote. They were tender, delicious and beautiful. The Albacore Crudo had a melt in your mouth feel, but the blood orange sauce was a little too sweet and the fresh herbs didn’t bring anything to the dish. The beef carpaccio was also a hit. The meat was wafer thin served with a deviled quail egg, pommes gaufrettes (homemade potato chips), frisee, Haricot verts, all brought together with a wonderful Dijon mustard.

My dinner was an exquisitely prepared duck breast with cabbage and mustard greens, and a side of cassoulet topped with a dollop of foie gras mousse. Usually the cassoulet is served with breadcrumbs, but no breadcrumbs for me, and it was outstanding. The server showed me the mousse atop the cassoulet, mixed it into the beans, and served some on the plate beside the duck. I enjoyed every bite, and left not one morsel.

The pot de creme dessert was AMAZING! My pot de creme was served without the cake, and I didn’t miss it one bit. This dessert was a rich, smooth, thick chocolate pudding, topped with a whipped salted toffee mousse and crumbled toffee bits. This was the perfect ending to an unexpectedly delicious dinner.

I highly recommend this nice, but pricey wine bar. Yes, a wine bar, because along with these wonderful gluten-free dishes I drank some fabulous wine.

RN74
301 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-7474

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