Don Pablo's

I had a wonderful mexican dinner last night at Don Pablo's in Sanford (Central Florida). They have 2 other locations in Florida including one in Orlando and one in Sarasota. They have an extensive gluten free menu with tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, salads and more. There was so much to choose from but I finally decided on beef tacos with mexican rice and vegetables. It was a great choice. The staff was also very knowledgeable. The only negative - they aren't located in South Florida!

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes

All you can eat soup, salad, and more... With locations across the country, Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes is usually pretty busy any time of the day. With a buffet of salad items, soups, potatoes, baked goods, pasta bar, fruit, and ice cream there is plenty to choose from and a nice selection of gluten free items (although you will have to pass over the the baked goods and pasta bar). Check out their gluten free menu options online. They have many gluten free items that are almost always available (including their delicious Deep Kettle House Chili), along with additional items during their special monthly promotions.

Update on Kona Grill

This is an update to a prior post on Kona Grill. Unfortunately, they have closed their West Palm Beach location. However, they are still located in several states and now have a location in Tampa, Florida. Check out their website to see if there is a location near you!

Gluten Free Pizza in Coral Springs

Lunch today was at Pasquale's in North Coral Springs. They have 2 locations in Coral Springs and one location in Coconut Creek but only serve gluten free pizza in North Coral Springs and Coconut Creek.

Aside from Disney World, I've only eaten gluten free pizza in one restaurant and ended up sick from it. My thought was that it was from the cross contamination. How could there not be cross contamination? Needless to say I have been hesitant to try this since, but gave it a shot after a co-worker told me she had eaten there.

I called ahead to confirm that they did in fact serve gluten free pizza and the person who answered the phone told me they did. First good sign that she didn't need to check with someone else! When I arrived I noticed that you go straight to the counter to place your order and then take a seat until your order number is called. Next good sign was that the cashier also knew right away what I was asking for and was also able to explain that the gluten free pizzas are cooked separately. We then ordered and waited for our number to be called. The atmosphere was very nice with televisions throughout the restaurant, and everything appeared very well maintained. I was hoping the kitchen was the same and there wouldn't be any cross contamination issues.

When the pizza was ready I was pleasantly surprised to see that it looked like a regular pizza... but then came the taste test. I was pleasantly surprised with this as well. The crust was pretty good and the cheese tasted just like the cheese on a regular pizza. The sauce was a little on the bland side but with some oregano it turned out okay. Overall, I enjoyed this immensely!

No surprise, it was a little expensive at $17.95 for a 12 inch pizza but that won't keep me away. I would definitely recommend Pasquale's and will be back there again soon!

Duffy's Sports Bar and Grill

Well my almost 2 year old keeps me very busy but I wanted to share a recent find. I had heard a while ago that Duffy's has a gluten free menu but never made it there... until now. Two weeks ago after visiting the Museum of Discovery and Science downtown we headed over to 17th Street and ended up at Duffy's. I had a shrimp caesar salad that was delicious! With several locations around South Florida I will be back soon.

Kona Grill

I wandered into Kona Grill in West Palm Beach this weekend and discovered a great restaurant.  We were spending the weekend in WPB and visited CityPlace for lunch.  The restaurant we were planning to go to was closed so we decided to check out Kona Grill.  Much to my surprise, they had a gluten-free menu! 

I ordered the chicken and shrimp romaine wraps (without the sauce) and it was delicious.  It was an appetizer but it was a nice size portion and just right for lunch.  Aside from appetizers, the gluten-free menu also includes salads, sandwiches (without the bread), entrees, approved sides, and desserts.  I think I will try the jerk chicken sandwich (no bread) next time with the white cheddar mashed potatoes (instead of fries).

Of course I had to check out their website when I got home to see if they had any locations closer to me, but this is currently the only location in Florida.  They have one opening in Tampa soon, and have locations in 14 other states.  

If you live near one of their locations or are just passing by, you won't want to miss this.  Enjoy!   

Mother's Day Lunch at Carrabba's Italian Grill

Much to my surprise, lunch at Carrabba's Italian Grill was very good today! I had eaten there several years ago when I initially started my gluten-free adventure and was not very impressed. I don't recall them having an actual GF menu at the restaurant other than the paper from the internet, and the staff didn't seem very aware of celiac disease or gluten-free.  I even recall our server making some comment about not understanding why someone would bother to eat the chicken without the grill baste. Needless to say, I never went back... until today.

Knowing they had a gluten-free menu, my sister suggested eating there for Mother's Day because she had a gift certificate and one of their locations is right across the street from my 96-year old grandmother's apartment.  Since someone always goes to pick up my grandmother when we all get together, we figured this time we would just eat closer to her home.  I was still a little skeptical about going back there, but I knew everyone else would enjoy the change (we don't eat out at Italian restaurants that often). 

As soon as we arrived and I noticed the gluten-free menu the hostess had placed on the table, I knew this experience would be very different than my last visit.  The GF menu actually looked just like their regular menu but it was clearly marked gluten-free.  When I started to order, I told the server that I had the gluten-free menu and I got the impression that he clearly knew what that meant (well enough to know how to enter the order so my food would be made correctly).  It was tough to make a decision with all of the options on the menu, but I ordered the Insalata Carrabba with grilled chicken (without the grill baste).

My meal tasted delicious and the rest of my family enjoyed their food as well.  I will definitely not wait as long to return for my next visit, and I think I'll try the Sirloin Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes.

I want to thank my sister for suggesting we eat there.  I hope my mother and grandmother (and all you moms out there) had a Happy Mother's Day!  

     

Pei Wei

We ventured out to Pei Wei today for a nice relaxing Sunday lunch.  If you have never been to Pei Wei (P.F. Chang's is their parent company), it is a casual Asian Diner serving Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese inspired dishes.

You will notice the contemporary-Asian decor as soon as you enter and see the menu boards posted along the entry wall.  Once you have reviewed the menu, you can go straight to the counter to place your order.  They have a gluten-free menu available at the register which includes:

Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

Pei Wei Spicy Chicken Salad

Pei Wei Spicy Chicken or Shrimp

Pei Wei Sweet & Sour Chicken or Shrimp

Once you place your order, you can go sit down at your table and wait for the server to bring your meal (which doesn't take long at all).

This was only my second time eating here.  The first time I had the Asian Chopped Chicken Salad.  The gluten-free menu advises to substitute the dressing on this salad with a lime vinaigrette dressing.  It was a nice size salad and the chicken tasted great, but I wasn't a big fan of the dressing.

Today I had the Pei Wei Spicy Chicken which they were able to make mild for me.  This was also a nice size portion and it comes with rice (brown or white). Everything was delicious today and I will definitely be going back for more! 

Washington, DC

Washington, DC is an incredible place to visit. We were there recently for a long weekend to celebrate a special birthday and had an amazing time. We stayed in Georgetown, but ventured out to explore as much as DC as we could on foot and on the Metro (they have a fantastic public transportation system).  I hadn't been there in many years, so we visited the memorials, monuments, museums, and Arlington National Cemetery.  It was my first time at Arlington, and I would definitely recommend going there when you visit DC.

Before the trip, I did my usual research for gluten-friendly establishments. I did some research online, but also found some great recommendations in The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide from Triumph Dining.  We ended up having some wonderful meals while we were there. We had dinner at The Capital Grille to celebrate the BIG birthday!  We also had dinner at Clyde's of Georgetown and Legal Sea Foods (one of my favorites in many cities).  We also had a great lunch at Mitsitam Cafe located inside the National Museum of the American Indian.  It is set up cafeteria style with different food stations.  Gluten-free options are actually labeled at each station and the staff is very helpful.  You don't want to miss this one!

I had a few other recommended restaurants that I wanted to go to, but we were only there for a few days.  I'll have to add them to the list for my next visit!     

San Diego

I mentioned in Wednesday's blog (Going Out to Eat) that there are many restaurants that will make accommodations for special diets, however some cities do a much better job of this than others.  I was in San Diego last year for a conference, and was also able to explore the city and take in the sights.  The weather was beautiful as we walked down the streets lined with shops and restaurants.  Although I had done my research of gluten-friendly establishments prior to the trip, we ended up eating in random restaurants that we came across on our walks.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the staff in EVERY restaurant we ate at were all familiar with gluten-free requests.

We had lunch downtown at Henry's Pub and at the Harbor House at Seaport Village.  Dinners were at McCormick & Schmick's, Yard House (they have an actual gluten-free menu), and Croce's (my personal favorite). The grilled free-range chicken, risotto, and asparagus dinner at Croce's is out of this world!

The San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park are both probably places you don't want to miss when visiting this great city, but when you do make it to San Diego, make sure to add these restaurants to your list and enjoy the food!

Going Out to Eat

Although my gluten-free diet has gotten much easier over time, eating out was very scary at first and still requires some planning.  However, making every meal in the comfort of my own kitchen was just NOT an option. Going out to eat is a part of life and being on a gluten-free diet shouldn't stop us from living.  Of course I was scared about the "secret ingredients" they use and the cross-contamination, but it is just about making smart choices.  There are so many restaurants that actually have gluten-free menus (the list keeps growing) and so many more that will make accommodations for special diets.  

The information is everywhere... individual restaurant websites, magazine articles, gluten-free forums and blogs, and the list goes on.  The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide (Triumph Dining) is also great if you do any traveling at all.  I have actually packed this in my suitcase on a few trips! But don't stop there... if you are planning on going out to eat and aren't sure they will have something for you, just call ahead and speak to a manager.

Brazilian steakhouses are one of my favorites that don't necessarily have special gluten-free menus, but always have plenty of tasty options.  Some of the more popular chain restaurants with gluten-free menus include P.F. Changs, Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, Chili's and Legal Sea Foods. However, be sure to check the menus frequently as ingredients may change.  I usually order the Original Baby Back ribs with mashed potatoes when I go to Chili's, but recently noticed that only the Honey BBQ ribs are now listed as gluten-free. They even removed the mashed potatoes from the list of gluten-free sides.  So it is important to check the menus and ask questions!

            

I have definitely gone to a few restaurants and simply ordered a plain salad after looking at the menu or talking to a server who seemed completely clueless (sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry), but that is not the norm.  I have enjoyed so many wonderful meals at restaurants and it just seems that more and more places are becoming familiar with gluten-free diets.  Again, it is all about making smart choices and doing a little research.