I have been wanting to try Mellow Mushroom's gluten free pizza for a while now, but despite how it looks on this blog, I don't eat out all the time. :) Today, however, has been pretty awesome, and Aaron and I went out to celebrate. We checked out the gluten free menu online, and found out that they also have vegan cheese in some locations, which is good news for all my gluten free vegan friends! We went to the location on Colonial Drive near UCF, which does provide vegan options. I was very impressed, because they had a pretty large gluten free menu, including Red Bridge beer and Woodchuck cider. They mention right on the menu that they take every possible precaution to keep the pizza gluten free, including separate prep spaces and utensils. Almost all of their specialty pizzas are listed on the gluten free pizza along with all of their base sauces. And if that isn't option enough, you can also create your own pizza with a large list of toppings and proteins. Tonight I chose the Funky Q Chicken pizza (with a few modifications). It usually comes with a BBQ sauce base, BBQ chicken, mozzarella, cheddar, caramelized onions, and Applewood smoked bacon. I substituted BBQ tofu for the chicken, and I added pineapple. It was delicious! Like pretty much all gluten free crusts I've had, it was thin, and had a slightly more crumbly texture than regular wheat crust, but it had a good flavor. The toppings were fantastic, and it completely hit the spot! I had an amazing experience. I was confident in my safety, I had great service, and the food was delicious. And, the best part is, I have enough left-overs for two more meals. :)
Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 4.5 stars
Taste - 4.5 stars
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Pollo Tropical
I can't believe I've gone this long without writing about such a staple in my diet! I eat at Pollo Tropical all the time, partly because there are restaurants right next to both of my work locations, but mostly because they are inexpensive and delicious. ;) Pollo Tropical, on a corporate level, is also AMAZING with accommodating food allergies. They are a member of FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) and have identified four different meals that are completely free of the common allergens milk, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and wheat. In addition, they clearly identify allergens in menu items. As a Celiac, there are very few things I can't eat. YAY! I can't have the dinner rolls (obviously), Caesar salad & croutons, french fries (always sad), tortillas, tres leches, and key lime pie. Everything else on their extensive menu is fair game! And, even though they fry their plantains, I've been told that they use a separate fryer, so they're still GF! I eat them all the time and never have a problem, and I'm pretty sensative. There have been two times at two different locations where I've had issues with cross-contamination, which is pretty good, considering that I eat a Pollo Tropical at least once a week. This issues were the direct result of people in the kitchen not taking my allergy seriously. Every other time I've eaten there they are very receptive to my explanation of my allergies, change their gloves, and are very careful while serving the food. Today, the man putting orders together was uncertain about my request, and (Hallelujah!) asked what I NEEDED HIM TO DO. This was at the South Semoran Blvd. location. All restaurants should have this level of service!
Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 5 stars
Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 5 stars
Steaks, Shakes, and Spicy Chicken
I know it's been a while since I've blogged. I have let life get in the way of stuff. Oops! There's not a lot to say about my gluten free adventures since my last post. In fact, only two events come to mind.
The first was a lovely lunch with Aaron at Pei Wei last Sunday. They have a limited but delicious GF menu, offering edamame, salads, and a few entrees. The restaurant is very careful about cross-contamination, which makes me feel very safe. The only downside for me is that my diet is about 95% vegetarian, and other than the edamame, there is no vegetarian option for me on the list. Since I'm allergic to shrimp, my only protein option is chicken. I have not experienced large portion of the menu yet, because I like the spicy chicken so much. It is delicious, and the portion is large enough to share between two people. Aaron and I shared this on Sunday. I will review this restaurant in more detail later. :)
The second experience that stands out in my mind is one from Friday night. After an AMAZING performance of Suessical Jr. from Howard Middle School, Aaron and the cast, crew, and parents had an after party at Steak and Shake. Fortunately, I was able to rearrange my work schedule and get to the school in time to see the show, and I was invited to the party! Unfortunately, I was hungry and not very hopeful about Steak and Shake's gluten free offerings. My prediction was correct. There was not a whole lot on the menu that I could eat. After a talk with the chef, whose brother-in-law has Celiac, I did my best to navigate the menu. I could eat hamburgers without the bun, but I was reluctant to do so, as I strongly prefer to eat a vegetarian diet (GF wins, though, if a choice must be made). Finally, I found a Southwest chicken salad. It usually comes with ranch dressing, which would have been my first choice if it was safe. It however, was not safe and neither was any other dressing on the menu except for the vinaigrette. I ordered my salad with the change in dressing, planning to remove the chicken from the salad when it arrived. Within a few minutes, the manager came to my table and explained that the chicken comes pre-marinated and the supplier did not provide a complete ingredient list (WHY?), so they could not guarantee the safety of the chicken. As I wasn't going to eat it anyway, this did rock my world too much. I was, however, very grateful that I was informed and could ask for the offending item to be removed from my salad. Had it come on the salad, just picking it off would have not been safe enough! Considering the fact that there were about 50 middle school students running around the restaurant, I was very impressed that the kitchen took so much time to help me. I was also impressed with how quickly my food was ready. The salad itself was not that incredible, but it was OK. The ingredients were fresh, and the jalapeno in the pico de gallo was quite spicy, which was a surprise. Since Steak and Shake does not have much gluten free food available, I probably won't be dining there on a whim, but it is nice to know that I can eat SOMETHING there and be safe if the need arises. Plus, they have the fun flavor syrups. :)
Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 2.5 stars
The first was a lovely lunch with Aaron at Pei Wei last Sunday. They have a limited but delicious GF menu, offering edamame, salads, and a few entrees. The restaurant is very careful about cross-contamination, which makes me feel very safe. The only downside for me is that my diet is about 95% vegetarian, and other than the edamame, there is no vegetarian option for me on the list. Since I'm allergic to shrimp, my only protein option is chicken. I have not experienced large portion of the menu yet, because I like the spicy chicken so much. It is delicious, and the portion is large enough to share between two people. Aaron and I shared this on Sunday. I will review this restaurant in more detail later. :)
The second experience that stands out in my mind is one from Friday night. After an AMAZING performance of Suessical Jr. from Howard Middle School, Aaron and the cast, crew, and parents had an after party at Steak and Shake. Fortunately, I was able to rearrange my work schedule and get to the school in time to see the show, and I was invited to the party! Unfortunately, I was hungry and not very hopeful about Steak and Shake's gluten free offerings. My prediction was correct. There was not a whole lot on the menu that I could eat. After a talk with the chef, whose brother-in-law has Celiac, I did my best to navigate the menu. I could eat hamburgers without the bun, but I was reluctant to do so, as I strongly prefer to eat a vegetarian diet (GF wins, though, if a choice must be made). Finally, I found a Southwest chicken salad. It usually comes with ranch dressing, which would have been my first choice if it was safe. It however, was not safe and neither was any other dressing on the menu except for the vinaigrette. I ordered my salad with the change in dressing, planning to remove the chicken from the salad when it arrived. Within a few minutes, the manager came to my table and explained that the chicken comes pre-marinated and the supplier did not provide a complete ingredient list (WHY?), so they could not guarantee the safety of the chicken. As I wasn't going to eat it anyway, this did rock my world too much. I was, however, very grateful that I was informed and could ask for the offending item to be removed from my salad. Had it come on the salad, just picking it off would have not been safe enough! Considering the fact that there were about 50 middle school students running around the restaurant, I was very impressed that the kitchen took so much time to help me. I was also impressed with how quickly my food was ready. The salad itself was not that incredible, but it was OK. The ingredients were fresh, and the jalapeno in the pico de gallo was quite spicy, which was a surprise. Since Steak and Shake does not have much gluten free food available, I probably won't be dining there on a whim, but it is nice to know that I can eat SOMETHING there and be safe if the need arises. Plus, they have the fun flavor syrups. :)
Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 2.5 stars
Sunday, May 1, 2011
A gluten free Sea World
After a long, hard week, I wanted some quality penguin time, and in Orlando, that means a day at Sea World. Aaron and I decided to get the meal wrist band, which have us unlimited access to 7 different restaurants in the park. With unlimited access to food, the only question was what could I eat. I asked guest services if they had a comprehensive allergen list, which they did not (btw, Disney does). So, I had to ask the chef at each restaurant what I could eat. We tried three different locations. Here's how it went...
The first place we went was called Voyager's Smokehouse, which had BBQ and salads. The chef there was quite knowledgeable, and was able to clearly tell me exactly what I could and could not eat. She even said that I couldn't have the fries yet, because they were fried with the chicken tenders, but after noon, they cooked them in an adjacent snack place, so the fryer was safe. I meant to go back for some fries, but I forgot. I will definitely get some in the future, though. She told me to avoid the deserts except for the fruit. I could have the salads, but they had to make new ones, because the two salads that they serve come with croutons or fried tortilla shell. I couldn't have sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, or chicen tenders. I could however, have all of the BBQ meat, corn, and baked beans, which excited me, because that's rare when eating out. While it's nice that I could have the BBQ, I eat a vegetarian diet most of the time. So, I did the best I could and got a BBQ chicken salad without the shell points and baked beans. The beans were disappointing. They tasted overwhelmingly like black pepper. The salad was nice, though, and was the best food I had all day. I ate some of the chicken, but mostly picked around it and ate the salad. Being the first stop of the day, I was impressed and hopeful at what else we might find.
Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 3.5 stars
Taste - 3.5 stars
After a few exhibits, we decided to get lunch at the Seafire Inn. This restaurant was mostly Italian food, but also had some stir fry. We went mostly for Aaron, but I decided that since I blog, I should at least ask what they could do. I was told that the only thing I could have was the chicken stirfry without the sauce. The chef offered to make it special for me, so I accepted, though I wasn't that hungry. The food took a LONG time. Finally, I man brought the food and said he only used olive oil, and didn't use any seasonings. After I got it, I asked if the watermelon was cut on a GF surface, just to make sure. He was happy to check, but a woman working at the buffet line gave me some strange attitude about it. She told me that watermelon was GF because it was a fruit. I told her that I knew that, but I was inquiring about the utensils and the cutting surface, because if watermelon touches something that is not GF, then it is no longer safe for me to eat. She started to make a snide comment, but trailed off, said "Whatever" and walked away. After a bit, the original chef came out and assured me that the watermelon was fine, and got some for me, because the line had grown significantly during my wait. I was impressed by the kitchen staff's knowledge and willingness to make different food for me, but the food took a while, and that one woman was quite rude. After this whole ordeal, I finally sat down with Aaron to eat. The stir fry looked good with nicely cooked chicken and a colorful assortment of veggies, but with no seasoning and no sauce, it was pretty bland. I ate more than I particularly cared to, mostly because the chef made it specially for me. After a few bites, though, I focused more on the watermelon.
Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars (would be 5 except for Miss Attitude)
Taste - 2.5 stars
The last place we visited was Mango Joe's Cafe. I was excited about this, because I remember really enjoying food there in the past. I was a bit disappointed when we talked to the chef, though. The most exciting thing on their menu is this fajita hoagie thing, which was obviously off-limits, but has given me a ridiculous craving for a steak sandwich. They have other sandwiches and wraps, but again, those are off-limits, though the chef tried to tell me that I could eat the vegetable wrap because it had a spinach wrap... Spinach wraps still have flour last time I checked. I thought that was a bit odd. All of their fajita meat it a no go, too, because it is marinated in soy sauce. The only option left after all of that was the salad. They had a chicken house salad that I could get without the chicken, or a fajita salad without the chicken. The house salad had a vinaigrette, and the fajita salad had ranch dressing. I asked if the dressings were safe, and they didn't know, so they told me to avoid them to be safe. I pressed the issue asking them to check, and he brought out the bottles so I could look at the ingredients. Both dressings seemed safe to me, so I chose the ranch dressing with the meatless fajita salad and watermelon. The salad was fine, but not as good as the BBQ one from Voyagers.
Knowledge - 1.5
Accommodation - 1.5
Taste - 3
I understand that Sea World is not Disney (which has won awards for its leadership in food allergy awareness), but even still, I was disappointed. If I have to ask the chefs at the various locations, the chefs should know what gluten is and what items I can eat. I was also surprised that none of the locations we visited had alternative food of any kind. The best food I had was mediocre. I do have to say, though, that throughout the whole day, I think I managed to leave unscathed, which, given the fact that I was flat out told I could eat something with gluten in it, is pretty impressive.
The first place we went was called Voyager's Smokehouse, which had BBQ and salads. The chef there was quite knowledgeable, and was able to clearly tell me exactly what I could and could not eat. She even said that I couldn't have the fries yet, because they were fried with the chicken tenders, but after noon, they cooked them in an adjacent snack place, so the fryer was safe. I meant to go back for some fries, but I forgot. I will definitely get some in the future, though. She told me to avoid the deserts except for the fruit. I could have the salads, but they had to make new ones, because the two salads that they serve come with croutons or fried tortilla shell. I couldn't have sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, or chicen tenders. I could however, have all of the BBQ meat, corn, and baked beans, which excited me, because that's rare when eating out. While it's nice that I could have the BBQ, I eat a vegetarian diet most of the time. So, I did the best I could and got a BBQ chicken salad without the shell points and baked beans. The beans were disappointing. They tasted overwhelmingly like black pepper. The salad was nice, though, and was the best food I had all day. I ate some of the chicken, but mostly picked around it and ate the salad. Being the first stop of the day, I was impressed and hopeful at what else we might find.
Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 3.5 stars
Taste - 3.5 stars
After a few exhibits, we decided to get lunch at the Seafire Inn. This restaurant was mostly Italian food, but also had some stir fry. We went mostly for Aaron, but I decided that since I blog, I should at least ask what they could do. I was told that the only thing I could have was the chicken stirfry without the sauce. The chef offered to make it special for me, so I accepted, though I wasn't that hungry. The food took a LONG time. Finally, I man brought the food and said he only used olive oil, and didn't use any seasonings. After I got it, I asked if the watermelon was cut on a GF surface, just to make sure. He was happy to check, but a woman working at the buffet line gave me some strange attitude about it. She told me that watermelon was GF because it was a fruit. I told her that I knew that, but I was inquiring about the utensils and the cutting surface, because if watermelon touches something that is not GF, then it is no longer safe for me to eat. She started to make a snide comment, but trailed off, said "Whatever" and walked away. After a bit, the original chef came out and assured me that the watermelon was fine, and got some for me, because the line had grown significantly during my wait. I was impressed by the kitchen staff's knowledge and willingness to make different food for me, but the food took a while, and that one woman was quite rude. After this whole ordeal, I finally sat down with Aaron to eat. The stir fry looked good with nicely cooked chicken and a colorful assortment of veggies, but with no seasoning and no sauce, it was pretty bland. I ate more than I particularly cared to, mostly because the chef made it specially for me. After a few bites, though, I focused more on the watermelon.
Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars (would be 5 except for Miss Attitude)
Taste - 2.5 stars
The last place we visited was Mango Joe's Cafe. I was excited about this, because I remember really enjoying food there in the past. I was a bit disappointed when we talked to the chef, though. The most exciting thing on their menu is this fajita hoagie thing, which was obviously off-limits, but has given me a ridiculous craving for a steak sandwich. They have other sandwiches and wraps, but again, those are off-limits, though the chef tried to tell me that I could eat the vegetable wrap because it had a spinach wrap... Spinach wraps still have flour last time I checked. I thought that was a bit odd. All of their fajita meat it a no go, too, because it is marinated in soy sauce. The only option left after all of that was the salad. They had a chicken house salad that I could get without the chicken, or a fajita salad without the chicken. The house salad had a vinaigrette, and the fajita salad had ranch dressing. I asked if the dressings were safe, and they didn't know, so they told me to avoid them to be safe. I pressed the issue asking them to check, and he brought out the bottles so I could look at the ingredients. Both dressings seemed safe to me, so I chose the ranch dressing with the meatless fajita salad and watermelon. The salad was fine, but not as good as the BBQ one from Voyagers.
Knowledge - 1.5
Accommodation - 1.5
Taste - 3
I understand that Sea World is not Disney (which has won awards for its leadership in food allergy awareness), but even still, I was disappointed. If I have to ask the chefs at the various locations, the chefs should know what gluten is and what items I can eat. I was also surprised that none of the locations we visited had alternative food of any kind. The best food I had was mediocre. I do have to say, though, that throughout the whole day, I think I managed to leave unscathed, which, given the fact that I was flat out told I could eat something with gluten in it, is pretty impressive.
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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Bombay Cafe
I have been craving Indian food for a while now. I know that a lot of Indian food is naturally gluten free (Yay!), but I have been nervous, and haven't eaten at an Indian restaurant since my diagnosis. Also aiding my apprehension was a noticeable lack in reference to gluten free Indian restaurants in Orlando. At a work day for my husband's school, some of the parents and Aaron and I started discussing Indian food and where we like to eat. We mentioned a place we use to like to go on Orange Blossom Trail, and the parents said there was a great place across the street called the Bombay Cafe that was less expensive and, in their opinion, tastier. So, we decided to give it a shot tonight. It's not really hard to find, but it is tucked away in a smaller shopping center, so you do stay alert. We walked in and liked the atmosphere. We looked at the menu, and it looked very promising. My favorite dish (so far) was on it! Now, all we had to do was ask about the presence of gluten in the food. They were quite knowledgeable, and went through the menu, telling me exactly which items had gluten in them, and which ones did not. I started to get excited when many of the starters were gluten free, but then I asked if they were fried in the same fryer as the other food. They were. Drat! Luckily, though, my favorite, aloo gobi (pictured), was gluten free, so I was happy. Aaron ordered the bhindi masala, which was also gluten free, and also another one of my favorites. He also ordered a starter which was, unfortunately, not safe. Waiting for our food, we were tempted by all sorts of wonderful smells coming from the food on nearby tables. Luckily, our food came quickly! I first tried some of Aaron's bhindi masala, which was great, and then went on to try my aloo gobi. It was delicious! We ate until we were quite full, and left with tons of leftovers. I would still like to give my old place a try, but we will definitely be back. Definitely. Did I say we'd be back? Because we will be!
Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 3 stars
Taste - 5 stars
Glutino Penne Alfredo
Tonight I review the Penne Alfredo microwave meal from Glutino. Yes, I promise I cook, but I was tired and wanted something easy, so I decided to try something new! I've been looking at this meal for a
while. I am, however, always a bit nervous when trying new food (or at least worried about losing money on food I can't eat). So, it took me a while to get up the nerve to try the penne alfredo. I brought it home, and cooked it right away. I decided that I needed some vegetable in my dinner, so I also steamed some broccoli to put in the pasta. I was very excited to see that the pasta looked decent. When I stirred it, I found it to have a nice texture, but the pasta fell apart very easily. I added my broccoli and some red pepper, because I put it on everything, and sat down for dinner. The first thing I noticed was that the sauce had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. It was like eating creamy, plain noodles. I added salt, and it helped, but it only raised the meal to a mediocre level. To be fair, though, the noodles were a good texture, and the meal was quite filling. Also, I enjoyed my broccoli very much. However, I think next time I have a hankering for alfredo, I'll make it myself. Classico is gluten free and quite nice!Appearance - 3.5 stars
Texture - 3.5 stars
Taste - 2 stars
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Lots of Praise for Chipotle
If you are lucky enough to live in a city that has a Chipotle, you are probably aware of how awesome they are. Before my diagnosis, I went there all the time because they were delicious and economical. I frequent them now because they are very gluten friendly. If you're not familiar with the restaurant, it's a fast food burrito place that only uses fresh, organic, free-range foods. The have salads, burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and chips. For protein, they have chicken, steak, carnitas, barbacoa, and beans. They also have a delicious cilantro lime rice that I love. And the best part? Most of their menu is gluten free! Obviously, the burritos and soft tacos are out, but most everything else is fine. I get a vegetarian burrito bowl with corn salsa, pico de gallo, salsa verde, sour cream, and guacamole. The guac is free with mine, but costs extra if you get meat. The hot salsa is not guaranteed gluten free (the other ones are), and while lettuce and cheese are fine on their own, there is cross-contamination issues because they pick them up with their hands. This makes me sad a little, because I love cheese and lettuce on my burrito bowl. On the upside, they're one of the only restaurants with gluten free chips and hard taco shells! Before I order, I explain that I have food allergies and ask them to change their gloves. They always do this happily! Chipotle uses an assembly line format, so a different person usually adds the toppings. Instead, I ask if the first person who changed their gloves will finish my bowl, and most locations also do this without issue. Most locations even recognize me and have started learning my requests and my order. Like I said, though, some locations are better than others about my allergy. The Chipotle on Colonial drive near the Fashion Square Mall is by far the best location. They are always willing to help me and the food is always of high quality. The one on Orange Ave in SODO is consistently good as well, except that when the first person tries to finish my burrito bowl, the second person usually gives some grief about it. I thank the adamant people who refuse to hand the bowl over. The locations on Semoran and Sand Lake have been nice so far, but I don't go to those much, so I can't really say definitively how I'd rank them. The location to avoid is the one in Winter Park on the corner of Orange and Fairbanks. The portions are small, the food is not as good as the other locations, and they are unbelievably unhelpful about my allergy. They refuse to make the whole bowl with one person. The last time I went, I explained that I had a gluten allergy, and asked the girl working to change her gloves. She brought back the gloves and as she put on one, she laid the other on top of the flour tortillas. When I asked her to get a different glove, she gave me a nasty look. She then refused to complete my bowl, and told the second person to change her gloves in a snippy tone of voice. I was not impressed. Go to Chipotle! Just not the one in Winter Park.
Knowledge - 4 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 5 stars
Knowledge - 4 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 5 stars
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