I just ate the best gluten free Mac and Cheese out at a restaurant that I’ve ever had.

Yesterday was one of the worst days I’ve had in some time.  You know one of those days where nothing goes as planned, nothing works out, things go haywire, technology is not your friend and it’s just a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  I ran to The Misfit and ordered their amazing French fries to go and my day got better immediately.

My family thought I still needed a good meal out a day later.  So my son and I went off to The Misfit in Santa Monica for dinner.  I’ve been eyeing tables in the restaurant who order the Baked Mac & Cheese.  I’ve even gone up to people and asked what they thought.  I’m kind of brazen that way.

Everyone always rolls their eyes in total lust and tells me just how amazing it is and that I must give it a try.  Then they add, don’t forget to order it with chorizo.  Now if you’re a vegetarian skip the chorizo and double check if it’s vegetarian as I didn’t even ask. I went straight for the chorizo.

So after a crazy day which was preceded by a couple of busy and exhausting weeks, I decided tonight was the night to give it a try.

I double checked of course that the Baked Mac & Cheese with green chile and brown rice pasta-gluten free, was indeed a completely gluten free meal.  Oh and that the chorizo was too.  They said yes so I said yes.

I also ordered their Roasted Brussels Sprouts with garlic confit, mustard cream and chives.  I had not tried that dish either so I thought why not.  Brussels sprouts is a vegetable I’ve only been eating for a few years and usually with bacon so I was curious to give it a try prepared another way.  I have to say it was amazing and I will definately be ordering that again.  The combination of flavors danced on my tongue.  I could have made an entire meal of just that.

But then I would have missed out on the best gluten free mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten.   I don’t think I’ll ever make it again myself.  I’m lucky enough that The Misfit is less than 3 blocks away from my home.  Yes you can hate me now.

Chef Jordan Lynn has created an amazing combination of flavors.  The creaminess of the cheese and sauce with the tender pasta and the slightly spicy bite here and there of green chile makes for a party in your mouth.  Top it off with the chorizo and there’s just no going back.  If you are not a fan of the chorizo they also offer it with pancetta which I’m excited to try the next time I order this dish.  It’s my duty to check it out for you.

The baked mac & cheese is a very generous portion that comes in it’s own square baker.  The serving size is plenty for two but I was lucky enough to not be sharing so I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

For those who are wondering this is not dairy free, so if that is what you need you’ll have to pass on this but you can make my Truffled Mac & Cheese or Curried Mac & Cheese which both are gluten free, dairy free, and soy free.  Or start with the basics of those two recipes and add in some green chiles and chorizo.

However if you find yourself in Santa Monica, California and you eat gluten free, stop by The Misfit for some great gluten free options.  Tell Chef Jordan I sent you and don’t forget to order the Baked Mac & Cheese.

The Baked Mac & Cheese just moved to the top of my list of their menu items.

Two things I love to do, live in Santa Monica and eat out gluten free within a couple of blocks of my home.  OK, maybe that was three but it is always great if you can find so many restaurants within a few blocks of each other to eat a gluten free meal.

I live in downtown Santa Monica where I can walk to just about anything I need, including a good food.  This is also a popular  vacation and meeting destination.  In fact an amazing group of women will be descending on this city this week to come together for a retreat and meeting.  I’m very excited to see them and share these restaurants where I have found great gluten free food.

Some of these restaurants can be found on Open Table where you can make a reservation.  For those you will see the Open Table logo.  For others they either don’t take reservations or you can call ahead.  If you have a large group call and they will be able to let you know the availability.

Here are my favorites in no particular order.

JiRaffe  {California/French}

Chef/Owner Raphael Lunetta offers market directed rustic California/French cuisine. Entrees range from $23-$34 including an amazing Black Angus New York Steak for two served with potato parmesan gratin, baked tomato, sauteed farmers market black kale, port wine shallots, green peppercorn natural veal reduction served in a cast iron skillet.  This was my birthday dinner and even with the two of us eating a full plate we had leftovers.

Bistro Mondays is a prix fixe menu that is always amazing.  This restaurant uses fresh local ingredients which means they can easily accommodate gluten free.  They know exactly what is in each dish they serve.  When you arrive let your server know of your needs and they will gladly serve you an amazing gluten free meal.

502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401     310.917.6671 – phone | 310.917.6677 – fax

Monday 5:30 – 9:00 PM
Tuesday – Thursday 5:30 – 10:00PM
Friday – Saturday 5:30 – 10:30 PM

Real Food Daily  {Vegetarian/Vegan}

Right around the corner from JiRaffe is Real Food Daily or RFD.  Chef Ann Gentry is the creator, founder and operating owner of Real Food Daily, the only restaurant in the Los Angeles area that serves a 100 percent vegetarian (vegan) menu using foods grown exclusively with organic farming methods.  Their menu is noted which is gluten free along with other allergens.  I really like their gluten free, dairy free pizza.  It’s very filling.  I don’t think I’ve ever been able to finish it in one sitting so if you may want to share that.  Leave some room for their chocolate layered cake and chocolate chip cookies, both gluten free.  Make sure you share your needs with the server and the level of your sensitivity.  I find that key even if a menu is marked gluten free.

514-516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401  Phone: (310) 451-7544  Fax: (310) 451-7154

Weekend Brunch 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Mon. – Fri 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sat. – Sun 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

 Bar Pintxo  {Spanish Tapas Bar}

Chef David creates a wonderful Spanish Tapas bar with delicious food and great drinks.  It’s a cozy, warm, old world decor that transports you to Spain before you even order!  Enjoy their Six for Six happy hour, Tuesday’s Paella on the Patio or Thursday the Chef’s Tasting Menu.  I do have many favorites here for sure.  I love the chorizo con tomate, tortilla española,  gambas al ajillo, and of course the surtido de jamón which is 1/2 plate jamón serrano, 1/2 plate jamón ibérico.

When you arrive first ask for our favorite waitress, Andee, and tell her I sent  you.  She’s great and always gets the message to the kitchen for our needs.  I’ve actually been eating here for a few years and it’s always been an amazing meal and served gluten free.

109 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA (310) 458-2012

Monday – Tuesday (12pm – 10pm)

Wednesday – Friday (12pm – 11pm)

Saturdays (noon – midnight) & Sundays (noon – 10pm)

The Misfit Restaurant  {California}

Chef Jordan Lynn creates a “Back of the Bar” and very accessible comfort food menu.  Some items on their menu are marked gluten free, like their Mac & Cheese (still on my must try list).  Most other items you will need to check.  Let your server know when you arrive and they are very skilled at walking you through the menu.

They serve fresh foods on small plates from the local farmer’s market. There are many great vegetarian choices but my youngest son’s favorite is a burger on a gluten free bun and their huge plate of fries.  It’s really good but I’m also a fan of the roasted broccoli with garlic too.

Everyone here has always been great at attending to a gluten free meal, even for brunch on the weekends.

225 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401   t. 310.656.9800
Doors open at 12 noon Monday-Friday  |  Doors open at 11 am Brunch Saturday-Sunday  |  Open late every night

True Food Kitchen  {California}

The basis for this restaurant is Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet. The menu is meant to take popular trends in cuisine and pair them with healthy living.  It starts with their list of drinks which include Kale Aid and a Medicine Man which is my favorite.  Then you have starters, salads, pizza, sandwiches and entrees.  My favorite starter is the hummus with gluten free pita.  Their Mediterranean Chopped salad is very filling with quinoa and for a treat their chocolate pudding topped with pistachios and walnuts is decadent.

Their menu is marked where items are gluten free but I have found an error on the menu.  They serve farrow with chicken and mark it gluten free and as you know farrow is wheat.  I’ve not found anything else mis marked.  Also you can get items like the turkey burger on gluten free pita and it’s not marked gluten free.  Just let the server know about your needs and confirm the meal before digging in.  I will say the gluten free pita looks different from the regular pita and they can tell just by looking at it.

This restaurant is located in the bottom of the Santa Monica Place, which is the local shopping mall with other restaurants and clothing stores.

395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 172 , Santa Monica California 90401Tel: 310.593.8300  Fax: 310.593.8301

Mon – Thu 11:30am – 9pm
Fri 11:30am – 10pm
Sat 10am – 10pm
Sun 10am – 9pm

Brunch:
Sat – Sun 10am to 4pm

Zengo  {Latin/Asian}

Chef-owner Richard Sandoval spins regional ingredients into beautifully balanced dishes designed for sharing.  They also have an extensive drink menu which spans from Tequilas, wine, cocktails and even Japanese sakes.

Before you are seated ask for the gluten free menu.  They have a lot of great small plate options as well as some full plate dishes.  Some of our favorites are the Roasted Chicken Salad, Wagyu Roll with shrimp and sriracha, Peking Duck-Daikon Tacos and the Shrimp and Chorizo Lettuce Wraps (warning serrano peppers and hot).  Make sure you let your server know if you are very sensitive like me.  There is a sauce that is served with the Wagyu Rolls that is not gluten free and a good waiter will catch that.

Zengo is also in the Santa Monica Place on the top level.  They even have a private elevator on Santa Monica Blvd just passed the Nike store, or you can just ride up the two levels on the escalators.

395 Santa Monica Place, b/w Broadway & Colorado, Santa Monica, CA 90401  Tel. 310.899.1000

Lunch- Mon-Fri 11:30AM to 4:00PM

Dinner- Daily 4:00PM to close

Happy Hour Daily 4:00PM to 7:00PM

Bottomless Brunch Sat-Sun 11:30AM to 3:00PM

Sonoma Wine Garden  {Mediterranean/California}

Sonoma Wine Garden showcases signature bold Mediterranean flavors with a California touch.  Like many restaurants around here they use fresh local produce.  I’ve not eaten dinner here, but enjoy their small plates on the roof top bar with some of their great glasses of wine.  I have asked about many of their dishes and they have always had very descriptive answers for why something was available gluten free or not.  I’m looking forward to a full meal here.

They also have a wine club and if it’s your birthday you get a free glass of wine.  If you like to try many different wines, you can purchase an Enomatic card and choose from a wide variety.

Lunch:  M-F  11:30AM-2:30PM

Dinner:  Su-Th  2:30PM-10:00PM, F-Sa  2:30PM-11:00PM

Garden Brunch:  Sa-Su  11:00AM-2:30PM

Happy Hour:  M-F  3:30PM-6:30PM

Border Grill  {Mexican}

Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” has created a menu of complex authentic dishes based on the home cooking of Oaxaca and the Yucatan.  It’s a fun location to grab a meal, either for lunch or dinner.

You can download their gluten free lunch and gluten free dinner menu before you even head out the door.  When you arrive let them know of your needs and if you are very sensitive.  Many restaurants here will have gluten free foods fried in the same fryer as gluten items.  Just check on the items you’re interested in ordering.   Also if you like margaritas, they do have some tasty options.

1445 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401  phone: 310.451.1655  fax: 310.394.2049

Lunch

Monday through Friday – 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Border Brunch

Saturday and Sunday – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dinner
Monday through Thursday – 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday – 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Happy Hour
Monday through Friday – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday – after 9 p.m. to close
Sunday – All Day

Fig- Fairmont Hotel  {California}

Chef Ray Garcia is a master at creating straightforward delicious foods using local fresh ingredients.  His staff can walk you through the menu to see what is gluten free or can be prepared this way.  Any meal of the day here will leave you very satisfied.  With the Fritatta Verde for breakfast, Fish Tacos for lunch and Mary’s Organic Chicken for dinner, it’s all good.  Dinners range in price from $21-$46.  Tuesday through Saturday they have half price dinners 5-6pm.  They don’t take reservations for this and the line starts before the doors open, so you might want to arrive a little early to get your spot (save me a space in line).

101 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica CA, 90401   phone 310.319.3111

breakfast Daily 7am-11am
lunch Mon-Sat 11am-2pm
dinner Tues-Sat 5pm-10pm
sunday brunch Sun 11am-2pm

Blue Plate Taco {Mexican}

This is a really wonderful location for a restaurant.  It’s on Ocean Avenue right across the street from Palisades Park and overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The first thing I do upon arriving is order their guacamole.  It’s a huge bowl to be shared for sure and it’s amazing.  Check and see if their oil is new and if it’s been used for anything with gluten.  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  I’ll ask for jicama and corn tortillas which works great instead of tortilla chips to dip.

They have wonderful specials and use fresh local produce and fresh seafood.  The tacos are traditional style which is small with two tortillas stacked.

Their menu is not marked gluten free but they can walk you through what is safe.  Just let your server know and they will talk with the kitchen to confirm the specials too.

1515 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica (310) 458-2985  Open daily 8:00am- 9:00pm

Hillstone   Corner of Wilshire Blvd and 2nd Street

R&D Kitchen   1323 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA  90403  310-395-3314

These two restaurants are owned by the Hillstone group.  They are very consistant and have always provided us with a delicious meal and all gluten free.

Hillstone is just around the corner from the 3rd street Promenade and you’ll want reservations to avoid a long wait.  For a more casual meal head over to R&D Kitchen on Montana Avenue.  They have an amazing salad stacked high with delicious vegetables, roasted chicken and tasty nuts.  Also their deviled eggs are my favorite.

Both restaurants hours:

Monday – Wednesday 11:30am-10:00pm

Thursday-Friday 11:30am-11:00pm

Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

Sunday 11:00am-10:00pm

Loteria  {Mexican}

Fun restaurant on the Promenade.  They have a gluten free menu but discuss with your waiter and double check what is being served as you would with any meal.  They have some great tacos, salsas and guacamole.  Stop in here if you’re wandering around the 3rd Street Promenade and you’re hungry.

1251 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401   T. 310.393.2700

Sun – Thur: 11am to 11pm
Fri – Sat:   11am to 12am

Buddha’s Belly  {Asian}

This restaurant is still on my list to visit.  It was recomendad by Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess who used to live here too. Make sure you check with your server and check ingredients that might not be listed on the menu.

205 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401    Phone: (310)458-2500   Fax: (310)458-6737

Santa Monica’s Farmer’s Market

Saturday and Wednesday mornings  8:30am – 1:00pm

Arizona Avenue (between 4th & Ocean)

Sunday on Main Street - 2640 Main Street  (in Heritage Square)  9:30am-1:00pm

If you are in town you must really try to make a trip to the farmer’s market.  Grab some fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and even some flowers for your room.  Have a picnic at the park, pack a lunch for your meeting or just a snack.  If you have a place to cook up some meals make sure you pick up some farm fresh eggs.  They are beyond amazing.

If you get there early, you never know which of the chefs that I listed above will be out in the market.  Chances are many.  Here they were gathering for the LA Food events.

I hope this listing will help you as you look for gluten free meals in Santa Monica.  This is by no means a complete listing.  I will be happy to keep searching out more favorites for you and will keep this list going.

June 20th was my 24th wedding anniversary and to celebrate we wanted to try a new restaurant to us.  Shauna the gluten-free girl, was recently in Washington, DC for the Eat, Write, Retreat conference and raved about her meal at Bibiana.  When a fellow foodie who also is very sensitive to gluten has a good experience somewhere, I like to check it out too!  So I found them online and realized they were part of the group who owns a few restaurants I have enjoyed like the Oval Room.  We actually had an amazing meal there for our 22nd anniversary.  So I made a reservation with the normal notation for me, no gluten, no dairy and no rice.

When I go to a restaurant I can either be the person you hope leaves really fast because you either have pre-made so much of the meals that ingredients can’t be changed or  you are so wedded to how you created a dish that you won’t even try something new.  However if you love food as ingredients that when combined can make magic and you are willing to be somewhat spontaneous but based in your skill and ingredients, well then I’m your favorite customer.

What I like to do is review the menu and see how many dishes are already or could easily be made to my needs.  Then I look to see if there are any ingredients I do not like to eat, at least not yet.  I then tell my server which items I don’t like along with my restrictions and say anything that the chef wants to make will be wonderful.

You see a good chef with a well trained staff knows exactly what ingredients are in each dish and how they are prepared and me telling them how to change it I think is just presumptuous and rude.  It’s their creative process to make the food they serve.  If I say I’d like the fish can you change the vegetable or use this or that seasoning combination that I saw in another dish well that is creating a meal that might not really go well together and that bad taste will reflect on the kitchen.  Can you tell I used to run kitchens in restaurants.

Some restaurants will often ask me which proteins I like and vegetables and then go from there to create something wonderful.  If I am asked if I want plain fish and a baked potato I usually get up and leave.  Really, who eats like that and why would I pay for something less than what I can create.  If you eat like this please read some of the recipes on this blog and let’s talk about making life more exciting.  I can teach you how to cook in no time.

Sorry, back to our evening at Bibiana.  The menu they had looked very good and there were a lot of naturally gluten free foods.  I shared that I could not eat gluten, dairy or rice and I would not eat veal sweetbreads, squid, lamb or rabbit.  The rest was free for the chef to play with.

Oh boy and did they have fun in that kitchen.  Our wonderful server Kathleen McGovern suggested the Chef’s Tasting Menu which I didn’t even know they had but often good restaurants do.  This way the chef, Nicholas Stefanelli, could create a series of meals paired with wine for the evening.  That sounded wonderful and let me tell you it was beyond anything I had imagined.

We started with a Barbabietola which was Salt Roasted Beets, Blackberries, Saffron Lardo, Hazelnuts and Saba.

Next we had Uovo which was a ’45 Minute’ Pheasant Egg with Porcini Mushrooms on top of Smoked Potatoes.

Then we had Branzino which was Poached Mediterranean Sea Bass with Potato Rosti, Salmoriglio, and ‘Pil-Pil’.

The next course was Astice which was Olive Oil Poached Lobster with Zucchini Squash Blossom and Mint.

Our last course was Zuppa which was Mandarin Sorbet with Orange-Campari Gelee with a Basil and Lime Consomme poured around it.

Every bite was amazing and I’m happy to say kept me healthy and happy.  I can’t wait for an opportunity to head back to this restaurant.  I may have to include it on my restaurant tour I do with clients.

Last October I was walking through the Reston Town Center and there was a huge line of people coming out  the door of a new little shop.  It was the Red Velvet Cupcakery and they were giving away free cupcakes.  I of course was skeptical that I would get one but sure enough they had a gluten and dairy free cupcake.  I was too chicken to give it a try when they were free so I came back later when it was quiet and I could ask them my 20 questions.

They seemed to know every answer without hesitation so I bought the only gluten and dairy free cupcake available at the time, the Black Velvet.  This is the moist chocolate cake with the very generous portion of chocolate frosting on top that even dips into the cupcake to keep it from sliding off.  Ever since then I’ve been hooked.

Inspired by the first cupcakery ever opened, Sprinkles from California, the owners came east and opened Red Velvet Cupcakery.  They have two shops in Washington, DC, one in Reston Virginia and two in Tucson Arizona.  The Reston location is the one I frequent and where my pictures were taken.

The head pastry chef is Ciji Russell and as you can see from my photos doesn’t sit down very often.  She did sit for a few minutes with me as I asked her my 20 questions.  Ciji is a graduate from CIA, the Culinary Institute of America, where they don’t mess around.  The CIA has been around for more than six decades and sets the standards for professional culinary education.

Ciji let me know that the gluten free cupcakes are the first batter batch made in the morning.  These cupcakes are not baked until the next day when they are sold so they have time to set up.  At the end of the day everything is wiped down and sterilized.  This will mean it’s clean and ready for the next morning baking.  The gluten free cupcakes have their own separate dedicated pans.

One thing I did notice is that anytime I happen to go in and ask anyone working there questions, they all know what they are talking about.  That is very reassuring that it’s not just Ciji who understands what should happen to keep the gluten free cupcakes safe, they all do.  I can’t say enough about how key it is that the entire staff understand how to keep gluten free diners safe when they are eating in your establishment.

When making cupcakes if they measure out any ingredients like cocoa and have extra it’s always marked not to be used for the gluten free cupcakes just to insure there is no question about cross contamination.  There is no double dipping.  They keep their ingredients clean and free of gluten.  Of course this is a bakery and gluten flours are being used.  This is something to be aware of.  However I am very sensitive to gluten and a floured finger print would have me down and out.  I’ve never had a problem with any of their gluten free cupcakes.  Well, except maybe eating too many of them.  They are really good.

The store bakes daily for people walking in and they also cater.  For my husband’s big birthday bash we ordered cupcakes for the dessert.  We had the chocolate cake and chocolate icing and they also created a chocolate cake with vanilla icing for us.  The ones with the vanilla icing were and still are our favorites.  They do have a new vanilla cake with vanilla icing that is good too.

As you can see the gluten free cupcakes are kept separate from the others.  They have their own stand that is covered and off to the side.  However when you order the cupcakes they are pulled from the rack.  The gluten free cupcakes are always on the top of the rack to insure no crumbs fall onto them.  They also always have a candied violet on top that is only for the gluten free cupcakes.  So when you order one they will change gloves and then grab your cupcake from the top.  It may appear that they didn’t even read anything to make sure it was gluten free.  Their systems with those cupcakes on the top rack only and the candied violet mean they know exactly what they are giving you.

Flavor to flavor comparison, Black Velvet gluten free compared to Devils Food Cake, they make about 1/3 the number of gluten cupcakes.  That is around 2 dozen a day and it’s been steadily increasing over time.  If you want more for your picnic, party or because today ends in a y, then order ahead.  You can do that online or call.  If I go into the Reston shop for my cupcake fix and you just cleaned them out I’m not going to be very happy.  So far that’s never happened and I promise to not take the last one from you either.  However once they get home this is usually what I’m left with, an empty box.

This Red Velvet Cupcakery is located in the Reston Town Center.  Their phone number is 703-464-7075 and you can find them online for that special order.   If you stop in or call tell Ciji hello let them know you read about their cupcakes here.  And please keep asking for the chocolate cake with vanilla icing gluten-free vegan cupcakes.  I’m hoping they will make that combo a regular.

This post originally ran in 2009 and I have since been back for another great meal.  I will have to say it was a little more difficult with four people at the table, each with their own dietary needs.  But I had a great meal and the view is amazing.

The Slanted Door is a modern Vietnamese restaurant located in the Ferry Building overlooking the San Francisco Bay. They showcase produce and ecologically farmed meat, game and poultry from the farms surrounding the San Francisco Bay area.   After touring the markets in the Ferry Building, Shirley Braden (Gluten Free Easily) and I were hungry.  The restaurant opens at 11am and luckily we were there right at that time and could be seated.  The restaurant quickly filled up.  We were looking for a good gluten free meal.

The Slanted Door Restaurant taken by Shirley Braden

Besides gluten and dairy, I can’t eat rice.  This cut down on my options but if all you were concerned with was gluten, there would be a lot of options here.  Their lunch menu is extensive and the dinner menu looked amazing.  If you are looking for a place to eat with lots of vegetarian options then this is the place for you.

Since I was still adjusting to the 3 hour time difference, I was really hungry.  Our server was very knowledgeable about the ingredients in their dishes, steering us away from anything with soy sauce (contains gluten).   We were even on a tight schedule and they were able to help us choose a dish and bring us our meal fast.

Lemongrass Chicken at The Slanted Door

After careful consideration, I ordered the Lemongrass Chicken.  Wow!  The taste party that was going on in mouth was fantastic.  The dish contained the chicken and lemongrass obviously, but there was also red onions, scallions, jalapenos, and red chilies mixed with a little fish sauce and a sate paste.  A sate paste contains garlic, dried red chilies, curry powder, peanuts and oil.  There really was not much heat unless you ate the red chilies and boy were they hot.  It was so good I could have eaten another dish full.  Good thing we didn’t have time or I would have been breathing fire.  Well I guess I could not eat the peppers, but they tasted so good with the dish.

I wish we could have had time to come back for dinner to this restaurant.  It was a great experience and the food was outstanding.  I can’t wait for my next visit and Go Back!

This originally ran in October of 2009.  I have been back to this restaurant again on my trip to San Francisco last year and it was still just as wonderful.  My husband and I had an amazing dinner and I had a wonderful dessert that was not just sorbet.  Still a great place to eat.

Farallon restaurant in Union Square, San Francisco is a beautiful destination.  The question is, would I have a gluten free and dairy free meal that would leave me wanting more.  Well the answer is yes, I would definitely go back.  I actually enjoyed it so much, I purchased their cookbook.

Farallon taken by Shirley Braden

Farallon is designed to look like an underwater fantasy complete with jelly fish swimming from the ceiling.  It really is beautiful. The menu consists mostly of coastal cuisine, which I love, with two meat entrees.  If you are a vegetarian there were quite a few appetizers that would work and they are happy to make an entree for you.  According to their menu, Farallon supports organic farming, responsible animal husbandry and sustainable fishing practices.

This was my first night in San Francisco.  I traveled there for the BlogHer Food Conference with fellow blogger Shirley Braden.   She writes the Gluten Free Easily blog.  We had plans that evening to eat at The Cliff House but our hotel doorman suggested we would enjoy Farallon a great deal more on this foggy evening and it was very close to the hotel where we were staying.  He told us this as we were getting into the taxi. So we made a quick decision to take his advice and off we went.

As soon as I was in the car, I jumped on my iPhone to Open Table and canceled our reservation at The Cliff House and made one at Farallon.  We would arrive a little early, 40 minutes, but hopefully the reservation went through in the 5 minute taxi ride.  When we arrived I gave my name and said we were early but could they seat us and they were happy to.  I love technology.

Our meal started off with a tomato gazpacho as our amuse bouche.  It was served in a small demitasse cup and it was delicious.  I was so hungry I didn’t even stop to take a picture.

Dungeness Crab at Farallon

Evidently Shirley and I like a lot of the same things because we ordered the same meal.  We started with Half a Dungeness Crab.  It usually is served a dipping sauce that contained gluten so they made a special sauce just for us.  It was delicious. They served the crab on crushed ice with an aioli.  It was a great start to our meal.

Salmon, frisee, bacon with roasted tomatoes at Farallon

Our entree was a beautiful piece of wild salmon topped with bacon and frisee on top of green beans, and served with roasted heirloom tomatoes with garlic and a pesto sauce.  The salmon was cooked exactly the way I like and the tomatoes melted in your mouth.  Allen, our server, did a great job of suggesting wines to go with each course.  I considered my second glass of wine my dessert but Shirley held to one glass of wine and indulged on a sundae that looked great.  Sometimes I do miss dairy. So thanks to quick thinking on our doorman’s part and technology, we were able to dine at Farallon.  I am so glad we did and would definitely Go Back!

photo from website

This review originally ran in October 2009.  I’ve since been back many times.  They have a complete gluten free menu but when it comes to gluten and dairy free your options a little less.  I often find this a hit or miss place lately.  When it’s a hit I really enjoy it.

The other night I tried a new restaurant in the Reston Town Center, Mon Ami Gabi.  I wanted to see if I could get a good gluten free and dairy free dinner close to home.  Mon Ami Gabi is a Classic French Bistro that features everything from crepes and quiche , escargots, salads, sandwiches, seafood and their signature dishes of Onion Soup Au Gratin, Trout Grenobloise, Steak Frites with six sauces and Profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.  At first glance many would think I would be hard pressed to get a good meal and not receive gluten or dairy.

Note:  eat where they make their dishes with single ingredient foods.  It makes it easier for them to adapt what would typically not be gluten and dairy free.

I’ll start off with the punch line.  The meal was really good, the service was amazing and I’m happy to say we’ve found a new go to restaurant.  They offer private and semi-private dining for groups of 10-250 and I would feel comfortable having a party there with a group of fellow gluten free and dairy free diners.

First let me tell you about the service.  Of course the food has to be good, but if you are eating out with special dietary needs, you need to know you are understood and will be taken care of so you don’t get sick.  I started by emailing the person listed on their website.  I usually do this ahead of time but this was a last minute reservation my wonderful husband made for the next day.  I emailed in the evening and the next morning I had a reply.  It was not here’s what we can or can’t do email.  It was “I would be very happy to discuss menu options with you.  Please let me know a convenient time and number to call you.”  And Susan Weaver gave me her cell phone number so I could reach her.

So far really good.  I replied and a little later in the day she called me.  We had a great conversation about possibilities for me, but I had forgotten to share about Scott’s possibilities.  Hmm, what would they do with that?  OK, this is going really well.  I didn’t get the typical we can’t, you can’t, you’ll only be able to have ….  She happened to be out of town and called back to the restaurant to talk with the chef and manager letting them we were dining there that evening.

Note:  If you can give a restaurant advance notice, early before they start their prep of the food for the day, you will have a lot more options to eat.

When we arrived the hostess already knew of our needs as well as the server- Clinton, the manager- Tom Roche and the kitchen.  Mon Ami Gabi uses a pink system.  That means when anyone is dining with food sensitivity or allergies, their slip is highlighted in pink, and the orders are printed on pink paper so everyone knows to pay special attention.   Now there’s a good idea.

The manager came over and introduced himself and reinforced that our needs would be well taken care of.  We talked about Scott’s choice and then came a surprise.  The chef had made a separate pot of oil to make our hand cut Frites (what french fries are called in french) to keep them safe from cross contamination.  I was blown away.

But wait, it gets even better.  Scott’s fish had an aioli that was made with a mayonnaise that they were unsure if it was gluten free or not.  The manager went online and was researching it through gluten free websites and list serves.  I have never, in my 3 years of eating out gluten free, ever encountered a restaurant that would take the time to research an ingredient on the spot to make sure it didn’t contain gluten.  I’m sure it didn’t take long to do, I do it all the time.  But the fact that they cared enough about 2 people in their crowded restaurant to make the effort for our meal was amazing.  We were not a problem, but welcomed guests.  How often do you get that eating out gluten free?  Now I feel like I can go back and try more items on the menu, and they will verify they are safe as well.  A big thank you!

Now what about the food.  We both had a Frisee & Bacon Salad with a Soft Poached Egg.  It was really good.  You’ll be seeing that on The W.H.O.L.E. Gang sometime soon.  Scott had a halibut dish served over apples, potatoes and a few other vegetables.  They made a special sauce to go with it because they could not verify the ingredient in the one that was being served with this dish.  Scott said it was really good, especially with that sauce.

I had the Steak Au Poivre with those hand cut Frites.  It was great.  It was so good I totally forgot to take a picture so you’ll just have to take my word for it.  I loved the green peppercorns on top and the steak was cooked exactly as I requested.  We even ordered an extra serving of frites to take home.  I’ll be having those for lunch today!

Mon Ami Gabi is a definite Go Back restaurant.  In addition to the Virginia location, they have restaurants in Chicago, Oak Brooks IL, Las Vegas and Bethesda MD.  As I was researching the restaurant, I see that they are owned by Lettuce Entertain You.   This group has 37 other restaurants.  I hope that the practices that they have in place at Mon Ami Gabi are the same across the board.  I think I’ll have to start to visit them too and check it out.

If you have eaten here I would love to hear your experience.

Disclaimer:  The reviews I post are my opinion and based on my experience. Just because I have a certain experience does not insure you will have the same experience. I cannot guarantee any meal anywhere, except in my own kitchen. Please eat out at your own risk.

Originally ran in October 2009 but I’ve been back since and let me tell you it’s just as amazing as ever.  I could live at this restaurant except I don’t live in California.

Tropisueño is a taqueria by day and a full service restaurant at night that serves traditional Mexican food.  My quest as always, to have a gluten free and dairy free meal that tastes good and causes me no problems. I love Mexican food, especially when it’s all prepared from scratch and they can tell you every ingredient and the process they used to make it.  With Tropisueño I hit the Jackpot!

While out touring the area around our hotel in San Francisco, Shirley Braden and I walked by here and stopped in to see what was on their lunch menu.  It was lunch and the taqueira was in full swing.  It looked good so we thought we would return for a meal.  As luck would have it three wonderful bloggers, Jaden Hair, Elise Bauer and Ree Drummond, were hosting a BlogHer Food Conference After Party there.  It was an amazing party.

Tropisueño did not stop the entire time we were there, with passing plates of mini portions of their food.  With every plate that came out we could ask our server if it contained gluten or dairy and if they didn’t know for sure, they went and immediately found out.  At one point they were serving chicken mole on flat bread.  The chicken mole would have been fine, but of course not the flat bread.  They went back into the kitchen and made a plate of chicken mole on tortilla chips just for us.

The service and the food during the party was so top notch Shirley Braden, Ali Segersten and I decided to go back for dinner our last night in San Francisco.  Our server Felica, really knew her menu and ingredients.  If she was unsure of anything she double checked with the kitchen.  You could tell she knew what gluten free really meant.  You can always tell by what a server says to you and the questions they ask.  When servers can talk the gluten free language, ask questions and talk with the kitchen, it makes me feel more comfortable eating at their restaurant.  This comes down to training.  Tropisueño obviously does a great job training their staff.

Ali Segersten, Shirley Braden, Diane Eblin at Tropisueño

This being our last night, I knew I couldn’t have lots of leftovers.  I was getting on a plane at noon and wouldn’t have much time to nibble.  I however was going to have a big problem.  Tropisueño has a great menu.  On one side were Mariscos- Seafood and Antojitos – Starters and the other Entradas-Entrees.  There wasn’t anything on there I couldn’t eat either as is or with a few modification and the cheese left out.  Decisions, decisions.  I ordered guacamole first to go along with the chips and salsa being served. *Always check that the chips are not fried in the same oil as flour tortillas. The guacamole was great but I already knew this since I had some at the party.

Scallops de Hacha a la Plancha at Tropisueño

I decided to order Scallops de Hacha a la Plancha.  Seared sea scallops on a plaintain-chorizo hash with an avocado-tomatillo salsa.  Melt in your mouth deliciousness.  The scallops were perfectly cooked and the hash was amazing.  You will find me making a version of this on The W.H.O.L.E. Gang soon.

Albondigas Guisadas at Tropisueño

For my main course I ordered Albondigas Guisadas.  This is a traditional stew with meatballs, potatoes and carrots.    This stew was amazing.  The meatballs were very tender and flavorful with sausage, rice, cilantro and maybe a little mint.  They swam in the most amazing broth that had a deep rich flavor.  There were layers and layers of flavor with ingredients that I was trying to pick out.  I think I figured out a few but I’m not sure.  I wish they would share this recipe with me.  I could live on this Albondigas Guisadas.

The only problem was I couldn’t finish it all.  I was getting full from all of the other delicious food I was eating. So they sent me home with the leftover soup but didn’t put too much of the broth so I could take it to the airport with me.  I hated to give up that broth but I did want to eat those leftovers.  Better than anything I would get anywhere in the airport.

Pollo Asada Tropisueño

Chicken with Mole Polbano, Platanos Fritos Tropisueño

Ali and Shirley ordered different dishes so we could taste a little more.  They ordered Empanadas de Hongos, Platanos Fritos, Chicken with Mole Poblano and Pollo Asado, chicken marinated with citrus and achiote and served with zucchini, mushrooms, yellow squash, peppers and onions.  I didn’t taste any of theirs but it looked really good and they gave it good reviews.

Beto and Noe at Tropisueño

Beto and Noe did a great job of making delicious food that was gluten free and dairy free for me.  Chef Antelmo Faria has put together a wonderful menu.  There is a lot of variety and the prices are right.  But most importantly, the execution of the food and service was top notch.  Now there were only two starters and one entree that were vegetarian, but they could adjust a few more of their menu items to accommodate.  If I lived in San Francisco, I would be a regular at this restaurant and if I travel back to the city, I will definitely Go Back!

If you eaten at this restaurant I would love to hear from you.

Disclaimer:  The reviews I post are my opinion and based on my experience. Just because I have a certain experience does not insure you will have the same experience. I cannot guarantee any meal anywhere, except in my own kitchen. Please eat out at your own risk.

Below is the original review when I made my trip into Jaleo in DC.  I have since returned last weekend as we celebrated my son’s graduation from college.  We had a wonderful tapas meal for 10, all gluten and dairy free and a lot of vegetarian treats for my son who is also vegetarian.  The food was delicious!  I had both dishes pictured here and so much more.  It was a feast!  Oh and the chef who created this wonderful restaurant just won Chef of the Year from the James Beard Foundation.  Not too shabby.

Spinach, Apple and Raisin Dish from website

Review:

We recently made a trip to downtown DC to Jaleo restaurant.  It’s a Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant.  I heard their menu noted gluten free and dairy free choices so I was excited to go.  It was also the night of the American Idol concert.  So much excitement in one night.

Before we went I downloaded their menu so I could review it and have an idea of what they served.  I looked for items that I thought would be gluten free and sounded good to me.  When we arrived I asked for the gluten free and dairy free menu.  They brought out two menus.  One with the gluten free items and the other with the dairy free items.  I’m not sure why they couldn’t make these notes on one menu.

Torta Jaleo from their website

So I took the menu I had downloaded, printed and brought with me and started making notes.  I marked which items were gluten free and which were dairy free.  When one had both, I circled it.  Now I could see what my choices really were.  I picked Shrimp with Garlic, Spanish Omelet with Potatoes and Onions and a Homemade Pork Sausage with sauteed White Beans.

When the Shrimp arrived it looked like and smelled like they had used butter.  I asked and was assured there was no butter.  Well it didn’t have butter but it tasted like it.  The combination of oils and brandy made it taste like butter.  I could have eaten 4 more plates of that.  Scott ordered the Mushrooms with Garlic.  They were to die for.  I couldn’t get enough and kept stealing his meal.

So this restaurant was a big hit and I can’t wait to go back.   Their menu has 67 items.  It is full of vegetables, seafood, meats, and vegetables.  Some are gluten free, some are dairy free and some are both.  There are more  Jaleo restaurants in Bethesda and Crystal City.

Jaleo is under the direction of Chef Jose Andres and the Jose Andres Think Food Group.  They also own Cafe Atlantico, minibar by Jose Andres, Zaytinya, and Oyamel.  We’ve been to eat at Cafe Atlantico and it was spectacular.  I’ll post that review soon.  I can’t wait to try out the rest of his offerings.

If you have been to any of these restaurants please share your experience.

Disclaimer:  The reviews I post are my opinion and based on my experience. Just because I have a certain experience does not insure you will have the same experience. I cannot guarantee any meal anywhere, except in my own kitchen. Please eat out at your own risk.

Poste Chef Robert Weland taken from website

Originally ran this in 2009.  I’ve been back since and the food is just as wonderful however the great waiter is no longer there.

I can’t believe Poste, an upscale moderne brasserie, is ranked # 27 out of the top 100 restaurants in Washington, DC through the Washingtonian Magazine.  I would put this in the top 10, maybe top 5 of the restaurants in the city.  We had the best meal I have had in years and it was gluten free and dairy free.  This meal rivaled my meal at Citronelle in my pre-gluten free days.  Chef Robert Weland has created a wonderful menu.  He is committed to organic and sustainable food and boy can you taste the difference that makes.  He is also committed to your entire experience.

The restaurant is located in the Hotel Monaco.  You enter the restaurant through a historic carriageway portal.  The restaurant is actually located in the original sorting room of the 1841 General Post Office.  They have 16 foot cast-iron ceilings and skylights that were restored from the original post office.  It’s very beautiful and the virtual tour shows you a glimpse of your surroundings.  I apologize for my iphone photos.  They do not do this restaurant or the food justice, so please look at their website, or better yet make yourself a reservation.

It was raining the evening we dined at Poste, so I didn’t get a chance to view the gardens.  They hold special lunches and events in the gardens like Poste Roasts and Market to Market. The Poste Roast is served family style for 6-12 people with your choice of duck, goat, pig, brisket, lamb, squab, salmon or poussin- all sourced from local farmers and served with fresh seasonal sides.  They offer this daily except on Thursday evenings.  I would love to experience that one evening.

Market to Market sounds like a lot of fun. It’s a walk through the Eighth Street Farmers Market with Chef Robert Weland and then a five course tasting menu in the Chef’s garden.   This is what takes place on Thursday evenings during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.

The evening started with our server, Javier, sharing his incredible knowledge on the wines they carried.  This extensive knowledge went right down to how the vineyards choose the grapes for one particular bottle of wine.  He was not reciting something he just memorized, he was sharing knowledge.  We couldn’t make up our minds so he gaves a taste of 3 different wines.  We settled on a bottle of Claret.  It was nice to have that option to taste before buying the whole bottle.

He also guided us through the menu around the gluten free and dairy free options.  He not only knew what was on the menu, he knew the ingredients and how it was prepared.  I’ve never had a server who was more aware of food and the diners experience before.  Poste is doing an amazing job, not of training their staff but educating their staff.  They are seen as an extension of the kitchen.  Bravo Chef Weland.

Tête De Veau

I started with the Tête De Veau and Scott had the Charcuterie.  I can still taste it as I am writing this now.  The Tête De Veau had intense flavors.  This is a dish that takes four to seven hours to make and contains ingredients that are not easily found.  I’m guessing you would be hard pressed to find it anywhere else in the city.  The terrine of veal cheeks were served with a sunny side up quail egg, frisee and fresh black truffles.  It is usually served with slices of french bread but I of course did not have any bread.  I wish my photos could show you the layers of amazing flavors but you’ll just have to try it for yourself to find out.

Rabbit Terrine and Fennel Salami

Scott’s Charcuterie Board was all house made and included rabbit terrine, fennel salami, bresaola beef, and a coppa with pistachios.  He said it was delicious and the rabbit terrine was his favorite.

For the main course I had Beef Bourguignon and Scott had Sea Scallops.  If you’ve read my recipe blog, The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, you’ll find I like to take traditional recipes and make them gluten and dairy free.  I’ve made this dish but in no way shape or form was it anywhere as amazing as what I ate at Poste.  I’ll keep working on that.  The meat was cooked for 72 hours.  The sauce was delicious, the vegetables and lardons tasty and the meat just fell apart.  No need for a knife.  The beef was ribs and cheek with the roasted fingerling potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. The placement of the food in the bowl was artistic and at the same time very practical.  Using organic farm fresh carrots makes for a wonderful flavor.  I could have licked the bowl.

Beef Bourguignon

Scott had the Sea Scallops with a rutabaga puree, smoked cremini mushrooms, cipollini onions, and sage.  They left off the crispy pigs tail because of the gluten.  Javier at the table said right away that they would leave that off and in it’s place add another Sea Scallop.  I love when offering gluten free options they add instead of taking things away.

Sea Scallops on a Rutabaga Puree

We both finished the meal with Concord Grape Sorbet.  It was sweet but not extremely sweet.  It was wonderful.  The whole experience was wonderful.  Javier did a nice job recommending a wine that would go with both of our meals and then corked it for us to bring home.  Drinking the rest of the wine was a nice way to remember our meal.

I can’t wait to Go Back and try some other items on the menu.  I’m sure they will be changing with the seasons and I can’t wait to work my way through all four seasons.

Disclaimer:  The reviews I post are my opinion and based on my experience. Just because I have a certain experience does not insure you will have the same experience. I cannot guarantee any meal anywhere, except in my own kitchen. Please eat out at your own risk.

Poste Kitchen Open to Dining Room

Poste Dining Room

This originally ran last year.  Since my first trip to Oyamel it’s becoming one of my favorite DC restaurants.  I hope to be back there soon.

Oyamel, Cocina Mexicana is a Mexican restaurant in North West Washington, D.C.  What a great place this was to be on Halloween.  It was definitely a treat and not a trick.  Although, I still am not sure how they make that salt foam to top their Margaritas I still want to go back and try to figure it out.

When you arrive the first thing you notice are the deep orange walls and the Oaxacan art scattered all around the restaurant.  I find it spectacular.  It states right up front you’re in for a Mexican treat.

Oyamel serves mostly Antojitos or little dishes from the streets.  I love going to restaurants that serves little dishes.  It gives you an opportunity to try many different dishes and while having more control on how much food you want to eat.  Oyamel is owned by Jose Andres’ Thinkfood group of restaurants.

I’ve eaten at Jaleo (read my review) which specializes in Spanish Tapas and Cafe Atlantico which serves Nuevo Latino cuisine.  Also in this group is minibar which is a six seat restaurant within Cafe Atlantico with it’s own chefs.  They offer 25-30 small plates.  They have two seatings a night and you must have a reservation.  Zaytinya serves mezza or small plates of the Eastern Mediterranean- Greek, Turkish and Lebanese cuisine.  So far I’ve had great experiences at 3 out of the 5 restaurants in this group.  I will start off the new year visiting the other two restaurants.

Jose Andres creates imaginative menus that use whole ingredients and layers of flavors.  This makes it easier to have items cooked both gluten and dairy free.  Oyamel has a gluten free menu and a dairy free menu.  This means they list all of their dishes that are gluten or dairy free as prepared but on separate menus.  I wish they would also create a menu that shows what is both gluten and dairy free.  I always print the menu before I go to the restaurant and check things that I am interested in.  When they give me both menus I then note on the menu I brought which is gluten free and then which is dairy free.  Then I find the items that have both notations and I choose from there.  Jose, if you are reading this please make a combo menu, please!  But please don’t change up the great job your restaurants do at feeding me wonderful food that is safe for me to eat.

Oyamel Margarita

The first thing we ordered upon sitting down, was their signature Margarita. I asked for salt and when it arrived I was perplexed.  Our waitress Ivana promised there was salt.  I took a sip and she was right.  The foam on top was salty.  These Margaritas were so good I had two.  Can’t even remember the last time I thought a Margarita was good enough to have another.  Warning, this may give you the nerve to try cactus, beef tongue tacos and grasshopper tacos.  Read on to see which ones we tried.

We then received a bowl of their smokey chipotle salsa but since they cook their tortilla chips in oil where gluten containing food is cooked, they brought us their fresh made corn tortillas.  This would be my second request for the restaurant.  Even if they made a batch of chips in the oven for us it would be nice to have the crunch with the salsa.  However, the tortillas were delicious.

We both started with ceviches:

Ceviche De Huachinango-Red snapper with avocado in salsa mexicana of tomato, sweet onion, cilantro and lime juice.

Ceviche Verde “El Bajio”-Wahoo with avocado, green olives and jalapeño chilies.

Next came an assortment of antojitos, vegetables and tacos. They are served as soon as they were ready from the kitchen.  It’s like a party just for you and they bring it right to your table.  We ordered the following:

Codorniz con sikil p’ak – Grilled  quail with a traditional Mayan sauce of toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro, tomato and habanero chile, and filled with a cactus salad.

Tamal Verde- Tamal with green sauce of tomatillo, shredded chicken breast, chili, garlic and cilantro.

Mejillones al tequila con chipotle -  Steamed mussels with tequila, sauteed garlic and chipotle sauce.

Tacos de Cochinita pibil con cebolla en escabeche – Yucatan-style pit  barbecued pork with pickled red onion and Mexican sour orange.

Taco de Tinga poblana- Stew of shredded chicken with potatoes, chorizo, and chipotle, topped with white onion.

Tacos de Lengua Guisada – Braised beef tongue with radishes and a sauce of roasted pasilla chili, tomatoes, onion and garlic.

Nopal  asado con Salsa Molcajete – Grilled fresh cactus paddles served with a salsa molcajete of grilled tomatoes, tomatillos, green onions, cilantro and green onions.

Arroz de Huitlacoche con queso fresco – Rice sauteed with black Mexican corn truffles, queso fersco cheese and epazote herb oil.

My favorite dishes were the ceviches, pork tacos and tamal.  The beef tongue taco was very tender and flavorful and I enjoyed that much more than I thought I would.  I’ve watched Guy Fieri eat beef tongue on his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives so often and he always had a strange look on his face but then would say how flavorful and tender it was.  So this was Guy’s fault that I tried it.  Glad I did.  Not sure if I’ll try the grasshopper tacos but you never know.

There were still many items on the menu I wanted to try (how often do you get to say that about eating out gluten and dairy free) but I couldn’t eat another bite.  We were stuffed.  This of course means we will need to go back.  Actually we’re going to take my in-laws there for dinner on their visit this month.   I hope they enjoy it as much as we did.

One more story about the restaurant.

I am always intrigued with why people choose a particular name for their restaurant.  Well this is such an interesting story that I’m going to share it directly from their website.

“Every autumn, an amazing migration takes place: millions of monarch butterflies leave behind their homes in the eastern United States and Canada and journey south to spend the winter in the forests of Michoacan in the volcanic highlands of central Mexico.

After their 3000 mile journey, the butterflies seek the shelter of the oyamel, abies religiosa. This rare type of fir tree, found primarily on a few mountain tops between 7,900 and 12,000 feet, offers these fragile travellers a sanctuary, protection from the threats posed by extreme temperatures, predators, and rain and snow.

The tree called oyametl in the Náhuatl tongue of the people who lived there has always been special: the ancient Toltecs burned the wood of the oyamel as incense in their religious ceremonies and later Christian visitors noted the cross shaped tips of its branches.

Draped in gold, its branches bent with the weight of thousands of butterflies, the otherworldly shhh created by the flapping of the monarchs’ wings, the oyamel forests in the winter are a place like no other.

At Oyamel, we serve our tortillas in baskets woven from the needles of the oyamel fir tree. It’s our way of bringing a little bit of the forest to you.”

Disclaimer:  The reviews I post are my opinion and based on my experience. Just because I have a certain experience does not insure you will have the same experience. I cannot guarantee any meal anywhere, except in my own kitchen. Please eat out at your own risk.

I’m a person who has  way too many blogs so I am starting to consolidate them into this blog.  I am migrating all of my posts shared on dining gluten free.  The Gluten Free Food Critic is a small collection of restaurant reviews.  You will see them showing up here but keep in mind these are from last year or so.  Some of these restaurants I’ve been to a few times and they are still amazing.

I hope you enjoy these reviews and if you get a chance to eat at one of these restaurants or have in the past, please share your experiences.

Disclaimer:  The reviews I post are my opinion and based on my experience. Just because I have a certain experience does not insure you will have the same experience. I cannot guarantee any meal anywhere, except in my own kitchen. Please eat out at your own risk.

Lunch with the Best View

This summer my family ate our way through San Francisco.  Of course it was gluten free, dairy free, rice free, soy free and vegetarian.  What makes it a challenge is each person has their own combination of those ways of eating.  You can imagine that the four of us have an interesting time finding places to eat.  Brad really is not a fan of vegetables which is what Andy lives on.   Sometimes either Andy or Brad is not very happy with our eating options.  That really only happened once on this trip which was amazing.

We couldn’t get a reservation at Chez Panisse so we walked down the street to Cafe Gratitude, which I loved.  Andy liked it pretty well, Scott thought it was ok an Brad left hungry.  It’s all gluten free and dairy free and a lot of the options are raw.  I had amazing nachos that prompted me to buy their cookbook.  I recommend this restaurant but I also recommend you keep an open mind if this is something new for you.  I liked Brad’s raw pizza but it was not what he had in mind.  We ate at their Berkley location but they have 6 others to choose from.

One of my favorite places was The Plant Cafe Organic.  We liked it so much we went there twice in one week.  They offer organic meals with locally sourced food.  Their goal is organic so if they can’t get it locally they will look elsewhere.  If something on their menu is not organic it is noted.  The Crab Timbale was great as well as the Quinoa with vegetables and chicken.  Scott had the Shitake Spring Rolls and Calamari.  We shared the Scallops and Fingerling Potatoes.  I however did not share my Raw Raspberry Cashew Cheese Cake made from soaked cashews, coconut oil, agave nectar & fresh coconut, with assorted fruit or berries.  I can’t wait to meet up with fellow gluten free bloggers there next month.

A fun new find for us was Pica Pica.  The entire restaurant is gluten free.  Everything is made with corn so if you can’t eat corn, don’t go.  They specialize in arepas.  To me they were sandwiches from heaven.  To hold this warm delicious bread in my hands filled with tasty pork, avocado, sliced tomato and aioli.  It was amazing. Scott had the Pabellon which is served on a corn pancake called cachaps and filled with beef, plantains, black beans and cheese.  I loved the empanadas and the plantains too.   I will be heading there when I go back to the city in October for the BlogHer Food Conference.

While in Berkley we had dinner at Gather.  They support local food producers.  They don’t have a large menu but a very interesting one.  Everyone had a really good meal here.  Scott and I split the chicken and each had our own appetizer.  I had Crispy Pork Belly and he had Boar and Rabbit meatballs.

Before the boys joined us in the city Scott and I ate at Farallon in Union Square.  This is where Shirley and I ate at last year’s BlogHer conference.  This is a wonderful experience but save your pennies before you go.  I started with the Dungeness Crab, then the Melon Granata with Proscuttio and the third course was a Branzino with Lobster and Asparagus. When I asked if they had anything besides sorbet for dessert that I could eat, they brought me a little dish of chocolates.  Perfect!

Scott had the Crab Salad, Octopus Soup and for his third course the Branzino prepared with the dairy sauce.

Another of our favorite meals on our own was at Orson.  This is owned and operated by Chef Elizabeth Falkner.  If you are headed to San Francisco or you live there, this is a must go to restaurant.  Again not a gluten free specific menu but fresh whole ingredients prepared to order so adjustments can be made.  We started with a wonderful Melon & Arugula salad with Canadian Bacon Crisp, French Feta and Brown Sugar Vinaigrette.  I had mine sans cheese.  Scott had the Pesto Fennel Pizza with Bacon (not gluten free) and I had the melt in your mouth Bacon Wrapped Swine with Cippolinis.  It came with creamed corn but I had to pass because of ingredients.  If you can eat gluten or dairy then you must try some of the desserts.  They are masterpieces.   Scott had the Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream Sundae with caramel sauce, butterfinger halvah, chantilley, corn nuts and salted peanuts.  He said it was amazing.  I wish I had pictures but can you believe I forgot my camera.  Guess I need to go back!

Brad had a craving for pizza so we made sure we stopped at Amici’s Pizza on Lombard Street.  That location not only has gluten free pizza but soy free dairy free pizza.  They use Daiya cheese.  He said it was good but let me say I think it’s terrible how much more they charge for gluten free pizzas.

One excursion took us out to find Blue Bottle coffee on Mint Street for Andy.  That was were I had my first cup of coffee.  We were all hungry so we walked around the corner Chez Papa Restaurant.  It was early so we could got a lot of attention.  They were great at asking questions and checking with the kitchen.  I had a Chicken Salad which had grilled romaine and tasted great.  Scott had a Tuna Nicoise salad, Brad had his favorite burger and fries and Andy had a roasted red pepper soup and a Mozzarella Tartine (gluten and dairy).

We had lunch at The Slanted Door which you can read my review from last year to get more information.  I had the same meal and it was as good as I remembered.  That place is a little challenging for me because I also cannot eat rice.  But if you’re living a typical gluten free life than this place has lots of options.  Just confirm the dish does not have soy sauce.

Tacos El Pastor

Tropisueño we went to twice.  I love their Tacos el Pastor.  I could eat them every day.  To read more about this restaurant you can check out my review from last year.

A quick stop was made at the Ferry Building.  We had great fish tacos at the San Francisco Fish Company.  Brad had a few treats from Mariposa, the gluten free bakery and Andy more Blue Bottle Coffee.  I actually got a wonderful vegan hot chocolate from there too.

Fish Tacos

We walked all over the city and as you can see we ate really well.  I find that San Francisco has so many options.  I don’t usually look for restaurants with gluten free menus, but ones that create from fresh whole ingredients.

If you find yourself in San Francisco and you love to play in the kitchen, make sure you visit the flag ship store of Williams-Sonoma in Union Square.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  It’s three stories high filled to the brim with all they have to offer.  When you see pictures come from their kitchen it’s here.  I of course had to jump into that kitchen to get my photo taken.  However when Scott saw how I was drooling over the amazing stoves, we left.  Don’t miss this stop.

Laguna Beach

Earlier this year the Gluten Free Food Critic was born at a restaurant in Laguna Beach, California.  I started the blog as soon as I got home but have not added much content, until now.  We love to eat out and it’s always going to be gluten free and dairy free meals for us.  So I thought I would share my experiences with you.

The posts are sorted by the ones I would Go Back to and Not Go Back and by location.  The restaurants where I eat are usually individual establishments and not often part of a chain or group.  I like to eat where chefs are creating their dishes from whole foods and they know exactly what it contains and where it came from.  These tend to be a little more expensive, but I tend to have better luck.  After all what is not getting sick for a week worth to me, more than that meal just cost.

So I hope you will jump over to Gluten Free Food Critic and sign up either by email or RSS feed to find out about great meals and maybe not so great meals eaten out.  Keep an eye out for a contest coming soon and tasty things to win.

If you have a restaurant you’ve heard good things about I would love to hear all about it too.  I am always looking for a new place to try.

If you write a blog and post about a restaurant where you have eaten gluten free, please bring it to my attention and I would be happy to announce it via a post and link back to your review.  The more we can share this information on eating great meals out that are gluten free the better.  We’ll all get to have a little more fun and help our economy.

The most recent restaurants reviews are:

Poste Gluten Free Restaurant Review

The Slanted Door Gluten Free Restaurant Review

Tropisueño Gluten Free Restaurant Review

Farallon Gluten Free Restaurant Review

Mon Ami Gabi Gluten Free Restaurant Review

Jaleo DC

Eat out gluten free and dairy free and don’t be afraid to try some place new!

Now on to the vacation part of the trip.  This is where I share my vacation photo slide show with you.  Lucky for you that you’re not trapped on my couch so you can decide what to skip.  But let me first warn you I’ll be sharing some great gluten free and dairy free places to eat in San Francisco.  Grab yourself a nice glass of California wine, read on and enjoy the photos and videos of San Francisco!

Quinoa & Millet Stuffed Portabello with Salad

Shirley Braden (Gluten Free Easily) and I traveled together via Virgin America (loved the new planes) from Virginia to San Francisco.  As soon as we landed the adventure began.  We started off with lunch at Crêpe O’Chocolate.  This delightful little shop is owned and operated by Sylvie Krawec.  We were very excited to find out it was full of gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options.  Shirley had a great bacon quiche and I had a Quinoa and Millet Stuffed Portabello Mushroom with a Side Salad.  They were both delicious.

After lunch we toured Fisherman’s Wharf and enjoyed riding the F-Line Street Cars.  These are great old trains.  They look amazing and are a lot of fun to ride.  The first stop is the Ferry Building.

Fisherman’s Wharf was filled with shops, restaurants and crabs.  Down on the docks and in the water around Pier 39, was full of Sea Lions.  Way too many sea lions.  This is a very small portion of how many there really were.

Pier 39

We walked past the wharf and down towards the Fisherman’s Grotto Restaurant.  We were about to walk by the famous Boudin Bakery where sourdough bread has been made by this family since 1849.  Steam from the bakery was being blasted out onto the sidewalk.  Now if gluten has no effect on you, you might think yum, sourdough smell all over me.  I thought STOP, a gluten facial and steam bath would have me sick for a week.  We immediately stopped and walked around the back.  I’m glad we did because we got to see the horse and carriage coming down the street.

Boudin Bakery

The W.H.O.L.E. Gang at BlogHer Food Conference 09 in San Francisco

There were tons of crab shops all around the Fisherman’s Grotto Restaurant.  It was tempting to grab a Dungeness crab since we both love them, but we were trying to get ourselves on the west coast eating schedule.  I wanted to go back another day but we just ran out of time.

Dungeness Crabs at Fisherman's Grotto, S.F.

To get back up to our hotel, we of course had to ride a San Francisco Cable Car.  Here are two videos that show how they turn around at the end of Hyde Street and what it was like to sit up front and look and ride down the steep hill.

The first day ended with a spectacular dinner from Farallon Restaurant.  It was so amazing I bought the cookbook.  To read my review see Farallon Gluten Free Restaurant Review on the Gluten Free Food Critic blog.

We spent the next day touring and eating great meals.  The Ferry Building was full of great shops and food.  They had one shop that was totally mushrooms. If I lived here I would be down at this shop often.  There were so many varieties of mushrooms.  After shopping we had a great lunch at The Slanted Door. Please read The Slanted Door Gluten Free Restaurant Review for all of the details including the menu.

Muir Woods

We took a tour in the afternoon of Muir Woods and Sausalito. Muir Woods to me is a sanctuary.  It is beautiful and so peaceful.  Well until the little kids start running around and their parents yell at them.  But if you block that out, I swear you can hear these graceful old trees talk to you.  If you are in the area you must visit.  It’s really close to San Francisco and you don’t even need a car.  We went on a tour bus.

The tour bus then took us to Sausalito after Muir Woods.  We had a little time to tour the shops but we really wanted to get a bite to eat.  That night we were going to the Mushroom Channel event but you never know if they are really going to have gluten free food as promised.   We were lucky enough to grab a bite to eat at Scoma’s. This restaurant was started on Pier 47 in 1965 by two brothers.  It started with a tiny six-stool coffee shop that served local fisherman breakfast and burgers.  That six-stool shop is now a 350 seat restaurant serving 450,000 locals and visitors a year.  They opened Scoma’s Sausalito in 1969.

Scoma's Sausalito

Down by the waters edge you could look back to the city of San Francisco.  Well sort of.  You can see when they say fog in San Francisco they really mean a blanket you cannot see through.  We could only see the tops of the tallest buildings in the city.

San Francisco view from Sausalito

On Sunday, Shirley went to her first NFL game with me.  Can you believe I took her to the Oakland Raiders.  I hope she will post some of the great photos she took of the fans in full costume and makeup.  I have to say I was a little cautious because they look like such intimidating fans.  Here’s their dirty little secret, they are all really nice in person.  Well if you’re not from the opposing team.  We wore black and silver to play it safe.   Thanks to my iphone, we navigated the ibart subway system to and from the game and our way around the city.

Oakland Raiders Game vs Denver Broncos

Sunday evening Shirley, Ali and I went back to Tropisueño Restaurant for our last dinner in town.  I am still thinking about that meal.  For all of the details please read Tropisueño Gluten Free Restaurant Review.  It was hard to leave the city, but I did miss my family.  Next time I’ll just need to bring them so I can stay longer.

So if you are traveling to San Francisco for the NFCA Gluten Free Cooking Spree on October 30th, check out my gluten free reviews and have a great time.  Make sure if you are traveling there to give yourself some time to tour the city.  You’ll be very happy you did.

Gluten Free Bloggers at BlogHer Food Conference

Wow, what a great time I had in San Francisco at BlogHer Food Conference.  I met great people, toured the city, ate some great gluten free and dairy free food and learned more about food blogging.

Pictured above from left to right in the front row is Stephanie- A Year of Slow Cooking, Seamaiden- Book of Yum, Ali- The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, Shirley- Gluten Free Easily, Diane(me).  In the second row is Elana- Elana’s Pantry, Allison- Sure Foods Living, Karen- Cook4Seasons, and Jean- Gluten Free Organics and More!.  We almost had everyone pictured here but Shauna- Gluten Free Girl was off with Little Bean.

First let me share with you the conference and great people I met there.  As expected the gluten free bloggers gravitated towards each other.  We were all trying to find out what we could eat.  We were promised gluten free food at many of the events.  Well, there was a gluten free lunch, but that was it.  I think we were all glad we missed out on the frozen pasta meals Rocco DiSpirito was pushing.  Instead the gluten free/vegan meal was a mushroom risotto.  I guess gluten free and vegan just got lumped together.  I however cannot eat rice, so they brought me sauteed vegetables.  I think I actually had the best lunch there.

My afternoon hunger was satisfied with Elana’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.  She had baked a box full and thankfully was sharing them.  The glasses of water were just not filling me up.  I’m going to have to bake these for every trip from now on.   Only wish each batch came with Elana.

There were eleven main sponsors of the events and frankly I’m not sure why they had some of them.  I did enjoy Cuisinart, Pur, Mushroom Channel and Scharffen Berger Chocolates and maybe Nature’s Path and Real California Milk (if I drank it).  I however am not sure why they would have a room full of people passionate about food and have Campbell’s, Bertolli, Healthy Choice, Jello and Pillsbury.  Maybe I’m just too much of a food snob?

I attended the three sessions  on the vocation track.  I loved the first session on How Blogging Best Practices Apply presented by Kalyn Denny, Elana Amsterdam, Michelle Lentz, Lauren Ulm with Alanna Kellogg moderating the panel.  I took four pages of notes.  The biggest takeaways from this session were micro verses macro formatting, how to title posts for search engine optimization, adding food photos in a useful manner, and when linking to another blog post don’t use words other than the title of that post.  For example don’t say click here.

The second session after lunch was, Your Blog is Great…Now What with Amy Sherman, Jaden Hair and Helen Dujardin.  Again a lot of great information including approaching the blog as a business and other opportunities to share my information in other media formats.

The last session was on Protecting Yourself and Your Work.  Evidently there are people out there that copy and paste your recipes right into their blog.  They don’t give you credit or link back to your original post or even ask permission.  They shared many ways of tracking and dealing with the stealing of content.

There were two other tracks including Visual and Values with a lot of great information that I missed.  I will need to go look at the notes on the BlogHer website.

The afternoon break was a demonstration given by Elizabeth Falkner.  Foodies will recognize her name from Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef America.  Her restaurants Citizen Cake and Orson have been written up in every major food magazine and local media outlets.  I need to travel back to the city just to eat at these restaurants.  Warning, if you read their menu online, you may drool on your computer.  By the end of the demonstration people were putting on plastic gloves and digging into large boxes made out of chocolate and filled with an amazing looking chocolate dessert.  I wish I could have tasted it because it smelled like chocolate heaven.

Chef Elizabeth Falkner, David Lebovitz

I was excited to meet Chef Falkner and David Lebovitz at the wonderful after party at Tropisueño.  Great party and great food at Tropisueño thanks to our hosts Jaden Hair, Elise Bauer and Ree Drummond.  I actually went back for dinner and you can read my Tropisueño Gluten Free Restaurant Review on Gluten Free Food Critic.

The closing keynote on food blogging was presented by Lisa Stone, Elise Bauer, Ree Drummond and David Lebovitz. It was highly entertaining and informative.  I love David Lebovitz’s sense of humor and attitude.

It was great to learn more about food blogging but my favorite part was getting to meet so many fun food bloggers. I especially loved meeting the great gluten free bloggers I read.  They were all just like you would picture if you read their blogs.  That was great.

I’m looking forward to BlogHer Food 10′.  There are so many great foodie cities.  I wonder where it will be?

Wow, I’m not use to writing such long blog posts.  In order to keep this from totally going crazy, I’ll break this up into two posts.  Stay tuned for part two over the weekend.

taken from their website

Last night Scott took me out to a new restaurant for us, Mon Ami Gabi.  My good friend Antoinette has mentioned it many times.  As the sign says, it’s a classic french bistro.  Could I get a gluten free and dairy free meal there?  How did it taste and what was the service like?

Well to read my review you’ll need to visit the Gluten Free Food Critic blog.  Mon Abi Gabi Restaurant – Gluten Free Review is there.  I’ll be posting my restaurant reviews on that site.  I have many to add from my trip to San Francisco from the BlogHer Food Conference.  I’ll be sharing all of the great people and places and what I learned.

I hope you will check out my review and add in your comments if you have had experience with this company.  Bon Appetit!

We had so many great meals traveling through Orange County California.  Our travels took us to LA where we visited Hollywood and Rodeo Drive then headed to Santa Monica.  We had success with eating out, all gluten free and dairy free and one vegetarian.

Before we made our trip I had visited Karina’s Kitchen blog and through her page of Links found eating out information for the area.  Thanks Karina!

Scott enjoying In-N-Out Burgers & Fries

There was not doubt on this trip that we would eat at an In-N-Out Burger for our lunch.  They’re famous for their burgers and fries.  3 out of 4 of us obsess over burgers and fries.  There just happened to be one down the street from Hollywood High School that caught our eye.    In-N-Out has a dedicated fryer for their french fries so we knew that would work.  How great is that!  I ordered a burger in lettuce and mooched some of my husband’s fries.  The first burger did come out with sauce but they got me another clean burger in just a short time.  It was really juicy and delicious.

Andy & Brad reviewing the ingredients

However my vegetarian gluten free son still needed lunch.  As we drove on we came to a Whole Foods.  Jackpot.  Our plan was to go in and grab him some lunch and for me to find some Masa to make pupusas back at our rental.  He did get a great lunch and dessert.

Paul King of Tia's Bakery

While we were shopping we found Paul King and a table of desserts.  He was there sampling his cakes and cookies from his business, Tia’s Bakery.  Tia’s Bakery makes gluten free, sugar free, grain free and vegan treats.  He had on hand a cookie, chocolate brownies and a strawberry shortcake.  I of course sampled every one that I could eat.  They were amazing.  I  really wish they were sold where I live.  I’m going to have to ask my local Whole Foods markets to start selling these products.

Strawberry Shortcake

Since our visit, Tia’s Bakery is now making Vegan Truffles and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  Paul sent me a picture of the cookies.  I wish he would have sent me the cookies.

Tia's Oatmeal Cookies

Paul, if you’re reading this let us know how we can get our hands on these delicious desserts in VA, please!  I’m not sure if there are any locations to purchase the products in San Fransisco but if there are I’m loading up my suitcase at the end of the month!

If you have these products in your local store make sure you give them a try.

Well school starts today so summer travels are over but I haven’t shared everything yet.  More to come.

It’s Wednesday so head over to the Gluten Free Homemaker for What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free.

Now about the concert.  It was much better than I expected.  I was really only going to see Adam Lambert.  I think he is extremly talented and polished.  He has an amazing voice and can really perform.  He did not dissapoint.  I did feel like everything leading up to him (finalists 10-3) was just a warm up act.  I think a lot of the audience agreed.  Once they knew it was his turn everyone was on their feet and did not sit down until Kris Allen (the winner) started his second song. Every time Adam’s face came across the screen the audience would scream.  His set rocked and I can’t wait until he’s on his solo tour.

I tried to take a couple of photos but they didn’t really turn out.  You can kind of tell it’s him but I would have needed my “real” camera for that.   If you get an opportunity to see this show I would go.  Even my husband, who was just going as my date, enjoyed the show.  If you went to the show or this season’s show anywhere else I’d love to hear your take on it.

NFCA Gluten Free Cooking Spree

I’ll never forget entering the event with my very supportive husband and feeling like a kid in a candy store, who had not been allowed to have any candy for years.   I first confirmed that everything there was truly gluten free because my brain was having a hard time with that concept.  I then grabbed a plate and sampled everything they had set out.  I was so stuffed I barely had room to taste the amazing dishes that the competition produced, but I managed.  It felt so amazing to be able to just eat and not think so hard about it.  It was the beginning of my confidence living gluten free.

This will be the third year for me attending and I cannot wait to see what they do this year.  At first, my delight was getting to talk to vendors of gluten free products, people who were writing the magazine I had found and stores like Wegmans who were selling these products.  Last year it shifted to learning from the chefs that were there to compete.  I watched as they used whole food ingredients to create amazing meals that I got to sample.  I talked with them about their restaurants and what they did to insure that guests would receive a gluten free meal, that was safe from cross contamination.  They also had an auction and I almost got to bring a chef home to cook a meal for us.

This year, I’m looking forward to talking with as many of the chefs, doctors and reporters that are competing.  I want to gather as much information to share on my blog.  I also can’t wait to taste what they cook.   In past years, there have been chefs from Old Ebbitt Grill, Café Atlantico, Firefly, Jaleo, Lilit Café, Zaytinya, The Flying Avocado, and Hyatt Regency Bethesda (location of event).

The event will take place at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda at 7400 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.  You can purchase tickets online through the NFCA and the early bird price is $50 until April 15th.  That ticket includes dinner, dessert, and beer (all food items gluten free).  You also get a goodie bag filled with treats and information from a variety of gluten free vendors.   You can all the NFCA (215)- 325-1306 ext. 101 or check it out online at celiaccentral.com.  The event is May 1st, 6:00pm-9:00pm.

I think what you also get is a chance to learn from other attendees.  The Celiac and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance community is an amazing group of people.  Everyone is trying to get and stay healthy and they are very willing to share what they have learned.  The NFCA does a great job in getting the word out into the world about Celiac Disease.  They have a lot of great information and resources on their website.  I’m honored to be listed under their resource links-bloggers.  You can even follow the link to doIhaveceliac.org and complete a symptom checklist.  You can print this checklist and take it with you to your doctor visit to help with your conversation.

So if you live the gluten free life, live with someone who does, love someone who does or you would like more information about what it all means, join me at the NFCA Gluten Free Cooking Spree.   If you plan on going, please let me know.   Make sure to say hi if you see me there.  I’ll be eating and talking non-stop, just like always.

©Diane Eblin

During our visit we have eaten out at many restaurants with much luck.  So far our favorite has been K’ya Bistro at La Casa del Camino.  They offer small plates of delicious food at amazing prices.  For those like me eating gluten and dairy free they successfully made just a few adjustments to their dishes.  I had the following over two meals and it was all delicious:  Grilled Filet Mignon with polenta and spinach and Roasted Potatoes cooked in olive oil with a steak seasoning mix, Cajun Shrimp and Herb Roasted Chicken with grilled vegetables.  Others with me had Lobster Truffle Risotto, Grilled Flat Iron Steak and Fries, Cheese and Fruit Plate, and Tuna with capers, red onion and quail egg.  If you have the opportunity to go you must ask for Joe Velazquez as your server.  The best service and most helpful person we have met at a restaurant.  They are definitely not paying him enough.

Other great meals were had at the Sapphire Laguna Restaurant, Sun Dried Tomato and tonight we are headed to Las Brisas for another amazing meal.  I know because it too will be amazing as I’ve eaten there before, however it was many years ago.  I am greatly looking forward to this experience overlooking the Laguna Beach and Pacific Ocean at sunset.
I also cooked a few seafood meals in our unit.  Keeping it simple we had Pacific Cod with a raw fruit salsa and a Citrus Shrimp dish with cooked

©Diane Eblin

red peppers, green onions, mango and avocado with a sauce of lemon, lime and orange with cilantro.

Laguna Beach is a beautiful place to visit and a wonderful artist community.  Now all I need to do is figure out how to move here because I know I’ll be able to get wonderful fresh foods that are gluten and dairy free on a regular basis.

Thank you Laguna Beach!

No recipes from me tonight.  I treated my husband to a night out at a wonderful restaurant in D.C. I choose Nora first because it gets rave reviews and second I like the fact that they buy from certified organic farmers and producers who do not use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones or GMO’s.  

The meal was wonderful and their triple filtered water terrific.  They were able to accommodate making me a gluten free, casein free and rice free meal that was delicious.  I started with an arugula salad and went on to have the river sturgeon with a mix of fresh vegetables. Scott started with a Maine Johan Crab Salad that contained a ton of crab and then had the duck confit and potato gnocchi.  A special treat for me was getting to have dessert.  I had a trio of sorbets: sweet potato with a smoked vanilla, pineapple which was very tart and then a chocolate and chili that was my favorite.  You first had this wonderful chocolate taste to enjoy and then just as you were savoring that you were treated to an explosion of hot chili pepper.  It was not overwhelming just amazing.

We really enjoyed our meal there and would recommend you check out Nora in NW Washington, DC.