David and I’ve gotten to partake in some great trips together this summer and shared many delicious meals. Once David finished the Bar Exam in July, we decided to meet up for a few days in Charlottesville, Virginia. Both graduates of UVA, David and I love Charlottesville. For those of you that have been to Charlottesville, you know that unfortunately many of the places we loved so much in college are based around bread…Bel Air sandwiches, Bodos’ bagels, and Take it Away bread ends with house dressing are just a few of the places I can no longer go…well, I still go there and just watch David eat our old favorites!

Needless to say, we’ve had to explore new options when we go to Charlottesville now. While it was tricky at first, we’ve found some yummy, gluten free alternatives and rediscovered old places with our new gluten free perspective. Sadly, I don’t think Bodo’s will ever be gluten free!

So I arrived in Charlottesville, eager to meet up with David who is coming from Roanoke where he took the Bar. For dinner that night, we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants from our college days, Duner’s Restaurant. Located on Route 250, five miles west of Charlottesville, Duner’s is small and does not take reservations, but it is totally worth the potential wait.

I was amazed at what a large menu they had and the wait staff was extremely friendly and encouraged me to decide what I wanted to order. I made my selections and the waitress told me that the chef would definitely be able to produce gluten free versions of my choices. Not only did she ensure that my meal would be gluten free, but she also said they could make David’s gluten free as well. For those gluten free eaters out there you know what a treat it is to be able to eat off of someone else’s plate at a restaurant!

The meal was absolutely delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ordered as well as David’s! We shared grilled sea scallops for our appetizer that were prepared with a summer squash salsa on top. For my main course I chose rack of lamb with sun dried tomato pesto. The menu listed the rack of lamb as ‘parmesan crusted’ so the chef just left off the crust and sprinkled some parmesan on top. It was perfectly prepared and the sun dried tomato pesto went perfectly with the lamb. David ordered the grilled ribeye steak and it too was perfectly flavored. The chef put the sauce for the ribeye (which was not gluten free) on the side for him so I could try it. I personally think I out ordered David but both meals were unique, flavor and delicious! The wait staff was very knowledgeable about gluten and definitely willing to accommodate their gluten free customer.

The next morning David and I ventured out for our morning coffee. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease, I’ve discovered a Charlottesville bakery called Baker’s Palate that makes gluten free muffins. My personal favorite are their pumpkin muffins, but they also make banana muffins. Located close to the Downtown Mall, we stopped in to stock up. They keep their gluten free muffins in the freezer, so they’re not freshly baked each day but they’re still delicious. I would suggest heating them up before you dive in. The owner pointed out to me that she makes the gluten free pumpkin muffins with raisins. Note: if you are ever at Baker’s Palate and they serve you a pumpkin muffin without raisins, it’s NOT gluten free. Just a heads up!

Baker’s Palate also sells their gluten free muffins at Java Java coffee shop on the Downtown Mall (421 E. Main St.), but sometimes they’re sold out and they never have more than a few. In the past I’ve gotten a bunch of muffins at Baker’s Palate and stuck them in the freezer. They freeze really well; just reheat them in the oven.

As any good vacation goes, by the time you finish coffee and breakfast, you’re thinking about your next meal. Lunch is tough in Charlottesville with no more Bel Air or Take it Away, but we’ve discovered (thanks to Gluten Free Bird), The Flat Creperie on the Downtown Mall. At The Flat you can order buckwheat crepes that are gluten free. They serve both sweet and savory crepes at this crepe stand.

While delicious and filling, The Flat is not a fine dining experience. It’s often very busy and the only potential seating can be found on benches outside. Being that there are cramped quarters in the kitchen, I do worry about contamination but they wipe down the crepe makers before they make a buckwheat crepe and all of their ingredients you can get inside the crepes are gluten free. I’m very sensitive to gluten, but in the three times I’ve eaten at the Flat, I’ve never gotten sick. My personal favorite is a buckwheat crepe with chicken, spinach, cheddar and tomatoes. Yummy! Once I get my crepe I like to take my food and sit on the Downtown Mall. The Flat tends to be quite hot a crowded in their front yard eating area.

Now I’ve saved the best news for last about our trip to Charlottesville. Arch’s, the popular frozen yogurt spot, is gluten free!! Hooray! I indulged in this dessert twice while on our three day stay. Sadly, you must stay away from all of the toppings (major cross contamination with all of the serving utensils and open area where the mix ins are located) so you can’t get an Archer. I brought my own M&Ms and homemade granola to add to my peanut butter and chocolate swirl frozen treat.

Another fun afternoon treat in Charlottesville are the many vineyards nearby. Our personal favorite is King Family Vineyards, located off of 250 in Crozet. The grounds are beautiful and the UVA polo team plays on the fields on the property. There is plenty of seating outside and they don’t mind at all if you bring your own food. The vineyard also sells cheeses on the premises but you’ll want to bring your own gluten free crackers.

So even though I’ll no longer have a Zazu’s wrap or a Bel Air picnic at Beaver Creek, David and I have found many gluten free alternatives in Charlottesville as we stayed well fed during our Charlottesville visit.

David and I’ve gotten to partake in some great trips together this summer and shared many delicious meals. Once David finished the Bar in July, we decided to meet up for a few days in Charlottesville, Virginia. Both graduates of UVA, David and I love Charlottesville. For those of you that have been to Charlottesville, unfortunately many of the places we loved so much in college are based around bread…Bel Air sandwiches, Bodos’ bagels, and Take it Away bread ends with house dressing are just a few of the places I can no longer go…well, I still go there and just watch David eat our old favorites!

Needless to say, we’ve had to explore new options when we go to Charlottesville now. While it was tricky at first, we’ve found some yummy, gluten free alternatives and rediscovered old places with our new gluten free perspective. Sadly, I don’t think Bodo’s will ever be gluten free!

So I arrived in Charlottesville, eager to meet up with David who is coming from Roanoke where he took the Bar. For dinner that night, we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants from our college days, Duner’s Restaurant. Located on Route 250, five miles west of Charlottesville, Duner’s is small and does not take reservations, but it is totally worth the potential wait.

I was amazed at what a large menu they had and the wait staff was extremely friendly and encouraged me to decide what I wanted to order. I made my selections and the waitress told me that the chef would definitely be able to produce gluten free versions of my choices. Not only did she ensure that my meal would be gluten free, but she also said they could make David’s gluten free as well. For those gluten free eaters out there you know what a treat it is to be able to eat off of someone else’s plate at a restaurant!

The meal was absolutely delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ordered as well as David’s! We shared grilled sea scallops for our appetizer that were prepared with a summer squash salsa on top. For my main course I chose rack of lamb with sun dried tomato pesto. The menu listed the rack of lamb as ‘parmesan crusted’ so the chef just left off the crust and sprinkled some parmesan on top. It was perfectly prepared and the sun dried tomato pesto went perfectly with the lamb. David ordered the grilled ribeye steak and it too was perfectly flavored. The chef put the sauce for the ribeye (which was not gluten free) on the side for him so I could try it. I personally think I out ordered David but both meals were unique, flavor and delicious! The wait staff was very knowledgeable about gluten and definitely willing to accommodate their gluten free customer.

The next morning David and I ventured out for our morning coffee. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease, I’ve discovered a Charlottesville bakery called Baker’s Palate that makes gluten free muffins. My personal favorite are their pumpkin muffins, but they also make banana muffins. Located close to the Downtown Mall, we stopped in to stock up. They keep their gluten free muffins in the freezer, so they’re not freshly baked each day but they’re still delicious. I would suggest heating them up before you dive in. The owner pointed out to me that she makes the gluten free pumpkin muffins with raisins. Note: if you are ever at Baker’s Palate and they serve you a pumpkin muffin without raisins, it’s NOT gluten free. Just a heads up!

Baker’s Palate also sells their gluten free muffins at Java Java coffee shop on the Downtown Mall (421 E. Main St.), but sometimes they’re sold out and they never have more than a few. In the past I’ve gotten a bunch of muffins at Baker’s Palate and stuck them in the freezer. They freeze really well; just reheat them in the oven.

As any good vacation goes, by the time you finish coffee and breakfast, you’re thinking about your next meal. Lunch is tough in Charlottesville with no more Bel Air or Take it Away, but we’ve discovered (thanks to Gluten Free Bird), The Flat Creperie on the Downtown Mall. At The Flat you can order buckwheat crepes that are gluten free. They serve both sweet and savory crepes at this crepe stand.

While delicious and filling, The Flat is not a fine dining experience. It’s often very busy and the only potential seating can be found on benches outside. Being that there are cramped quarters in the kitchen, I do worry about contamination but they wipe down the crepe makers before they make a buckwheat crepe and all of their ingredients you can get inside the crepes are gluten free. I’m very sensitive to gluten, but in the three times I’ve eaten at the Flat, I’ve never gotten sick. My personal favorite is a buckwheat crepe with chicken, spinach, cheddar and tomatoes. Yummy! Once I get my crepe I like to take my food and sit on the Downtown Mall. The Flat tends to be quite hot a crowded in their front yard eating area.

Now I’ve saved the best news for last about our trip to Charlottesville. Arch’s, the popular frozen yogurt spot, is gluten free!! Hooray! I indulged in this dessert twice while on our three day stay. Sadly, you must stay away from all of the toppings (major cross contamination with all of the serving utensils and open area where the mix ins are located) so you can’t get an Archer. I brought my own M&Ms and homemade granola to add to my peanut butter and chocolate swirl frozen treat.

Another fun afternoon treat in Charlottesville are the many vineyards nearby. Our personal favorite is King Family Vineyards, located off of 250 in Crozet. The grounds are beautiful and the UVA polo team plays on the fields on the property. There is plenty of seating outside and they don’t mind at all if you bring your own food. The vineyard also sells cheeses on the premises but you’ll want to bring your own gluten free crackers.

So even though I’ll no longer have a Zazu’s wrap or a Bel Air picnic at Beaver Creek, David and I have found many gluten free alternatives in Charlottesville as we stayed well fed during our Charlottesville visit.

The husband and I love Old Bay! Ever since my friend, Becky, gave us a huge container of the seasoning salt as an engagement gift (she’s from Easton so that sort of explains the gift), we’ve loved using it. When I was first diagnosed with celiacs, we immediately checked to see if Old Bay is gluten free. Lucky for us, it is!

Old Bay is a seasoning salt that is typically used when eating crabs. The husband and I have found that it adds good flavor to many foods. Two of our favorites are sweet potato fries and burgers. This combo is one of our go to weeknight meals and it’s perfect for having a group of people over for dinner. Old Bay is yummy in both turkey burgers and hamburgers and the recipe we use is the same for both.

Old Bay Dinner for 6

Old Bay Burgers:
Ingredients:
2 lbs. hamburger (I prefer 85/15…90/10 gets a bit dry)
2 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 T. Old Bay (the husband and I vary our amount of Old Bay depending on whose taste buds we’re feeding…in our minds, you can’t have too much! 4 tablespoons is actually a bit conservative)
Sliced white cheddar cheese
Sliced avocado
Sliced fresh tomato

1. Heat olive oil in pan and add chopped onion. Saute until onion is brown.
2. In a bowl, mix meat, eggs, onion and Old Bay.
3. Make into 7 patties and they are ready to cook. I think everything is better on the grill, but you can make them on the stove top as well.
4. Add cheese when burgers are almost cooked through.
5. Top burgers with avocado and tomato.

*Note: we prefer to go bunless with these burgers. I still haven’t found a gluten free bun that I love and I find that eating burgers with a fork is not the end of the world; in fact, it makes the dinner seem a little fancier!

Old Bay Sweet Potato Fries:
Ingredients:
4 Large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into strips (think steak fries shape…2 inches wide, 4 inches long, and about 1/2 inch thick)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Old Bay

1. Preheat oven to 385.
2. In a bowl, mix olive oil and Old Bay; then add sweet potatoes and mix
3. Lay sweet potatoes flat on cookie sheet.
4. Cook for 15 minutes and then flip sweet potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes.
I keep my eye on them and serve them once they start to get brown and a little crispy. The husband thinks you can’t overcook them!

We usually serve this meal with a nice salad as well to add more color to the plate. You can use the extra tomato and avocado for the salad. One of my favorite GF dressings is Maple Farms of Vermont Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

As you know, I’m new to town, but Cecilia’s Bakeshop was featured on Daily Candy recently. They are by appointment only but they have all kinds of cakes, pies, and cookie doughs that are gluten free and vegan. You can also order cupcakes.

The rich chocolate cake and carrot cake look particularly appetizing to me! Prices are listed on the website and while a bit pricey ($28-$36 for a 6 inch cake), it’s a great deal in the gluten free world. I always want to support local people making gluten free food!

Cecilia’s Bakeshop
678-643-9502 (By Appointment Only)

Cecilia’s Bakeshop Website

This summer has been a time of change and transition for David and me. In May David completed law school and in June I finished up teaching for the summer. While David buckled down to study for the Bar, I prepared for our move to Atlanta. Yes, that’s right. We’re heading south! We’re moving to Georgia for a year and then the plan is that we’ll be back in DC in September 2010.

I moved our stuff to Atlanta in mid-July while David took the Virginia Bar. I flew back up to DC after the Bar and we’ve had some great mini-trips with lots of delicious food between then and now. I’ll be blogging about some of these feasts throughout Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia soon.

My plan for the next 12 months is to continue updating on Gluten Free in DC as both of our families and many friends are still in the Washington area so we’ll be making trips back to the District and the Commonwealth of Virginia throughout the year.

While in Atlanta I’ll also be blogging at a new address:

www.GlutenFreedomAtlanta.blogspot.com

Please check out the new blog and pass it along to friends that in the Atlanta area.
Thanks for continuing to follow Gluten Free in DC!

Welcome to my blog!

Growing up I was an adventurous eater who always wanted to know when my next meal would be. I loved food and appreciated that meals and cuisine brought people together. I enjoyed going out for meals and cooking in my home, with family.

After college, I gradually began feeling more and more uncomfortable when I ate. Even simple meals could sometimes bring discomfort, bloating, and all kinds of fun stomach issues. I also started having night sweats frequently, constant fatigue, as well as arthritis symptoms. I began to fear food and meals, as I could not find an explanation as to why I felt sick constantly.

Teaching high school history, coaching and living on a 9th grade girls dorm did not allow me much time to think about feeling sick. For about two years I tried ignoring these symptoms, but they persisted. I began losing weight over a period of time and my parents and husband insisted that I seek a doctor’s opinion.

In the summer of 2007, I was diagnosed with celiac disease after spending most of my adult years feeling sick and uncomfortable. It took nearly a year of going to different doctors in order to receive my diagnosis. Doctors were confused by my symptoms and I sat through many scary and frustrating doctors’ appointments over the course of a year before a doctor finally connected my health problems to gluten.

When diagnosed, I experienced many different emotions. I felt relief that I didn’t have a life threatening disease, nor would I need to take medication the rest of my life. (In my mind, of all of the diseases to have, celiac is the best one!) I was thrilled to finally know what was wrong with me, after being passed from one doctor to the next, and being tested for all kinds of illnesses and conditions. My husband, David, and I even threw a party to celebrate my diagnosis (lots of rice crackers, cheese and fruit were served).

After the immediate sense of relief, I quickly became terrified, overwhelmed and anxious. David, and I were about to embark on a two week trip through New England, followed by a week vacation with my in-laws in Maine. Questions flooded my mind as I began to think about the challenges this new diet would present: Where would I eat? What questions should I ask at restaurants? Will people think I’m rude? What can I eat on the road? Would our family be able to make meals that I could eat? Would I annoy my in-laws with all of these new ‘food regulations?’

This trip was great for me as it forced me to step into the world with my new diet, instead of hiding in my home. Traveling was definitely going to be different now, but it’s totally doable. There are moments when I get frustrated by having celiac, especially when I’m eating a protein bar during a wedding reception, but the down moments are minimal in comparison to how much my diagnosis and eating gluten free has changed my life for the better.

Over the past two years, I’ve learned many things about eating gluten free, and I’ve discovered all kinds of delicious foods that are gluten free. I’ve developed a love for cooking and being in the kitchen. I’ve continued to travel and explore new dining experiences, both in and out of my home. I feel blessed to finally know what’s wrong with me and empowered that I can make meals that make me feel my best and I can seek out restaurants that will cater to my gluten free needs.

I recently moved from the Washington, D.C. area to Atlanta. While in DC, I created a blog Gluten Free in DC that provided a venue to post gluten free recipes that I’ve made and love. I also wrote reviews of Washington DC restaurants (and places I travel) that are willing to accommodate a gluten free customer. When you search online for gluten free restaurants, you typically find chain restaurants, like Outback (which does have great GF options). I’ve found that many restaurants are knowledgeable of celiac and willing to make GF meals. Some even have gluten free menus! I plan on continuing to blog about restaurants and recipes while living in Atlanta, hence the creation of Gluten Freedom Atlanta. I hope that Gluten Freedom Atlanta will be a helpful resource for others with celiac disease in the area.

On Sunday night, David and I had dinner with our friends, Chris and Molly at their DC home. Molly and Chris are always eager to try new gluten free options and they had discovered that Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza (located near the Columbia Heights metro) offers a gluten free crust.

When we called to ask about the preparation of the crust and pizza, they were very knowledgeable about contamination, telling us that the pizza crust is cooked halfway in a separate oven and then when a GF crust is ordered, they put it in the oven with the other pizzas, but on a special baking stone for just GF orders. (It always makes me feel better and more confident in the food when the manager clearly understands the need to be cautious in preparing the food, not just the ingredients.)

The pizza was delivered to Molly and Chris’ house and we thoroughly enjoyed the crispy crust. Pete’s gluten free crust is a thinner, crispier crust with a great crunch. The only problem is there are so many topping options to choose. The only toppings that contain gluten are the fried eggplant and meatballs, but the rest are gluten free friendly. David and I shared the Nighthawk pizza which is topped with basil pesto, grilled chicken, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and mozzarella. Delicious! I look forward to trying the New Haven Green (artichoke hearts, oven dried tomatoes, sauteed spinach and olives) next time!

Pete’s New Haven APizza

1400 Irving Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-332-PETE (7383)