Earlier in the year I went to Two Urban Licks and enjoyed a delicious meal at this trendy, happening, Atlanta spot.  The owners of Two Urban Licks also run One Midtown Kitchen.  Since I’d eaten a yummy meal at Two, I decided to give One Midtown Kitchen a try.  Even though One and Two share ownership, the two restaurants have uniquely different vibes and culinary perspectives.  It’s clear that Chef Drew VanLeuvan’s personality and creativeness shines through in One’s menu and the taste of each dish.  There’s nothing ‘chainy’ about either of these restaurants and VanLeuvan’s ever-changing menu uses fresh, seasonal ingredients with a culinary flair.

We arrived a little early for our reservations with plans of ordering a drink at the bar.  The atmosphere at the restaurant was more relaxed and a bit of an older crowd.  While I liked the event of dining at Two Urban Licks, I quickly got the feeling that One was going to be more my type of dining experience, more of a laid back fine dining vibe as opposed to “see and be seen,” and maybe have some good food too.  One Midtown Kitchen’s wine selection is anything but lacking as they offer you a huge selection of wines by the glasses.  The wines are divided into price categories and you can choose from the different price categories.  There’s also the option to select the ‘bottomless’ wine glass from one category and you can sample as much (or as little) of each of the wines in that price bracket.  Seems a little dangerous to me, but I love the idea!

One of my favorite parts about One Midtown Kitchen’s cuisine were the flavor combinations they used.  While there’s a lot of action on the plate, the components work and they work well.  (Keep reading for more details.)  When David and I sat down the waitress had been fully briefed by the chef about the naturally gluten-free items on the menu.  I must first mention the plethora of appetizer options I found.  Hands down, One Midtown Kitchen’s menu offers the most naturally gluten-free appetizers that I’ve ever found in a restaurant.  Usually we gluten-free diners must stick to boring salads that I could easily make at home.   Overwhelmed by the many choices, I ultimately went with my waiter’s advice and decided on the Georgia Shrimp.  This dish is not just a plate of shrimp, but a beautiful mélange of ingredients displayed on the plate.  It really looked like a piece of art.  The components of the dish included marinated ruby beets, avocado, basil, and a mango gelatin, with a lobster vinaigrette.  Sounds like a lot, maybe even too much, but I tell you, it was perfect.  There’s no way I could recreate this in my kitchen, and the combination of complexity with great flavor is exactly what I’m looking for when I go to a restaurant.

For my entrée, I ordered the leg of lamb with cauliflower, lambs’ tongue and a parmesan cake.  (Again, a lot of things going on, right?)  I love lamb and it tends to be my splurge when going to a nice restaurant.  This was my first time trying lambs’ tongue and I enjoyed the flavor and texture, mixed with the other components of the dish.  Unfortunately, the lamb itself was very tough and I had trouble cutting it.  I don’t think that I would order it again unless they changed their preparation of the lamb.  I will say, though that the accompaniments, the polenta cake and cauliflower, went nicely with the dish and yet again, One did a great job combining flavors and ingredients.  I also ordered a side of garlic mustard greens and kale and oh, how I love garlic and greens!  The side dish did not disappoint and it was nice to add a little green to my plate, even if it couldn’t be Brussels sprouts.

David ordered the pork chop special and he said it was the best pork he’d ever eaten.  (I believe this dish was gluten-free too.)  This statement is quite a compliment because, in my opinion, David makes the best pork chops I’ve ever eaten.

On to dessert…just like the appetizers, the dessert menu held more GF options than most restaurants.  David and I could not resist the caramelized peanut butter with toffee and chocolate.  We’re suckers for peanut butter sweets.  Amazing and fabulous.  Very rich but oh so worth the richness.  Just a few bites satisfied my sweet tooth.

David and I enjoyed a delicious, relaxing meal at One Midtown Kitchen and we didn’t feel rushed, which can be a rarity at restaurants on a Saturday night.  If you go to One, make sure you check out their bathroom.  Definitely the coolest restroom of any restaurant I’ve ever been to.  There are televisions in ‘waiting lounge’ which was convenient since the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament being televised during our meal.  It’s always nice to be able to check on the scores while you wait for the restroom, right?

Final verdict: One Midtown Kitchen’s menu offers many gluten-free options and the staff is eager to accommodate our GF needs.  The menu changes so make sure to inquire and ask questions based on the most recent menu.  One Midtown Kitchen’s a great spot for a Saturday night dinner date, or just a drink at the bar.  If you’re looking for a more ruckus spot with live music, stick to Two Urban Licks, but for unique, delicious food and a laid back, yet trendy scene, give One Midtown Kitchen a try.

One Midtown Kitchen – 566 Dutch Valley Road Northeast – Atlanta, GA 30324-5331 – (404) 892-4111

As I’ve mentioned a few times on Gluten Freedom, I have a bit of an obsession with all things Top Chef. Just thinking about Bravo reality television, makes me nostalgic for my television waiting for me back in northern Virginia.  Speaking of my old home, my DC sources tell me that filming of the next Top Chef Restaurant Wars just started filming this week in Washington, D.C.  How exciting!  I wish I was there to stalk Padma, Tom and my other favorite celebs.  (Yes, those are my top celebs.  Well, if you don’t count Desmund Tutu, Mike Krzyzewski and Barbara Kingsolver.)

I don’t have much information about the season, just that they’re in the nation’s capital, only minutes from my former residence on a high school girls’ dorm.  Ah, what I would give to know a little more about the taping plans.  Who’s involved in the shoot?  How good Padma’s scar will look with the cherry blossoms in the background?  Will Tom be drinking and promoting Diet Coke, walking down the Mall?

Does anyone have any good gossip about the filming of Restaurant Wars? Please share any information!  Healthy cooking in the White House Garden with Michelle Obama?  Catering a cocktail party in the Smithsonian with historical hors d’oeuvres?  A challenge that requires the use of cherries to celebrate the cherry blossoms?  Ballpark food and a shameless plug of the Nationals in a futile attempt to boost ticket sales?  A plethora of possibilities!  I can guarantee you there will be more ‘Gladware’ and GE Appliances than DC has ever seen before.

Check out what these DC bloggers speculated about the shoot:

Top Chef DC, or There Aren’t enough Exclamation Points

Metrocurean: Top Chef Starts Filming Today

Looking for a place to get drinks and a quick bite with friends?  Looking for a restaurant with well prepared, seasonal entrees?  Searching for a nice restaurant with a gluten-free menu?  Check. Check.  Check.  Midtown’s Ecco Restaurant fits all of these categories, and fits them well. Not only does Ecco offer a gluten-free menu, but I found that many of the dishes they serve on this seasonal, European-inspired menu are naturally gluten-free.  At Ecco, depending on your appetite and mood, you either can go the small plate route or choose from one of their delicious main courses and sides.  David and I thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Ecco last week.  On top of the delicious food, Atlanta’s weather has finally turned from terrible and rainy to sunny and gorgeous so David and I were excited when we pulled up to Ecco and saw they offer outside seating.  We enjoyed a lovely evening outside full of gluten-free food.

David and I started our meal ordering from Ecco’s large list of meats and cheeses. I’ve never been all that into anti-pasti, but after my dinner at Ecco, I’m officially converted.  We selected two cheeses and one meat, under the guidance of the chef.  We went with the Bresaola, a house-cured organic beef eye round, thinly sliced.  These thin slivers of beef were amazing.  You could taste the rosemary, pepper and spices used for curing the beef.  Because Ecco slices the meat so thinly, I felt like I was eating a lot but did not find myself too full after the course.  To accompany the beef, we ordered an aged gouda from Holland and a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese from Thomasville, Georgia.  The Gouda contained what David and I like to refer to as ‘flavor crystals,’ little crystallized pieces in the cheese that provide a little crunch and added dimension of flavor.  The local Georgia cheese was also yummy, but a little milder.  The gluten-free menu contained two blue cheeses which I avoided, but I recently read that blue cheese is safe for people with celiac disease.  (*See note below for more information on blue cheese and gluten.)  We slowly savored every bite of our ‘Meat & Cheese’ plate.  An added plus for us gluten-free diners is that Ecco’s meat and cheese plates come with no gluten which you must navigate.  You don’t have to worry about crackers, bread, contaminated knives, etc.  Just a platter of meat and cheese.  Beautiful.

After we leisurely enjoyed every last crumble of cheese and sliver of beef, we ordered our entrees.  I chose the braised beef short rib with carrots, radish and mint and of course I couldn’t resist ordering a side of roasted Brussels sprouts with walnuts.  If you like Brussels sprouts, you should leave your home immediately, go straight to Ecco and order their sprouts.  I’ve eaten a lot of Brussels sprouts this winter and these were without question, the best I’ve consumed.  Ecco roasts the sprouts perfectly in their wood fire and the combination of walnuts, parmesan and spices cannot be described in words.  Go.  Go now and try them for yourself.  The flavors of the shortribs provided a delicious center piece to the meal and the radish and mint went surprisingly well with the shortribs.  I ate almost every bite, except the one I generously shared with David.  (I even gave him a Brussels sprout.)

For all of you gluten-eaters out there, David ordered the house made pasta and absolutely loved it.  The good news is that I didn’t envy his meal one bit because I barely looked up from my shortribs and sprouts.

As I mentioned earlier, Ecco provided a gluten-free menu, always such a relief for gluten-free diners.  When choosing a restaurant, I love the option of a GF menu because I don’t have to ask as many questions of my server and I know all of my options.  I spoke in detail with the chef about the wood fire grill they use.  He assured me that only pizzas are cooked directly on the oven and everything else is prepared in a pan.  Ecco’s staff is careful about contamination and even though they have a GF menu, they still take extra precaution when preparing a meal for a gluten-free diner, making sure to use clean tongs and pans.  The chef also assured me that they don’t use any soy sauce in their food preparation.  From my conversation with the chef and my own dining experience, it’s clear to me that Ecco used great care and research in creating this menu.  My only concern on the GF menu is the pomme frites side dish.  I forgot to ask the chef if they use a separate fryer for their frites so I would inquire before ordering the frites.

Not only was our meal delicious, but the service was amazing.  Our waiter gave us well-thought advice on wine (great selection of wines by the glass) and ordering in general.  We did not feel rushed, as we took our time, enjoying every bite and sip.  Owned by the Fifth Group Restaurants, all of their restaurants now offer gluten-free menus including, South City Kitchen, El Taco, and La Travolla.  I haven’t seen their GF menus yet, but I’m sure they have plenty of delicious offerings as well.  I will be sure to check out Fifth Group’s other restaurants in the upcoming months and let you know about how their menus size up. If they’re anything like Ecco’s, it will be worth the trip.

Ecco – 40 7^th Street, NE  – Atlanta, GA 30308

*A note on Blue Cheese From Gluten Free in SD: All Blue Cheese is now considered fine on a gluten-free diet.  Reported in the Gluten Intolerance Group Magazine in 2008: “Based on the most sensitive tests currently available on the market and our understanding of the minute amounts of mold spores used in the making of the cheese, we may conclude that blue cheese is safe for consumption as part of the gluten-free diet.”

“Crabcakes and football! That’s what Maryland does.” As a former Baltimore resident myself, I couldn’t help but chuckle when I heard this line in the great comedy, Wedding Crashers. I don’t know if I agree with the football part, but Marylanders definitely take great pride in their crab cakes, and rightfully so.  After two years of living in Maryland, David and I remain quite biased in favor of the Commonwealth of Virginia since that’s where we were born and raised.  We even tend to be a bit tough on the state of Maryland.  We do have fond memories of our first two years of marriage in Baltimore, our friends, students, favorite local spots (Nacho’s Mama’s!), and of course, crab cakes.

You probably don’t know this, but the 2006 Miss USA Pageant was actually filmed in Baltimore.  (Isn’t that exciting?)  I think David and I might have been the only people to watch the pageant at all, let alone it’s entirety.  Seeing the host, Carson Kressley (remember, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy?) prancing around Baltimore, enthusiastically shouting about all of the beautiful sights and tourist attractions was mind numbing, yet we couldn’t stop watching.  (Who knew Baltimore had so many things to see?)  While I might not be moving back to Baltimore in the near future,  to quote the 2006 Miss USA Pageant Host, Carson’s comment to co-host, Nancy O’Dell of Access Hollywood, “We’ll Always Have Baltimore.”  Yes, we’ll always have Baltimore.

Last week, Jen (a Baltimore native and avid fan of The Wire), invited David and me over for homemade crab cakes, using fresh Chesapeake Bay crab meat sent by her mom.  Since restaurant-made crab cakes contain breadcrumbs as the binder for the crab meat, I was so excited about the rare opportunity to enjoy a gluten-free crab cake, triggering Baltimore and Eastern Shore nostalgia. Jen’s family recipe calls for Saltines but she used Glutino crackers instead. Absolutely delicious. Even the gluten eaters didn’t notice a difference. I love the use of Old Bay in this recipe.  It just wouldn’t be right to not include this great seasoning spice in a Maryland crab recipe.

The Lalley’s Maryland Crab Cakes:

• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
• 3 T mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 t Old Bay seasoning
• 6 crumbled Glutino Crackers
• Fresh chopped parsley

Pick out any pieces of shell in crab cakes. (It wouldn’t be authentic if there wasn’t a little bit of shell. Mix all of ingredients together and mold into crab cakes.

Sautee cakes in butter on medium heat until slightly browned on both sides. You could alternatively broil them. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

We enjoyed our crab cakes with asparagus and a delicious salad made by Maury, the salad expert. Such a great spring meal!  We’ll always have Baltimore…

“Find the shortest, simplest way between the earth, the hands and the mouth.” – Lanza del Vasto

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) groups are a great way to get access to delicious, fresh, local produce and connect with local farms.  As the weather gets warmer, many CSAs are getting started and looking for members.  If you haven’t yet found a CSA, the Small Farms CSA runs from May 2^nd through August 15^th.  Operated by Judith Winfrey and Joe Reynolds of Love is Love Farm, they will bring your fresh produce from their farm and a few other local farms.  You receive a weekly shipment of veggies and you can also choose to add meat to your CSA from Riverview Farms.  The Small Farms CSA offers two pick up locations:

-        The Universalist Unitarian Church on Cliff Valley Sunday mornings from 10am to 12:30pm.  http://www.uuca.org

-        The East Atlanta Village Farmers Market on Thursday evenings from 4pm to 8pm.  http://www.farmeav.com

Here’s a list of items you might find in the CSA:

Arugula, Basil, Bush and Pole Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Collard Greens, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Fennel, Field Peas, Green Garlic, Heirloom Tomatoes, Leeks, Lettuce Heads, Kale, Okra, Pac Choi, Pears, Salad Greens, Salad Radishes, Spinach, Strawberries, Sweet Turnips, Sweet Onions, Sweet Peppers, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, and Watermelons.

Boxes may also include: Free range eggs, Local goat cheese, Locally milled corn grits and corn meal, Local, raw honey

And of course, everything in the CSA is naturally gluten-free!

Last fall I mentioned that the Atlanta Braves’ Turner Field was introducing a gluten-free concession stand.  Well, good news, folks!  The gluten-free treats will be returning to Turner Field for the Braves’ 2010 season.

Thanks to my friend, Jonathan, for sending this article by Tiffany James of the GF Examiner, my way.  The article gives more details about the gluten-free stand and a photo of last year’s GF stand.  The Braves’ season opens on April 6^th so head to the stadium and support Aramark’s efforts to provide gluten-free options for Braves’ sports fans.  Enjoy Redbridge Beer, as well as chicken sandwiches and hot dogs with gluten-free buns.  Let me know if you’ve tried the food at Turner Field and what you think of the various GF options.  It’s always nice to have a cold beer at a baseball game, right?   This warm weather is perfect for going to a ball game.  Anyone interested?