Many restaurants in Atlanta implement the culinary perspective of southern tradition meets fine dining.  I love this combination, particularly when a restaurant does it differently and uniquely.  On Saturday night, I got to experience quality southern food in a casual, laid back environment at Parish Foods & Goods.  Formerly an old pipe factory, Parish is located in the Inman Park/Virginia Highlands area.  The restaurant’s rustic vibe is welcoming, yet the quality of food is not compromised.  Chef Nick Melvin uses seasonal, local produce to create an ever-changing menu that pleases a variety of diners, even gluten-free customers.

Last weekend David and I went to dinner with my cousin, Margaret and her boyfriend, Chip so we decided to try Parish.  This was my first trip to Parish, but I had heard many cool things about not just the food, but also the ambiance and décor at Parish.  For those of you that remember, last Saturday’s weather was unusually freakish and weird, even compared to the last nine months in Atlanta.  Fortunately, like every other restaurant in Atlanta, Parish had valet so upon arrival, we handed off the keys and made a mad dash to the front door.  (Has anyone else noticed that valet is everywhere in Atlanta?  I mean, it’s not like parking is tough here.)

We went inside Parish and I immediately fell for the décor and the atmosphere.  The bar is warm and welcoming.  (Cue Cheers theme music.)  I can definitely see just going to Parish for a beverage and an appetizer, sitting at the bar.  The exposed brick and understated interior makes Parish feel anything but pretentious.  There was live music in the front of the restaurant and of course the ‘old person in me,’ wanted to sit far away from the solo artist and his guitar.  Unfortunately, there was a prom group occupying the back of the restaurant so we stayed near the tunes.  Good news, though!  The music didn’t bother me at all.  The tables are cozy enough that we didn’t have to shout at each other across the table and I ended up enjoying the music.  It didn’t dominate the feel of the restaurant, but provided nice background noise.

Once we were seated, the waitress was very attentive and informative about the menu.  I love the huge chalkboard that overlooks the main dining room, because it adds to Parish’s casual vibe, and provides a written reference for the specials.  It also listed the fresh vegetable side dishes which I immediately gravitated towards.  (Yum, carrots, greens, snow peas…) The chef briefed our server about the gluten-free options on the menu and I was impressed by how many items were naturally gluten-free or could easily be tweaked.  As I’ve mentioned before, appetizers can be particularly tough to find GF options, but there were many on that evening’s menu.  Some of my options included:

• Milk & Honey Salad (sans house made nougat)
• Parish Sausage Plate
• Eggs & Bacon (skip the brioche toast)
• Crab & Avacado
• New Orleans BBQ Shrimp (hold the toasted baguette)

Wow!  It made me want to come back to Parish just for the appetizer options.  I’m not used to having so many choices so I had some difficulty deciding what to order.  David and I ultimately decided to share the Crab & Avacado appetizer that included lump crab, avocado, ginger pickled beet root, and ricotta salata.  Chip and Margaret chose that appetizer too, and it was thoroughly enjoyed by both the gluten-free and glutenous eaters.  It was the perfect size for sharing but I could have eaten the whole thing by myself.

Crab & Avocado Appetizer

While we often associate southern food with “battered and deep fried”, there were many non-fried, gluten-free entrees on Parish’s menu for me.  Yes, I was momentarily envious of the ‘Big Easy Fried Chicken” platters the waiter carried past my table, but my eyes quickly moved down the menu to my other options.  Of course the buttermilk braised pork and dumplings, with spring succotash also caught my attention, but I was sure that dish wouldn’t be an option.  When the waitress told me that I could order the pork without the dumplings, I was psyched because I love braised pork shoulder.  So instead of the dumplings, they let me get my choice of one of their veggie sides.  Since the dish already came with spring succotash, I ordered the roasted carrots.

When they brought out our entrees, mine didn’t look any different than David’s who ordered the pork and dumplings, with dumplings.  Actually they looked so similar, that I was nervous at first, but upon close examination we found the dumplings in David’s and purple carrots buried underneath the tender, braised pork.  Yummy!  I loved the crunch of the carrots and peas with the tender pork.  Both a contradiction and a complement.  I could really taste the flavors of the meat and veggies because they weren’t overpowered by a thick sauce.  The two boys and I all ordered the pork and Margaret ordered the duck special that also looked amazing and most likely gluten-free.

Braised Pork (sans dumplings)

My only gluten-free criticism of our dining experience at Parish was a lack of gluten-free desserts, but honestly, by the end of the meal, I was so full, that dessert probably wasn’t an option anyways.  Maybe in the future, they’ll experiment with some southern gluten-free desserts, as their menu’s always changing.

After dinner we checked out the downstairs part of Parish.  For lunch and throughout the evening, this part of the restaurant is open, selling sandwiches, salads and lighter food.  I will have to go back to check out my gluten-free options.  They have a nice area to sit outside that would be nice when it’s not pouring rain.  Parish is also known for their brunch, giving me yet another reason to return to Parish.  Has anyone ever tried Parish’s market or their brunch?

Final Verdict: Loved the overall feel of Parish and enjoyed the food.  I will definitely be back to try out other options and see how the menu changes as we head into the summer months.  The staff understood my gluten-free needs and were very willing to accommodate me.  Worth the trip (and a return trip)!

Parish Food & Goods – 240 North Highland Ave – Atlanta, GA 30307 – 404.681.4434

Recently, David and I wanted to enjoy the spring weather so we decided to head to Decatur, wander around, and get a drink.  We had no plans of dining out, thinking that we would just eat a later dinner when we got home.

We stopped at the Iberian Pig, a relatively new restaurant in Decatur, and grabbed a seat at the bar.  This modern, Spanish restaurant offers many options on its menu, including cured meats, cheeses, small plates as well as entrees.  We placed ourselves directly in front of a fancy meat slicer that managed to grab our attention.  The bartenders were very attentive, and the vibe at the bar was professional, yet quirky.  All bartenders wear white button downs, black vests and ties, yet I think it’s a requirement that you must also have multiple tattoos and piercings to work at the bar.  I ordered a glass of Pinot from their relatively large wine selection.  David decided to try an Old Fashioned, in honor of Don Draper from our new favorite show, ‘Mad Men.’  (Well, it’s tied for first with ‘The Wire.’)  After sitting at the bar for a few minutes, we knew we liked the Iberian Pig simply because of the atmosphere and the Old Fashioned made by the bartender.  Who knew an Old Fashioned comes with one huge ice cube?

Of course I took a look at the menu even though food wasn’t part of the plan.  I immediately saw the “BWDs,” bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Manchego cheese and walnuts.  Wow.  Sounded potentially gluten-free, so figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.  The bartender said Iberian Pig actually was making a GF menu so he called over the owner, Frederico Castellucci.  He was very eager to serve us and went through some of our options with us while another waitress brought us the gluten-free menu.

Much to my happiness, the BWDs are naturally gluten-free so we placed an order.  These bites of tastiness were a perfect treat.  As you know, I love the dates and cheese combination, and bacon makes everything taste better, right?

BWDs...Amazing

We also ordered the Patatas al Valdeon, crunchy potatoes with an aioli sauce.  They blanch, bake and then fry the potatoes but they use a fryer that doesn’t fry breaded items.  (I would still double check with your waiter when you go because they could change fryers.)  These crunchy morsels of goodness were amazing and for once, I actually felt like I could eat ‘bar food.’  No salads or sauteed vegetables for this girl!  The sauce went perfectly with the potatoes but didn’t sog them up too much.  David generously let me enjoy way more than half my share.

Patatas

While I didn’t end up ordering an entrée because the tapas plates were plenty for me, there were multiple items that caught my eye on the gluten-free menu.  That just means I’ll have to go back.  Here are some of the other things I like about Iberian Pig that have nothing to do with gluten:

• The menu lists where they get all of their meat from so you know what you’re ordering.
• It’s busy on a Friday night but you can still hear the person sitting next to you.
• Good people watching
• We got great attention for the servers, bartender, and even the owner.
• The cool meat slicer is fascinating.

It was such a great surprise to stumble upon a restaurant that was eager to accommodate and even had a prepared gluten-free menu.  Celiac makes me have to be such a planner, so it’s always a relief when I can just happen upon a meal, and not have to think about what I’m doing or where I’m going far in advance.  The Iberian Pig is definitely worth the trip to Decatur, even just for cocktails and appetizers.  They have outside seating as well so enjoy a nice spring evening on their patio.  I think I prefer the bar though.

The Iberian Pig – 121 Sycamore St – Decatur, GA 30030 – (404) 371-8800

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

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.”

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, including my wonderful San Diego trip.  Our last full day in Coronado was amazingly sunny and relaxing.  In our usual fashion, we spent at the pool and the spa.  Such a rough life, I know.  Brittanny and I even splurged and got wonderful massages at Loew’s.  After our hour-long massages, we headed back to the pool for a late lunch and an afternoon in the sun.  We ordered take out from The Market at Loew’s and I enjoyed a delicious cobb salad with balsamic vinaigrette, instead of ranch.  (Clearly, we didn’t want to miss any precious sun time.)  While we waited for our orders, the chef even came out and spoke with me to double check what I could and could not eat.  They were amazingly attentive considering that we were just ordering take out in the midst of their crazy and huge Sunday brunch.   Since I didn’t get blue cheese on my cobb salad, they doubled the amount of avocado on mine.  Yummy!

For our last dinner in San Diego, Brittanny and I went to the Hotel del Coronado, in the town of Coronado Bay.  Built in 1888, this historic hotel looks Victorian and opens up onto the water.  Because of daylight savings, we got to watch a beautiful sunset at the hotel while we enjoyed cocktails at the Babcock & Story Bar with a great view of the water.  For dinner we chose to eat at the more casual, Sheerwater Restaurant, as opposed to 1500 Ocean, Hotel del Coronado’s fine dining establishment.  I must clarify that Sheerwater is not a sports bar or a Chili’s by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact the entrees are quite fancy and not cheap.  Sheerwater’s decor is a bit more casual and beachy than the rest of the stunning and dramatic hotel.  We even sat outside, under heat lamps.  (San Diego restaurants and bars are all about the heat lamps.)  Sheerwater’s menu reminded me of a steakhouse, with an array of meat and seafood options with sides that can be ordered in addition.  All entrees come with a delicious, and flavorful, array of mixed veggies, including cauliflower, broccoli and baby carrots.

As I enjoyed seafood the previous night at Osetra, I decided to go the ‘meat route’ at Sheerwater.  I ordered California Rack of Lamb and Braised Shank with Natural jus.  Yes, the rack and shank of the lamb both came as a part of my entrée.  My meat was so tender and the natural jus added a nice sauce that complimented the flavor of the meat well without overpowering the protein.  Brittanny and I decided to share a side of the Yukon gold mashed potatoes.  I consider myself to be something of an expert on mashed potatoes and Sheerwater’s might have been the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten.  Creamy and buttery, but not bland.  The perfect amount of salt gave these mashed potatoes great flavor and using Yukon golds added a nice dimension to the flavor and texture components.  I could have gotten two orders of the potatoes for dinner and been totally happy.

The view of the water from Hotel del Coronado

The next day Brittanny and I awoke early and took advantage of a few hours of morning sunshine before going to the airport to head back east.  A great vacation full of delicious restaurants, beautiful weather, sight seeing, massages and reading time.  It didn’t even bother me that I missed most of the ACC Tournament games.  I’ll take sunny San Diego any day.

Wow!  An entire vacation without getting sick.  In fact, I was out of town for a total of 17 days during the last month and didn’t get sick or contamination once!  Amazing.  Traveling always comes with a side of anxiety for those of us with celiac.  Dining out and eating in the homes of others makes me vulnerable and nervous.  I don’t get as much anxiety as I used to, but I must admit that I was a little on edge about being away from my kitchen for over half the month.  Thanks to great friends, family and overly accommodating restaurants, I stayed gluten-safe and feeling healthy.  I still traveled with snacks, packed my own lunches when flying, and ate lots of M&Ms, but overall, I felt very well taken care of throughout my marathon travel.  Being away is fun but it’s time to be back in my own kitchen, cooking and creating dishes to share with David and friends.

After a day at the San Diego Zoo, on Saturday night, Brittanny and I headed downtown for the evening.  We went to the Beach Bar at The W Hotel, decorated with heated sand, huge TV screens, and private cabanas you can rent.  Apparently it’s quite the hot spot and Adrian Grenier, the actor who plays Vincent Chase on Entourage was even going to be there later that night.  After a drink and some delicious edamame, we moved on to the Gaslamp Quarter, a historic district with lots of restaurants and bars.  Our dinner reservations were at Osetra Water Grill (formerly the Fish House) and the ambiance inside the restaurant was very cool.  Osetra has really high ceilings surrounding the bar and they store all of their wine in a “three-story wine tower” that extends up to the ceiling.  The bartenders get harnessed in and are basically suspended in air when they need to retrieve a bottle of wine.  (I feel like there was a photo shoot once on America’s Next Top Model with a similar theme.  Am I right?)

The Beach Bar at The W Hotel

Osetra was not very crowded so we got good attention and our waiter served us pretty quickly, maybe too quickly.  Our waiter made it clear from the beginning that I would not be able to have any of the sauces because they thicken them with flour.  I’m ok with that, but I don’t really understand why some restaurants still feel the need to thicken all of their sauces with flour.  There are so many good alternatives to a roux and a floured-sauce.  In my culinary opinion, flourless sauces have better flavors and show off a higher level of cooking.  Anyways, I’ll step down from my soap box now because I can’t complain too much about the meal, since it was still quite tasty, even without a sauce.  For a first course, I ordered the organic greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette.  A nice, simple salad but nothing fancy.  For my main course, I ordered the pan seared salmon (sans chive buerre blanc) with sautéed spinach and herb-roasted fingerling potatoes. The chef cooked the salmon perfectly and the spinach and potatoes complemented the salmon well.

Osetra's Bar & Wine Tower

If you’re looking for a nice seafood restaurant (with items on the menu for meat eaters as well) in the Gaslamp District, I would definitely recommend Osetra.  The menu was pretty predictable, but both of our dishes were well made and flavorful.  The service was good and they kept me gluten-free.

After dinner we went across the street to the wine bar, Vin de Syrah, for a drink.  This bar was so cool for many reasons.  I won’t give away all of their secrets but it very much has an Alice in Wonderland theme going on.  You enter on the ground level and go down a stair case to enter the actual bar.  Once you get downstairs, you enter another room to get into the bar.  Let’s just say the entrance is difficult to find, and leads to a little embarrassment once discovered.  The décor inside is full of upside down umbrellas large fake flowers and other trippy decorations.  As I’m reading what I’ve written, this description makes Vin de Syrah sound cheesy, but I promise, on the inside it does not feel like you’re at Disney Land. This ‘parlor’ as its name describes it, gives off a distinctly unique vibe, while remaining classy.

A Look at Vin de Syrah: This photo doesn't do it justice!

Vin de Syrah has a plethora of fun drinks and a great wine selection.  We each enjoyed a drink, did some great people watching and headed back to Coronado Bay.  If you’re staying in Coronado Bay, it’s definitely worth spending at least one night down town in Gaslamp, as it’s an entirely different feel, and the average age drops by about 30 years when you migrate downtown.

Despite cloudier weather, our second day in San Diego was still filled with good food and even some activity that went beyond lying by the pool.  After a delicious Friday night dinner that kept me safe from gluten, I woke up bright and early Saturday morning, due to A) my inability to sleep in, ever and B) the fact that the west coast is three hours behind my east coast brain.  I will say Coronado Bay is quite lovely at 5:30 in the morning and I had the opportunity to enjoy it wandering outside.  By 7, Brittanny was ready for the day too so we enjoyed some coffee and fruit at The Market at Loews, while reading the less than impressive local paper.

Saturday was not going to be optimal tanning weather, so we decided to be touristy and check out the San Diego Zoo instead of tanning and reading, my preferred vacation activities.  Many people recommended that we check out the SD Zoo and I must say, it lived up to expectations, and the $37 (!!) price of admission.  (We DC folks are spoiled by all of the free museums we have so the ticket cost caused a bit of sticker shock for me.)

After deciding to venture to the zoo, we then chose our mode of transportation.  Being that our hotel was in Coronado, cab rides getting into the city are pretty pricey and since Britt used to work for the American Bus Association, it only seemed fitting to take advantage of the public bus system.  We were quite successful in navigating the city via bus.  It took a little longer than a direct cab ride but our wallets thanked us.

Our bus route required us to switch buses so we stopped at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to get a coffee.  Apparently Coffee Bean is a very trendy spot for Hollywood celebs, but we didn’t see any at 9am on a Saturday morning.  I, of course being less than trendy, had never heard of Coffee Bean but loved the coffee. and Britt’s smoothie looked great.  I’ve since learned from the website, Gluten Free in SD, that all of Coffee Bean’s, “Coffees and Teas are Gluten Free. Our Special Dutch Chocolate Powder, and our French Deluxe Vanilla Powder are both Gluten Free, so any drinks made with these powders are gluten free as well. Our Caramel sauce is also gluten free.  My guess is that their smoothies are probably GF too, but I’m not sure.

Once we arrived at the zoo, Britt and I took advantage of all of the perks that came with our ticket, including the guided bus tour and tram ride over the park.  Call me a tourist, but I loved getting to see the zoo and the amazing number and variety of animals.  My favorite zoo residents were definitely the meerkats.  They even had little baby meerkats.  Isn’t it amazing how the zoo can make you feel like a kid again?  Other highlights included the giraffes, sea otters, and reptile house.  The koalas were not that exciting since they sleep 22 hours out of the day, but still very cute asleep in the trees.

After a busy morning, it was time for lunch so we wandered around Balboa Park, the area surrounding the zoo, and decided to eat at The Prado.  For those of you who know me, I’m always thinking about my next meal.  So after our early breakfast we investigated potential lunch possibilities in the zoo vicinity since I knew I wouldn’t be able to just grab a hot dog at the zoo.  The Prado is part of the Cohn Restaurant group, and their menu looked awesome, full of lots of fresh, potentially gf choices.  We sat outside and even though it was a little cloudy, the cool air was perfect.

Our extremely helpful waitress  went back to the kitchen multiple times to check with the chef about my gluten-free options.  I decided to go with the “Prado Pressed Salad,” a beautiful array of baby arugula, shaved asiago cheese, strawberries, figs, and candied walnuts with a sherry shallot vinaigrette.  I couldn’t get the candied walnuts because they sprinkle them with flour, but the salad was still yummy. It was a tough call between the salad and the naturally GF fish tacos, but since I’d eaten Mexican the night before, I went with the pressed salad (And I’m a sucker for figs and arugula!)With the guidance of our server, I got grilled shrimp on top of my salad and the combination provided a refreshing and flavorful meal.  Delicious! After enjoying an outdoor lunch, we began our trek back to the hotel via the bus.  While not the most time efficient, we minimized our carbon footprint and our spending.  We returned to Loew’s with enough time to catch up on the college basketball scores for the day, and get ready for our evening in downtown San Diego.

Our bus stop near the hotel. Even though we had to wait awhile, you can't complain about the view!

Ahh, it’s a rough life.  I am one lucky girl.  In the last two weeks I’ve been in Naples, Florida and San Diego, California.  Both places provided a great escape from cold, rainy Atlanta.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Atlanta, but it was time to have a little distance from the Peach State.

Yes, in the same week, I got to see beautiful sunsets in Florida and California.

After five days in Naples, I flew briefly back to Atlanta on Wednesday night.  Enough time to celebrate my birthday (28…AAH!) with David, do laundry and repack.  Bright and early Friday morning, I set out for sunny San Diego to meet up with my high school roommate/best friend/maid of honor/personal fashion consultant, Brittanny.  David and Brittanny planned this girls’ weekend back in the fall and it was a perfect treat for my birthday weekend.

I had never been to San Diego before so I was a little nervous about the food situation, but I figured people on the west coast have a good grasp on healthy eating so I was hopeful that we would find places that understood all things gluten.  During my Naples trip, I had been spoiled because Jen and I had access to a full kitchen so most of our meals were made by us.  In San Diego I would not have that luxury, making my gluten-anxiety levels rise.

If there’s one thing Brittanny and I love to do, it’s lay out.  Yes, I know it’s bad for me, but I love getting tan.  Fortunately we stayed on Coronado Bay at the Loew’s Beach Resort so we had ample sun time in a beautiful setting.  We spent a lot of quality time at the pool, reading and soaking up rays, but we also did some touristy things, including the San Diego Zoo.  Even though the Loews is about 20 minutes from downtown San Diego, I would definitely recommend this hotel if you enjoy relaxing and not being too active on your vacation. If you’re looking for more action, I would recommend staying downtown at the W, where we went for drinks one night at their swanky rooftop ‘beach bar,’ complete with fire pits and heated sand.

Brittanny and I arrived in San Diego in the early afternoon on Friday and immediately checked into our room, ordered a tasty adult beverage and went to the pool.  Isn’t vacation wonderful?  After a relaxing afternoon we headed into the town of Coronado Bay for the evening.  We ordered a drink at Tent City, a cute wine bar downtown.  It was so great to be able to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine.  I can definitely see how people who move to the west coast never come back!

After a leisurely drink we went to Miguel’s, a Mexican restaurant in Coronado Bay for dinner.  Brittanny called ahead to inquire about gluten-free food and sure enough, they were willing to accommodate me.  I was a little nervous because the restaurant was super busy on a Friday night and our waiter can most nicely be described as flaky.  He giggled a lot…very weird.  The hostess was confident that I could be helped and once I spoke with the manager, I felt at ease about safely ordering.  The folks at Miguel’s understood contamination and the manager made clear to me that they would cook my meal on a separate and cleaned surface.  Sadly, I could not eat the chips and salsa but they brought me a cheese quesadilla on corn tortillas as an appetizer with my own salsa.

For my entrée I ordered the chicken and steak fajitas, with corn tortillas, that they grilled specially for me.  The manager even brought mine out separately from the rest of our food, taking care to make sure I received the correct dish.  Britt ordered fajitas too and mine definitely looked different from hers.  This visual distinction is always a comfort for me because I know they restaurant has taken care to ensure my safety.  My meal came with black beans instead of refried beans.  (I prefer black beans anyways.)  The Miguel’s folks did not give me rice, and I’m not sure if this omission was because they add flour to their rice or if they thought rice contained gluten.  (Clarification: plain rice does not contain gluten.)  I didn’t think to ask.  The fajitas came with yummy grilled vegetables, including mushrooms, onions and peppers.  My meal was delicious and it sufficiently accommodated my craving for Mexican.

Miguel’s was a great start to our San Diego weekend, filled with delicious food, gorgeous weather and rest.  I did not get contamination the entire weekend, which is such a relief and allowed me to fully enjoy the trip.  Stay tuned for more details about the great places we ate in San Diego.

Last Monday night David and I went to 5 Seasons Brewing Company, Westside location, to sample their new gluten-free beer.  While I generally prefer wine, it’s so great that a restaurant is serving a house-brewed GF beer.  First, I must provide the disclaimer that I don’t know anything about beer tasting, but this particular beer brought back memories of Blue Moon beer for me, as it’s lighter and more of a citrus flavor.  Crawford Moran, the beer guy at 5 Seasons, told me that he made this GF beer from sorghum and roasted buckwheat.  He used gluten-free yeast and Cascade hops (whatever that is).  Crawford described it as a very hoppy gluten-free beer.  While I’m not a beer expert, I do know that to be a gluten-free diner and be able to purchase an alcoholic beverage under $5 is a rarity and a treat for my wallet.  Wine tends to hike up the check when going out to dinner!  I’m already looking forward to watching March Madness at 5 Seasons, while enjoying a cold, g-f beer and a slice of pizza.  Check out  their GF pizza with andouille pork, sausage, asparagus, onions and tomatoes below.  Yum.

As I mentioned last week, all of the specials on Monday nights at 5 Seasons are gluten-free, even their pizza special.  They use a housemade pizza crust and 5 Season’s topping selection is always unique.  This Monday’s special pizza was ‘Roasted duck, eggplant puree, spinach, red onions, cashews and tomato.’  Yum!  I wasn’t in the mood for pizza this week since I’d just made pizza (pear, goat cheese, and sautéed onions…yum!) at my friend, Jen’s, on Friday night.  I ordered the Braised Red Angus Beef ‘Little Plate’ (with carrot salsa and cheddar grits) and a side of brussel sprouts.  Delicious and plenty of food for me.  I just can’t seem to get enough Brussels sprouts this year.  Other items on the ‘specials’ menu that looked yummy were the Duck Tostada and GA Pork Loin with organic greens, caramelized apples and smoked tomatoes.  The daily vegetable plate is always a personal favorite for me.

5 Seasons gluten-free beer is officially on tap, but does not yet have a name.  Can you think of a catchy/thoughtful/clever label for this brand new brew?  Post a comment with your thoughts.

I just received the following email from Crawford Moran, the beer guy at 5 Seasons Brewery.  I’m looking forward to trying out their new gluten-free beer and one of their GF daily specials on Monday night.  I love their vegetable plate!

Betsy,
I just wanted to follow up with you and let you know the gluten free beer is finished! We just installed a new draft line to handle it. We’ll be tapping the first keg of it Monday. And we’ll be serving it at both 5 Seasons North in Alpharetta and 5 Seasons Westside in Midtown West.

Thanks so much,

Crawford Moran
5 Seasons