It’s a beautiful week in Atlanta, which means it’s time for fun, outdoor activities.  It’s Thursday so that means I can start thinking about the weekend.  (You know how much I love Thursdays.)

My parents are coming to town tomorrow to see my lacrosse team play and spend the weekend with David and me.  On Friday night, we’re going to dinner at Dogwood Restaurant, in Midtown.  I recently discovered this yummy restaurant at a work event for David.  Their grits are amazing and the wait staff were very accommodating of my dietary needs.  The grits are incredible.  Of course I ordered the short rib.

Tulips at the Botanical Garden

On Saturday morning, Mom and I plan on checking out the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to see what’s blooming right now.  She and I went last fall but I’m sure the gardens will look completely different.  I’m hoping the tulips are still out!  If we’re really up and at ‘em on Saturday I hope to stop by the Peachtree Farmers’ Market to get veggies for a fresh, Georgia grown dinner on Saturday night.

It wouldn’t be spring without the kick off of baseball season, so on Sunday afternoon we’re going to the Braves game.  Sure, I’m not the biggest baseball fan but I love the Braves’ gluten-free concession stand AND the Avett Brothers are performing a free concert after the game!

I don’t think I could take advantage of my Georgia residence any more this weekend.  Well, there is the Masters.  Sorry, David…maybe next year.

This weekend, David and I enjoyed the most amazing meal at Bacchanalia, with two of our friends, who are a big part of the reason we fell in love with Atlanta.  It was a perfect way to celebrate their friendship, and the fact that we are in ATL for good, as well as an excuse to spend an evening together.

I didn’t take any pictures of the meal because well, it just didn’t seem like the right place to be snapping photos, but I really wish I had.  Every dish was so beautiful you don’t want to eat it, yet so delicious that you savor every last bite.

For those of you that don’t know, Bacchanalia is owned by Anne Quatrano, who also owns Floataway Café, Abbattoir, and Star Provisions.  This restaurant is a special occasion splurge, a very special treat.  For $75,  you get a beautiful 4-course dinner, with multiple special treats between courses.  While $75 is a lot of money, for us DC folks, it’s a steal!

Many people have written about Bacchanalia, and we all agree that the food is divine.  I could talk your ear off about my grilled octopus with green curry appetizer or my lamb with spring pesto, followed by a cheese course with plum preserves, or the peanut butter ice cream with caramelized bananas, but I would just make you jealous…really jealous

I will tell you about how Bacchanalia created an especially wonderful for me.  When I made the reservations, they carefully noted that I have celiac and can’t eat gluten.  Normally, even when you tell a restaurant, you still need to remind them when you arrive.  At Bacchanalia, I literally didn’t have to ask a single question the entire meal.  I think every person employed by Bacchanalia knew about my dietary restrictions.  Upon being seated, they removed my bread plate and took care of me every step of the three hour meal.  Since I couldn’t enjoy the cheese biscuits with my dinner companions, the chef gave me a beet salad with micro greens amuse bouche, which was a perfectly refreshing way to start the meal.  (Who needs cheese biscuits anyway?)

One of my favorite treats of the evening was the pre-dessert Panna cotta.  Everyone else’s came with granola on top, but for mine they garnished it with puffed rice.  Pretty awesome.  I had no idea I was a fan of panna cotta but it was delicious, creamy and sweet.

At the end of this amazing meal, even though I’d been eating for the last three hours, I felt completely refreshed, free of bloating, stomach pain or any signs of contamination.  With a 4-course meal and added surprises along the way, there are many variables and chances for a mess up, but not a single mistake was made at Bacchanalia.  I confidently slurped every soup, ate every bite, and devoured each course, without any concern.  (When the server put the peanut butter ice cream and caramelized bananas in front of me, I momentarily panicked at the graham cracker looking, crumbly bits on the plate.  He quickly, and very pleasantly, assured me that it was just crumbled peanuts.)

If you’re looking for a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, Bacchanalia is the place.  Particularly for those of us with special dietary needs, the chefs and servers will make sure that you have just as wonderful of a dining experience as your gluten-eating, dairy-loving, date.  When you make your reservations, let them know your needs, and they will be happy to serve you.

Have you ever dined at Bacchanalia?  What was your favorite part of the meal?  Highlights?

Check out this article by Melissa Ruggieri in last week’s Atlanta Journal Constitution, “More Options for those eating gluten-free.”  The article highlights the Gluten-Free Examiner’s Jennifer Harris as well as other locals making it easier for Atlantans to enjoy the gluten-free life.  The article discusses baking mixes and restaurants that offer diners gluten-free options.

The Brickery, in Sandy Springs, is mentioned for launching a gluten-free menu recently that includes crab cakes, French fries, and even sweet potato soufflé.  I can’t wait to make a visit!  Have you tried it yet?  Have you made any recent Atlanta gluten-free discoveries?

David and I love Indian food.  We really love Indian food.  Until recently, we had not yet found a good Indian restaurant in Atlanta that I confidently felt could ensure a safely gluten-free meal for me.  Much Indian food should be naturally GF, as it’s centered around rice and yummy (flour-free) sauces but sometimes there can be a language barrier, which can make it difficult to be completely clear on what’s gluten-free and what’s not.

Upon recommendations from friends, David and I decided to try out Bhojanic, a Decatur Indian restaurant, for our belated Valentine’s date.  I emailed with the manager earlier in the week and they assured me that many of their items are gluten-free.  Bhojanic is located in a strip mall on Claremont Road (just off of I-85), not downtown Decatur.  It’s very easy to get to and parking is hassle free, unlike downtown Decatur.

When we arrived at Bhojanic, we were immediately seated and of course started salivating at the menu.  There were so many items on the menu, which made me feel confident that there would be something I could enjoy.  It was actually a bit overwhelming to know where to start with the menu, but our waiter was very patient and took the time to explain many of the dishes to us.  (David and I both ask lots of questions!)

In talking to our waiter, he was a bit overly confident that certain things were gluten-free.  For example, he assured us the cornbread was gluten-free, but we had him double check and it turns out that they do dust the bread in flour.  This was a good reminder to me that it’s always worth it to really make sure your waiter verify ingredients with the kitchen.  Even though I didn’t want to be pushy, I also didn’t want to ruin our Valentine’s date.  David is my biggest advocate when it comes to dining out, so he’s always willing to ask, if I’m not feeling as assertive as I need to be.  (Thank you, Valentine.)

We ended up ordering a handful of different items on the menu, but our meal centered around Chicken Tikka Masala, which is hands down my favorite Indian dish.  At each restaurant, tikka masala is a little different, so you never know exactly what you’re going to get, but it’s a tomato based sauce that is delicious, and varying in spice levels.  At bhojanic, you can order different sizes of this dish but David and I wanted enough for two (and leftovers) so we got the bigger serving.  We also ordered a rice bowl to share with our tikka masala.  The tikka masala had a bit of a kick to it, and was one of the best we’ve ever eaten and the leftovers the next day were equally as delicious.

Chicken Tikka Masala...so good.

Everything we ordered at bhojanic was gluten-free so  we could share all of our dishes.  It’s so much more fun when you can happily stick your fork in your date’s food and take a bite, without worry.  At this point, I don’t fully remember what we ordered (apologies!) but it was all delicious.  We enjoyed a chickpea side dish, a tapas dish that involved shrimp, and a cheese appetizer.  Bhojanic has a long list of specials each night so the menu online is not comprehensive and most of the items we ordered aren’t even on it.  Hence, I can’t tell you exactly what we ate, but you can see the photos.

Shrimp tapas

Yummy cheese dish: Beware, those are jalepenos, not okra, like I originally thought.

I would definitely recommend bhojanic, but you want to make sure to check with your server or the manager about each specific dish.  Also, they do not use a separate fryer so I would avoid anything fried.  A successful Valtentine’s date night and David’s already advocating that we go back!  Next time, I’ll remember what I ate.

bhojanic – 1363 Clairmont Road, Decatur,GA 30033
404.633.9233

Last week, Café Jonah & the Magical Attic officially opened its doors.  Right now this unique coffee shop (owned by Souper Jenny) is serving an assortment of Sally’s Bakery gluten-free muffins, including banana chocolate chip, double chocolate chip, and almond carrot walnut muffins, which are all dairy and egg free too.  The Almond carrot walnut muffins are also soy free.  Yes, please.

Check out how cool Cafe Jonah looks inside…

Inside Cafe Jonah

So, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, head to Café Jonah & the Magical Attic for a latte and a gluten-free muffin.  Sounds like the perfect Saturday morning to me.

I'm envisioning myself in that chair, coffee in one hand, book in the other.

Well-known Atlanta restaurant, Canoe, is a place that I have gone multiple times for lunch and dinner, but I haven’t yet gotten around to writing about it.  I was reminded of my negligence last weekend when I went to Canoe with David for a work dinner and easily made selections on their menu that could be tweaked to be gluten-free.

Canoe is properly named, as it is located right on the bank of the Chattahoochee River, and was completely flooded during the fall of 2009.  The atmosphere is calm, yet swanky and it’s not so loud that you can’t talk to your dinner companions.  While you won’t feel like you’re in the middle of the trendiest scene in Atlanta,  you will enjoy delicious food and good atmosphere.

Canoe’s menu is expansive and doesn’t change often, so you know what you’re walking into.  Many fancy restaurants have minimal items on their menu, which can be tricky for those of us that are already limited in our options.  When inquiring with my server at Canoe, they have always said, pick what you want, and we’ll try to make it work.  I love that attitude!

My favorite items on Canoe’s menu include their Warm Artisan Cheese Salad with bacon, spinach, and dried cranberries.  This starter definitely fits my love for sweet and salty dishes.  The warmed cheese perfectly combines with the other items on the plate.  Bacon, cranberries, cheese and pecans = YUM.

For entrees, I love their sage roasted pheasant (without the crispy pheasant croquette).  The pureed sweet potatoes that accompany this dish are delicious, and bring out the sweeter side of the sweet potato.  (I consider myself to be a bit of a sweet potato snob and I love them!)  The pheasant’s crispy, salty skin and tender meat are a great combination when mixed with the sweet potatoes or eaten separately.  I’ve also enjoyed the salmon with spaghetti squash and spinach, for a healthier dish.  Both of these entrees are light, yet filling.  You don’t leave dinner feeling like you’ve overdone your evening out.

I definitely recommend checking out Canoe if you’re looking for a nice meal in Buckhead. There’s something on the menu for everyone and you won’t be disappointed!

Have you been to Canoe?  What are your favorite dishes?

Canoe Restaurant – 4199 Paces Ferry Road, NW – Atlanta, Georgia 30339 – 770.432.2663

*Reservations can be made at Open Table

Jennifer Levinson, owner of Souper Jenny, is opening a new restaurant, Café Jonah and the Magical Attic, in February.  Levinson envisions this new restaurant to be a gathering place and coffee shop, inspired by old-fashioned European cafes.  Open for breakfast and lunch, Café Jonah will offer daily frittatas, sandwiches and salads.  The frittatas and most of the salad options will be gluten-free.  Most excitingly, Café Jonah will be selling freshly baked, gluten-free goodies from Sally’s Bakery, featuring Sally’s muffins.  Café Jonah won’t be offering gluten-free sandwiches on the menu at first, but hopefully eventually.  Check out this article in the AJC to learn more about Café Jonah and the inspiration behind the concept.

Stay tuned for more information about the opening date!

Café Jonah and the Magical Attic – 3188 Paces Ferry Place, Atlanta GA

Moe’s just released a new menu, with clear ingredient and allergen information.  Unfortunately, they don’t offer corn tortillas, but their bowls look yummy.  Corn chips aren’t gf but you could always bring your own.  (Just don’t share your salsa or guac with the rest of the table!)  All of the meats are GF, as well as beans and rice, and lots of toppings.  Click here for more information about their new menu and clarification on gluten-free items.  Always make sure to ask servers to change their gloves when making your dish.

Moe’s is a great place to go for a quick and easy dinner.  Have you tried Moe’s new menu?  What are some of the highlights?  Did employees seem knowledgeable?  Never hesitate to ask to talk to the manager for clarification!  Better safe than sorry.

Thankfully, I stayed healthy the entire time I was in Japan.  Pretty impressive for my first trip outside of North America since my diagnosis.  My sister-in-law, Alden went to great lengths to make sure that I had plenty of food options in their home (rice cakes, peanut butter, Chex, M&M’s) and she even researched dining options out.

At work in the kitchen.

There is something a little sad about no longer being able to be a culinary adventurer when I travel.  I miss being able to say “Sure, why not?” when something is put down in front of me.  Now there is lots of research to be done, questions to be asked, and restraint to be used.  I have never been tempted to eat gluten or break my diet.  I remember how miserable I was when during the height of my illness so no piece of pizza or cookie is worth purposefully feeling crummy.  In Japan, I was pitifully unadventurous in my cuisine, when dining out.  For the most part, I stuck with cucumber rolls, pickled plum and shrimp sushi, with my GF soy sauce.  Nothing fancy but still yummy and at least felt a little “Japanesey”.

Just because I couldn’t partake in all of the sampling fun, didn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy watching every plate go by me on the sushi conveyor belt at a restaurant.  And one of the highlights of the trip for me was going to a department store in Tokyo and taking in all of the sights in their version of a ‘food court.’  Did I know what anything was?  Nope.  Were any ingredients listed?  None in English.  Could I try it?  No.  But that’s ok.  Glass case, after glass case, full of beautiful dishes was still a sight worth seeing.

Just a taste of a Tokyo department store food cart. No Sbarro here.

At home we ate delicious “ovenless” meals, and one night we even made our own version of ramen, using rice noodles that Alden thoughtfully purchased.  We followed Gluten Free Girl’s recipe for Spontaneous Pork Ramen.  We made a few changes, but for the most part stuck to the original recipe.  It was yummy!  I was particularly proud of myself because I navigated the Hayama grocery store, solo, to pick up some of the ingredients for the dinner.  You should have seen me trying to identify pork and bok choy with no English for guidance.

We spent our last two days of the trip in Tokyo, and on our final night, we went out to an amazing dinner at Nobu.  That name might sound familiar to you because this high end restaurant has locations in New York, San Diego, Dallas and other cities.  I brought my card that explained celiac/gluten in Japanese and the folks at Nobu were very receptive.  (They even made a photo copy of the card and brought me back my original copy!)

Nobu

At Nobu, we shared some veggie rolls and for my entrée, I ordered the salmon, which was delicious, and one of the most perfectly cooked pieces of meat I’ve ever eaten.  The dish came with a mango salsa rice and the flavors complimented the salmon perfectly and uniquely.  The staff was so attentive, clearly explaining everything to me, my options and what substitutions they would make.

For dessert, we shared the trio of crème brulees: green tea, brown sugar, and black sesame.  The crowd favorites were brown sugar and black sesame.  Green tea seemed a little too much like spinach.  (Side note: green tea is a very popular flavor in Japan.  Hagen-Daas even makes a green tea ice cream.)

Our dinner at Nobu was the perfect finale to our Japan trip.  A beautiful, delicious meal that kept me healthy.  Success!  While I left Japan without trying many of their staples, I boarded the flight back to the States with a full, and healthy, belly.  You can’t ask for more than that!

My friend, Guru, passed along this article, telling us that Subway restaurants in Dallas, TX are testing two gluten-free items, sandwich bread and brownies.  Their gluten-free items will be pre-packaged and employees will be trained to cut the GF bread with a pre-wrapped knife to prevent contamination.  The same sandwich guy will make the gluten-free sandwich from start to finish.

Sounds like the folks at Subway know their stuff and are working hard to truly make safe gluten-free meals.

Now if Jared gets diagnosed with Celiac, he can still partake in his Subway diet.

Let me know if you’re in the Dallas area and sample a gluten-free sandwich.  Also, according to this article, a restaurant trend of 2011 is creating menus that accommodate gluten-free diners.  A good trend, as long as restaurants are fully investigating ingredients and making sure their dishes are really gluten-free.

Have you heard of any other restaurants that are trying new gluten-free menu items?