Normally, when I travel, my anxiety levels rise, as I’m far away from the restaurants I love and the safety of my own kitchen.  While we were out west, however, I didn’t find myself worrying about food.  Everywhere we went in Wyoming and Montana, people knew about gluten and were willing to accommodate me if they didn’t already have their gluten-free items listed on the menu.  We also didn’t feel limited to only eating at really nice restaurants, as there were plenty of more casual restaurants that had a wide range of options for me.  Particularly in Jackson Hole, I don’t even feel like we began to tap into the dining world, but we did get a great sampling of the yummy (and gluten-free) flavors Jackson Hole has to offer.

On our first afternoon in Jackson, we took a stroll around the downtown.  I spotted the Lotus Cafe immediately and was hopeful that there would be options for me at this quirky spot.  Fortunately, my hunch was right.  Serving everything from Pad Thai to burgers to Indian food, Lotus’ huge menu indicates every item that can be made gluten-free. Basically everything on their menu can be ordered gluten-free, and I really mean everything.  (Their website indicates 99% of the menu can be made GF.)

Many GF treats greeted me in the glass case!

After enjoying drinks at Spring Creek with my friend Beanie, (and attempting to adjust to the altitude) we returned to Lotus for our first dinner in Jackson.  I was immediately overwhelmed by the plethora of options…what a rare treat!

One of my favorite menu items was the gluten-free samosas with spiced peas and potatoes.  This dish, which is basically a large breaded dumpling, is always a no-no for me.  At Lotus, however, they use a combination of brown and white rice flour in their samosa recipe.  Delicious!  The sauce accompanying the dish is amazing too.

GF Veggie Samasos

For our entrees, David and I decided to share, since I could actually know for sure that his meal was gluten-free too.  He ordered the chicken tikka masala (one of our family favorites) and I went with the ‘Fiesta Bowl’ with bison.  The fiesta bowl consisted of a mix of bison, cheese, lettuce, corn chips, lentils and other yummy goodness.  I always like to combine everything on my plate so this dish was perfect for me.  The tikka masala also received positive reviews from both of us and I loved getting to reach across the table and grab a bite off David’s plate and not worry about contamination, gluten, etc.  It’s the simple pleasures in life, right?

Fiesta Bowl with Bison

Chicken Tikka Masala

What a meal!  Oh, and the best part is that Lotus also serves breakfast and lunch.  All of their sandwiches can be prepared on their homemade gluten-free bread.  The whole time I ate my dinner I was planning when we could return to try their other food!  Unfortunately we never got back to Lotus for lunch but we did go for coffee and breakfast a couple of times.

GF & Vegan Zuchinni Muffin (even David loved it!)

If you’re in Jackson, Lotus is the perfect place to go just for a cup of coffee.  We brought our books and would make a morning of it until we got motivated to start moving and hiking.  (More about the hiking and reading later.)  All of Lotus’ baked goods (cookies, muffins, etc.) are vegan, making them dairy free and egg free.  Many of their items are also gluten-free.  Fortunately, I didn’t realize the muffins were vegan until after ordering.  (Usually I shy away from foods that are missing milk, eggs, and butter!)  These muffins were delicious!

Raspberry Cashew Muffin

I have a much more positive attitude towards vegan items now that I’ve sampled these amazing treats.  During our time in Jackson, I enjoyed Lotus’ raspberry cashew muffin and zucchini muffin.  So good.  One morning I also ordered the ‘Maya,’ steamed quinoa with apples, cinnamon candied walnuts and organic milk.  Sweet quinoa is quite possibly my favorite culinary discovery while out west.

Maya: Hearty Quinoa with a sweet crunch

Sadly, I did not get to try nearly as many things as I would have liked at Lotus, as we were only in Jackson three short days.  Other dishes that stood out to me on the menu included:

• The Deluxe breakfast sandwich (David ordered this but got it with glutenous bread…he’d done enough sharing at that point.)

David's Deluxe Breakfast Sandwich (can be ordered on homemade GF bread)

• Pad Thai
• Chicken Mango Spring Rolls
• GF espresso chocolate chip cookie

I guess I’ll just have to go back to Jackson to sample the rest.  When I started this post, I thought I would write about all of the restaurants where we ate in Jackson, but clearly I’ve got a lot to say.  The others will just have to wait.  Lotus definitely deserves an entire post to itself.  Thank you, Lotus Café.  I hope to see you again soon.

PS: Lotus also has gluten-free tamari/soy sauce on every table.  Even labeled!  Who doesn’t want a little soy sauce on their raspberry cashew muffin?

Lotus Café -145 North Glenwood Street in downtown Jackson

Last week I received a great tour of Return to Eden from their Gluten Free Product Manager, Jennifer Harris.  I was amazed by the collection and selection of gluten-free products they have at their store as well as the breadth of knowledge that Jennifer has about the many items.

Return to Eden has clearly made a commitment to their gluten-free customers by hiring Jennifer to be in charge of their gluten-free product ordering.  Jennifer has been diagnosed with celiac for over 12 years and is passionate about finding quality gluten-free products as well as connecting with the companies and people that make those products.  Jennifer has embraced her celiac and works to help others find good food that meets their individual tastes and needs.

Return to Eden is not a large store, but it has the largest selection of gluten-free products that I’ve ever found in one store.  Not only is there an abundance of gluten-free items throughout the store, but they are clearly marked with labels throughout the store as gluten free.  Jennifer is always aware of what they have in the store at that time and she’s constantly investigating new products.

I thought I’d tell you about what I put in my shopping cart to help you see just how much variety and gluten-free selection they have at Return to Eden.  I had to really hold myself back because I wanted to buy much more!

-       Lara Bars…Return to Eden had a huge selection of Lara Bars and even has the newest flavors, Peanut Butter & Jelly and German Chocolate Cake.  (I purchased PB & J, Ginger Snap, Cinnamon Roll, and Apple Pie).  These are one of my favorite gluten-free protein bars because they’ve got simple natural ingredients and good fiber.  They’re also not 500 calories like a lot of protein bars.  I always carry one with me and I was particularly glad I had one in my purse last night at the U2 concert at the Georgia Dome.

-       Breads from Anna Pumpkin Bread Mix.  I made it this weekend for my whole family and it was delicious!  I added chocolate chips to it (surprise, surprise!) and it was a hit and perfect for brunch on a cool, fall morning.  I’ve been eating leftovers all week and I just froze the last bit of it today to save.

I could not believe how many brands of bread mixes and other baking mixes Return to Eden has on its shelves.  I even found Authentic Foods flour, which I’ve never seen in an Atlanta store before.  Before I went to Return to Eden, I thought you could only order it online.

-       JO-SEF Graham Crackers: These are also egg and dairy free which will be a great dessert for when I’m cooking for others with food allergies.  You can enjoy them as a cookie, crumbled over ice cream or make a pie crust with them.

-       Golden raisins: Yes, I know this is random and obviously gluten-free, but I have multiple recipes that call for golden raisins and I haven’t been able to find them anywhere.  I also bought them to add to sauteed spinach.

I mention the golden raisins because Return to Eden has great bulk containers that have things like raisins, nuts, and even a GF baking mix!  (That’s where I found the golden raisins.)

-       Simply Asia Pad Thai sauce and rice noodles: Chicken Pad Thai is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals and this Pad Thai sauce can be difficult to find.  Just add chicken (or tofu), a scrambled egg, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts and lime juice and you’ve got yourself a delicious (and cheap!) Thai dinner.  It only takes about 20 minutes to make this meal and it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.

My purchases don’t even begin to tell you just how many gluten-free products Return to Eden has in stock.  An abundance of frozen breads and dinner rolls of all varieties, I’ll definitely be doing a lot of my holiday shopping here.  I was also impressed by all of the ice creams and frozen dessert that were dairy free and gluten free.  Other highlights included pizzas, cinnamon rolls, tortillas and even fish sticks!

Everyone should check it out for themselves, even those without celiac.  I love supporting local places and venues that go out of their way to find good, gluten-free food.  As I mentioned before, Jennifer is extremely helpful and thoughtful and puts a lot of energy and enthusiasm into making Return to Eden a ‘Gluten Free Friendly’ store.  She also gives gluten-free tours for shoppers to help them learn about the different products available.  Return to Eden does gluten-free cooking demonstrations in the store as well.  I’ll post the dates and times for both of these.

Return to Eden Organics

2335 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324-3725

Thai food should be gluten free. Rice noodles, rice, spices, it should all be gluten free, right? (Just hold the soy sauce.) David and I love to make GF Thai food at home, but it’s always great to find a Thai place accommodates the GF customer. After a week in Atlanta, I figured why not try searching for my go to Thai place in Atlanta?

Last night we went to Amaryn’s Thai Bowl and Sushi in Decatur. While there was definitely some confusion as to what gluten was, I will say that the management and waiters at Amaryn’s were very nice and willing to work with me. They also knew that soy sauce has wheat in it. When I inquired about the menu, they told me I should be able to get any of their Thai Bowl combos, without soy sauce. Of course you need to have rice noodles, not egg noodles (they contain wheat in addition to the egg).

I ordered the chicken panang which they assured me had no soy sauce in it and they even checked the ingredients on the fish sauce for me. They thought rice had wheat in it but I assured them rice is fine.

When the waiter brought me my meal, there were two balls of fried something in my meal. I was pretty sure those were not gluten free. I explained to the waitress that I couldn’t eat it and that I needed a new meal entirely (they couldn’t just take off the fried dough balls). She very nicely agreed and brought me an entirely new meal. It was definitely an entirely new entrée, which I very much appreciated.

So was I nervous about eating the meal? Definitely…But, I was totally fine afterwards. No contamination! Always a victory when eating out at a new restaurant in a new city. I don’t know if I would give Amaryn’s my highest recommendation to the gluten free diner, but there should be plenty of options at Amaryn’s and other Thai places.

A couple of tips for dining out:
- I find it’s always good to call places ahead and try to speak with a manager. It’s even better to call at a time when you know they won’t be busy.

- There’s an IPhone App called “GF Card” where you can get explanations of Celiac Disease in about 50 different languages, from Bulgarian to Thai to Urdu. This App is great for travel and dining. Just show it to your waiter and they can even take it back to the chef (Of course I left my ITouch at home last night!)

Amaryn’s Thai Bowl & Sushi
265 Ponce De Leon Pl
Decatur, GA 30030-3259
(404) 373-2788‎