My friend, Peter, sent me this photo from Fenway Park last week. His email read, “Sad gluten-free options, but at least they try.” I couldn’t agree more. While some ball parks seem to have more ample GF offerings, at least the folks at Fenway acknowledge the gluten-free diet. Who knows? Maybe more GF treats are on the way…
This weekend David and I visited our friends, Cindy and Andrew in Chattanooga. I can’t believe that this was my first trip to “The Noog” since their wedding six years ago. We had a great time and loved getting to meet the newest, and most adorable, addition to their family, Wells.
David and I met up with Cindy and Andrew at Greenlife Grocery, in downtown Chattanooga, for lunch. This high-end grocery store has a great selection of fresh foods and the shelves had plenty of gluten-free options for me. The prepared items looked yummy but the folks working there recommended that I avoid those items as they were concerned about contamination. While I was disappointed not to be able to try some of the dishes I had been eyeing, I appreciated their knowledge about contamination and their efforts to keep me safe. They said they’re working on getting more GF options. For my lunch, I enjoyed yogurt, a peach and delicious hummus and crackers. (This is always a great go-to lunch option for me if I’m getting lunch on the run and limited to a grocery store.) David went the glutenous route for his lunch, choosing the pesto pizza and the pesto tortellini. (That’s what happens to gluten-eaters who live in a gluten-free home!)
After lunch, we walked around by the water where there was lots of action. A rubber duck race on the water, bands playing and lots of folks outside. The weather here has been brutal recently, but a huge thunderstorm cooled things off temporarily. (I love that I now consider 85 degrees ‘cool.’)
The highlight of the day though, was going up Lookout Mountain, to ‘See Rock City.’ A must see if you’re in the neighborhood, Rock City is full of great views of seven states, as well as cool rocks and plants. Andrew works at Rock City so I felt like we got the VIP tour. Along the one mile path, there are many things to look at, including nature, rocks, gnomes, and dioramas of every nursery rhyme you could ever imagine.
Just one of many amazing views to be seen
Who knew a swinging bridge could be so much fun?
"Jack be nimble, Jack be quick..."
Our hosts, Cindy & Andrew
For dinner, we went came back down the mountain to Chattanooga and went to The Meeting Place. (The Meeting Place is next door to its fancier, brother restaurant, St. John’s Restaurant.) This lovely venue was perfect for a Saturday night out. Everything on the menu called out to me and I had many gluten-free options from which to choose. David and I shared the Roasted Beets Salad with goat cheese and a light vinaigrette, as a starter. For my entrée, I went with the lamb tenderloin, served over shredded Yukon gold potatoes with brown butter. I toyed with the idea of getting the duck confit or the scallops (both gluten-free) instead, but I just couldn’t resist the lamb. I was not disappointed and it was seared and cooked perfectly. I ate every bite of the potatoes too. At the end of the meal, we were too full to order dessert but the chef sent out an assortment of housemade sorbets. A perfect finish to a meal on a hot, almost summer night.
After a busy day in Chattanooga, we headed home to sleep in our own bed. What an easy day of travel, less than two hours each wayl! Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain are a perfect day or weekend trip if you’re looking to get out of the ATL this summer.
Besides time with friends and good food, the drive was worth it, just for this photo opp…
On Wednesday night, I finally went to my inaugural Atlanta Braves’ game with our friends Ross and Jen. Thankfully, the weather cooled off nicely and we got a great lightning show in the background of the game.
Not only was the game fun (and the Braves won), but I got to try out the gluten-free food stand, located at section 106. I ordered the hamburger, which comes with a bun made with tapioca and rice flour. It’s hard to believe that in the same week, I got to eat hamburgers with gluten-free buns at two different places in the ATL. Ridiculous.
While my burger wasn’t anything fancy, it was ballpark cuisine and it’s fun to enjoy greasy, made 2 hours ago, food at a baseball game. It’s all part of the experience, right? And we, celiacs, should be able to partake in the experience, and enjoy a cold beer (Redbridge) if we’re feeling parched.
The total cost for a Redbridge beer and a GF hamburger was $13. So just like everyone else at a professional sports event, I paid too much for my food, but it could have been worse, considering we’re used to spending more money on gluten-free food. All part of the ballpark experience!
Other items on the menu include: hot dogs, chicken sandwich, popcorn, potato chips, macaroons and even cupcakes made by American Gra-Frutti.
Make sure you get to Turner Field this summer and keep the gluten-free stand in business. Hopefully even more professional sports teams will serve gluten-free options at their concession stands. Do you know of any others? Please share! Here’s a list of some of the other professional sports teams I’ve found:
Washington Nationals: Gluten-Free Pretzels & Redbridge Beer at Noah’s Pretzels in Sections 106 & 318
Minnesota Twins: Angie’s Kettle Corn – Sold on Target Plaza and vended in the stands
Colorado Rockies: Gluten-Free Concession Stand at Section 147 serving hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chips, cookies, brownies and Redbridge beer.
Who needs wedding cake when you can enjoy unlimited chocolate milkshakes?
Here I am loving the milkshakes (photo courtesy of Reader T.Hall)
One of my best friends, Becky, got married last weekend in St. Michaels, MD and I got to enjoy the reception’s seated meal with everyone else. The folks at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, where the reception was held, were great about making sure that I had a gluten-free meal, which included a delicious filet, asparagus and mixed vegetables. It gave me enough sustenance and energy for the dance floor.
The bride and me at the reception
High School girls reunited
BUT, the highlight of the night for me (well, besides the amazing wedding), were the mini-chocolate milk shakes that came out when the cake was cut. So good and gluten-free. I drank five, but who’s counting?
Summer’s here! I finished up school last week and June is a whirlwind of travel for me. Last weekend I went to Sea Island with some friends and tonight I’m heading north to be in a wedding in St. Michael’s, Maryland. Becky, one of my best friends from high school, is marrying a college friend of mine, Peyton. (He owns an NYC suit company, Alton Lane, so it’s going to be one hip and trendy event.)
High School Buddies
After a weekend of wedding fun on the Shore, I’m staying up north in Alexandria for the week until my 10-year high school reunion the following weekend. Wow. Lots of events and time away but I couldn’t be more excited. Summer means travel, which can mean anxiety for those of us with celiac.
Just remember a few simple tips to make your gluten-free travels less stressful:
- Plan ahead: Investigate and take the time to research. I’ve talked to the caterers for the wedding this weekend and they’re going above and beyond to help me out so there are thankfully some meals I don’t have to worry about.
- “Be Prepared:” Yup, it’s the Boy Scout motto but it works really for us gluten-free eaters too. Sometimes there’s no option for you at a wedding reception or an event. Don’t go hungry. Have plenty of snacks and a cute purse (or your date’s blazer) to carry them.
- Research the area: Look for blogs by gluten-free writers in the area you’re visiting or even find the chains (like Outback) that always have gluten-free menus.
- Find Access to a Kitchen (and use it): Last weekend at the beach we had a kitchen and we ate most of our meals in the house. We made a group trip to the grocery store and divided up the meals by gender. I trusted the people I was with and it made me feel better to know that David was in the other cooking group so he would keep me safe from glutens. You don’t need to go out to eat for every meal on vacation and you’re probably safer if you don’t.
The guys' gluten-free dinner at Sea Island.
Beef tenderloin, mushroom-asparagus risotto & salad: Delicious!
- Explore non-eating activities, such as:
Go for a hike…
Go to a museum…
Go wine tasting…
Walk on the beach, looking for sand dollars…
or (my favorite) lie by the pool and read.
All are gluten-free!
Please share your travel advice and tips for those with food allergies. Safe travels this summer and happy (gluten-free) eating!
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.
This weekend I’m heading back to Washington, D.C. and Annapolis, Maryland for my friend, Becky’s, bachelorette party and wedding shower. The final trip in a month full of busy travel. Yes, I was just up in the Northern Virginia area a month ago saying goodbye to my brother, Rob, and his family before they moved to Japan. While I was in NOVA in late February, not only did I get to hang out with my adorable nephew, but I went to one of my favorite bakeries, Buzz Bakery and enjoyed an amazing gluten-free cupcake.
Doesn’t it look delicious? Not only is Buzz’s icing plentiful and oh, so buttery and creamy, but the cake part of the GF cupcake actually tastes like cake. Of course I love the bee on top, as a reminder that spring might get here some day. (Note: bee is not edible.) And if this yummy goodness that you see in the photo isn’t enough, when I dove into the cupcake with my fork (yes, I eat my cupcakes with a fork because I want to savor every bite), I found chocolate filling in the middle. Basically an added bonus of icing. Amazing.
I’m so glad I showed up at Buzz when I did because I got the sole, remaining GF cupcake for that Saturday. (My apologies to folks who came after me looking for the same gluten-free treat.) Buzz makes gluten-free brownies too, but while still yummy, the brownie’s just not the same as getting a cupcake. The gluten-free gods looked out for me that day. If there were no gluten-free cupcakes awaiting me in the glass case at Buzz, I would have felt a little bit like Clark Griswold in National Lampoons Vacation, driving across the country to Wally World, only to find Wally World closed.
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.
