Living Without's June/July Issue

As some of you know, I spent a significant part of my life calling the DC area “home.”  When I was diagnosed with celiac, I was living in Alexandria, Virginia, so my gluten-free journey started in our nation’s capital.  I recently had the opportunity to write another article for Living Without Magazine about traveling to Washington, D.C., in honor of the 4^th of July.  This article (found in the June/July issue) highlights the festivities unique to our nation’s capital on this patriotic holiday, but is also useful for navigating the city any time of year.

My Article!

Check out the restaurants and activities for yourself!  Doesn’t it make you want to take a quick trip to DC?  If you don’t have time to pick up a copy at Whole Foods, you can read “Happy Birthday America: Celebrate the 4^th of July in Allergy-Friendly Washington, DC” online by clicking here.

We love DC: David and me at Obama's Inauguration

Which of these restaurants and sights are favorites of yours?  Anything I left out?

During my recent visit to Charlottesville, I did not get to check out two eateries that have recently been put on my gluten-free radar.  One of my former students, who’s a first year at UVA (I’m so jealous!), goes to Rise PizzaWorks, a new addition to the Charlottesville restaurant scene, that offers gluten-free pizza crust.  Most of their toppings are GF, as well.

Also, while in town, a friend informed me that there’s a hot dog place on the downtown mall that’s gluten-free friendly.  I haven’t been there yet, but here’s the info:

The Downtown Hot Dog Company – 112 W. Main, Charlottesville, VA 22901

Have any of you tried either of these yet?  What’s the scoop?

Am I missing any other great gluten-free spots in Charlottesville that have gone under my radar?

This weekend, I was back up in Virginia, for the wedding of my friends, Nancy and Lee.  More specifically, we were in Fredericksburg, a small town between Washington, D.C. and Richmond.  I’ve been so spoiled by my time in Virginia this month.  I’m convinced that October is the best time to be a Virginian.  (Don’t worry, Georgia: You, too, have a special place in my heart.)

Flowers in Downtown Fredericksburg

What a gorgeous fall weekend for an outdoor reception!  The wedding was in a quaint historic church in Loretto, Virginia and the reception was in Nancy’s family’s backyard.  It was a beautiful event.

The interior of Vauter's Episcopal Church from my seat in the balcony

My favorite date and me outside the church

At the rehearsal dinner on Friday night, the caterers wonderfully made me a gluten-free dinner, for which I’m always so appreciative.  (I enter into wedding weekends with the expectation that I won’t have any food options aside from what I bring for myself so I’m always grateful when I can enjoy something beyond peanuts and Lara Bars.)  So I enjoyed the filets and mashed potatoes with everyone else.  (Of course I still snacked on my peanuts too.)

On Saturday, I planned ahead, to enjoy a large lunch, to hold me over during the reception, so I wouldn’t be tempted by gluten foods at the reception.  (It’s hard to resist crab cakes and a pad thai station, but it’s worth it to stay healthy, right?)  The question then became, “Where to go for lunch?”  Normally, I am eager to try a local spot when I travel, and our hotel was in the middle of Fredericksburg’s downtown area which has many awesome shops and cool food spots.  We enjoyed coffee in the morning at a Hyperion Espresso but after walking around downtown, it was clear that there wouldn’t be too many gluten-free friendly options for me.  Lots of bakeries and sandwich places that looked delicious, but not gluten-free.

So, I saw this need for a guaranteed GF meal, as an opportunity to please David as well.  He’s always begging me to go to Outback Steakhouse.  He can’t resist the bloomin’ onion and they do have a great gluten-free menu.  (As I’ve mentioned before, the Outback in Roswell, GA goes above and beyond the national menu.) I totally applaud any restaurant that’s willing to create a GF menu and accommodate their diners with dietary restrictions, but I’m not always dying for chain food.  (Sure, you can call me a food snob, if you want.)  But, since my options were limited, I was relieved to type Outback into my iPhone and find a location in Fredericksburg, just off I-95, of course.  And, Outback was the perfect location since the bride and groom are heading to Australia for their honeymoon!

Perfect.  “No Rules.  Just Right.”  A happy husband, college football, and a full belly, all before any vows were exchanged.  Well, we headed to a strip mall off the highway, in pursuit of the Outback.  As we drove up, the parking lot looked unusually empty.  Much to David’s dismay, Outback doesn’t open until 2:00 on Saturdays (4:00 on weekdays).  Who knew?  Note to self: Outback Steakhouse, not a good lunch option.  After this heartbreaking discovery, and with my stomach beginning to growl, we broke out the iPhone again and I began to search for other chains that I know to be gluten-free.

We learned a Bonefish Grill was located in the near vicinity.  Bonefish also boasts a gluten-free menu at all of their locations.  Ok, I thought.  This situation can be redeemed.  Thank goodness for strip malls, and Fredericksburg had plenty.  It took us ten minutes to find Bonefish. (I kid you not: there were about ten strip malls in a 1-mile radius.)  We passed a Noodles & Co. on the way so we knew there would be a back up plan.  (They have GF rice noodles and a variety of GF sauces.)

As we pulled up to the Bonefish Grill, I began to feel like I was having a serious case of déjà vu and saw that they too, don’t open until 4:00.

Shoot.  Time was running short.  But the chain restaurant Gods were smiling on me yesterday because there was a Cheeseburger in Paradise located right next to the Bonefish.  I had never been to a Cheeseburger in Paradise before but I knew from my gluten-free research that they have a GF menu.  Great.  Table for two, please.  We sat at the bar and the manager proceeded to bring me a gluten-free menu with many options.  While they do not offer GF buns, most of their burgers (sans-bun) are gluten-free AND their French fries are gluten-free, made in a separate fryer from all of their other items.  Hurray!  Ravenous at this point, I ordered a side of fries and the citrus chicken salad (substitute grilled chicken for the roast chicken).  I was very pleased with my choice and everyone who served us was super careful about my order, and very pleasant.

My delcious gluten-free French fries

What a relief to have food options this weekend, and when Outback didn’t work out, there were other options for me.  While I sometimes turn my nose up at a chain restaurant, I’ve got to eat my words on this one.  I’m very thankful that there are restaurants throughout the country where I can walk in, and know that I will have options.  And yummy options too.

National chains are great for this exact reason: You’re in an unfamiliar place and unsure of the food options, so you know you can look up one of the following restaurants to find safe food.  Make sure you still remind your server and talk to the manager about your needs.  (Some of the locations might educate their employees more than others, so you just want to double check.)

National Restaurant Chains with Gluten-Free Menus:

• Outback Steakhouse
• Cheeseburger in Paradise
• Bonefish Grill
• P.F. Chang’s
• Ted’s Montana Grill
• Wendy’s (Who doesn’t love a Frosty?)
• Chili’s
• Carraba’s

What have I missed?  What’s your go-to gluten-free dining option when in a bind?

Also, I’m obsessed with my new iPhone for many reasons (I definitely drank the Apple kool-aid), and this weekend was a perfect example of why the iPhone can come in handy for those of us that have to put a lot of thought and research into where we eat.  Thank you, iPhone.  I’m so glad to have you on the journey.

Last week David and I were up in Virginia, visiting friends and family before moving into our new home in Atlanta.  While we were in Richmond, we discovered The Nile Restaurant,  an amazing, delicious and 100% gluten-free restaurant.

Thanks to our friends, Lee and Nancy, who were inspired by a recent episode of Top Chef that involved Ethiopian cuisine, for finding this great Richmond spot.  They decided to look for an Ethiopian restaurant in Richmond and stumbled upon The Nile Restaurant, which also happens to be 100% gluten-free.  I kid you not: every dish in the place is gluten-free, even the bread (yes, bread!) that you use to pick up your food.  That’s right, no silverware needed in this restaurant.

The ‘injera’ bread is made with teff flour, making it light and spongy.  The bread is basically used as your utensil so you grab your food with the injera.  So delicious!  Warning: Not all Ethiopian restaurants are entirely GF.  Our server informed us that a lot of restaurants use part teff flour and part regular flour in their bread, as a means of cutting costs because the teff is expensive.  This makes it not ok for us celiacs.

Delicious injera bread (100% teff flour)

When people ask me what I miss most now that I’m gluten-free, they usually expect me to say cake or pizza, but that’s not my response.  Honestly, I can make all of those items, and I make them pretty darn well.  For me, the thing I miss the most from my ‘gluten’ days is sharing experiences with people.  At wedding receptions, birthday parties, and events, I usually have to bring my own food.  At restaurants I can never ‘just have a bite’ of someone else’s dish because I don’t know what’s in it or it might be contaminated.  The Nile was a lovely break from my celiac-imposed dining restraints and I could dig in with the rest of my group.

At Nile, they serve the food communally, and I could enjoy and partake with everyone else.  I didn’t have to worry about contaminated utensils. (Oh wait, there were no utensils!)  No separate plates for me.  We all enjoyed every bite of our meal.  I think this might be one of the best dinners I’ve eaten all summer.

Buticha Roll (garbanzo bean paste appetizer)

Ayib Tikl (spicy cheese roll app)

We had no idea what we were doing since it was our first Ethiopian experience but the waiter was so friendly and helpful when it came to guiding us in our choices.  We went with a couple of appetizers, two ‘Nile Special Combination Plates’ (where you get a little bit of everything), and one entrée.  Everything was phenomenal.  We were all very satisfied at the end of the meal.  It was a lot of food but I felt refreshed and energized at the end, not overloaded.

The main event, the special combo plate...so good

Our main dishes came out on one large communal plate.  The photos do not do the meal justice.  It was amazing.  Take my word for it and if you’re in Richmond, check it out for yourself.

I highly recommend Nile, regardless of whether or not you are gluten-free.  There are many options and all of their veggie dishes and injera bread are vegan friendly too!  Next time I’m in Richmond, I’ll definitely be back.

Does anyone know of any other 100% gluten-free restaurants?

The Nile Restaurant – 309 N. Laurel St. – Richmond, VA 23220 – (between Broad & Grace St) 804-225-5544

This weekend I headed north to the Washington, D.C. area for a visit.  It was my first time back since we moved in early August and it was great to see everyone, catch up with students, family and friends.  Of course I didn’t miss the opportunity to go to some of my favorite restaurants and bakeries to get my fill of all my gluten-free favorites in the nation’s capital.  While many others on my flight were up here to run the Marine Corps Marathon, I was here to visit and eat!

Gluten Freedom’s Northern VA/DC Area Favorites (Click on the links to check out previous posts I wrote about these yummy places.):

Evening Star: My all time favorite restaurant in northern Virginia, they just created a new fall menu and I enjoyed the pork tenderloin with creamy polenta, walnuts and mushroom gravy.  All naturally gluten-free of course!  The waiters are great at Evening Star and I always feel well taken care of at this great restaurant in Del Ray.

Buzz Bakery: I got my birthday cake here this year and I love their gluten-free baked goods.  On this visit I got the chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting and a brownie for the plane ride home (well, I ate most of it before I left town actually)

Tortilla Coast: I called ahead and they made me a batch of tortilla chips before the fryer oil got contaminated with glutenous items; chicken fajitas with corn tortillas

Cake Love: A great spot in Shirlington to get baked goods to go.  I ordered the yellow cake with vanilla butter cream frosting and enjoyed my treats at home with mom and dad on Sunday afternoon.

Thai Shirlington: Of course I had to get the panang perfect!

What a great weekend!  I came back to Atlanta well fed after a fun weekend with family and friends.  I miss them already.

David and I’ve gotten to partake in some great trips together this summer and shared many delicious meals. Once David finished the Bar Exam in July, we decided to meet up for a few days in Charlottesville, Virginia. Both graduates of UVA, David and I love Charlottesville. For those of you that have been to Charlottesville, you know that unfortunately many of the places we loved so much in college are based around bread…Bel Air sandwiches, Bodos’ bagels, and Take it Away bread ends with house dressing are just a few of the places I can no longer go…well, I still go there and just watch David eat our old favorites!

Needless to say, we’ve had to explore new options when we go to Charlottesville now. While it was tricky at first, we’ve found some yummy, gluten free alternatives and rediscovered old places with our new gluten free perspective. Sadly, I don’t think Bodo’s will ever be gluten free!

So I arrived in Charlottesville, eager to meet up with David who is coming from Roanoke where he took the Bar. For dinner that night, we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants from our college days, Duner’s Restaurant. Located on Route 250, five miles west of Charlottesville, Duner’s is small and does not take reservations, but it is totally worth the potential wait.

I was amazed at what a large menu they had and the wait staff was extremely friendly and encouraged me to decide what I wanted to order. I made my selections and the waitress told me that the chef would definitely be able to produce gluten free versions of my choices. Not only did she ensure that my meal would be gluten free, but she also said they could make David’s gluten free as well. For those gluten free eaters out there you know what a treat it is to be able to eat off of someone else’s plate at a restaurant!

The meal was absolutely delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ordered as well as David’s! We shared grilled sea scallops for our appetizer that were prepared with a summer squash salsa on top. For my main course I chose rack of lamb with sun dried tomato pesto. The menu listed the rack of lamb as ‘parmesan crusted’ so the chef just left off the crust and sprinkled some parmesan on top. It was perfectly prepared and the sun dried tomato pesto went perfectly with the lamb. David ordered the grilled ribeye steak and it too was perfectly flavored. The chef put the sauce for the ribeye (which was not gluten free) on the side for him so I could try it. I personally think I out ordered David but both meals were unique, flavor and delicious! The wait staff was very knowledgeable about gluten and definitely willing to accommodate their gluten free customer.

The next morning David and I ventured out for our morning coffee. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease, I’ve discovered a Charlottesville bakery called Baker’s Palate that makes gluten free muffins. My personal favorite are their pumpkin muffins, but they also make banana muffins. Located close to the Downtown Mall, we stopped in to stock up. They keep their gluten free muffins in the freezer, so they’re not freshly baked each day but they’re still delicious. I would suggest heating them up before you dive in. The owner pointed out to me that she makes the gluten free pumpkin muffins with raisins. Note: if you are ever at Baker’s Palate and they serve you a pumpkin muffin without raisins, it’s NOT gluten free. Just a heads up!

Baker’s Palate also sells their gluten free muffins at Java Java coffee shop on the Downtown Mall (421 E. Main St.), but sometimes they’re sold out and they never have more than a few. In the past I’ve gotten a bunch of muffins at Baker’s Palate and stuck them in the freezer. They freeze really well; just reheat them in the oven.

As any good vacation goes, by the time you finish coffee and breakfast, you’re thinking about your next meal. Lunch is tough in Charlottesville with no more Bel Air or Take it Away, but we’ve discovered (thanks to Gluten Free Bird), The Flat Creperie on the Downtown Mall. At The Flat you can order buckwheat crepes that are gluten free. They serve both sweet and savory crepes at this crepe stand.

While delicious and filling, The Flat is not a fine dining experience. It’s often very busy and the only potential seating can be found on benches outside. Being that there are cramped quarters in the kitchen, I do worry about contamination but they wipe down the crepe makers before they make a buckwheat crepe and all of their ingredients you can get inside the crepes are gluten free. I’m very sensitive to gluten, but in the three times I’ve eaten at the Flat, I’ve never gotten sick. My personal favorite is a buckwheat crepe with chicken, spinach, cheddar and tomatoes. Yummy! Once I get my crepe I like to take my food and sit on the Downtown Mall. The Flat tends to be quite hot a crowded in their front yard eating area.

Now I’ve saved the best news for last about our trip to Charlottesville. Arch’s, the popular frozen yogurt spot, is gluten free!! Hooray! I indulged in this dessert twice while on our three day stay. Sadly, you must stay away from all of the toppings (major cross contamination with all of the serving utensils and open area where the mix ins are located) so you can’t get an Archer. I brought my own M&Ms and homemade granola to add to my peanut butter and chocolate swirl frozen treat.

Another fun afternoon treat in Charlottesville are the many vineyards nearby. Our personal favorite is King Family Vineyards, located off of 250 in Crozet. The grounds are beautiful and the UVA polo team plays on the fields on the property. There is plenty of seating outside and they don’t mind at all if you bring your own food. The vineyard also sells cheeses on the premises but you’ll want to bring your own gluten free crackers.

So even though I’ll no longer have a Zazu’s wrap or a Bel Air picnic at Beaver Creek, David and I have found many gluten free alternatives in Charlottesville as we stayed well fed during our Charlottesville visit.