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

Just wanted to let you guys know that the new YEAH! Burger in Virginia Highlands is actually going to be opening its doors on Monday, November 15th, not this weekend, as originally anticipated.  (Don’t want anyone showing up and being disappointed.)

In the meantime, you can enjoy a gluten-free burger (or hot dog) and fries (or onion rings) at the YEAH! on the Westside.  Happy Dining!

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

As you know, I love the Westside’s Urban Pl8 and the delicious food they serve.  Well, my friends, it just got even better.  Chef/owner Betsy Pitts has completely revamped their entire menu, making pretty much everything gluten-free friendly.  She is now making all soy sauce in-house and completely gluten-free.  Bread crumbs are made with rice Chex so anything breaded is GF too.  Yes, that means we can indulge in crab cakes at stir fryat Urban Pl8.  Pitts also uses gluten-free bread, upon request, for any of her sandwiches and burgers.

I think my new favorite item comes from Urban Pl8’s brunch menu: blueberry almond meal griddle cakes with maple syrup.  Delicious!  While Pitts has many great egg dishes, it’s such a treat to be able to order non-egg items for brunch.

David and I went to Urban Pl8 twice last week (once for brunch and once for dinner).

For brunch, I indulged in the almond cakes and roasted sweet potatoes.

For dinner, I went with the chipotle rubbed hanger steak with sweet potatoes (of course!) and asparagus.

We also shared the beet and goat cheese salad and the Vietnamese chicken wraps for appetizers.  The wraps were delicious, with a perfect crunch.

In addition to being gluten-free friendly, Urban Pl8’s new menu also caters to those following the paleo diet.  Many of their items are paleo-friendly too and are indicated on the menu.  Check out Urban Pl8′s new menu online.

On Gluten Freedom, I’ve shared with you many things about me.  Many nerdy and quirky things about me.

You know that I love ‘The Bachelorette.’  Did you see last night’s episode??  Frank is pitiful.  I once again vowed that I’m never going to watch another episode of the show.

You know that I love famous chefs and folk music.  Um, Indigo Girls are playing in Atlanta on October 15^th.  Mark your calendars!

You know that I dream of someday being a farmer.  Now that I’ve spent some time working at Serenbe Farm this summer, I’m not sure I have the stamina for that career.  (Bugs like me too much…I’m covered in chigger bites as I write.)

One of the other things that I love which I haven’t really shared with you is musicals.  To quote Tobias Funke from ‘Arrested Development,’ (a great show, by the way…much better than ‘Bachelorette’) I love the “theeeater.”  As a child, my favorite family trip was to New York City where we saw three musicals in 48 hours.  This trip would be my husband’s worst nightmare, but he politely puts up with my love of musicals, nonetheless.

Tobias Funke from 'Arrested Development'

Can I sing?  Nope.  Did I ever act?  Not once.  Do I still love shows?  Heck yes.  Why, I’m not quite sure.  Maybe it’s because that’s what we listened to in the car when I was little.  (I had no idea how racy “Les Mis” is until around age 18.  The song, ‘Lovely Ladies’…Wow.)

So last week, when our friends, Peyten and Stan, asked if we would like to see ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at the Fox Theater with them, I quickly accepted before asking David what he thought about the idea.  I hadn’t seen ‘Phantom’ in 12 years, and they’re claiming this is the last national tour of the show.  (Probably just a marketing ploy, but I fell for it nonetheless.)

After accepting Peyten’s offer, then came the question of where to go for dinner before the show.  An 8:00 start time limits one’s options, especially for me, who always worries about being on time.  (I don’t want to risk missing the overture.)

Peyten suggested Taqueria del Sol as it’s apparently a quick stop for a meal, despite the long line that’s always stretching out the door.  I had never been to this beloved Atlanta spot, as I’m weary about places that serve food quickly and en masse.  Thanks to blogger, Celiac Eats, who loves Taqueria del Sol, I was willing to give it a try.  As the time for dinner got closer, I became more anxious about the impending meal.  (I know that’s weird for you non-celiacs, but going out to dinner can be very scary, especially when you’ll be confined to a theater seat for the next three hours.)  I texted my friend, Anne, (also celiac) and asked her opinion.  She was lukewarm on Taqueria so I began to plan on eating dinner prior to the Taqueria stop.

David encouraged me to call ahead, just in case, and I did.  He’s full of great ideas.  The manager, with whom I spoke, has a gluten allergy herself.  She knew everything I could eat and was very specific, which I love.  She even told me that I can have chips if I come for lunch, but not for dinner because at that point the fryer is contaminated.  Such helpful information!

Most of the enchiladas are totally gluten free and the corn tortillas can be substituted for the tacos.  They were some of the best corn tortillas I’ve ever eaten.  For dinner, I ordered one Memphis taco and one Veggie taco, with a side of the Charros beans.  I also got some guacamole because I can never resist guac.  The brisket taco is also gluten-free so I’ll try that one next time.  Both of my tacos were delicious.  The Memphis comes with smoked pork, jalapenos, bbq sauce and cole slaw.  A perfect combination.  Sweet, salty and crunchy.  (I love weird combos and combining textures.)  The veggie taco was delish as well!  I enjoyed my meal while sipping on a tequila and tonic.  Yes, a tequila and tonic.  Don’t knock it ‘till you try it.  I promise, you’ll love it.  Just think margarita, without the too tart, too sweet grime that stays on your teeth.

As I mentioned, Taqueria has an intimidating line out front, but it’s worth it.  You can walk to the bar and order a drink to enjoy while you wait in line.  The line moves fairly quickly so it looks worse than it is.  I’m so glad to discover another spot in Atlanta where I can grab a quick, and relatively cheap meal, that’s gluten-free friendly.

And of course, we made it to the Fox in plenty of time and I thoroughly enjoyed the show, trying not to sing along.  Afterwards, I did have trouble explaining to David why I think ‘Phantom of the Opera’ is so good.  It just is.

This weekend, David and I celebrated our 6^th wedding anniversary.  Could I possibly be old enough to have been married for six years?!  It’s hard to believe that this time six years ago, I had just said “I do” to my best friend.

I don’t want to be cheesy in this post, but I’ve got to tell you, I am one lucky girl.  For those of you with celiac disease, or any health related issues, you know the true meaning of “in sickness and in health.”  David has amazingly stood by me and supported me throughout years of health problems.  I truly don’t know what I would have done without him.

Fortunately, being sick is not the main thing I think about when I reflect on our marriage.  We’ve done many amazing things together: toured the wine country in California and Oregon, hiked the Great Wall, lounged on the beach in Thailand, looked at art in the Louvre, taught and coached together, ran a 9^th grade girls dorm, looked out on the water in Maine, hiked on the Appalachian Trail, and gone for cocktail cruises on the Eastern Shore.

Of course, one of the things we enjoy doing together the most is preparing and sharing meals together.  For our anniversary celebration this weekend, we went to Restaurant Eugene, to enjoy the culinary work of James Beard nominated chef, Linton Hopkins.  We were not disappointed and this was the perfect splurge for a special meal.

The menu at Restaurant Eugene changes nightly and Chef Hopkins buys most of his food from an extensive list of local farms that they include on the menu.  Everyone was eager to accommodate my dietary needs and worked hard to keep me informed and well taken care of on this night.  Even the ‘runner’ who brought out our dishes knew what I could and couldn’t have.  Amazing.  At Eugene, you can go the 5-course tasting menu route, but David and I chose to order a la carte.  We had plenty of food and the portion sizes were perfect.

Judith, the assistant maitre d, brought us a taste of chilled radish soup, that was delicious.  A perfect start to the evening.  For an appetizer, I ordered the Georgia White Shrimp with red torpedo onion, bacon, dandelion, squash blossom, and squash parmesan broth.  Squash blossoms are a rare treat so I couldn’t resist this dish.  The saltiness of the bacon added great depth to the bites of squash and the overall flavor of the dish.  David started with the pork belly which he nicely shared with me.  The only part of the pork belly dish that wasn’t GF was the parmesan cake, which the chef kept separate so I could taste David’s too.

For my entrée, I selected the Pancetta Wrapped Veal Loin with maitake, baby bok choi and onion lavender puree.  It was heavenly.  As I’ve said before, everything tastes better wrapped in pancetta.  I consumed every bite (except one that I spared for David).  The mushrooms and bok choi went surprisingly nicely with the veal and pancetta.   The veal was cooked perfectly medium rare.

At the end of the meal, they brought us a trio of housemade sorbets to sample which included the unique flavors of peach, ginger and lemon thyme.  David loved the ginger (it was a little strong for me) and my favorite was the lemon thyme.  A refreshing, and not too heavy, way to finish up the evening.

Overall, we had a great experience at Restaurant Eugene.  This is definitely one of the higher end restaurants in Atlanta, but definitely worth it for a special occasion.  We never felt rushed and the small dining area makes for an intimate and relaxing setting.

Happy Anniversary, Friend!  Cheers to many more years and meals together.

Note: I took the food photos with my new iPhone (!!!) so the quality could be better.  I’ll keep working on it though.

This Sunday, Chef Shaun Doty of Shaun’s Restaurant will be hosting his monthly ‘Celiac Dinner.’  Many of his dishes from his nightly menu are GF,  but each month he creates an entirely gluten-free 4-course dinner for only $45.

Here’s the menu for this Sunday, June 27^th:

• First course: Arctic char tartar with Marcona almonds and spicy chili oil
• Second course: Heirloom tomato gazpacho with Dijon mustard ice cream
• Entrée: Grass-fed Georgia beef with local arugula and romesco sauce
• Dessert: Pineapple carpaccio with flore de latte ice cream

Sounds delicious!  The regular menu will also be available.  If you haven’t yet, check out Shaun’s new restaurant, Yeah! Burger, serving burgers on gluten-free buns and gluten-free French fries.

Shaun’s Restaurant -1029 Edgewood Avenue Northeast – Atlanta, GA – 404-577-4358

Last night I enjoyed my first dinner at Westside’s newest burger joint, Yeah! Burger.  As I mentioned previously, this causal spot offers gluten-free buns, made in a gluten-free facility so there is no worry about contamination.  All of the burgers are cooked in a separate area of the grill from the glutenous buns and they use separate utensils.  The cooks have also received instruction from gluten-free expert, Jennifer Harris, on contamination and how to be ‘safe’ in the kitchen.

I have been eager to try out this new restaurant since I learned about Shaun Doty’s new restaurant months ago.  My inaugural visit to Yeah! Burger last night did not disappoint!  The atmosphere at Yeah is very casual and not as fancy as some of the other trendy burger boutiques in the area.  You order at the counter and they bring your meal to your table.  Beverage options include “help yourself” fountain soda and an assortment of beer, wine and cocktails.  Envision nicer, fresher, fast food with a much cooler vibe.

You can choose from, beef burger, bison, turkey and grilled chicken.  (There’s a veggie burger too but I’m not sure if it’s gluten-free.)  Upon the recommendation of my friend, Meredith, I ordered the bison burger.  Sometimes bison can be really dry, since it’s a lower fat meat, but this burger was very juicy and perfectly cooked.  I added American cheese, tomatoes, grilled onions and lettuce to my bison patty.  (They were out of cheddar at 6:30 on Sunday so I’m guessing they had more business than anticipated this weekend…the American cheese option was pretty darn good too.)  It was a delicious combination, especially the grilled onions.  Besides the cheese, those particular options were free.  You can also add ‘special’ toppings for an added cost, such as chili and avocado.

While there’s an extra charge for the GF bun, this bun is totally worth the cost.  The bun is not too thick and you don’t need copious amounts of water to wash it down.  The folks at Yeah toast the buns in a toaster dedicated to cooking just the gluten-free buns.  If you don’t feel like paying extra for a GF bun, you can get a lettuce wrap instead.

Of course there’s nothing better when enjoying a gluten-free burger in one hand to munch on French fries in the other.  The GF fries at Yeah! Burger are hand-cut and made in a special, gluten-free fryer. The fries taste very similar to Boardwalk fries if you’ve ever tried those.  Fresh, delicious and nicely salted.  So good.

There was some confusion among the management regarding the sauces that Yeah offers.  You get one sauce free with your order of a burger and they all sounded interesting.  Initially the woman taking my order told me that none of the sauces were gluten-free.  (Side note: I would always rather someone tell me that nothing’s gluten-free at a restaurant than say, “Oh, I’m sure it’s fine.”)  I did inquire further with the manager and he thought none of the sauces were gluten-free either, but when I asked about the honey mustard, he pulled out the list of ingredients and all of the ingredients were GF, so I ordered some.  (I enjoyed the honey mustard, but there was definitely a spicy kick to it.)  It would be great to have a little clarification on which sauces are gluten-free or if they do recommend staying away from them entirely.

It’s clear that Yeah, Burger is still working out some kinks, but I thoroughly enjoyed my delicious meal.  While I likeWestside’s other fancy burger spot, Flip Burger, a lot, these two places are pretty different.  Yeah, Burger is a little bit cheaper, more casual and family friendly.  Yeah, Burger focuses on the ‘build your burger’ idea whereas Flip emphasizes the unique versions of burgers created by the chefs (i.e. lamb, venison, etc.) Flip is one of my favorite neighborhood spots but the music is so loud there (Yes, I know I sound like an old woman.)   I don’t have to have a GF bun when I eat a burger, but the GF fries put Yeah, Burger ahead in the burger boutique competition for me.

I have a feeling that I’ll be enjoying quite a few more summer meals at Yeah.  Let me know what you’ve tried and enjoyed at Yeah, Burger.

Yeah, Burger – 1168 Howell Mill Rd. – Atlanta, GA 30318

Yeah, Burger is opening up on the Westside this week on June 10^th.  Yeah, it’s another fancy burger place but those of you who are gluten free should be extra excited about this new spot.  Located in the White Provisions building on Howell Mill Road, Shaun Doty’s new restaurant will be serving gluten-free buns as well as using a GF dedicated fryer so we can enjoy French fries!

There is a $1 additional charge for GF buns.

I’m out of town this week but will definitely be venturing to Yeah, Burger as soon as I get back to ATL next week.  If you get there before I do, let me know what you think.

Yeah, Burger – 1168 Howell Mill Rd @ 14^th Street- Atlanta, GA 30318

I love Mexican food, in fact it’s one of my favorite genres of food.  It can be tricky to find good, Mexican cuisine that is safely gluten-free, as there are often language barriers and risks of contamination.  When we lived near Washington, D.C., I was lucky enough to find two Mexican places I loved: Tortilla Coast and Rosa Mexicano.  Much to my excitement, when we moved to Atlanta, I discovered that there’s a Rosa Mexicano in Atlantic Station, just a few miles from us.  David and I went to the Atlanta Rosa Mexicano last weekend and were just as pleased with our meal here as back in the District.

A word of warning: Rosa Mexicano is not your cheap, order by number, Mexican food.  Rosa Mexicano’s food is high-quality, with fresh, natural ingredients.  Not only does Rosa Mexicano serve great food, but they are gluten-free friendly, as they use corn tortillas and they fry their tortilla chips in a fryer that’s free from gluten.  If you check out Rosa Mexicano’s website, they even have a gluten-free menu.  The Atlantic Station restaurant didn’t actually have copies of the GF menu, but having perused the online version earlier, I had an idea of my GF options and what I wanted to order.  When going to Rosa Mexicano, or any restaurant, make sure that you double check with the chef about what’s gluten-free, even if they have a gluten-free menu.  Our waiter was very friendly and willing to run back and forth to the kitchen for us.  He double checked everything for us.

If you go to Rosa Mexicano, you must get the guacamole that they prepare table side.  It’s so good, I want to lick the bowl.  Every last bit of guac gets scraped out of the dish’s crevices.  Their guacamole’s amazing, fresh, and you know exactly what’s in it because you see them make it.  (A celiac’s dream!)  As I mentioned before, the chips are gluten-free as are the tortillas so I can dip away!  David’s a competitive eater when it comes to guac, so I just have to make sure I eat quickly and/or hoard some of the avocado-goodness on my plate.  Normally I take my time when I eat, but it’s hard to maintain any manners when the guacamole is put on the table.  Every man (and woman) is left to fend for himself (herself).

For my entrée, I usually go with one of the versions of the Tacos al asador: pork, steak or chicken.  These are actually more like fajitas than what I think of as tacos, and I love ‘building my own’ from the platter of meat, veggies, beans and rice.  On our most recent visit, David and I each got one order of tacos and shared.  I love being able to share at a restaurant!  David ordered the pork and I chose the chicken.  I don’t usually order chicken at restaurants, but Rosa Mexicano’s chicken tacos are delicious and I particularly look forward to the cheese, onions and peppers that are cooked with the chicken.  These dishes come with unlimited corn tortillas, and the black beans are speckled with cheese.  David and I splurged that night by ordering two entrees, but in the past we’ve just ordered the guacamole and one order of tacos, and it was plenty of food for the two of us.

If you’re craving Mexican food and want a restaurant safe from gluten, you should definitely check out one of Rosa Mexicano’s locations in Atlanta, DC, Miami, L.A., or New York.  While the food’s a little pricier than most Mexican establishments, it’s worth the splurge.