Recently, I ventured north, just ITP (that’s “inside the perimeter for you non-Atlantans) to Fuego Mundo in Sandy Springs.  My friend, Sarah, and I met up for lunch at this self described “South American Woodfire Grill,” that was definitely worth the drive.

Don't let the setting in a strip mall deceive you...Fuego is deliciously unique!

Not only was the food delicious, but almost everything is gluten-free.  In fact all of their entrees and sides are naturally gluten and dairy free.  Wow!  I love having choices and not worrying about contamination.  You get your choice of a side included with your order of an entrée, and their selection was right up my alley.

The grill where the cooking happens. No worries of contamination on this grill.

I ultimately went with the chicken skewers as my entrée and “The Health Nut” for my side dish.  The chicken skewers were so yummy, perfectly blackened on the grill.  The “health nut” included quinoa, black beans and baked plantains.  Delicious.  I like to mix everything on my plate and this was the perfect combination.  It’s hard to beat a good batch of quinoa and I’d never thought to mix black beans and quinoa, but I will definitely be doing this at home too.  I could have used about twice as many baked plantains, but otherwise, the serving sizes were very generous!  (I ate my leftovers for dinner the next night.)

Chicken skewers and plantain chips

The Health Nut

Other items on the menu that tempted me were the lamb chops (a little pricier) and the steak skewers.  Fuego also has a large selection of fish on their menu, ranging from tilapia to salmon.  There’s even tofu for vegetarians.  The Veggie Lovers Stir Fry with quinoa came in as a close second to the Health Nut, for my choice of side, but I think I’ll stick with the Health Nut because it was so good.

Also, I didn’t realize this when I went to Fuego Mundo, but Jennifer Harris, of the Gluten-Free Examiner recently informed us that Fuego is now offering gluten-free carrot cake.  A-mazing.  It’s a must that I go back and sample the carrot cake.  Anyone up for a lunch or dinner date?

Fuego Mundo at the Prado:

5590 Roswell Road
Suite A120
Sandy Springs, GA 30342
404-256-4330

I love writing.  Each day I try to write something, not just emails or incessant lists, but something with more substance.  It’s never brilliant or earth shattering, but each day I return to my computer, ready to write something new, not always sure in which direction I’m going.  Even when I fear I have nothing to say, I hold myself accountable to write.

Occasionally I think to myself, “What am I doing?”  Why am I writing each day?  The answer is, I’m not totally sure what or why.  I will never pay the bills by doing this, but in my writing, I’ve discovered that I love creating, exploring and putting thoughts into words.  Two years ago, I would never have told you I love to write or even imagine that I would have a blog that receives a significant amount of my time.  This blog and my discovery of writing have been unexpected blessings of my celiac diagnosis.  Who knew that a disease would result in good things?  It does and it has.

I’m particularly excited about my writing today because this week, my first magazine article is “hot off the presses.”  (Yes, I can be a cheesy writer too.)  My article, “Atlanta Restaurants Offer Many Options for Gluten-Free Diners” can now be found around town in Atlanta’s Finest Dining Magazine and for those of you non-Atlantans, you can check it out at this link.

I’m thrilled.  It makes me smile to see it.  It makes me want to write more.

“E.L. Doctorow once said that ‘Writing is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.”

- from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing & Life