Ginger Hop

Last week I went out to dinner with my friend Amy for Restaurant Week and we decided to try Ginger Hop. As we sat down to look at the menu she thought I knew of this restaurant because they have gluten-free choices on the menu. I was quite surprised as she pointed out the gluten-free symbol at the bottom of the page.

Gluten-free items are marked with a star next to them. Since it was Happy Hour we tried the chicken satay and eggplant satay which both happen to be gluten-free. One of the specials for Restaurant Week was the Sweet Green Curry which we both got with chicken.
Towards the end of the meal I thought I should check if Nate wanted me to bring something home for him. I was feeling a little guilty sitting at a restaurant with gluten-free choices while he was working in the garage which means he probably forgot to eat. I called him to double check that he'd want the Thai fried rice. I listed off some of the other menu items to see if anything else stood out and he mentioned the Pad Thai with chicken.

Nate was very excited for his dinner when I got home. He asked where his rice was and I explained Pad Thai is noodles and doesn't come with rice. That wasn't exactly what he was asking for. He was expecting Pad Thai and fried rice. Although, I didn't feel quite so bad when he could only eat half of it.

Amy, Nate and I were all very pleased with our choices and would definitely recommend it. Check out their happy hour specials and enjoy some of their satay with a Redbridge.

Michello's Restaurant Review

Nate and I have been trying to be good about not going out to eat too often. After reading on The Savvy Celiac that Michello's in Blaine, MN has a gluten-free menu we thought we had to check it out. Michello's is about 2 miles from our house and has gluten-free pizza and pasta. Would we actually have a convenient location for gluten-free pizza?

We were really impressed with the number of choices on the gluten-free menu. Since gluten-free lasagna is so rare to find in restaurants we had to try it. Michello's gluten-free lasagna is the same recipe as their regular lasagna except for the rice noodles. All of their sauces are made from scratch.

The lasagna and other pastas are served with garlic bread. The garlic bread was good but not great, something you could easily make at home with store bought bread. They are working on their own recipe for garlic bread.

Nate is never one to pass up gluten-free pizza so we decided to share a pepperoni and sausage pizza. At Michello's they make their own pizza crust. The ingredients are listed on the menu which is nice for those with other allergens. I'm pretty impressed that they take the time to make their own crust. They also add toppings in a dedicated area to help eliminate cross contact.

They brought out a piece of chocolate cake and asked if they could get our opinion on it. This might be the first time that Nate and I shared a piece of cake at a restaurant. Usually if they offer a gluten-free cake it is a flourless chocolate cake which are too rich for his taste. We both really enjoyed the cake. Nate said it reminded him of one his Grandma would make which is a pretty nice compliment seeing as she's been baking gluten-free for almost 30 years now. They are working on their carrot cake recipe as well.

I am definitely worried about the damage to my wallet and waistline with this being so convenient for us.

The Old Spaghetti Factory

The other day was my sister Katie's birthday so we went out to celebrate at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Our meals were fine, nothing special and the service was a little slow - although I felt bad because he was trying very hard. All meals come with bread (not gluten-free), soup or salad, a beverage (excluding pop) and ice cream.

When they brought out our meals they told Nate his would be a bit longer because after they made his they realized they made him the regular gluten meal. I was annoyed with this but glad they noticed it and were fixing it. At least he had a salad so he wasn't starving and his meal came out about two minutes later. Their creamy pesto salad dressing is very good and the spumoni was a fun treat.

Pros: gluten-free menu, meal price includes soup or salad, beverage and dessert
Cons: slow service, okay food, they almost forgot to make his gluten-free

ZPizza Restaurant Review

After reading Katie's blog I told Nate there was another place with gluten-free pizza. Since ZPizza has a location close to us he decided we just had to try it. All I have to say is their pizza is Amazing!

We ordered the American and Mexican to share. Both pizzas tasted like the perfect balance of everything. ZPizza definitely uses fresh quality ingredients. Thanks again Katie for posting about this.

American

Mexican

ZPizza has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Call ahead to make sure your location offers the gluten-free pizza or request they carry it.

Fogo de Chao - Almost Entirely Gluten-Free

Nate and I have been interested in going to Fogo de Chao for awhile, especially since we heard almost everything is gluten-free. The only two items that are not gluten-free are the wheat bread and tabbouleh which are both located at the salad bar.

We started with the salad bar that included large asparagus spears, roasted peppers, salmon, etc. Nate patiently waited for me me to finish my salad but I told him to go ahead and start with the meat. Each person has a disk which will control when they are offered meat. Within 10 seconds of flipping his disk from red to green a Gaucho Chef appeared at our table offering some meat. As soon as he left three more Gaucho Chefs appeared one after another and Nate quickly turned his disk back to red so he could enjoy his meal. Shortly after I switched my disk to green and received the same prompt service.

They offer 15 different kinds of meat. Items you can choose from include a top sirloin, pork ribs, leg of lamb. Your server will also bring some traditional side dishes of mashed potatoes, fried bananas and crispy polenta which they refill as necessary. Nate loves mashed potatoes but this time he barely touched them since there were so many other items to enjoy.

One would think that Nate's favorite part of the meal would have been the assortment of meats. His favorite by far was actually the cheese bread. Their famous Pao de Quiejo cheesebread is served warm and replenished throughout the meal. The cheese bread is gluten-free and made of tapioca flour. It is a lot like the Chebe bread. Usually I gorge myself on bread while Nate waits patiently for the meal. For a change it was nice to have the bread automatically gluten-free and not have to ask for a separate basket. Our waiter commented that Nate was enjoying the bread so I explained to him that this was a treat because he usually can't eat the bread. Then he offered to bring us 2 baskets of bread. Nate declined his offer.

We decided to go for lunch on one of our days off since lunch is about half the price of dinner. For lunch you can expect to pay around $20-$30. Those with a lighter appetite can choose just the salad bar. If you are going for dinner it ranges around $40-$50 not including drinks and dessert. Prices vary by city. While it is on the spendier side, the combination of great food and wonerful service make it worth it for a nice treat.

As with any restaurant menu items may change or vary by location so feel free to ask if you have concerns regarding ingredients.

Dinner at King & I Thai with Family

I have been obsessed with Thai food lately and have been wanting to try the King & I Thai but haven't gotten around to it. Kristy picked the King & I Thai for dinner after the Holidazzle Parade so I was super excited. We heard they would accommodate for a gluten-free diet but we weren't sure exactly what would be available gluten-free. Our serve brought us a menu with items highlight that could be made gluten-free basically the make the items without soy sauce. They serve family style so we ordered a variety of dishes to share. We ordered the yellow curry, green curry, beef & broccoli and fried rice. The yellow curry was definitely my favorite, not too spicy but just enough kick. Those who don't like spicy food as much as the rest of us really enjoyed the beef & broccoli with rice noodles. The fried rice was good although Nate said it's not as good as mine. Maybe he's just saying that so I'll make it more often....

Great choice Kristy! I am ready to go to King & I Thai again.

Gluten-Free Dining in Chicago

Pizza: I figure I better blog about our gluten-free experiences in Chicago before I forget. After our visit with Gary and Jonelle we stayed in Chicago for a couple of days. We wanted to try some pizza and I've heard that Lou Malnati's Pizzerias offer a pizza that is gluten-free. The Crustless Sausage Pizza is not really your typical pizza. They use ground sausage pressed into a deep dish pan for the crust. I would recommend ordering lots of veggies on it with all of the sausage and cheese. :) It was definitely worth the 40-45 minute wait.

Chinese: The next night we decided to try Ben Pao Chinese Restaurant. When we arrived we asked the hostess for a Gluten-Free Menu. As we were seated our waitress quickly acknowledged that we had a Gluten-Free Menu and informed us that they serve family style. Nate and I decided to split the Sesame Chicken and the Chicken Fried Rice. I enjoyed how light and fresh the fried rice was. Unfortunately we were too full for dessert because I thought their Mango Creme Brulee sounded really good, maybe next time.

Cupcakes: On our way out of Chicago we stopped at Swirlz Cupcakes. They specialize in cupcakes. Swirlz offers "regular", gluten-free and reduced sugar cupcakes. We brought a few of each to Thanksgiving and in the excitement of sampling them I forgot to get a picture which was unfortunate with all of the cute frosting designs. It was definitely a fun treat and I was impressed with all the flavor options. Nate had to take over and decide because I was a little overwhelmed.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Recently we went to visit Gary and Jonelle in Indiana. Before we left I wanted to see if there were any gluten-free restaurants. I found my new friend Marcie through the Celiac Sprue Association and I really lucked out. Marcie emailed me an extensive list of restaurants in the area. Nate and I were seriously overwhelmed with all of the suggestions.
When Gary was done with work the four of us decided to grab a bite to eat at Five Guys. Their menu is pretty simple - burgers, dogs and fries. The fun part is you pick your burger, a regular one is 2 patties a little one is 1 patty and then you get to choose from their 15 toppings with no upcharge. To keep the meal gluten-free order without the bun, but with all of the topping choices I don't think you'll mind. You could also ask them if they could wrap it in lettuce instead. The french fries are made from fresh cut potatoes and are made in dedicated fryers. We were all very pleased with the quality and quantity of the meal. Unfortunately the closest location to us is in St. Cloud or we could always visit Gary and Jonelle again.

Chiang Mai Thai Review

After running some errands this weekend we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at Chiang Mai Thai. I've been wanting to go there for awhile and since they have a Gluten-Free menu we thought it was the perfect excuse. We asked the host if there was a separate Gluten-Free menu and he handed us a 3 page menu. We started with the Chicken Satay appetizer. Nate was a little hesitant of the peanut curry sauce since he isn't a big fan of either of those. I convinced him to try it and he was very surprised that he actually liked it. I orderd the Penang Curry with chicken. The chicken was simmered in a coconut milk and was amazing. Nate ordered the Chili Sauce Stir Fry with beef. Both meals were served with steamed jasmine rice and were a little spicy which is expected with Thai food. Their menu has a "Heat Scale" for those who like something a little less or more spicy. Our leftovers made for a great lunch the next day. The service was great and I'm already trying to find an excuse to go back soon.

For Beer Drinkers: They also carry Redbridge and Strongbow Dry Cider.

Wildfire Review

We celebrated Nate's birthday at Wildfire in Eden Prairie. Last time we were there they automatically brought out gluten-free bread along with the regular bread. Today we had to ask for the gluten-free bread. They bring out a warm Kinnikinnick Foods English Muffin with butter. Their gluten-free menu has quite a few options. While it may not sound very exciting to the average person, Nate choose the Black Angus Burger. Their burgers and sandwiches are served on a gluten-free bun, which is the english muffin again. This is the only restaurant that I've seen Nate eat a burger with the bun. You also get your choice of potato or broccoli. The white cheddar au gratin potatoes are very good. Since it was Nate's birthday the waitress brought out a flourless chocolate cake. We all enjoyed helping him finish it since he was kind of full by then.
Another nice perk about Wildfire is since I called ahead they put us in a separate private room. I have been very impressed with them so far, even during busy times they are very helpful. Be sure to ask for the GF menu and remind the staff that you are ordering gluten-free.
Most Wildfire locations are in Illinois however, they also have locations in Georgia, Minnesota and Virginia.

Chili's

We planned on going to Ronnally's for pizza with Tim, Katie and Emma. We were disappointed to discover they were closed for no apparent reason, instead we decided to go to Chili's. Chili's has a menu of suggested options for gluten allergies. Some restaurants have the allergen sheet/menu on hand but you can also find it on their website. Most of the items are pretty obvious for someone who is used to the gluten-free diet. I think the menu is helpful since it shows which sauces and salad dressings are safe. Nate usually avoids BBQ sauce at restaurants since it can contain wheat or modified food starch. Both the BBQ sauce and Honey BBQ sauce at Chili's are gluten-free. Nate's favorite part of their menu is the Baked Potato soup. It is very rich but not something you can typically find gluten-free in a restaurant.

Park Tavern Review

After visiting baby Layla we decided to stop for lunch. The hospital happens to be right by Park Tavern where they offer GF pizza. They use pizza crust from Cooqi. Here's a picture of our pizza. As you can see they really load on the toppings. They mentioned they are working on adding personal size pizzas to the menu too. FYI - Nate likes having the leftovers cold the next day while watching football.

Original Pancake House

After a day of picking some apples and enough pumpkins for a Day Care, literally; there was only one way to refuel Nate. We decided to have lunch at the Original Pancake House, one of Nate's favorite restaurants. From our experience they can make the majority of the pancakes GF. Nate ordered cinnamon raisin pancakes which I must say were amazing. We also like the strawberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, apple crepes, fresh strawberry crepes, as you can see we haven't been dissapointed yet. Nate has tried pancakes at both the Edina and Maple Grove locations. While he says the Edina location is good the pancakes at the Maple Grove location are better. We both have their phone number saved in our phone to make last minute reservations.

Not all OPH locations offer GF pancakes and crepes so be sure to call ahead.

Pizza Luce Gluten Free Menu Preview

Yesterday we previewed the GF menu at Pizza Luce. They handed us their new GF menu that included chicken wings, artichoke dip w/rolls, pizza, pasta and beer. I told Nate to choose 2 pizzas so he could try 2 different kinds. He decided on "The Bear" and "Baked Potato Pizza." I didn't know it was possible for someone to smile the whole way through dinner but he managed to. Out of the GF pizza crust that I've tried at restaurants this pizza tasted the most like "regular" pizza.
Laura, co-owner of the St Paul location stopped at our table to talk with us. Laura is a vegetarian so she is familar with a restricted diet. However, since it is a choice and not for medical reasons she decided to go GF for 2 weeks to understand the GF diet more. The training Laura and her staff went through is amazing. They really want to do this right.
Since the pizza is made with crust from Cooqi they had samples of brownies and pumpkin bars. Even people who are not GF were raving about the brownies.

It looks like we'll be spending a lot of Tuesday nights in St Paul.

Cooqi

Right now our favorite bakery is Cooqi in St Paul. Even though I am not gluten-free I cannot walk in there without getting a brownie for myself. Nate's favorites are the doughnuts, mini doughnuts, blondies, brownies, pumpkin bars, cookies. Ok, all of it is really good. Check out their website for specials. They also list the ingredients on their website. If you find yourself in St. Paul definitely stop for a treat.

Cooqi Gluten-Free Delights
2186 Marshall Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104
Hours:Tuesday through Saturday 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday 10 am – 4 pm
Phone (651) 645-4433