Leeann Chin, Finally

It's about time. Leeann Chin finally offers a few gluten free menu items. My sister was at Leeann Chin recently and noticed they now have a couple of gluten free items. I didn't notice it on their website so I had to ask what they offer gluten gree.

Here is the response I received:
Currently the items on our Leeann Chin menu, that are gluten free, would be our white rice, Bourbon Chicken, Curry Chicken Stir-fry, Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-fry and our Red Cherry Frozen Yogurt with any of the fresh fruit toppings.

We can also prepare, upon special request, a Vegetable Stir fry made with our Hunan Sweet Chili Sauce or our Bourbon Sauce.

One more item would be to special request our Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry to be made without the Teriyaki sauce but substitute either the Hunan Sweet Chili Sauce or our Bourbon Sauce.
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It is always nice to have a quick and convenient option. Now we can use the buy one get one coupon from the Sunday paper.

Gluten-free Hamburger Buns

I received an email this evening from Red Robin announcing that they now offer their burgers and chicken sandwiches on a gluten-free bun. It appears that they use Udi's hamburger buns. You can also still ask for a burger "protein style" (wrapped in lettuce).

Lettuce Entertain You - New App for Your Android

Many of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants have gluten-free menus. Lettuce Entertain You now has an application for Android phones. In the android apps market search for "Lettuce Eat" and install the app. You will be able to search for the nearest restaurant and even log in to the frequent diner club. If you live in or are visiting the Chicago area this app will be especially helpful.

Gluten-Free Pizza at Birchwood Cafe

Starting Friday, March 12th Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis will be offering gluten-free pizza. The pizza will be on pizza crust made by Cooqi. If you have a chance to check it out let us know what you think.

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.

February 23rd Wine Dinner at Wildfire

Tuesday, February 23rd the Wildfire in Eden Prairie will be hosting a Gluten-free Wine Dinner. Enjoy a four course dinner with wine pairings for $45 plus tax and gratuity. Amy Leger, blogger at The Savvy Celiac will also be there to discuss living gluten free.

Here's a sample of the special menu for that night.
Starters: Assorted Gluten Free Pizzas
First Course: Pan Seared Ahi Tuna
Second Course: Carved Tenderloin of Beef
Dessert: Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding
Click here for more information.

Unfortunately we have a childbirth preparation class that night but hopefully we can attend it next time. At a time when I can enjoy the wine as well. We love Wildfire and even if you can't make this event we recommend checking it out soon. Nate loves the gluten-free bread before his meal as well as being able to eat a burger on the bun. If you go for dinner the au gratin potatoes are amazing. Our only complaint is there isn't one closer to our house.

The reception begins at 6:30 and dinner is at 7:00. Call (952) 914-9100 to make your reservation.

Wildfire Eden Prairie

3020 Eden Prairie Center

Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Gluten-Free Menu All Week

Sorry I haven't been posting more recently, I've been meaning to but I've been exhausted. Nate and I are expecting our first child in April so I have been preoccupied with sleeping when I can and trying to fight off colds. I haven't been as interested in cooking either although I have been obsessed with nutrition. We have been throwing together a lot of simple and quick meals especially tacos since I've been craving spicy foods.

I have some exciting gluten-free news for those that live in the Twin Cities. Starting December 1st Pizza Luce will offer their gluten-free menu seven days a week at their St. Paul and Downtown Minneapolis locations.

We are so excited to see this expand to include the weekends as well. Often times friends would want to meet up at Pizza Luce on a Friday or Saturday night and it was frustrating to know they had the capabilities and a menu but it wasn't the "right day." Although now that I'm pregnant we don't go Downtown often. Nate will just have to convince me that I'm craving Luce.

Sad News

I like to keep this blog positive as much as possible. I started it because I wanted to share all of the gluten-free options my husband enjoys. When his family comes to town we enjoy sharing some of our favorite things with them.

A few weeks ago they were here for the Irish Fair. While the guys went to another concert on Saturday night us girls ran some errands. We decided to go to Michello's to get some gluten-free pizza and pasta. Nate was okay with this as long as we brought home some carrot cake for him. When we pulled up the restaurant we were disappointed to see that Michello's was closed - for good. We were still in the mood for pizza so we drove to the next gluten-free pizza place we could think of.

When we arrived at Cabina we discovered that it had been replaced by a new restaurant. Feeling extremely discouraged we tried one last time for pizza. As we walked in to ZPizza we were excited to see that they were open and hoped that they wouldn't tell us they were out of gluten-free crusts. Finally we were able to enjoy dinner.

When we made it back home I didn't want to be the one to tell Nate that Michello's had closed. I told Detamara she should tell him the news. I figured he might take it better if it came from his little sister. He took the news better than expected but was disappointed that he would no longer be able to enjoy the carrot cake.

It is sad to see such a great family owned restaurant go out of business due to the economy. They provided great options for the gluten-free community and worked hard to perfect their recipes. They have posted their recipes for farmhouse buttermilk bread and pizza crust. Nate is just waiting for them to post the cake recipes.

Jamba Juice Coupon

My sister Christi just shared this BOGO Jamba Juice coupon with me. Hurry, this deal ends July 12th.

Jamba Juice

Are you looking for a cool gluten-free treat? Ice cream and smoothies are a weakness at our house.

I assumed that most of the drinks at Jamba Juice would be gluten-free but wasn't exactly sure. It turns out all of their smoothies are gluten-free except for Pomegranate Heart Healthy. You can also enjoy all of the boosts except for Daily Vitamin, Energy and Heart Healthy.

Boston's The Gourmet Pizza

Seriously, more pizza?

Yes, Boston's The Gourmet Pizza now carries a gluten-free pizza crust. Since they are known for their pizza they wanted to make it easier for everyone to enjoy. (Supposedly, it is the same crust that they use at Unos.) You can choose from 13 different kinds of pizzas made on a gluten-free crust. The gluten-free pizza is only available in small and is about an additional two dollars.

Boston's also offers a Healthy Hits menu for those who are looking for a healthier option. All of their locations should carry the gluten-free crust. If you have a large group they recommend calling ahead. Click here to find a location near you.

Luckily we have a BBQ planned for tomorrow night but I'm sure we'll try it soon and let you know what we think. Has anyone tried it yet?

Free Pizza for a Year?

Uno Chicago Grill is having a sweepstakes to win free pizza for a year. Translation: Free pizza for a year is one pizza a month. Click here to enter. Gluten-free pizza is available in cheese, pepperoni and veggie.

You must be an "Insider" to enter. If you are not an Insider you can still sign up to become one and be entered in the sweepstakes.

I have a separate email address for sweepstakes and things I don't want to go to my regular email. My family and friends know that I am obsessed with Sweepstakes. Someone is going to win, why not you?

Gluten-Free Pizza in Austin, TX

We seem to be finding gluten-free pizza all over the Twin Cities and while we've seen some chains adding it I've been wondering if other places are seeing the same trend. Since Ann and Becca are in Austin visiting Kristy and Kasja. They all eat gluten-free and Ann and Becca live in a small town so it is pretty rare for them to enjoy gluten-free pizza out. I began to wonder if there was gluten-free pizza in the Austin area. A couple of months ago Kristy and I were talking about it but I never found out of she found gluten-free pizza.

After a quick search I found a couple of options for them. Brick Oven on 35th has gluten-free pizza as well as a gluten-free menu that includes meatballs, pasta and flat bread sandwiches. I've read a couple of reviews and it sounds like the pizza is definitely worth trying. They do charge a little more for the gluten-free crust but that is pretty common.

Marye's Gourmet Pizza has also started offering gluten-free pizza. I haven't found any reviews on it so I am curious if anyone has tried it. We obviously haven't tried either of these yet but next time we visit them I'm sure Nate will want to fit that in.

Skosh Monahan's in Costa Mesa, CA

Nate's sister Marissa lives in California so I'm always keeping my eye open for restaurants in California that will accommodate a gluten-free diet. Especially with Marissa's wedding coming up everyone wants to know they can eat safely while traveling. Although this isn't right where we'll be I was impressed with the gluten-free menu and we'd gladly make an excuse to drive somewhere for gluten-free pizza.

Skosh Monahan's is a Steakhouse and Irish Pub that offers a gluten-free menu and a GFCF kid's menu.
Their gluten-free menu includes appetizers, soup, salad, pizza, and entrees.

Godfather's Pizza offering Gluten-Free Pizza

A couple years ago we said just wait, some day you'll be able to get gluten-free pizza at one of the regular pizza places. We just didn't think some day would be so soon.

According to the Press Release the gluten-free pizza is available at select Godfather's Pizza locations in:
Omaha, NE
Topeka, KS
Overland Park, KS
Blue Springs, MO
St. Cloud, MN
Burnsville, MN
Sioux Falls, SD

Employees at these locations have received special training. I spoke to an employee who said they also sell frozen take and bake pizza if you don't feel comfortable with them baking it. Use the Store Locator to check if the gluten-free pizza is available at the location nearest you. The gluten-free pizza is available in a 10-inch size and you can enjoy cheese, pepperoni, beef, sausage, classic combo and all-meat combo. We were very excited to hear that the gluten-free pizzas are priced in line with the other pizzas.

Email Godfather's Pizza at glutenfree@godfathers.com and let them know where you would like to see gluten-free pizza.

Ben Pao "Bailout" Special

Ben Pao Chinese Restaurant has a special offer during the month of May. Stop in for dinner Monday through Thursday and on one of those nights they will ring the Golden Gong once a week. When you hear the gong every table in the restaurant will receive $50 off their bill.

Nate and I went when we were in Chicago and definitely recommend it. Ben Pao is part of the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants and offers a Gluten Free Menu. We really enjoyed the chicken fried rice and sesame chicken.

Ben Pao
52 West Illinois Street
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312-222-1888

Gluten-Free Cake at Starbucks

We asked and they listened.

Nate and I aren't much of coffee drinkers which is nice for our wallets. My coworkers and I get coffee when we're stressed, caffeine and sweets seem to help us out. Otherwise, I'm usually in too much of a hurry in the morning. Nate doesn't like coffee but he'll enjoy a chai tea or one of the coolers on a rare occasion. However, tomorrow Nate is planning on stopping at Starbucks.

Tuesday, May 5th is the first day you can get a gluten-free treat with your beverage at Starbucks. The Orange Valencia Cake will be displayed in the display case but is wrapped individually to avoid cross contact. If you have additional allergies they list the ingredients right on the packaging. The ingredients include: Whole Eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, Almonds, Sugar, Orange Peel, Gluten Free Baking Powder, and Orange Oil. The cake is priced around two dollars depending on where you live which is pretty reasonable for a gluten-free treat. They wanted to keep it comparable to the other treats.

I am really excited how convenient this will be for everyone and hope Nate really enjoys the cake. At the same time I'm hoping he doesn't enjoy it too much or it might become a habit.

Panera Bread's Gluten-Free Items

Marcie also shared a partial list of gluten-free items at Panera Bread that she received from corporate. I must admit I was surprised with all of the soup options since wheat is often used. It is also nice to know which salad dressings are safe. Please note that menus can vary by location and menu items can change.

To find ingredients for a specific item: Click on Menu and Nutrition, choose the Bakery or Cafe menu, select a product category from the links at the top of the page, then click on the individual menu item to display a page with that item's ingredients and nutritional content.

Salads:
(including the salad dressing) (source of modified food starch is corn)
Greek Salad
Fandango Salad
Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles)
Classic Cafe Salad
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
California Mission Chicken Salad
Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad

Soups:
Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
Cuban Black Bean and Lentil
Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil
Vegetarian Butternut Squash
Creamy Tomato (without croutons)
Low-Fat Vegetarian Southwest Tomato & Roasted Corn
Turkey Chickpea Chili
Summer Corn Chowder

Salad Dressings:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Caesar
Greek
Poppyseed
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Garlic & Meyer’s Lemon Vinaigrette

Beverages:
Coffee
Juice, both apple and orange
Lemonade
Milk
Soda, fountain and bottled
Tea, regular and Chai Tea
All lattes & Frozen beverages
Strawberry Smoothie

Jimmy John's JJ Unwich is Gluten-Free

The previous post made me think of Jimmy John's since the restaurants have the same fast-paced feel. Jimmy John's focus is on sandwiches so one would automatically assume that it could not be gluten-free. However, they offer a gluten-free option on their menu. The JJ Unwich is a sandwich wrapped in lettuce instead of bread. Feel free to ask them to change their gloves if they do not automatically change them. All employees are supposed to be trained on allergies and using new gloves and separate cutting boards. They also prepare the unwich on the paper it will be wrapped in. Be cautious of the condiments/spreads, they put most of them on with a spatula. Any of their sandwiches can be made into an unwich and prices are the same.

Bacon, Ham, Capicola, Salami, and Turkey are gluten-free.

Beef and Cheese are not gluten-free.

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.