I talked a little bit in my last post about loyalty to companies that do gluten-free well and have good business practices. Not only do I stick with companies that I know I can trust, but it seems that I stick with a certain food or menu item as well. With all of the restaurants out there now offering a wide variety of different gluten-free foods, I really need to branch out.
When I visit certain restaurants I tend to stick with the tried & true instead of trying something new. I have been working to try & branch out lately at my favorite gluten-free dining establishments. For example, when dining at Moe’s earlier this week I had a chicken & rice bowl, and the next time I was there, I had a salad topped with chicken and a multitude of other toppings. When I went to Bonefish Grill, I had my Chilean Sea Bass “Lily Style”, which is the topping from Lily’s Chicken on the sea bass instead of the Chimichurri sauce that I always get. The “Lily Style” includes spinach, garlic, artichoke hearts, and a lemon butter sauce.
One of the places that I have found it the hardest to branch out is P.F. Chang’s. Though they probably have one of the largest gluten-free menus, I always end up getting the same exact thing – Singapore Street Noodles. I should know from past experiences, it is rare that I will try something new & not like it, so why not give something new a try? It isn’t like we gluten-free eaters don’t have choices these days, right? I feel like it was just a few years ago that I was lucky to be able to get a plain salad, baked potato & dry piece of fish or chicken to eat out safely.
Last night we went to P.F. Chang’s and I did it – I branched out – I ordered the Steamed Salmon with Ginger and a side of Sugar Snap Peas with Garlic. I can’t tell you how wonderful this meal was! The salmon was so tender, perfectly cooked, and had an amazing flavor. I would absolutely recommend this meal if you like to eat salmon. To see the gluten-free menu, click here. And, last, but not least, once you have eaten a healthy meal of salmon & veggies, splurge on the amazing Chocolate Dome! I can’t get the pictures to upload from my phone right now, but I will share one with you from a few years back in 2008. This shows how happy my son is that he can get a gluten-free dessert.
Do you have a habit of sticking with one dish when you dine out or do you branch out & try new things?
Oh yes, definitely! I definitely like to stick with what I know and feel safe eating. It is sad because before being diagnosed I was so adventurous, and I still like to try new places and new foods, but for obvious reasons I also like to play it safer. I don’t have any problem going to places without a gluten-free menu, but I will usually order the same dish over and over.
Isn’t it funny how we do that now?!