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Review: Carrabba’s Italian Grill

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It has been a long time since I last ate at Carrabba’s Italian Grill. There is one close to us, but for some reason, I never think about going there. A couple of weeks back I heard that they expanded and updated the gluten-free menu, so I made it a point to go last weekend.

The gluten-free menu is quite extensive with choices that are sure to please just about anyone. There are appetizers, soups, pasta, salads, chicken, fish, and steak options. After changing my mind several times, I finally decided on the Johnny Rocco Salad. The salad is made up of wood-grilled shrimp, scallops, roasted red peppers, olives, ricotta salta, romaine lettuce, and mixed greens tossed in an Italian vinaigrette. I asked them to leave off the ricotta and chose a different dressing since I am also dairy-free in addition to gluten-free.

This salad was out of this world! The shrimp and scallops were plentiful and cooked to perfection. The balsamic vinaigrette went perfectly with the ingredients. This is definitely a salad I would order again.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill has locations across the US. They take their gluten-free menu seriously, consulting lead dietitian, Maria Carafe when designing the gluten-free menu and dishes. I highly recommend giving Carrabba’s a try if you haven’t yet.

Review: Starbucks La Boulange Marshmallow Dream Bar

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Black Friday shopping always starts with breakfast at our favorite coffee shop. This year we had to make an adjustment after discovering our favorite shop was no longer there. Not many places were open at 4:30 AM, so we settled on Starbucks, as I knew I could drink the coffee (and I brought my own almond milk).

While none of the mixed coffee drinks are considered safe for those on a gluten-free diet and none of the bakery items are gluten-free, I knew there were some pre-packaged snacks that would suffice. Kind Bars are usually found at the counter in Starbucks, along with these newer Marshmallow Dream Bars from La Boulange.

IMG 4065Probably not the most nutritious way to start out my day, but a nice treat, nonetheless.

Ingredients:

marshmallow (corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, gelatin), crisped rice (rice, brown sugar, salt, distilled monoglycerides), corn syrup, salted butter (cream [from milk], salt), sugar, sea salt, maltodextrin, vanilla extract.

The Marshmallow Dream Bar (certified gluten-free) tasted just as good, if not better than the version I make at home. This version was a little softer and definitely gooey, just as it should be. Starbucks has locations across the US, though they may not have these bars available. Word on the street (net) is there is also a pre-packaged gluten-free chocolate cookie, though I have yet to see one.

Have you tried the Starbucks La Boulange Marshmallow Dream Bar? Have you seen the gluten-free chocolate cookie? 

Review: Red Lobster Gluten-Free

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We went on a short road trip yesterday to Cleveland to see my grandmother and have lunch with her. One of my grandmother’s favorite restaurants is Red Lobster, so we picked her up and away we went. Having previously written about the gluten-free at Red Lobster, I knew there would be plenty of options for me to choose from and I was especially excited about dessert.

The gluten-free menu at Red Lobster is updated on a regular basis and has the dates that it’s valid for listed at the top of the page. Frequently updated allergen menus are important as suppliers and ingredients can change. After browsing the menu I finally settled on the Wood-Grilled Salmon with Baked Potato & Green Beans (dry). The dish also came with broccoli.

IMG 2737My salmon was cooked perfectly, as were the vegetables. I hate mushy broccoli, so I was thrilled when it came out perfectly. I thought the grilled lemon was a nice touch. Dessert, NY Style Cheesecake with Strawberries, was on my mind from the time I walked in the door, though I wondered how the cheesecake would be gluten-free with the crust. Turns out there is no crust!

I don’t think I can put into words how wonderful this cheesecake was! It was creamy, rich, dense, and full of flavor and I didn’t miss the crust one bit. Now that I know that this dessert is as phenomenal as it is, I see frequent stops by my local Red Lobster, which happens to be less than 10 minutes from my house. To-go cheesecake, anyone? It is a good thing I am training for a marathon this fall! Red Lobster has locations across the US and has a restaurant locator on the top left of their home page.

Have you eaten gluten-free at Red Lobster? Did you try the NY Style Cheesecake?

Review: First Watch Gluten-Free Menu

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There is nothing better after a Saturday morning long runs than a warm breakfast out with the running group. Our local running group, Marathoners in Training, meets at 8:00 AM, and after our planned mileage, we need to refuel as soon as possible. The easiest way to do that is to hit up one of the local breakfast spots, which happened to be First Watch this past week.

First Watch offers a wide variety of gluten-free menu items, though I found the menu a little confusing at first glance. Usually, when you see a gluten-free menu it lists the menu items that are gluten-free and what modifications (if any) need to be made. This menu had some of that, but also listed menu items that “contain gluten”. It seems confusing to include those items on the menu and I feel it would be easier to decipher if those items were left off of the menu. First Watch has two different quinoa bowls on the menu, but they both “contain gluten”. I asked the server what the source of gluten was in the quinoa bowl and was told the broth the quinoa is prepared in contains gluten. She went on to tell me the quinoa could be prepared in water to make it gluten-free.

I decided on the Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Hash, which is basically a bowl full of hash browns, tomato, bacon, avocado, and cheese topped with 2 eggs of your choice. As much as I love eggs, they upset my stomach, so I ordered the dish without the eggs.

IMG 1006

Boy did this hit the spot! I drizzled a little bit of 100% maple syrup (make sure to ask specifically for this, as it isn’t the syrup left on the tables) on top, as I have really been digging the sweet & salty combo of bacon and syrup lately. The side of the fruit is a nice touch and is refreshing while waiting for the hash to cool down. This was the perfect way to refuel after a run! I especially like the coffee carafes placed right on the table.

First Watch has over 100 locations in 13 different states. Click here to find the location closest to you.

Review: Uncle Maddio’s in Edgewood, Atlanta

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A year ago, I wrote about my experience at Uncle Maddio’s, and how much I loved it, and it’s dedication to serving safe gluten-free pizza. A few weeks ago, an Uncle Maddio’s opened right around the corner from me.  I was thrilled, now I could enjoy this yummy gluten-free pizza regularly.

As luck would have it, I was invited to the opening night, and while I was super excited to be one the of the first to try their new location, I can’t deny I was also a bit nervous.  I was nervous because I didn’t want to be a guinea pig for people trying to navigate and learning how to prepare a gluten-free pizza with minimal risk of cross-contamination.  In addition to this, the opening night was packed.  A setting I try to avoid when I want to be sure the people in the kitchen and servers are handling my order carefully.  My nerves were eased when I spoke with the owner and she assured me that they have been trained and that the main person making pizzas that night was an experienced pizza maker from another Uncle Maddio’s location.

Logo_Uncle_MaddiosI decided to trust it, and ordered my pizza.  I love how the format is “Chipotle-style”, casual and family-friendly.  You can order from one of the many speciality designed pizzas, or you can go down the line and choose the toppings to make your own unique pizza.  There is a huge menu board that lists the specials and toppings available.  My family all ordered gluten-free pizzas, because honestly they all like the crusts better, even though they don’t have to eat gluten-free like me.

I told the pizza maker I was going to have a gluten-free pizza, and thankfully he changed his gloves without being asked, as well as, alerting the next people in the pizza line to change their gloves as well.  Since I have been to an Uncle Maddio’s before, I was familiar with what toppings were safe, but as we know, ingredients always change, so I asked again.  I was told that all veggies were OK, but he seemed a little fuzzy as to all that was safe after that.   I ordered a pizza with red sauce, broccoli, green olives and tofu. My daughter ordered her favorite of tofu and pepperoni – such a great contradiction!

All in all, it was a great experience, even if I was a little nervous in the crowded, just-opened atmosphere.  The leftovers the next day were just as delicious!

One change I would make, if I could, would be to mark the gluten-free toppings on the menu board rather than leaving us guessing.  The salads are marked, so why not mark the pizza toppings?

I can’t wait to go again!