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Review: Jason’s Deli Gluten-Free Options

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 4 Comments

Yesterday I had the pleasure of dining at Jason’s Deli, something I have been meaning to do for a long time. Jason’s Deli first announced that they were adding gluten-free bread to their repertoire over a year ago.  Hannah and I spent the day together and set out to find something new for us for lunch. We wanted something fast, but not your typical fast food restaurant.  That is when we decided on Jason’s Deli.

Jason’s Deli is all about healthy – no trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, and no MSG in any of their food, and much of it is organic to boot.  They have a wide range of choices from salads to sandwiches to soups & stuffed potatoes.  There are even several different choices for kids!  The gluten-free menu is one of the largest I have seen at a place like this.

I was honestly overwhelmed by the menu, which is not something that has happened to me in a long time.  Often times there are only a few choices, so it is easy for me to decide what I want.  I had a very hard time deciding yesterday but settled on half a sandwich & salad bar.  The sandwich was made on Udi’s gluten-free whole grain bread (they use the restaurant size, so the slices are larger – half a sandwich was the size of a regular slice of Udi’s bread) and stuffed with deli oven-roasted turkey, field greens & spicy mustard.  The employee who made my meal changed his gloves & was the only one to touch my food.  The salad bar was very clean & the foods that were gluten-free seemed to be a good distance from those that weren’t.  I am not sure if this was intentional or not, but it worked for me.  There were several salad dressings to choose from, in addition to various kinds of vinegar & olive oil.

For dessert, there was chocolate mousse on the salad bar or soft serve ice cream.  The mousse was positioned in a precarious spot, surrounded by things not gluten-free, so I would probably stay clear of that unless you could have them get some from the back.  I didn’t try the ice cream this time around, because we had plans for frozen yogurt later on.

The lunch we had was excellent!  The food was fresh & flavorful and Hannah is begging to go back (not something she does regularly).  I love that Jason’s offers an amazing variety of gluten-free food.  In addition to fast dining in the restaurant, they also have carry-out, drive-through & catering.  Being gluten-free, I am not sure how comfortable I feel with those options, but it is nice to know that they are there.  I am looking forward to going back to try a stuffed potato or some soup on a cold day!

Have you dined at Jason’s Deli? What was your experience like?

Orange Leaf Yogurt Gluten-Free Menu

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It is always nice to be able to join friends for a frozen treat on a hot afternoon or after a nice meal out. Self-serve frozen yogurt places are popping up all over the place, so I thought it was time that I check one out. I was able to visit Orange Leaf Yogurt this weekend for a mid-afternoon snack.

I had tried several other times to visit Orange Leaf, but the line had been out the front door. I don’t like crowds. Especially when I am trying to ascertain if I can safely eat someplace for the first time. I opted to head back at a less crazy time, which is clearly mid-afternoon on a Saturday.

There were only a few people in the store when I walked in. I loved the light, bright and funky décor. There is a wall of self-serve yogurt machines and then a toppings bar.  I asked the manager on duty which flavors were gluten-free. I was told that the gluten-free flavors were any of the following:

  • Banana
  • Blueberry
  • Blueberry Banana
  • Butter Pecan
  • Caramel
  • Caramel Chocolate
  • Cherry
  • Chocolate
  • Chocolate Cherry
  • Chocolate Coconut
  • Chocolate Mint
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate Raspberry
  • Classic Tart
  • Coconut
  • Coffee
  • Cotton Candy
  • Dole Pineapple
  • Eggnog
  • Grape
  • Grapefruit
  • Green Apple
  • Green Tea
  • Honeydew
  • Kiwi
  • Lemon
  • Lychee
  • Mango
  • Mango, Strawberry, Banana
  • NSA Chocolate
  • NSA Vanilla
  • Orange
  • Passion Fruit
  • Peach
  • Peanut Butter
  • Peppermint
  • Pineapple
  • Strawberry, Banana
  • Pistachio
  • Pomegranate
  • Raspberry
  • Raspberry Banana
  • Raspberry Lemonade
  • Strawberry
  • Strawberry Banana
  • Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry
  • Taro
  • Vanilla
  • Watermelon
  • White Chocolate

Obviously, not all of the above flavors are available at all times, though I had a nice selection to choose from.  I opted for pineapple, coconut, coffee & caramel.  I headed over to the toppings bar, which is a cross-contamination nightmare.  In all honesty, I didn’t feel safe adding any of the fruit or toppings that were out in the open, as there were gluten-containing toppings placed right next to them.  I saw that some of the toppings had other toppings that didn’t belong in them and that was enough to convince me to skip them.  There was another small section that had closed bins that I chose peanut M&M’s and regular M&M’s from.  I went to add some Reese’s Pieces, but when I grabbed the scoop, a malted milk ball rolled out.  Not good. My advice is to stay away from the toppings or ask if there is a specific topping that an employee can get from the back that hasn’t been put out and is “at risk” yet.

The yogurt was good, but not something that I would probably opt to have on a regular basis.

Orange Leaf has many locations across the country.  Have you tried Orange Leaf?  What was your experience like?

Review: Mimi’s Cafe Gluten-Free Options

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 3 Comments

Last year we wrote a post about Mimi’s Café Gluten-Free Menu. It was nice to see the menu written out, as each time I have been to one of their restaurant locations, I am presented with a notebook with confusing information inside. The other night was no different.

Hannah and I headed out to have a girly dinner and then try a new frozen yogurt place in town (which ended up being packed and we settled for Coldstone). We wanted to hit the new Jason’s Deli up the street, but they don’t open until later this week.  Mimi’s was the next choice on our list. I have dined at Mimi’s many times in the past, but it has probably been over a year since the last time I was there.

I was hoping that they would have improved their menu delivery since the last time that I was there, but that was not the case.  The notebook was brought out, which I don’t mean to complain about, as it is more than some places offer.  I would just think that with as common as gluten-free dining has become if you are offering it, you should have a printed menu to hand out.

There are lists inside the notebook that are meant to follow the menu, which they do somewhat.  The problem I found was conflicting information throughout the list.  For example, one place would mention that the ginger/honey glaze contained gluten, while another area of the list/menu didn’t.  I was reassured when the manager came over to see if I had questions about the menu and we talked about some of my questions and the procedures at Mimi’s.  They seem to have a good understanding of cross-contamination and have good procedures in place to try to avoid it at all costs.  They are willing to work & modify dishes as needed.

I chose to order the Broiled Chicken & Fruit plate with a side of brown rice.  The chicken is not marinated (the marinated chicken contains gluten).  None of the dressings are gluten-free, so I had olive oil & balsamic vinegar.  If you don’t like O & V, consider bringing your own.  This was a good size portion, though it wouldn’t have been enough for me had I not ordered the rice.  I might ask for extra salad or fruit if I were to order this again.  Aside from that, the chicken was flavorful and moist.  The fruit was tasty and not bland, which is sometimes the case in restaurants.

 

Mimi’s Café has locations across the  US.  Ever wonder how Mimi’s Café came to be?  Read on…

In 1944, an American airman named Arthur J. Simms fell in love with the beauty, foods and flavors of France. It was to become a passion that would change his life.
Stationed there during the final days of World War II, young Arthur J. was taken by the friendly neighborhood bistros and warm, inviting cafés. Arthur J. loved the simple yet charming meals. He savored the aroma of freshly baked breads, café au lait and the company of good friends raising toasts all around. Equally captivating was a mademoiselle he met by chance, who went by the name of Mimi. Arthur J. Simms never forgot his days in France. In 1978, he opened the first Mimi’s Cafe® – a neighborhood bistro inspired by his memories of Mimi and passion for good food, wine and camaraderie that he remembered so fondly.

Have you dined at Mimi’s Café?  If so, what did you order?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Review: Gluten-Free Menu at Rosa Mexicano

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When the Atlanta location of Rosa Mexicano opened several years ago, word quickly spread that the menu there was very gluten-free and friendly.  The gluten-free training of the staff was slightly shaky at first, but servers who couldn’t answer questions about gluten-free options quickly referred to the chef so they could relay accurate information to gluten-free patrons. I’ve enjoyed lunches with gluten-free friends and joined gluten-eating friends for brunch at Rosa Mexicano many times.

For whatever reason, I’ve never been there for dinner, but all my meals there have been both gluten-free and delicious.  When I found out that the company was rolling out a new gluten-free menu, I made a date to meet a friend there for lunch. The regular menu at Rosa Mexicano is very gluten-free friendly.  In fact, there are more items on the menu that are gluten-free than ones that aren’t.  Even so, after checking out the numerous gluten-free choices, I asked the server if I could have something that was not listed as gluten-free.  It appeared from the description of the Quesadilla de Pollo that it could easily be made gluten-free if made with corn tortillas instead of flour.  The server checked with the chef and said they could easily use corn tortillas to make me a gluten-free quesadilla.

While some people might not be comfortable asking for a special request meal when so much on the menu is already gluten-free, I feel that since I often did that when I ate gluten, there is no reason to stop now.  If something can’t be prepared gluten-free, chefs will let you know and you just order something else.  The key is to always have a second or third menu selection to fall back on, just in case what you want can’t be prepared gluten-free.

My chicken quesadilla made with fresh corn tortillas was simply delicious!  The chips with red sauce we noshed on were as fabulous as ever.  I think I could drink the red sauce from a mug – it’s that incredible!  We skipped the guacamole which is prepared tableside, but it’s also incredible if you like fresh guacamole, of course. After we finished lunch, our server brought us out a lovely light dessert, compliments of the chef.  It was a house made watermelon sorbet with fresh fruit in a light sauce and it was absolutely incredible!  This is a seasonal dessert so it’s not always available.  As it turned out, one of the owners of the company in NYC actually treated us to our meal that day.

Without question, lunch at Rosa Mexicano in Atlanta is one of the best values around.  You get creative dishes prepared with fresh ingredients for the same price as many places here charge for over-processed bland meals.  There are locations of Rosa Mexicano in the following cities:

  • NEW YORK, NY (FIRST AVENUE)
  • NEW YORK, NY (LINCOLN CENTER)
  • NEW YORK, NY (UNION SQUARE)
  • HACKENSACK, NJ
  • WASHINGTON, DC
  • NATIONAL HARBOR, MD
  • ATLANTA, GA
  • MIAMI, FL
  • LOS ANGELES, CA
  • SOUTH BEACH, FL

*The meal reviewed above was provided to me free of charge. As always, my opinions are my own and have not been influenced by any outside sources.

Review: Mellow Mushroom Gluten-Free Pizza

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 4 Comments

There is quite a bit of competition for the gluten-free pizza business in the Atlanta area. The only pizza we’ve had here that could compete with the incredible options we had in NYC were the ones our pizza joint owner, Phil, made with the Domata Living Flour. The only reason that those crusts were made in the first place was because of a supply issue on the Domata crusts and it seems that the problem is ongoing. After finding out that the Domata crusts were still out of stock at our normal pizza place (Pepperoni’s) for the third week in a row, I decided to risk trying the gluten-free pie at Mellow Mushroom again.

Even though I didn’t care for the gluten-free pizza at the Mellow Mushroom in Conyer’s, I think that everyone deserves a second (and maybe a third) chance when it comes to trying to get it right for the gluten-free crowd. Let’s face it – we are difficult customers to prepare meals for. If the staff is trained properly on gluten-free service, they know that one slip-up such as a misplaced pizza cutter could make their gluten-free guests incredibly ill. No one gets into the gluten-free menu game to make people sick and many places really do care about getting it right. The truth is that quite a few of them simply just don’t get it.

In the case of the Mellow Mushroom location we visited last week, the staff not only “gets it” when it comes to safe gluten-free service, the staff members don’t understand why they’d have gluten-free pizza, but not offer gluten-free beer. They aren’t thrilled that only about half their gluten-free customers report that they actually like the gluten-free crust either. This news shocked me because I thought the people that didn’t like the crust offered there were in the minority. The two employees we spoke to admitted that if their choice is to offer something that the majority of their gluten-free guests don’t love, they would rather not offer a gluten-free crust at all. To be fair, these people have only compared the gluten-free crust (which they’d both tried themselves) to their gluten crust. Neither person mentioned having better gluten-free crusts elsewhere.

At this particular Mellow Mushroom location, the gluten-free crust has brought in a lot of new business which actually surprised the staff there. The gluten-free option has only been available for about a month and the number of gluten-free people coming in to order it has been much higher than they’d anticipated. It’s certainly true that everyone has different tastes when it comes to food of any kind. However, for a company like Mellow Mushroom, serving a product that doesn’t live up to its own high standards in terms of customer satisfaction seems a bit odd, to say the least. There is no way that the company would serve a gluten crust that only 50% of their customers loved.

As for the taste of the pizza during this visit, it was much better than the one we had in Conyer’s. Based on tips from others, I ordered the crust “extra crispy” and while it was not crispy at all, it was also not soggy so that was a huge plus. Also, I ordered the Greek salad and which came with feta cheese and it was delicious. At Conyer’s Mellow Mushroom, I was told the feta cheese was not gluten-free. In any case, during our second visit at what will remain an undisclosed Mellow Mushroom location, the Greek salad was delicious and is something I’d go back for and the pizza isn’t something I’d get again – unless they changed the crust.