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Review: Gluten-Free at Bravo

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

My weekend was full of celebration for my birthday and my mom’s birthday – how cool is it that we share a birthday?  We ended up eating out for three meals, with Bravo being one of those restaurants.  I hadn’t been to Bravo in years, in fact, I am not sure that I have dined there since starting the gluten-free diet.

The gluten-free menu is decently sized with options for salads, entrees and pasta.  Since we were there for lunch I chose a salad with grilled salmon.

IMG_4497Doesn’t that look wonderful?  The salad is “Served with field greens, tomatoes, grilled asparagus, Feta and a balsamic vinaigrette”.  I was pleased with the freshness and flavor of this salad.  The salmon was cooked perfectly and I love the addition of grilled asparagus to a salad!

The one thing lacking from Bravo is a dessert option for the gluten-free diner.  The menu does have crème brulee and ice cream on it, but neither are included on the gluten-free menu. It would be nice to see one or both added in the future.  Bravo has locations across the US. Visit the website to see locations nearest you.

Have you dined gluten-free at Bravo?  Please share your experience below.

Review: Katz Gluten-Free English Muffins

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 6 Comments

While I have long been a fan of Katz gluten-free gluten-free products, there are still some products in their line-up that I haven’t tried. The English muffins happen to be one of those products. Last week I ordered a sample pack that contained an English muffin and incorporated it into my breakfast yesterday morning.

 

The package arrived with instructions to freeze the products immediately and to toast the English muffin lightly before eating.  I put the English muffin into my refrigerator and then sliced and toasted in my toaster oven before topping with peanut butter and strawberry preserves. IMG_4553

The muffins toasted up nicely and retained a light, crisp outside layer and a warm, chewy center.  I can see these being the perfect base to a tuna melt on a cold winter day.  The ingredients are:

gluten-free Flour (Potato Flour, Rice Flour), Water, Potato Starch, Quinoa, Tapioca Starch, Canola Oil, Sugar, Dry Yeast, Baking Powder, Guar Gum, Salt, Corn Flour

The English muffins are available on the Katz website for $4.99 (4 pack) or in select stores across the US.  Have you had a chance to try the Katz gluten-free English muffins? 

Red Lobster Gluten-Free Options

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 15 Comments

I can’t believe there is a chain restaurant out there that I haven’t tried since I have been gluten-free, but there is: Red Lobster.  I guess I knew they had a few gluten-free options, but never really stopped to see what they offered.

In addition to the obvious gluten-free items like steamed shellfish, baked fish, baked potato and plain salad there are many other options such as:

  • Shrimp scampi
  • Bacon-wrapped shrimp  with mashed potatoes
  • Blackened fish
  • Coleslaw
  • New York Style cheesecake with strawberries

There are some other items marked gluten-free, like chicken wings and French fries, but it is necessary to check to see if a common fryer is used at the location where you are dining.  The allergen menu is updated on a regular basis to ensure that if anything has changed it is updated.

Just because an establishment offers a gluten-free menu doesn’t mean you don’t need to ask questions regarding preparation and precautions taken to eliminate the chance of cross-contamination.  Here are some questions that should always be asked:

  • Is there a dedicated fryer?  Fries, tortilla chips and chicken wings are not gluten-free if they are fried with breaded items.
  • How are gluten-free items on the grill/flat top kept from coming in contact with gluten?
  • Is it possible to cook the gluten-free items in a separate pan?
  • If there is gluten-free pasta offered, is it cooked in a dedicated pot?
  • Is the salad prepared in a separate dish to avoid being tossed with any crouton remnants?
  • Are separate utensils used to plate the gluten-free food?
  • Are vegetables a part of your entrée?  Ask how they are prepared to ensure any butter sauce or seasonings are gluten-free and that they are not cooked in pasta water.
  • If there are gluten-free bread or bun options, how are they toasted/warmed?
  • If you are eating breakfast and ordering omelets or scrambled eggs, ask if pancake batter is used to add fluffiness.
  • If there is gluten-free pizza on the menu, is it baked separately or on a dedicated pan?  Is the sauce and toppings kept separate from the non-gluten-free sauce and toppings?
  • Desserts – flourless chocolate cake isn’t gluten-free if the pan is dusted with flour; ice cream should be scooped with a clean scoop that hasn’t come in contact with gluten, crème brulee is gluten-free until a cookie is stuck out of the top of it.

The list above is not all-inclusive, but should give you a good place to start when dining out gluten-free.  Always remember if you don’t feel comfortable eating someplace, leave and go to another restaurant. Don’t worry about hurting feelings of any staff members, your health comes first.  I try to research new-to-me restaurants in advance to limit some of the issues that may arise and make a mental list of questions I want to get answers to before I get settled in.

Have you eaten gluten-free at Red Lobster?  Have you tried the New York Cheesecake?

What is your number one tip for dining out gluten-free?

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Review: Udi’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Granola

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

I have been a fan of Udi’s Gluten-Free since they first debuted the white sandwich bread on the market a few years back.  They have been consistently adding new products to their line-up, but the one I had neglected to try was the granola.  Udi’s offers four different gluten-free granola varieties:

  • Au Natural
  • Original
  • Cranberry
  • Vanilla

IMG_3979

I was able to sample the Vanilla variety and quickly fell in love with it.  It was just as the packaged described, “Sweet & Crunchy”!  I love the large pieces of sliced almonds throughout the package.   What I love even more is the simple ingredient list:

CERTIFIED gluten-free OATS, WILDFLOWER HONEY, CANOLA OIL, ALMONDS, VANILLA EXTRACT. CONTAINS ALMONDS

Doesn’t get much better than that, folks!  Nutritious enough to eat straight out of the package by the handful, but even more nutritious when combined with a small bowl of Greek yogurt.  The granola can be purchased online or in grocery stores across the US.  You may be able to save some money by purchasing on Amazon.com, but make sure you are buying the gluten-free variety.

What is your favorite gluten-free granola?  Have you tried Udi’s Gluten-Free Granola?

*The product reviewed in this post was sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Pizza

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 7 Comments

It was only last week that I learned that Trader Joe’s is now making a frozen gluten-free pizza. I was really excited to hear this, as I have been really happy with some of their other store brand gluten-free products.  When I knew I was going to be close to one of the two Trader Joe’s stores in the Columbus area, I made time to swing by and pick up some of my favorite products and the new gluten-free pizza.

Trader Joe’s 3 Cheese Pizza with fresh Roma Tomatoes is the perfect food to have on hand for busy nights or lazy weekend afternoons.  The preparation time is less than 30 minutes, including the time recommended to let the pizza sit at room temperature before it goes into the oven.

IMG_3432The back of the box says the serving sizes is 1/2 of the pizza, but Jon easily consumed it in one sitting.  The pizza has a great flavor, though the crust could be a little crispier.  I have a feeling that the crust could have been improved by baking the pizza directly on the oven rack, as the box suggests.  These pizzas have quickly become one of my favorite Trader Joe’s products to keep on hand.

Doesn’t that look amazing?  The gluten-free pizzas are priced at $4.99/each, which is a little less than some of the other gluten-free pizzas of comparable size on the market.

Have you tried Trader Joe’s 3 Cheese gluten-free Pizza?  What did you think?