Wildfire - more than just meat!

When Wildfire opened up in late 2006 in Atlanta near Perimeter mall, it was quite the event for the gluten free set. Not only did they have a gluten free menu - it did not consist solely of meat and potatoes - yippee! Sure, there is a LOT of great meat that is gluten free...steaks, chops, burgers, a gluten free - even a gluten free bun. But in addition to those items, they have a gluten free Au Gratin potato dish that is not to be believed. Thinly sliced potatoes and cream and cheese...it's the BEST dish of it's kind in the ATL - no doubt! Maybe you don't eat meat, like a friend of mine who recently met me at Wildfire for lunch. No problem - for dinner order the cedar plank Salmon and for lunch try the Mediterranean Shrimp. Both are excellent choices to be sure. And for dessert, try the gluten free chocolate cake with ice cream. It is actually like 'real' cake, with molten chocolate sauce in the middle....oh so good that even glutenoids will scarf it down.

It's a real treat to be offered gluten free bread in a restaurant and in fact, there are only four places here that I know of, that do it. Well at Wildfire, they'll serve you gluten free bread and butter. The bread is actually a bun from a well known brand that I don't care for anything from - except their 'Homestyle' waffles. But I have friends that love the bread as long as it's salted, brushed with olive oil and toasted.

As most of you know, if something isn't as good as the gluten filled item it's trying to imitate, I'm not going to eat it. So I just skip the bread at Wildfire and order the burger bun-less. On our recent visit for lunch, my friend thought the butter served with the bread made it much better than just eating the bread plain. I agree that the butter tastes exceptional at Wildfire...but it's not good enough to overtake the taste of the bread for me. Bread is full of carbs I don't need, so it's got to be incredible for me to eat it. I'll save room for the great potato dishes Wildfire offers intead....did I mention their killer mashed potatoes?

If you've ever seen the 'regular' menu at Wildfire, you were probably overwhelmed at your choices. You name it and you can order it at Wildfire - unless you're gluten free, of course. As I review all the many choices on the 'regular' menu, I see so many things that could be made gluten free with slight effort and little or insignificant cost increases. And each of the items I envision as being gluten free there, would be able to be served to glutenoids, who'd never be the wiser. Don't get me wrong - restaurants should not go about telling people they are eating gluten free. That knowledge clouds the mind of any self respecting glutenoid. I'm living proof of that fact. There are a few people in my life that will not try gluten free anything unless they don't know it's gluten free going in.

If Wildfire decides to bring out an updated gluten free menu, I hope they'll consider thinking outside the box this time around. They have the ability to be a major player in the gluten free market in Atlanta - if they choose to be. These days, with the economy being what it is, the gluten free diner is looking to be 'wowed' before letting go of their hard earned cash to dine out. Give Wildfire a try if you haven't already. People from Chicago (where the company is based) are always excited to learn that Wildfire has a location here and Midwesterners know their meat...lol! You can make reservations through Open Table, and note in the comments section, that you need a gluten free menu. Enjoy!

Jamie's GF Kitchen - Gluten Free Gem in Atlanta!

Most of you know that I organize the Atlanta GF Dinner Club, but you might not know that I have two incredible Assistant Organizers that I could not live without! Thank you to both Lori and Jamie for keeping me sane on this gluten free journey we share. I hope one day such a group as ours will not be needed, but right now I love working with these great ladies to expand our gluten free dining out options in the ATL!

Jamie actually started a gluten free food company last year called Jamie's GF Kitchen. She serves up some of the finest (gluten free) comfort food you'll find anywhere - as well as my husband's favorite dessert ever - gluten free cream puffs. Jamie even makes them with semi-sweet chocolate on request as the husband can't do dark or bittersweet chocolate. In fact, Jamie will do anything she can, to accommodate special diet needs. Everything she makes is gluten free but she can do dairy free as well if you ask her to. Please refer to her website for more information on this.




Jamie's portions are large but you can divide portions up to freeze and use as needed. There is a certain joy in knowing you have killer mac-n-cheese in your freezer that just needs to be defrosted and reheated. We had the spicy version (Jamie offers traditional as well) with fried pork chops for Valentine's Day dinner. The husband and I made everything except the mac-n-cheese. The star of the meal was of course - Jamie's mac-n-cheese. And we're both pretty good cooks....we just don't compare to Jamie in that arena.

Below: top to bottom - brownies, cream puffs, cheesecake (with chcolate chip cookie crumb crust!) , stuffed mushrooms.



























Even though I prefer to eat out when I travel, it occurred to me that someone visiting our fair city might want to order from Jamie, so they have safe meals when here. This is assuming they have accommodations that offer guests in room food storage and heating. I think really a small fridge and microwave would be all you need. And if you don't plan to eat in your room, then just order cream puffs so you can experience pure gluten free bliss during your visit. Serve them to glutenoids to share the joy. They are fabulous, period. They might be free of gluten but they are FULL of incredible taste!!! This is true no matter what you order from Jamie's GF Kitchen.

Whether you live here or are just visiting - check out Jamie's GF Kitchen. You will not be disappointed! One day I hope we can enjoy Jamie's fabulous food in a totally gluten free restaurant in Atlanta. My theory is if you create it (incredible gluten free food) they will come!

Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons....# 2

Some of you might remember that last year, we took the Atlanta Gluten Free Dinner Club to the Four Seasons Hotel to enjoy their Afternoon Tea service, gluten free style. While it was nice to be able to have gluten free scones and bread - the items were from Whole Foods Bakeshop and of course did not compare to the gluten versions served at Park 75. This year we went back and were treated to much better offerings, though they still have a ways to go on the bread....

To start we had homemade gluten free scones with all the trimmings. They were the best scones I've ever had - not the best gluten free scones - but the BEST scones period. Some of my members were worried that we had been given the wrong scones and some commented that they were better than the gluten version served here. In fact our scones were triangular in shape while the gluten scones were round.
Next out came the tea sandwiches...egg salad, cucumber watercress, smoke salmon with caviar and chicken salad. The fillings of each sandwich were amazing. However, some in our group were sure the bread was from Whole Foods. It looked like and tasted a little like the WF bread - but it was made in house. It was better than WF bread actually, but it still tasted gluten free. I am not sure why they don't use a gluten free bread mix so we can have REAL tasting bread but I guess since they are world class Chefs - it would be considered improper and unacceptable to use a mix for anything. But they might consider that if someone is a world class Chef - they are probably not trained in the art of gluten free bread making.....get some Tracy's Treats Outstanding Oat bread mix and call it a day. It's soft, fluffy and tastes like....well, very good bread.

Last but not least we had the dessert plate. It was fine and most members raved about the cheesecake lollipop, blueberry meringue and chocolate pate. But for me, really nothing compared to the scones. I've had scones in some pretty hoity toity places and no gluten scones come close to those we had last month at Park 75. Chef Christopher is the pastry Chef and came up with the recipe for the scones and the bread. Everyone agreed that if he made the scones he could make excellent gluten free bread. But I doubt he has the countless hours it would take him to do so. Unless he's opening a gluten free bakery, there isn't a reason for him to perfect a gluten free bread.

It's worth the drive into town just to have these amazing scones....I brought one home and slowly heated it the next day. It was amazing and not the least bit stale...unusual for day old gluten free goods. Thanks to the staff at Park 75 for hosting another fun event for our dinner club. I'm sure eventually we'll be able to rave about the gluten free bread there too. And remember, I'm always available for test tasting...


*The lone photo above shows the fantastic scones slathered with Devonshire cream, raspberry jam and lemon curd. None of my other photos came out at all, due to the lighting in the space and my overzealous flash.

New Gluten Free snack packs!

Happy Spring!

I just found out about this new product line and have not ordered from them yet. This is a greatly needed item for our community - I think kids will really love it! It's great for traveling - especially to places that won't allow open packages of food to be brought in from other countries.




I usually order small sizes of food from www.minimus.biz/ but you have to know what's gluten free before ordering there, as they don't classify anything as gluten free on that site. They have some gluten free meals as well as snacks. Perfect for people who just want to order and go!!!

UPDATE: Use code GLUTENFREE for a 20 % discount for these products. I don't have an expiration date so order soon for the savings.

http://www.gopicnic.com/All-GoPicnic-Products/Gluten-Free-Meals;jsessionid=0a0105531f431d5ecea8f71545fe93c39e7e56f2869c.e3eSc3uRax8Te34Pa38Ta38Oaxj0

Gluten Free Beignets!

Right up front I need to apologize that I can not tell you where I had these TO DIE FOR treats. Sometimes I get little perks for being a leader in the gluten free community in my neck of the woods. And today was one of those times. The husband was confused about why we had to go have a late lunch (or very early dinner) at 2:30 pm. We met gluten free friends and had a fabulous meal together. We had fried everything you can think of....and then we thought we died and went to gluten free Heaven. And in a sense we did.



But I must digress for just a bit. Two years ago when vacationing in New Orleans, I tried to convince the husband to go to the famous Cafe du Monde for a beignet but he wouldn't do it. He knew that I was just being nice but that it would be pretty hard for me to sit and watch him eat a gluteny fried doughy delight drizzled with glaze. I adore his thoughtfulness. No wonder our 20th anniversary is right around the corner. He's a 'keeper' as they say...lol! I remember that day in NoLa, thinking that I'd never have a beignet again - ever. I just could not conceive that someone would one day make gluten free beignets....my mind could not go there.



So today, almost exactly two years later, I had gluten free beignets...some with powdered sugar and some with a glaze that would make a grown gluten free man cry. I had to stop myself from tearing up...it's weird to feel that way over food. For three years I've searched for something...anything that resembled a gluten free Krispy Kreme. Today my search ended. This amazing fried, hot, fluffy, glazed concoction was better than any Krispy Kreme ever dreamed of being.





















It took me three years but I finally want for nothing in terms of fabulous gluten free food. I searched, I tasted, I conquered. Yes, I still order some food online and I hope one day that isn't necessary. We live in the greatest nation on Earth. Surely we can get this gluten free thing down as good as all the other countries that are way ahead of us already.

I'm so glad I didn't move to Europe when the husband offered to transfer there so my gluten free life would be easier to navigate. Instead of running away from a challenge, I became part of the change I wanted to see in the world. I challenge you all to do the same. You won't believe how good it feels to be part of that change and you'll never know how many you'll help that come after you. And to the person who created the first ever gluten free beignets - well, there really aren't words to thank you enough for all you do. And I really do think you should be on the Food Network!

Betty Crocker goes Gluten Free!!!

General Mills owns this company....they also own Pillsbury so maybe pop and bake cinnamon buns are not far behind.....

The official word from the company is that they can't talk about the release date yet...or confirm the existence of the product for that matter....lol! But my trustworthy contacts say it's another June release, just like the new gluten free Chex Cereals. There is a chocolate cake mix, chocolate chip cookie mix and brownie mix...so far.

General Mills - WE LOVE YOU!

http://killthegluten.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

More Gluten Free Chex!

The news about four new Chex cereals being reformulated to be gluten free is spreading like wildfire from coast to coast, but the actual company customer service reps have only heard about this from consumers calling in to ask about it. I spoke with one such employee today.
It will likely be another month before they will verify the information is true. Since this exact same situation happened with the new gf Rice Chex, it looks like General Mills didn't learn their lesson from that fiasco.

I'm very excited that we (gf consumers) bought enough gf Rice Chex to prove how large our market really is, and that General Mills is rising to the challange of making us more safe cereals. However, why they go to so much trouble to do it and can't bother to inform their own customer service employees about it is beyond me. I think it's pretty simple. Send out a mass e-mail explaining the new products and whatever you want the consumers to know about it. It's ridiculous that a company can not do something that simple.

Still, I'll be looking for the Corn Chex and Honey Nut Chex in June. The day I found the Rice Chex in Target (after looking for two months at every store I could think of) I danced in the asile and thought the husband was right behind me. I was singing 'I found gluten free Rice Chex' and really dancing around and then I turned and the husband was around the corner at an end cap. The other shoppers around me scurried away....they were surely scared I was absolutely deranged...lol! I hope I get to look deranged in the grocery aisle again very soon!

http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/03/16/more-chex-cereals-are-now-gluten-free-but-watch-out-for-peanuts/





http://www.glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/03/gluten-free-chex-cereals-available-june.html

More great food at Margarittaville!

In January we attended our annual trade show in Orlando, FL. After the special gluten free meal we had in Panama City Beach in November, I decided to visit the Margaritaville location in Orlando, while at Universal Studios for a trade show party one night. It was a long trek to the restaurant from the part of the park our organization had rented for the function. But since 98% of the food offered at the 'free' party was off limits to me, we really had no choice but to make the (park employee escorted) hike over there, and hope it was worth the effort.

After a walk that felt like we'd left the county, we finally arrived at Margaritaville to find it larger and even more elaborately 'theme decorated' than the one in PCB. The exploding volcano was really entertaining, supposedly erupting with what else - a Margarita. The Chef knew we were coming and we were seated right away even though they were on a waiting list and we were quite early for our reservation. It's always good to have a connection to someone in power in a restaurant, whether you're gluten free or not.



At this location they already have a gluten free menu which includes a gluten free bun, french fries (dedicated fryer) and even a gluten free brownie dessert! But of course I wanted something special and had mentioned to the Corporate Chef in an e-mail that I really missed being able to have seafood or crab bisque when dining out. It's super easy to make gluten free but of course, most places don't bother. When the Chef came out he mentioned they'd made me some special seafood bisque. OK - planning ahead once again pays off big time...and being a blogger doesn't hurt either!









Both the husband and I ordered a bowl - not a cup - of the bisque. Out comes the server with two massive bowls and we realized we had grossly over ordered. The bisque alone was a meal for me and I still had a burger and fries coming.

The taste, texture and smell of this bisque was completely amazing and I don't care what they say about how difficult this dish is to make. They need to put it on the menu and serve to gluten free patrons and glutenoids alike - period. It was chock full of all things seafood and corn and spices and it was simply wonderful! I asked for a container to take some home and had to use a soda cup with plastic lid. I didn't care. I'd have to risk that it would make it to the hotel safely where I had a fridge with freezer.

I honestly can not remember what my husband ordered but it was good and from the gluten free menu. My burger itself was one of the best I've had and though I was thinking I would not like the bun they served, it was actually quite good. I was a little worried I got a gluten bun by mistake, but I noticed the shape is a little odd and knew it was indeed gluten free.

We so enjoyed our visit to Margaritaville and the food was outstanding - chain restaurant or not. The 'balloon' girl that entertained patrons was told to treat us to balloon hats and wondered how we knew the Chef. The husband wanted to wear the (connected) hats throughout the meal, but since he's much taller then me (even when seated) that was not feasible. We wore them for a photo and then took them off. The balloon hat, like the bisque, made it home to Atlanta safely and though the air eventually left the heart shaped hat, the bisque was excellent for lunch the next week!

Thanks to Margaritaville Orlando for going the extra mile to make their customers happy - even those who can't eat gluten. I think since they have a dedicated fryer already, gluten free chicken fingers can't be far behind.... Remember to ask for what you want in life - even if it's just seafood bisque - you never know when you're going to get it just for the asking.

After dinner - and the long trek to our trade show party - we joined in the street dancing with the Simpson characters. It was certainly a sight to see these large yellow creatures bobbing around with everyone!

More Gluten Free Pizza in Atlanta!

Z Pizza started serving gluten free pizza in Atlanta in late 2008. I've eaten at all three Metro locations and the gluten free crust they use is pretty good. They had a few tweaks to work out regarding ingredients in their dressings, etc. Finally all dressings are confirmed to be gluten free and the only sauces that contains gluten are the one for the Thai pizza and the BBQ sauce. One of the most unique things about Z Pizza is their unusual pizza offerings. It's such a nice change to find something different AND gluten free without spending a fortune for fine dining. Z's offers the best prices for gluten free pizza in this market...and most others I'm aware of come to think of it. They charge $2 extra for the 10" gluten free crust. Below is the classic pepperoni pizza with an Italian salad....so good!









We recently attended the soft opening party at the Z Pizza in Duluth - located about three miles north of Natural Foods Warehouse. It was the place to be on an otherwise sleepy Sunday evening in the burbs. The place was swarming with people of all ages enjoying delicious salads, pizzas and even apple pie pizza for dessert! Yes, they even make a gluten free version of that for us.

What I find strange about the gluten free community is that the number one thing that people miss once on a gluten free diet is pizza (according to surveys in the US and abroad), yet the hardest thing to get gluten free dining customers to try is gluten free pizza. It's true most places are baking the pizzas in one oven - gluten crusts are next to the gluten free ones. But the crust is wet when it goes in the oven and flour is not flying all around in the actual oven. The places I eat - including the pizza joints I enjoy - have taken steps to keep the gluten free pizzas from being contaminated with gluten. While I have no doubt that someone will eventually open a 100% gluten free restaurant in our area, it's quite doubtful that anyone is going to open a 100% gluten free pizza place here.

Please - if you eat gluten free for any reason and are in the Metro Atlanta area, at least give Z Pizza a try. Locations/phone numbers can be found here. If you don't have a good experience you don't have to go back. But the management there would like to make things right if things go awry I'm sure. My bet is that you'll not only like Z's but you'll become a regular customer because there is just something about having pizza with friends that is good for the soul. When you're there you might ask them to bring in Bard's Tale beer for us....or even Redbridge (worst case).

If you haven't tried Z's yet, here is what you're missing....


TOP: something with peppers and sausage...sorry it was my friends pizza and I forgot the name. MIDDLE: Italian without fresh tomatoes (personal choice)BOTTOM: Apple Pie pizza, it's heavy on the almond flavor with a hint of caramel sauce. Loved it!



















If you have not tried Z's yet, you should make a point to do so. When ordering there, I suggest repeating 'gluten free' several times so the staff enters your order correctly. Many are young kids and they are not required to study Celiac to get a job there. For reference the 'normal' crust is thick and the gluten free crust is very thin. If you are served pizza that isn't thin, please ask for a manager before consuming.

Gluten free dining in Panama City Beach, FL...quite the challenge

I was thrilled to find out some of my family moved to the beach and we’d be spending Thanksgiving down there this year. However, I had no idea how backwards PCB was when it came to food intolerances. After finding nothing helpful online about dining gluten free there, I remembered Dr. Rudert talking about how some patients from the panhandle drive all the way to Atlanta to see her regarding Celiac. The others apparently go to Shands in Gainesville or Mayo in Jacksonville. As far as I can tell the only doctors that know anything about Celiac in that part of FL are in Pensacola and we were not driving over there for dinner, of course. The usual suspects are there…Outback, Bonefish and Carabba’s but I’m not driving to FL to eat at a place I have around the corner from my house - unless I have no other safe options.

Finally, I found out that there is a Margaritaville in PCB and the Orlando location has a gluten free menu. They even have a dedicated fryer so their fries are safe to eat. The head Chef in Orlando (Daniel) said he’d have the new Chef (Pietro) at PCB take care of our party of ten for the Wed. night before Thanksgiving. Chef Pietro called me to discuss my preferences for dinner and offered to make us gluten free crab cakes. There are three Celiacs in my family (that we’re aware of) so this was quite a treat for us. I did have to drop off gluten free Ener-G crackers ahead of time but I had some that were on clearance and they’d expired the week before – perfect for breadcrumbs.

Before we ordered at Margaritaville, the Chef came out to see if we had any questions and let us know he’d brought in gluten free buns and brownies for us too. But we were set on crab cakes and I don’t like the buns they use anyway – I’m spoiled being able to have the Whole Foods bun at the Roswell Outback.

All the gluten free diners in our party ordered the crab cakes and my husband who is 99% gluten free ordered some Mahi Mahi dish (which was also gluten free). We could have the rice and veggies there but not the roasted potatoes, which contained gluten. I guess because I took so many crackers in the Chef made us three crab cakes which were large so I could only eat half of them. They were very good and didn’t have any odd taste or texture to them. They were actually pretty similar to what I make at home except I put spicey brown mustard in mine and I don’t think these contained any mustard. It would have been nice to have a mustard or remolaude sauce with them but the lemon juice was fine. It was just nice having crab cakes that I didn’t have to make. In Atlanta, the Four Seasons Hotel serves the best I’ve had but they are also $45 so the $18.50 cost at Margarittaville was quite the deal indeed! If you’re in the Panama City Beach area and go to Margaritaville, you might ask if they have a gluten free bun or brownie for you since we didn't order them and no one else would know they're available.















All Margaritaville locations will eventually have a printed gluten free menu and you can find out where they all are by checking their website. I hope they’ll put a gluten free crab bisque on the menu…that’s something I have to make at home these days and it’s so easy to make gluten free. Most restaurants could do it for a few pennies a bowl and serve it to everyone – glutenoids included.

I've got to say we are not really into theme, family oriented restaurants but I was surprised at how much fun this place was. We left shortly after the live music began and I wish we could have stayed a little longer. It's more than a place for a fun bite to eat. It really is an experience..not one I'd want every day but nice to enjoy every so often. The kids in our party loved it too...the smoking plane with descending salt shaker and Jimmy Buffet videos were great. As we say in the South...it was a hoot!

Rosa Mexicano - Gluten Free gourmet Mexican fare in Atlanta

Rosa Mexicano opened in Atlantic Station well over a year ago and somehow I never tried it until September of this year. I’d read a rave review of the Manhattan location but thought I was reading a review for the Atlanta location as it was on Catherine’s blog. I thought she’d tried the Atlanta restaurant when visiting as she often did when at her previous job. After seeing the pictures of the food she had in NYC, I had to try and eat at the location here - if possible to do so safely gluten free. The menus vary slightly at each location but most of the menu items in Atlanta are naturally gluten free. I found this out by speaking with a company executive in NYC.

Our first visit to Rosa Mexicano was for brunch. It was good, but basic breakfast food with a Mexican twist. I had an egg and cheese scramble served in an iron skillet with rice and beans (they are both gluten free). We also had chips with red and green salsa and the red sauce was phenomenal. We have some good glutenoid friends that are always willing to try new places with us and they enjoyed their meals as well.
My next meal at Rosa Mexicano was for lunch. I met a gluten free friend there and we had the tableside guacamole service to start. It was surprisingly fast and very good. Still, the red sauce was my favorite for the chips. I could eat it by the gallon. For my meal I tried Suizas (two soft corn tortillas filled with pulled roasted chicken, topped with a creamy tomatillo sauce and queso fresco), which the server recommended and it was really good. I took half of it home for later. My friend ordered something similar to chicken fajitas and also enjoyed her dish.

Right when we thought our meal was over the server brought out desserts which the manager had ordered for us. The Chef made us Mexican Sundaes complete with both vanilla and chocolate ice cream and Mexican caramel sauce which included toasted coconut. It was amazing and I don’t even really like ice cream desserts.




When in Atlanta, or anywhere they have a Rosa Mexicano location, you should treat yourself to a gourmet Mexican meal, whether you’re gluten free or not. They are a customer service oriented restaurant which you’d assume all restaurants are but....at least here, that is not the case. Many places are all style without much substance to back it up. Rosa Mexicano is the real deal!