Gluten-free brunch in North GA!

Buffet-style meals can be hit or miss when it comes to being gluten-free friendly.  Knowing what the safe options are and the placement of those dishes are equally important.  That said, you can find wonderful buffet meals here and there.

With the heat continuing to rise in the ATL, we wanted to head to the cooler climate in the North GA mountains recently.  We enjoyed the wine tasting flight at Wolf Mountain Vineyards a few years back and remembered how lovely the view was there.  This trip we decided to check out their Sunday brunch which has two seatings - 12:30 and 2:30 pm.  Since we wanted to sit on the covered patio, we chose the 12:30 option and let them know in advance I needed a gluten-free meal.  As always, I let them know I wasn't eating gluten-free for fun (although it's more fun than ever these days!).

The brunches at Wolf Mountain Vineyard have a theme each month and for July, the theme is BBQ.  Overall, the menu was fairly gluten-free friendly.  The options on the day we visited included, three types of meat, one BBQ sauce, beans, potato salad and gourmet salad.  Since it was my birthday weekend, I requested a gluten-free dessert (if possible) that wasn't fruit, ice creme or creme brulee.

The meats were all wonderful, but the chicken thighs were my favorite of the three.  So tender and juicy and smothered in a fabulous BBQ sauce!  The potato salad was also very tasty and far from the run-of-the-mill version I'm used to.  It had bacon in it which makes almost everything better.  I skipped the beans because the salad was insanely delicious and I had two helpings of it!  Fresh mixed greens topped with avocado, white cheddar cheese, seriously fresh tomatoes and house made dressing - what's not to love?!

My husband enjoyed the French toast casserole so I'm going to try to make a similar version with the new bread from Pure Knead (I call it gluten-free wonder bread!).  I've made a pretty good recipe for this using a well known gluten-free bread, but it takes a soft and fluffy bread to make it perfect in my opinion.  I'll let you know how it turns out later...too hot for that right now!

OK - back to the brunch.  I was pretty full before my dessert arrived, but once I saw the huge portion of crust-less key lime pie, I could not resist eating at least a 1/3 of it!  My husband usually gets my dessert left overs and he was surprised that this time, his portion was less than normal.  He had the cobbler dessert which he very much liked anyway.  And to the credit of whoever made my dessert, they did more than just pour some key lime filling into the dish.  There was a layer of pie filling, then some custard or whipped cream in the middle and then another layer of pie filling.  There was a scrumptious raspberry sauce drizzled on the pie filling and a dollop of fresh whipped creme on top!  If I'd had a cooler in the car, I probably wouldn't have shared it at all.  It was that delicious!

Between the wonderful meal, the fun live entertainment and the incredible view and the wine tasting downstairs after brunch, we had an absolutely wonderful afternoon at the winery.  We'll be checking out the brunch menus in the future in case there's another one that looks like a good bet for gluten-free options.

For anyone interested in the wine tastings at Wolf Mountain Vineyards, you might want to take your own cheese straws from Marilyn's (sold at Whole Foods in the ATL) or order the cheese plate without crackers.  Since we were full from brunch, we didn't need a snack.  They put out regular bread sticks for the tastings.  There are several nice wine included in the tasting, but the Sunset Rose is a perfectly light wine for the long hot days of summer!

Shelf stable gluten-free baked goods at Publix

When my friend, Dionne, told me about the gluten-free rack in the bakery section at a Publix store, I decided I had to check it out the next time I went to Whole Foods in Duluth, GA.  Sure enough, smack dab in the middle of the bakery section, there was a small rack with non-frozen treats, breads and muffins by 'All But Gluten'.  The line is not at any other Publix that I've checked with so far (which is only a few Atlanta area locations).  The Duluth store is at the corner of 141 and State Bridge Rd., just west of Whole Foods.  Check it out if you find the line near you!

Corner Bakery goes gluten-free! (sort of)

Every so often, I go into a restaurant to inquire about gluten-free options just because I'm walking by it.  Most of the time, I'm fairly certain the gluten-free options are either unimpressive or non-existent.  Even so, what better way to raise the awareness of the need for gluten-free options than to ask?  Sometimes I get the answer I'm expecting like "you can't have anything except our salads" (yes, I still get that one) and other times I'm delighted to learn about something new and gluten-free on the menu.

Last week , I picked up some take-out from Zoe's Kitchen (best chicken salad in the ATL!) for a July 4th fireworks picnic.  My Zoe's location is literally attached to a Corner Bakery Cafe so I dashed in to inquire about gluten-free options there.  To my surprise, I was told that they'd started offering gluten-free sandwiches that week!  I'm not sure why, but I was told they had gluten-free bread that day and when I called back to get more info, I was told they only have gluten-free pita bread... Either way, they apparently have something to make gluten-free sandwiches with.  You can check out the locations that possibly have gluten-free bread, pitas or something to make gluten-free sandwiches with here.

There is an allergen list you can request to check for sandwich ingredients so it doesn't seem that gluten-free friendly in terms of ordering, but I'm definitely going to check it out soon!  It's hard to see all those yummy desserts in the cases up front (none of which are currently gluten-free), but maybe if the gluten-free sandwich program proves lucrative for the chain, desserts will be next on the menu!

Please DO NOT order anything at this chain without inquiring about all the ingredients in whatever item you want to order.   The allergen list should help you confirm what is and is not safe.  Eat out at your own risk!     
    

Gluten-free in Greenville

Greenville is pretty gluten-free friendly for such a small city.  We go there several times a year to visit in-laws, but often make it a day trip which doesn't allow for time to check out the gluten-free dining in the area very often.  During a recent day trip on Father's Day, we decided to have an early dinner downtown before heading home.  In the past, we've been to Larkin's on the River and while the crab bisque there is both gluten-free and amazing, the service is hit or miss.  My husband doesn't like going to places where he thinks the staff might mess up my meal so we haven't been to Larkin's in a couple of years.  However, the people who own that place also own Grill Marks which happens to be a very highly rated burger joint in downtown Greenville.  We decided to check it out and we are so glad we did!

Grill Marks is a trendy gourmet burger place much like those found in the Atlanta area.  There is a neat patio out front which is perfect for people watching.  It was beyond hot when we were there so we sat inside.  I guess it was due to the high ceilings, but it was very warm inside and the A/C was definitely on since it was cooler inside than outside.  It was also muggy which made for a very uncomfortable feeling - one where you can barely enjoy your food no matter how good it is.  Because everything we ordered was hot food - much of it fried - it wasn't as great as an experience as it would have been on a cooler day.

The best part was the food which was really quite tasty!  The menu offers gluten-free buns, fried green tomatoes, three types of fries and many more gluten-free options.  The friendly server went all the gluten-free menu options, and noted some dairy-free options as well.  It was exciting to find out that many more things are available gluten-free than those that are not.  How's that for a nice change?!

The burgers are not cooked well done unless you request it, which we did.  The gluten-free bun was too thick for me, but I almost always find that to be the case.  The batter on the tomatoes was too 'cornmealy' for us, but the green tomatoes and sauce served with them were amazing!  The 'fat' fries were seriously addictive and I actually took some of them home so we could get dessert.

I'm not sure I've ever seen gluten-free cobbler on any menu so of course, I could not resist ordering the cobbler-of-the-day which happened to be strawberry.  When the dessert arrived at the table, I knew there was a good chance I wouldn't care for it and unfortunately, I was correct.  The cobber bread part made up 90% of the dessert.  The other 10% was made up by the fruit part and really good ice cream.  The bread part of  the dessert had a bad flavor and texture.  There are several fabulous gluten-free flour blends available in Greenville so it's unclear why Grill Marks isn't using one to make this dessert.

Maybe we were there on a bad day when the person who usually makes the cobber was out and what we had wasn't representative of the cobber they usually serve - I don't know.  If my husband could stand to see food go to waste when even he doesn't think it's any good, we probably would have asked for the dessert to be taken off the check after only a bite.  The good news is that the burgers, fries and appetizers at Grill Marks are more than enough to fill anyone up.  We'll likely go back on a cooler day to enjoy a nice gluten-free meal served with a smile and great Southern hospitality!

Tupelo Honey Cafe's gluten-free menu

Tupelo Honey is expanding all around the South.  I remember going to the location in Asheville eons ago when it was a true 'hippie' joint. Now there are two locations in Asheville and others in NC, TN and SC (cities listed below).

We checked out the gluten-free menu at the location in Chattanooga during Easter weekend and it was really impressive.  They have gluten-free bread for sandwiches and their hot housemade pimento cheese dip. There was nothing interesting for dessert during our visit and while it's not surprising, it's still disappointing when companies have creative menus except for the dessert options.  The vibe at Tupelo Honey is much more corporate than at the original location which is to be expected from a quickly growing regional chain.  However, the gluten-free menu makes it worthwhile to dine at if there's a location in your area.

To view the complete gluten-free menu, chick on the location and then download the menu: Tupelo Honey Cafe.  The vegan and soy free options are also noted on the gluten-free menu.

• Charlotte
• Chattanooga
• Downtown Asheville
• Greenville
• Johnson City
• Knoxville
• Raleigh
• Southside Asheville

Cinnamon buns at Sally's Gluten Free Bakery!

Some of the best gluten-free cinnamon buns I've had in the past are not available in Atlanta and they can't be shipped here either.  So it was uber exciting when I walked into the Alpharetta location of Sally's Gluten Free Bakery and saw a sign stating they had FRESH cinnamon buns available on Saturdays for a limited time!  Even though I've had many, many gluten-free cinnamon buns that were not worth trying twice (some were not edible at all), I know that anything at Sally's is a good bet.  I bought one of the nice sized individually packaged rolls and added it to my order of their delicious pound cake.  As it turned out, I was going to a brunch in Greenville, SC the next day (Father's Day) and knew there wasn't any type of bread item I could have where we were going.

When going somewhere nice like a wedding or country club, I like to put whatever food I'm taking into a small gift bag.  No one knows you've brought food in until you pop it out and place whatever it is onto a plate.  You don't go without dessert this way, and you also have a tasty treat in case there is a gluten-free dessert that you don't care to have (like ice cream, creme brulee or just fruit).

Because it was Father's Day, the brunch fare was stepped up and included many more gluten-free dishes than the typical brunch there does.  What a nice surprise!  Even though I was quite full when everyone else went to pick out their desserts, I couldn't resist trying my special cinnamon bun from Sally's.  Just the smell alone would drive any cinnamon lover wild, but the taste and texture of the bun was so amazing it was hard to take in.  I shared the slightest little bit (only the outside part) with my husband and kept the ooey gooey part that was insanely delicious all to myself.  So it was somewhat surprising when my husband commented that the cinnamon bun was the closest thing to his Mother's (gluten) version than he'd had in a long time.  Actually, I could have cried at that moment as she is no longer with us.

It's weird how food can affect some of us emotionally.  I never thought I had an emotional connection to food.....then I was told I could never eat gluten again and found out I'd been wrong about that.  It's extra special when you find something that's gluten-free that tastes as good as (or better) than the gluten version you remember from childhood or your wedding or whatever.  Sally's cinnamon buns are definitely special, but they're not available all the time.  Be sure and check out his wonderful treat if you're living in the ATL while you can!

Words of caution: gluten-free dining in the ATL (and everywhere else)

It seems like every week a new restaurant in our area launches a gluten-free menu and while that used to be exciting, these days it's more important than ever to investigate these claims in detail.  Lately, I've come across more places that don't have a clue about proper gluten-free service than those that do.

EXAMPLE:  There is a small independent cafe near us that has a sign on the counter noting that gluten-free pancakes and bread are available for a $1 upcharge.  My husband was so excited to see this when he popped in to inquire about gluten-free dishes.  When I called to ask more about these new items, I was nicely told that the pancakes - gluten and gluten-free - are all cooked on the same griddle.  The bread for all sandwiches is toasted together as well.  The person was fairly knowledgeable and commented that someone with a gluten allergy might want to avoid pancakes and toasted bread.  They added that you can order a sandwich on un-toasted bread in order to ensure the (packaged) gluten-free bread would remain that way.  Lastly, the person commented that since the gluten-free bread was stored in the refrigerator, the bread would be cold if ordered that way.  Sounds yummy.....NOT!

EXAMPLE:  Large chain with a pretty extensive gluten-free menu has the most clueless staff I've encountered in a while.  While a kitchen manager explained that the gluten-free pasta is cooked in clean pan/water, etc. which turned out not to be the case - at least on one of my visits there.  After having gluten-free pasta dishes without incident a couple of times, I found gluten pasta mixed in with my gluten-free pasta.  I sent the half eaten dish back - had it taken off our check - and asked to speak to the manager.  He un-apologetically explained that anyone with a gluten allergy should not be ordering gluten-free pasta since it's cooked in the same water as the gluten pasta!  Interesting....  OK - no reason to return there unless I want to order a salad.  I certainly wouldn't trust them to prepare a burger with a gluten-free bun - or any other gluten-free specialty item for that matter!

EXAMPLE:  Multiple pizza places now have gluten-free pizza crusts.  Many of them also serve gluten-free pasta (if they serve regular pasta).  Some can explain what cross-contamination procedures are in place (for pizza and/or pasta dishes) and some can not.  In fact, the question obviously throws the person on the other end of the phone - managers included - more often than not these days.

At the end of the day, jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon can be quite profitable for restaurants when done right or wrong.  Most of us know someone who's gluten-free for reasons unrelated to their health or food allergies.  They're just following the latest fad and can not detect if they are glutened when dining out.  The trendy gf-ers are kind of skewing the size of the gluten-free market which is somewhat positive when it comes to shopping for gluten-free specialty items.  But it's detrimental when it comes to gluten-free dining options.  It is clear to me that servers are encountering more faux gf-ers than those of us that will get sick if our food is not prepared/served correctly.  And that is not good news for any of us.

Always do your homework before trusting that any place you haven't been before knows what they are doing in terms of gluten-free service.  I eat out at least weekly (daily when on vacation) and will continue to do so.  It's great that there are so many places that do get it right.  But I also feel like it's more important than ever to investigate whether or not a place is worth eating at BEFORE you get there.  Like it or not, trendy gf-ers are driving the gluten-free dining market currently more than those of us who have no choice but to eat gluten-free.        

*The names of the places mentioned above are not listed because they could have changed their policies by now (or at any time) and also because there are way more of them out there than I personally know about.  What I encountered could happen anywhere to anyone and it's up to each individual to make their own decisions about where to dine out.  This post is simply a word (or many words) of caution about dining out.  
     

Top 10 gluten-free dining picks in the ATL

Fried chicken plate at Chick-a-Biddy

The restaurants on this list are not in any particular order.  Some places I get to more often than others, but I've not had a bad experience at any of them. These are my favorite places and might not suit everyone else's tastes - of course.  The food and drinks listed are items I've personally had which is not every gluten-free item each place offers.  As always, it's the responsibility of each gluten-free patron to choose wisely when eating out.  Bon Appétit!

1. Rosa Mia - authentic Italian dishes available with gluten-free pasta, desserts
2. Blue Moon Pizza - gluten-free cheesy bread, pizza, dessert, beer
3. YEAH! Burger - gourmet burgers w/gluten-free buns, fries, onion rings, beer
4. Park 75 - gluten-free afternoon tea service, brunch  
5. Chick-a-Biddy. - gluten-free fried chicken (bone-in and fingers), fries, onion rings, beer 
6. Lavender Asian Bistro - extensive Chinese and Thai gluten-free menu options
7. Jason's Deli - gluten-free sandwiches, salads, dessert
8. Chipotle - burrito bowl, corn tacos, guacamole
9. Figo Pasta - gluten-free pasta, risotto, salads, dessert
10. Tin Roof Kitchen - incredible 100% gluten-free menu (some gluten beer), breakfast, lunch and dinner daily 

*Notable mentions:

• Metro Fresh - gluten-free soups, sides, salads, desserts, muffins 
• Souper Jenny - gluten-free soups, salads, desserts
• Cafe Jonah - gluten-free salads, sides, frittatas, desserts
• Zoe's Kitchen - chicken salads, tuna salads, potato salad, soup
• Egg Harbor Cafe - extensive gluten-free options for breakfast/brunch and lunch  
• Mellow Mushroom - gluten-free pizza, beer, cider
• Farm Burger - awesome gf buns, but no safe fries to date

Food Truck Alley in Alpharetta

Berry cobbler at Tin Roof Kitchen

Food trucks have been popular for a while now, but honestly, I live in the burbs and rarely had a chance to check out the gluten-free options at the moving feast roaming the streets of Atlanta.  So I was super excited to find out that my new neighborhood has a food truck alley on Thursday nights!

At the event we attended, there were three food trucks that had various gluten-free options and a BBQ restaurant tent with many meat options as well.  Below are some gf friendly trucks (far from a comprehensive list) in the ATL.

WOW! (most arepas are gf)
Tex's Tacos (ask for corn tortillas, no gf quesadillas)
The Fry Guy (fab fries, avoid malt vinegar sauce)
King of Pops (bike cart - a few flavors contain gluten)
Happy Belly Curbside Kitchen (killer kale salad!)  
To learn more about Alpharetta's Food Truck Alley nights, please check out this website.  The trucks for each week are listed on Monday or Tuesday for that week's event on their FB page.

It was pleasantly cool during our visit to this fun event (due to a rainstorm earlier that evening) so none of us were jazzed about having a frozen pop from the King of Pops. (Plus, we can get their fabulous treats at Whole Foods).  Therefore, we walked a block over to Tin Roof Kitchen and shared desserts including chocolate cake, caramel sea salt panna cotta, apricot pound cake and berry cobbler. I can't think of a more perfect way to end our night at the Food Truck Alley event in Alpharetta!
     

Christophe's To Go - gluten-free options

Before I started using findmeglutenfree.com for dining options in my area, I searched Urbanspoon and Yelp!  The latter sites are not completely accurate (for gluten-free info) from my perspective, but one listing on one of those sites turned out to be a real gem.  christophe's to go is a prepared food kitchen that has many gluten-free options.  Since I love to cook these days, I haven't tried anything except for dessert. There are three locations in the metro Atlanta area.  To find gluten-free dishes, check the gluten-free box on the left side of the menu page.            

These are a few of my favorite things....

If you live in the metro Atlanta area and have to follow a gluten-free diet, there isn't much to complain about.  Obviously, the initial shock of being told you have to stop eating the way you have all your life and learn how to eat gluten-free is daunting.  But these days, it's easier than ever to treat yourself during that trying project - and for long after you've accomplished it as well!

I can't name everything I've found to be insanely delicious in the ATL (that could fill a book!), but here are a few of my absolutely fave finds.

• Cheese straws from Marilyn's gluten-free.  I get these at Whole Foods and ship them as gifts from the website.  Warning: these are one of the most addictive indulgences I've come across in a long while!
• Pound cake from Sally's Gluten Free Bakery.  Topping this old fashioned pound cake with fresh strawberries (marinated in sugar and almond extract) and whipped cream will rock your world!
• Cinnamon scones and cheese biscuits from Gluten-Free Cutie. Both items freeze well so I order them by the dozen, especially for the holidays! 
• NEW! hamburger buns and bread from Pure Knead.  If you like soft white bread and buns that do not need to be heated, toasted or altered in any way, check out this fabulous new bread!  Rolling out to many Kroger stores presently and the new hot dog bun (not available retail currently) is hitting the gluten-free cart at Turner Field soon. *These two new items from Pure Knead are also egg-free, but you'd never know it by the taste!
• Pizza and Cheesy Bread at Blue Moon Pizza.  I used to try new gluten-free pizza options around town and after being thoroughly unimpressed (or disgusted) with various crusts, I finally stopped.  Like my Grandmother used to say "once you've had the best, why try the rest?"  The pizza at Blue Moon ranks among the best gluten-free options in NYC!  
• Linguini from RP's Pasta.  Several Whole Foods carry some gluten-free products from this incredible line.  I've been known to buy every package at the Whole Foods where I shop because they are often out of stock for weeks on end.  Hand down my favorite fresh gluten-free pasta!