Tag Archives: Gluten-free

Gluten Free Pizza Quest – DC

Posted on June 10, 2011 | 9 comments

So excited to post my first official eating out entry from Washington DC!

When I moved to DC I knew that one of my first orders of business was to find some decent gluten free pizza, since that is one of my favorite things to eat out.   In NYC I tried a ton of pizza (Risotteria, Mozzarelli’s, Slice, Naked Pizza), and narrowed it down to Pala Pizza as my favorite.  The first place that I tried in DC was Ella’s Pizza.

Pluses = they have a number of unique toppings (caramelized onions, gorgonzola and rosemary), they have gluten free beer (Redbridge and St. Peter’s)

Minuses = when you add $2 for the gf crust, it can get expensive for a 10 inch pizza, so I would recommend sharing.  But the biggest minus is that the crust is kind of bready and soggy.  I know it seems odd to describe something gluten free as “bready”, but it was.  I prefer my pizza thin and chewy though, so if you like a thicker crust you may like it.

Ella's margherita pizza

We also got the mini eggplant, parmesan and ricotta rolls as an appetizer.  These were alright, I guess.  They tasted good, but nothing that’s going to blow your mind.

Ella's eggplant rolls

Now, the second place that I tried might be the overall winner – trumping Pala Pizza in a surprising underdog victory.  What is this drool-worthy pizza?

Open City

First of all, I love that you can eat outside here and enjoy a Redbridge with a scenic view.

They also have a lot of other gf options on their gf menu that look amazing – like the Grilled Salmon with Coconut creamed corn & sautéed spinach.

And lastly, every Wednesday night they have a Gluten Free Pizza Party (squeal like a little girl).  When all of their gluten free pizzas are half priced.

The pizza is truly to die for.  It’s one of those things that make you stop and question for a second if it could really be this good and gluten free.  Then you just forget about it, push that thought out of your head, and shove another piece in your mouth.

Next time I’ll have to take a better picture…

Phone picture fail

This time I got the Julienned Vegetable pizza with zucchini, squash, carrots, pesto, parmesan & mozzarella.  I shared it with a friend and I still had a piece left over to take home.  This one was great – very cheesy and a good amount of EVOO spread throughout.  The thing that I love about this pizza is that it has that really great crust that is a bit hard to bite through, and then takes awhile to chew thoroughly.  I asked for a side of marinara to dip in, and next time I think I’ll get a tomato based pie.  Plus then I can take a better quality picture 🙂

Update (8/2/2011):

I went back to Open City with the Gluten Free Grazer, and got a traditional cheese pie with broccoli added. Even though it was no doubt a healthier alternative, I still preferred the greasy and cheesy julienne vegetable one 🙂

 

Ella’s Pizza

901 F Street NW, Washington DC

Gallery Place, Chinatown Stop Yellow, Red & Green Lines

Open City

2331 Calvert St. NW

Woodley Park, Red Line Metro

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Kookie Karma

Posted on June 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

I love when a gluten free company is also hip.  I haven’t seen cookies from Kookie Karma in many places, but they are some of the best gluten free cookies I have ever had.

They’re better than Lara Bars cookie dough…

They’re better than Enjoy Life’s cookies…

And they are certainly better than Glow chocolate chip cookies (although I do appreciate their design sense) …

Kookie Karma holistic chocolate chip cookies are ridiculously moist (probably due to the almond butter) and have great texture (due to the coconut and chia seeds).  Plus the dark chocolate chips are big (and if you put them by your computer fan, like I did, then they are also melty).  Plus with 8 grams of protein these are a much better alternative to Betty Crocker.

 

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The Cheesiest

Posted on May 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

I think that even if I got the new Celiac vaccine that just passed clinical trials, I would still eat this mac and cheese from Outrageous Foods that I got at G-Free NYC in my big stock up before moving to Washington DC tomorrow.

At first I was skeptical because this mac and cheese comes frozen, but it was the best that I’ve ever had!  It’s like the Velveeta kind that’s super thick and cheesy, with lots of the cheese sauce to go around.  The noodles are also really soft and substantial.   I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing in one sitting just so I could eat it twice 🙂

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Terri: Meat and gluten free in Flatiron

Posted on May 5, 2011 | 3 comments

Last week I wanted a full lunch one day, but something healthier than my old haunt, Mozzarelli’s.  So I stopped into a vegetarian place that I knew had gluten free wraps that I was eager to try.

Terri Organic Vegetarian is very crunchy.  They have a whole fridge full of super juices, and their menu is riddled with flax, quinoa, and hemp.

I do love that they try to put a spin on health food by making it sound like junk food (ie: buffalo “chicken” sandwich, “bacon” “chicken” cheddar ranch wrap).  There are a lot of quotation marks on the menu as well.

I ended up getting the hummus and avocado wrap, with added veggie “chicken”.  At first I wanted to order the tofu wrap, but one of the workers told me that it was not gluten free.  (This probably should be listed on their menu?)

Anyway…it was delicious.  The hummus was spicy, the veggie chicken added bulk, and the pickled jalapenos added a little zing.

My only complaint is that the wrap was over $8, but I did have half for lunch and half for dinner, so I guess it was worth it.  I’m looking forward to trying the quesadilla here!

Terri

64 W. 23rd Street

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Red Velvet Cupcakery, I bow down to you

Posted on May 3, 2011 | 1 comment

Last weekend I was in Washington DC (again), and was in dangerously close proximity to some great cupcake places that carried gluten free versions.  After seeing Claire’s post on Sprinkle’s red velvet cupcakes, I was determined to try them for myself.  But, when we walked by there was a line out the door, plus I had just eaten ice cream at Georgetown Scoops, so I didn’t have the dessert itch in me at the moment.

So, I “settled” for Red Velvet Cupcakery instead.

They only had one type of gluten free cupcake, but luckily it was a Black Velvet one – chocolate cake + chocolate icing = winner for me!  They said that they also carry seasonal gluten free varieties, but none right now.

This cupcake. was. perfection.

I ate half for dessert, and half for breakfast.

I can’t believe that it was also vegan, because the buttercream frosting was as good as any one that I’ve had.  It was super moist, rich chocolate flavor, and I loved the rainbow sprinkles on top.

I bow down to your cupcake glory.

Red Velvet Cupcakery

501 7th St., NW, Washington DC

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Skinny snacks: gluten free

Posted on April 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’ve tried two “skinny” snacks lately that I’m hooked on.  I kind of hate that I’m even calling these skinny snacks, but they’re skinny in shape and low in calories, so the name fits.  None of these snacks will make you skinny, especially when you eat four servings at a time like I do.  But they sure are tasty!

Skinny Snack #1

Skinny Crisps

I tried a free sample of these at G-free NYC last week and loved all of the flavors, but I picked up a bag of the cinnamon crisps and have hardly put down the bag since. The most interesting part about these is that they taste just like pita chips baked with butter and cinnamon, but they’re low carb! (?)  The first ingredient is ground almonds, then chickpea flour, organic ground golden flax seed, psyllium husks, organic dehydrated cane juice, and olive oil.  So there’s NO rice flour, like most gluten free cracker products, and they’re so much more indulgent. Well, they taste more indulgent, but they’re really not (8 big crackers for 120 cals)

Skinny snack #2

Annie Chun’s Seaweed Snacks

These are basically like fish food for people.  They’re a great thing to mindlessly snack on at work, and have a ton of Vitamin A.  You will look like a weirdo eating these, but they’re pretty addictive.

Skinny Snack #3

Falafel Chips

I brought these to a potluck at work, and was surprised to hear how much everyone loved them!  The spicy chips taste JUST like the crispy part of falafel, only they aren’t fried (11 chips for 118 cals) and you can store them for longer.

Snack it up!

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Grand Opening Field Trip: G-Free NYC

Posted on April 20, 2011 | 1 comment

I managed to make it up to the Upper West Side today for the Grand Opening of G-Free NYC!  I needed some gluten free oats, plus I wanted to check out if they had any new loot that I couldn’t find at Whole Foods or the other natural stores I usually go to.

The store itself is pretty small, with a window seat, three freezers, a full wall of pantry shelves, and a table in the middle to house the baked goods imported in from Tulu’s.

The first freezer had desserts, including break-and-bake cookie dough, “Ring Tings”, cheesecakes, ice cream sandwiches, tiramisu, and ice cream.  The break-and-bakes and ice cream sandwiches were new to me, but with so many fresh desserts I chose to focus my energy elsewhere.

The second freezer had breads, including hamburger buns, bagels, and Italian bread.

The third had more bread, with frozen baguettes, buns, and English muffins.  The frozen baguettes are not something I’ve seen before, but at $7 and some change I decided to wait until a special occasion.

The pantry shelves held a couple more gems, including one of my purchases: individual packets of tamari soy sauce!  Usually I lug around my La Choy in my purse, but this will be much more convenient.  I’ve considered ordering these online before, but they only come in multi-packs, and who really needs 10 boxes of these?

I found another item that I considered purchasing online before in the pantry as well…Skinny Crisps!  They also had all four flavors on the counter as free samples, and all of them were wonderful.  Onion and cheese for savory-lovers and chocolate and cinnamon/sugar for the sweet-lovers.

Speaking of free samples… cinnamon rolls were out for the taking!

I picked up a carrot cake from Tulu’s for the train home, and an apple pie from Pi!  This things smells amazing and looks buttery and flakey, can’t wait to try it!  They also had potato knishes made by Pi, and some vegan cupcakes (which didn’t look that great to me – especially compared to the frosting perfection on Tulu’s).

I love that this store exists, that I could walk around and not be afraid to taste things, and not have to check labels.  I only wish that it was closer to my work or apartment!

My haul = Skinny Crisps ($7), Tulu’s carrot cake loaf ($3.95), Pi apple pie ($4.50), and 20 pack of tamari soy sauce ($4.95).

For a full list of the products sold at G-Free, check out their website.

I hope more people go to G-Free to support local business and the gf community!

G-Free NYC

77 West 85th Street (1,2, A, C, E)

g-freenyc.com

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Passover Friendly – Real Simple Lemon Almond Macaroons

Posted on April 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

With the start of Passover, I usually start getting a lot of questions about gluten-free foods versus unleavened bread (ie: “Oh, you can have matzoh right? There’s no yeast!”)  Even though I don’t know the ins-and-outs of the holiday, I know that sometimes unleavened does end up meaning that a food is also gluten free (flourless chocolate cake, meringue).

And, as happened to be the case today with… coconut macaroons!

We had a potluck lunch at work, and one of the expert bakers brought these lovely macaroons, made from a recipe from Real Simple. I love that these are naturally gluten free, Passover friendly, and a boost from your traditional macaroon.

View the recipe on Real Simple

These were really light, chewy, and snackable.  I could have eaten four or five easily.  I will definitely add this to my list of “impressive but easy” desserts.

In other news: G-free NYC is opening tomorrow!  I think I may have to stop by after work, even though it’s totally out of the way.

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Best thing I ever ate: Pachanga Patterson

Posted on April 15, 2011 | 1 comment

Last night Pachanga Patterson was packed!  It’s rare to have to wait for a table on a Thursday night in Astoria, but that is what spectacular Mexican food will do for a neighborhood!  I wouldn’t even call it Mexican food, really, it’s more like “new-Mexican”, or just don’t put a label on it  and stuff it in your mouth instead.

The first time I went to Pachanga I got the mushroom tacos, which don’t sound like they would make you jump for joy, but they were the best non-fish, non-meat tacos I’ve ever had.  They must have a miracle marinade for the mushrooms, because they were super flavorful.

But this time, I ordered the Veggie Jenga.  At first I thought that Jenga was a word in Spanish that I didn’t learn in high school, but then the waitress explained to me that it’s called that because it’s layered and stacked up just like the block game.

Can you see a resemblance?

Image c/o We Heart Astoria

This creation is out of this world.  It’s one of those anytime meals that makes you eat way more than you anticipated.  When they first put it down in front of me I thought, “There’s no way I can eat all of this.”  Then 20 minutes later I was virtually licking my plate.  The picture above is from We Heart Astoria, since I forgot to bring my camera, but the plate that I got was piled a couple of inches higher with lettuce/cabbage.

I loved the sweet potato puree, which you don’t usually find in Mexican food.  I loved the avocado sauce.  I loved the generous crack of black pepper on top.  I loved the crispy corn tortilla from Tortilleria Nixtamal.  I loved the mild hot sauce that they put in a honey bear container.  Love, love, loved.

I also loved the $6 glass of Torrontes wine that I washed it down with.

Soon they will have brunch at Pachanga, where I can have this as my new favorite hangover food.

Pachanga Patterson
33–17 31st Ave., Astoria, NY
718-554-0525

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Thanks, Orville – Super simple gf dessert

Posted on April 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

Although it may be hard to believe, sometimes I want something besides ice cream for dessert.  Tonight I pulled out the creativity and made some kettle corn from Orville Redenbacher, then topped it with Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips.

It’s like trail mix, only you can eat more of it!

Give me this stuff and a good trashy magazine, and I’ll be set all night.

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