Chef to Plate at Rio Mambo

I just found out about this cool event from the NTGIG. Check it out.

Rio Mamb0
May 3rd at 12:30 PM.

6125 SW Loop 820

Fort Worth

RSVP to the Klines (817) 596-8491

Chadra Mezza & Grill - Fun with good gluten-free options

Chadra Mezza and Grill

1622 Park Place Ave.

Fort Worth, 76110

(817) 924-2372

I had a fabulous greek salad at Chadra for lunch this afternoon.  Although they said their falafel contains wheat flour, I'm sure they have some other great options - like fresh hummus and veggies.  I'll have to go back at an off-peak time and find out the complete gluten-free scoop.  Also, they have a patio where you can sit and dine with your dog!

I'll definitely be going back.

Gluten-Free Pizza Party in Downtown Fort Worth

It's really happening, Uno Chicago Grill is working with the North Texas Gluten Intolerance Group to throw a Gluten-Free pizza party.  Below is the information if you would like to attend.

Please respond if you are interested in meeting for a night out at Uno's Chicago Grill for a gluten free get-together. The manager would need to know in advance how many GF pizza crusts he would need to have on hand if it's a large group.

If you can meet on Thursday, January 29 at 7PM at Uno's, 300 Houston Street, Fort Worth, 76102, please let me know. If there is enough interest, I will make the reservation. He only keeps about 20 GF pizza crusts on hand and would have to order more if our group is larger than 20 people.

Let me know right away please.

Betty.Barfield@aa.com

Betty Barfield
President, North Texas Gluten Intolerance Group
817-967-2804 w 817-929-9227 c

Uno Chicago Grill about to offer Gluten-Free Pizza at all locations

Food writer Amy Culbertson from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram just passed this golden tidbit along to me. Uno is about to launch a cheese and pepperoni Gluten-Free Pizza line nationwide!!! So exciting in Fort Worth where we don't have anything like this. Garlic Jim's never happened. I don't know when yet, but I plan to call the store on Monday and find out if they have a timeline in mind. Here's a link to the article talking about their plans.

Grace - a new allergy and food sensitivity-friendly restaurant in Fort Worth

Grace at 777 Main Street in Fort Worth is a new, modern version of a steakhouse.  All of the food - salads, appetizers, main courses, dessert is ordered a la carte so you can mix and match easily. The chef aims to make his food friendly for people with allergies and food sensitivites.  I hope to have more details soon.  The grand opening is Nov. 17, 2008.

Gluten-Free potato pasta

Last night I tried out Nuovo's classic potato gnocchi.  It's only one of their many Gluten-Free products.  I just checked and looks like this is well-known in the GF community - if you judge by the blogs.  So, let me add my voice in saying that this is a nice, easy-to-prepare, tasty treat.  One warning, I had gobbled the whole package before noticing it is supposed to provide two servings at 250 calorie each.  Sigh.  At least it was filling!  On Nuovo's site, you can see a wide array of flavors and seasonings, but at Central Market on Hulen in Fort Worth where I bought mine, I only found the classic potato.

Gluten Free Halloween Candy

I thought I could do a round up, but soon realized I was in over my head.  There are just too many kinds of candy.  The traditional forms of Snickers, M&Ms,  Reese's, and Butterfinger and Peeps all seem to be safe and most of the pure sugar types of candies.  As well as most of the marshmallow creme types of confections (candy corn.) Here is a link to the most thorough list I could find online.

Riceworks - Whole Grain, Gluten Free and very snackable

Riceworks' Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps are delicious, filling and semi-healthy.  I say semi because a standard snack-size bag contains an alleged 2 servings at 140 calories each.  However, the Parmesan & Sundried Tomato flavored chips were quite munchable.  They even say Gluten Free and Wheat Free on the bag and claim to be "Celiac friendly."  In a world where Celiac snack choices are limited, these are definitely worth a nibble.  I picked a bag up at Jamba Juice in downtown Fort Worth, but the riceworks website can point you to a location near you.

Eating cheap and Gluten Free at Cantina Laredo

Cantina Laredo in downtown Fort Worth is a good bargain and can be safe for the Gluten intolerant.

I've found that I can have the chips and salsa that are brought to the table as well as an a-la-carte single, chicken enchilada (with the verde sauce and no sour cream) for $2.75!  I don't know about you guys, but I'm always looking for something safe, tasty and at a relatively low cost.  Of course, I always tip like I ordered a real meal.  The rice and beans (not the borracho beans) that come with the full-price enchilada plate are Gluten Free, too, but I'm always too full to eat them.

Eating Gluten Free at Bailey's Barbeque in Fort Worth

Bailey's Barbeque in the heart of Fort Worth at 826 Taylor St (817) 335-7469 has a variety of low-cost Gluten Free meals.  For about $6, you can get any of their sandwiches - minus the bun of course - chips and a drink.  Their standard sauce is safe. One warning, bring cash, they don't take credit cards!

Hail Merry products are delicious, healthy and Gluten Free

A friend at work brought me a sample of Merry's Miracle Tart - Chocolate.  The Hail Merry products seem to be a fabulous blend of tastiness and nutrition - I haven't tried all of them, yet.  They are raw, gluten free, have no refined sugar and "No processed anything" according to the packaging.  The tart was decadent and fairly reasonable calorie-wise.  Half the tart was listed as a single serving and came in at 180 calories.  It was very rich and filling and I think most people would be content with half.

Give these guys a try - here's a link to where you can get them locally!

Cake-style, Gluten Free ice cream cones

I had high hopes for the new Let’s Do . . . Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones, and they did not disappoint. I served several friends fresh peach ice cream in the cake-style cones, and everyone agreed that their light, flaky texture was indistinguishable from that of traditional cones. This is a product that will be welcome in my pantry anytime.
The cones, which are gluten-free, vegan and kosher, weigh in at 10 calories each. Even though the packaging of the cones says they may contain trace amounts of soy, no soy products are listed, and a friend who is allergic to soy had no problem eating them.
The cones are available online from Gluten Free Trading Company, LLC and locally at Sprouts Farmers Market in Southlake, Whole Foods in Arlington and the Sunflower Shoppe in Fort Worth; $3.99 for a package of 12.

Sublime bakery has released it's Gluten-Free fall menu

I mentioned Sublime bakery before and their promise of gluten-free cupcakes.  They've upped the ante with offerings of scones, muffins, truffles and a very decadent-sounding cheesecake "Lollipop."  All are Gluten Free.  

In the menu, it says they keep cross-contamination to a minimum by making the Gluten-Free offerings first thing in the morning when there isn't any wheat-flour dust in the air and the machines are clean.  Then, they don't make any more Gluten-Free goodies for the rest of the day.  Which is why it's important to call ahead to make sure they'll have what you're looking for.

Olive Garden - Italian Gluten-Free food?

Believe it or not, I was able to eat a Gluten-Free, fairly healthy dinner at Olive Garden last night in Burleson including dessert!  I threw myself on the mercy of the chef and he suggested several dishes I could have.  I ended up with the salad with house dressing, apricot chicken, grilled veggies and chocolate ice cream.  

The wait staff was very patient and I didn't get sick at all.

It's not haute cuisine, but it definitely expands my options.

Central Market has Gluten-Free cooking classes

Central Market recently posted it's Fall cooking class schedule.  You can download it here.

They have a wide variety of classes, but one particularly interesting one is Gluten-Free Bking with Christine Llarraza on Wed. Sep. 3 from 6:30 - 9:00 PM at the Fort Worth location.

The description for the $60 class states:

"In this class designed to introduce you to the wonderful gluten-free products featured in our store, Chef Christine will demonstrate and you will sample: Chile Cornbread; Red Onion & Rosemary Pizza; Lemon Drizzle Loaf; Spiced Apple Scone Round; Basic Gluten-Free White Loaf; and Sticky Spiced Loaf."

Central Market also has Dallas and Southlake locations.

Sublime Bakery in Fort Worth is a fabulous source for Gluten Free Goodies

Sublime Bakery

5512 Bellaire Dr. South

Fort Worth, TX

(817) 570-9630

Sublime's Blog
www.sublimebakery.com

Sublime offers a variety of baked goods and a limited lunch menu, all of which have gluten-free options.  

On a daily basis, they say they have at least one Gluten-Free baked goody, like the Lemon Sugar cookies pictured above.  A package of four costs $5.

Starting Aug. 19, 2008, they say they will offer Gluten-Free cupcakes ($3.25 each) in either chocolate or vanilla. They ask that people looking for specific items call ahead to make sure the treat they are looking for will be available.

On request, Sublime will also make Gluten-Free custom cakes or bakery cakes.  They also cater to vegan and dairy-free diets.

Garlic Jim's coming soon

I called Garlic Jim's a couple of times and couldn't get through, so I drove out there Sunday morning.  It's in a new strip mall and doesn't look open yet.  Unfortunately, there was no sign saying when it is supposed to be open.

Nancy A. Gordon said that Palio's Pizza Cafe in Colleyville will make a Gluten Free Pizza for you if you bring the crust.  

Gordon brings several rice crusts at a time and says Palio's charges her slightly less than they do for a full pizza.  She said she has never had problems with cross contamination.

Possible Gluten Free Pizza in the metroplex - Garlic Jim's in Flowermound

There was a recent article on Pizza News about the Garlic Jim's Famous Gourmet Pizza chain carrying Gluten Free Pizza.

There is a Famous Jim's in Flowermound at 5801 Long Prairie Road (972) 691-8800.  I've tried calling to confirm, but so far, I haven't gotten through.  This weekend, I plan to drive out there and see if I can pig out on some delightful Gluten Free slices of heaven.

I'll report back!

Gluten-free friendly chain restaurants

It's good to have options when you're out and about.  These are some chain restaurants in the metroplex that are GF friendly.  

• P.F. Changs has a GF menu
• Pei Wei has a GF menu
• Cheesecake Factory has a GF menu
• Outback Steakhouse has a GF menu
• Chili's has a master list of what's in everything.  I often eat their children's grilled chicken - it's not marinated - and mashed potatoes
• Chipotle - Everything is GF except for the flour tortillas, so just get the bowl.
• Q-doba - check their online menu
• Wendy's - Their fries are cooked in a dedicated fryer and their burgers are GF.  They have a master list in the store.
• Sonic - They have a comprehensive list online
• Chick-fil-a - Their fries are cooked in a dedicated fryer and their grilled chicken (not the breaded one) is GF without the bun.

Tips for dining out in the Dallas Fort Worth area

1. Be nice to your server, he or she is the only one standing between you and gluten!
2. No matter what happens, leave a nice tip and thank the server for his or her patience.
3. If the server does something above or beyond the call of duty for you, thank his or her manager.
4. When you sit down, tell your server that you have a serious allergy to wheat and gluten.  If you get a blank look, let them know, that means flour, soy sauce and modified food starch.  Some restaurants have an allergy protocol, so as soon as you say "food allergy" they know what to do.  Some don't.
5. Have a couple of ideas in mind for dishes you think are likely to be gluten free.  Some usually safe bets are: grilled chicken salad with no croutons, curries, mexican food made with corn tortillas, steaks, pork chops, baked potatoes, etc.
6. Make sure the server checks with the chef on every sauce and dressing on your food.  Most creamy looking dressings have modified food starch or wheat.  Clear dressings and vinaigrettes are a good bet, but always check.  Also, ask if anything has been marinaded and if the marinade contains soy sauce.
7. Don't be disappointed if your first choice is a bust.  If you get upset, they'll get anxious and might not tell you if there's gluten in your second choice so they don't upset you further.  Also, it's not fun for the other people at the table if you have a melt down.
8. Ethnic restaurants often offer a greater variety of GF food than traditional american bar and grills.  Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Sushi (dipped in tamari) and Mexican restaurants often have more options.
9. If you order french fries, make sure they are cooked in a dedicated fryer.  If they are cooked in the same oil with breaded items like fish sticks or chicken nuggets, there is a huge danger for cross contamination.
10. You don't have to give up dessert.  Blue Bell vanilla ice cream is safe as well as most jello, creme brulee and flan.  The Cheesecake factory even has a GF cheesecake - their all-chocolate Godiva.
11. Be patient and try not to be too hungry when you go out to eat.  Remember, the first thing they usually bring out is bread!