Foods by George Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza

I made a great error. I went grocery shopping on an empty stomach just after gluten-free slices night at Zing! Pizza had ended. I needed dinner, and I had a taste for pizza. Upon reaching the freezer with the gluten-free goods at my local Shaw’s, I found it completely fogged up, its contents completely masked by the layer of perspiration on its doors.

Blindly, I opened a centrally located door, and fortunately found gluten-free pizza right where the door opened. I looked no further…

An adorable little pizza, I picked up a Foods by George Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza. Starving (and on the phone) I quickly, but distractedly finished my shopping and rushed home to make my pizza. I missed the “place pizza directly on rack” instruction and stuck mine on a baking sheet and immediately into the oven, as I unpacked my groceries.

Burton’s Grill Gluten-Free Menu

http://www.burtonsgrill.com
Various locations in MA and CT

I have to start this one off bluntly. The gluten-free meal I enjoyed at Burton’s Grill yesterday was not only delicious, it was impressive. I was wow-ed by the selection, the service and the quality of the meal. If you are searching for a stress-free gluten-free dining experience, you have got to try Burton’s.

My mom and sister have been obsessed with Burton’s for many years, yet I never understood why. Back when I lived near one, their gluten-free menu was ahead of its time, they had one when I was first diagnosed in 2006. Still, it was seriously lackluster – one of those “if you get this salad without the croutons and dressing it’s gluten-free!” kind of gluten-free menus. But times have certainly changed. Burton’s now offers tons of gluten-free substitutes and the gluten-free menu is robust – from appetizers to entrees to dessert and even cocktails!

Kettle Cuisine Angus Beef Steak Gluten Free Chili with Beans

http://www.kettlecuisine.com

It was on the eve of a blizzard and with an empty stomach that I ventured to the grocery store this week, admittedly a bad combination. I usually steer clear of the organic and gluten-free sections to avoid temptation and unnecessary gluten-free goodies, but on that particular day I was feeling spontaneous, and so I meandered down the aisle to see what I’d find.

It wasn’t until I’d made it to the freezer section that something caught my eye. Gluten-free soup! In cute little boxes were the Kettle Cuisine soups, and they were on sale! I’d tried Kettle Cuisine at a gluten-free tasting last fall and remembered liking it, so I picked up two classic gluten-free Chicken Noodle soups and ventured beyond the basics to try the Beef Steak Chili with Beans. Beef in a frozen dish? I was feeling quite adventurous indeed, since beef in freezer foods normally weirds me out a bit. But it was steak. I had to try it.

Blue Diamond Natural Nut Thins Gluten Free Crackers

http://www.bluediamond.com

A while ago, I bashed Nut Thins. I had bought them in my favorite nut flavor, almond, and they were terrible. Like horrible. Crispy pieces of cardboard horrible. Luckily, I have a gluten-free friend, Lauren, who was able to pass on this nugget of wisdom: the only Nut Thins worth buying are the Pecan flavor.

Lauren knows what she is talking about! After hearing this, I went out and picked up a box at my local Shaw’s ($3.17 a box) along with some of my favorite cheddar cheese and concocted one of my favorite snacks, cheese and crackers. The pecan flavor is a wonderful complement to the sharpness of the cheddar and I love the crunchy texture. And with just 130 calories per 16 crackers, they give you the crunch you’re craving without putting you over the edge.

ALLCANEAT Gluten-Free Yellow Double Layer Birthday Cake

937 North Main Street | Randolph, MA 02368
866.664.5883
http://www.allcaneatbakery.com

Happy birthday to my beautiful sister, Theresa! You know what birthdays mean… cake! This year, despite going to the Cheesecake Factory for her birthday dinner (home of this particularly popular gluten-free cheesecake post), my mother decided to bring a gluten-free birthday cake to the restaurant and deprive us of an incredibly delicious slice of Godiva Flourless Chocolate Cheesecake.

The jury is still out on how delightfully tacky that may have been at a place called The CheeseCAKE Factory, but in her defense, when my mother asked for a gluten-free menu there were only two items listed. Reader, beware. A gluten-free birthday cake meant no worries for our table, which was very nice.

Hugo’s Restaurant

8041 Santa Monica Boulevard | West Hollywood, CA 90069
http://www.hugosrestaurant.com/

As my dear friend K makes her way back across the country on a plane to her new home of Los Angeles right now, I will finally post my review of a delicious meal we shared when I went to visit her back in June. I apologize for the delay and am so thankful that Hugo’s was so awesome as to promptly send me their June specials list. I can now accurately relay their yummy ingredients!

I was not expecting to like LA when I arrived. The last time I’d been there, at the tender age of 18, I didn’t like it at all. Now, at 23, it was vibrant, fun and exciting and very wonderful to see my best friend in her new home. One afternoon during my stay, she took me to brunch at Hugo’s for some gluten-free brunch.

I’m not a huge breakfast person. At all, really. I’d eat dinners for every meal if it were socially acceptable. So despite there being rather enticing Fresh Peach and Cherry Gluten-Free Pancakes listed on the menu, I was searching for something more savory.

A Ridiculous Gluten-Free Quote I Overheard Today

“I think I’m allergic to gluten-free… I ate a gluten-free chicken pot pie once and it made my stomach hurt. So I think I’m allergic to gluten-free food.” – Man waiting for the train at Brandeis/Roberts this evening.

Bertucci’s Gluten-Free Menu

http://www.bertuccis.com

I remember going to a Bertucci’s shortly after my diagnosis a few years ago. In addition to feeling tortured by the smell and memories of their delicious rolls and pizzas, I couldn’t find anything gluten-free that I liked to eat on their menu! Since then, I had been sure to avoid eating there, until I started working in an industrial park where the closest restaurant is, of course, Bertucci’s.

I felt pretty doomed when my co-workers wanted to go for a birthday lunch, until one of them mentionedshe believed they had a gluten-free menu. I did some research and found that they do in fact cater to the needs of the gluten-free now! Though they can’t take away the incredible smell of their glutenus foods, they’ve made strides to make eating there easier for people like me.

Schar Ciabatta Parbaked Gluten-Free Rolls

http://www.schar.com/us

Sadly, on my last trip to Cape Cod, my camera had an unfortunate run-in with the ocean. My wonderful pale pink Canon Powershot could not be saved, so the camera shop gave me a new camera (sadly, not a Canon) that has a food setting. So cool! Thankfully, I got the camera just in time to photograph a new brand of gluten-free rolls my mother discovered, Schar Ciabatta Parbaked Rolls, which look incredible. She had invited my sister and I home for a dinner of gluten-free meatballs and spaghetti and the gluten-free rolls were an added treat.

Although my mother’s gluten-free meatballs are truly delicious, I was focused on trying these delicious looking rolls. They looked like real bread, with all the fluffy nooks and crannies of a regular roll inside, surrounded by a deliciously crunchy outside! But as they say, looks can be deceiving. These rolls were not the incredible, delectable rolls they appeared to be. Instead, they were really quite bland. They crunched fine, but the taste was boring and dry. My mother and I were both disappointed. We shared a nice family Sunday dinner, but next we’ll pass on the Schar Ciabatta Parbaked Gluten-Free Rolls.

Zing! Pizza Gluten-Free Pizza

1932 Massachusetts Avenue | Cambridge, MA | 617.497.4300
http://www.zingpizza.com

Oh, my goodness. Have I ever discovered a gem.

The Labor Day weekend has been absolutely beautiful here in New England, and yesterday was no exception. My roommate and were just leaving to go kayaking on the Charles (awesome) when my parents called to say they were biking through the area and asked, “What was the name of that other gluten-free pizza place in Porter Square?” I had bought a Groupon to Zing! back in January, but hadn’t been there yet. I told them to try Zing! Pizza and let me know how they liked it. My parents stopped for a gluten-free lunch, and my roommate and I took off on a kayaking adventure that involved high-speed winds and therefore an excellent workout.