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.

I don’t want to say that my gluten-free pizza was entirely disappointing, because it did end up having redeeming qualities. But at first the chewiness could not be ignored! I fully recognize that this could be due entirely to cooking it on a baking sheet, yet there was, chewing away on gummy, gluten-free pizza. It had a very forced, processed gluten-free feel to it. But as I continued eating, tasting beyond the chewy crust, I discovered that this was in fact the very thin crust bar gluten-free pizza I had been craving. Gooey cheese, the perfect balance of tangy and understated tomato sauce and a crispy crunch to the crust – I was elated. In that way, the chewiness almost fit – a sort of homage to pizza being cooked in a bar and perhaps forgotten for a minute amidst mugs of beer.

Would I recommend it? Perhaps not. At $6.89 for a tiny pizza, you’re better off heading to a pizza place for a real-sized, fresh, delicious pizza. But in a pinch? Not so bad. This little Foods by George Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza satisfied my craving and didn’t make me too full.

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!

The occasion was my sister’s graduation from college, and we celebrated with a fabulous meal. A few months ago I had a bit of an episode after ordering a gluten-free pizza for take out with some friends; my sister and I reacted to it as though it were not gluten-free, so since then I’ve been nervous about ordering gluten-free food in restaurants. The staff at Burton’s put me at ease right away – a manager came up to the table before we had even ordered to introduce himself and explain that all gluten-free dishes at Burton’s are served on square plates, a sign that the meal has been prepared properly from soup to nuts. If we received food on a dish that wasn’t square, we were to tell him immediately. This careful attention to being gluten-free may be a bit above and beyond most of the time, but it allowed me to relax and enjoy!

First came the rolls! I love being able to eat rolls at restaurants! They are the same rolls as the ones served at Legal Sea Food, however, they prepare them different. While Legal’s appear to be toasted and become crispy on the outside, the gluten-free rolls at Burton’s were soft and chewy and served with a sage butter. Next came the appetizer on a square plate – gluten-free fried calamari with tartar sauce. It was so incredibly delicious – eating gluten-free fried seafood was such a treat! This was my dad’s choice, and he, too, enjoyed it, despite being able to eat gluten.

For my entree I could not resist ordering a cheeseburger on a gluten-free Kinnikinnick bun. If you follow my blog, you know that I just love being able to order sandwiches in public. And a burger! Served with a side of fries, my burger was excellent (and huge!). My sister also got a gluten-free burger and my mom got the gluten-free Chicken Duo, which I tried and was also very good.

And even though we barely had room left for more food, we ordered dessert. My mom and I ordered the Warmed Chocolate Torte, my sister the ice cream sundae and my dad the special, which was a stuff pear. Our waitress was so careful and attentive, she asked if he wanted his prepared gluten-free so we could share. It was a simple, off the cuff question, yet it made me feel taken care of and taken seriously.

The gluten-free chocolate torte with whipped cream was delicious! My dad enjoyed his pear and my sister her sundae. I will absolutely be returning to Burton’s and am so happy to have found a location that serves delicious gluten-free burgers in time for the summer season. If you keep a gluten-free diet, go to Burton’s eat, drink and be merrily sure you’re eating gluten-free!

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.

I am so glad I did. This chili is amazing. I cooked mine on the stovetop instead of the microwave and I cannot believe that such goodness can come from the freezer section! The flavors were bold and the steak was delicious – the texture and taste complemented the bean chili wonderfully. It was immensely satisfying and the portion was just right – not too big, but also not too small.

On a cold winter’s day, or just a day where you’re in the mood for a hearty soup, I wholeheartedly recommend Kettle Cuisine’s Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans, whether you are gluten-free or not – I challenge you to find a better frozen meal! I’d skip on the Chicken Noodle, however.

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.

Alone, they’re a little bland and a bit cardboardy, but with paired with a little something else they’re so good. Another favorite snack of mine is dipping these gluten-free crackers in red pepper hummus… delicious! A little like a chip, a little like a cracker, Pecan Nut Thins are an excellent snack to have around the house. I often feel as though being gluten-free limits my snacking options, and Nut Thins have become an after work staple for me.

They may not be gourmet crackers, or really like crackers at all, but Pecan Nut Thins are good, decently healthy and most importantly, have two of the qualities my snack foods need – saltiness and crunchiness! Ignore my previous post, Nut Thins have been redeemed – just be sure to pick up a box of the pecan flavor!

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.

The birthday cake was from a new bakery called ALLCANEAT in Randolph, Massachusetts. They specialize in gluten, soy, nut and sesame-free specialities. My mom could not stop talking about the trip she made there, and she also brought us some brownies, which I will review soon.

The nice people at the Cheesecake Factory brought out the cute, little gluten-free cake and embarrassed my sister by all crowding around our table and singing. It was pretty great. The cake on the other hand, was not. In addition to being gluten-free, the cake was also egg free. My palette is well trained to go without gluten, but not eggs, too! It was very sweet, though I did like the frosting. In short, I would have preferred cheesecake. It was very cute though!

ALLCANEAT offers a huge range of gluten-free products and accept orders online. Although I was not thrilled with their gluten-free yellow cake, I am looking forward to trying the brownies!

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.

When I saw a gluten-free sandwich on the menu, I was tempted. I miss sandwiches. A lot. They’re such an excellent food and so efficient. You get protein, vegetables and filling carbs, all in one easy to hold little package. However, I flirted with the idea of an omelette because the whole “sprouted mung bean” ingredient in the gluten-free bread sounded a little intimidating…

Luckily K ordered the pancakes so I would be able to try them, after all. I took the plunge and ordered the Sprouted Mung-Bean Sandwich. “House-made mung bean griddle bread (contains pumpkin seeds and cashews)”  filled with yummy veggies in balsamic with marinara and white bean hummus, it was definitely the most complex gluten-free sandwich I’ve ever had.

It was great! Gluten-free as well as vegan and vegetarian, the griddle bread was crunchy and different, but really good. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, it was a marriage of diverse yet harmonious flavors offset by one of my favorite treats, french fries. I was so happy to be sitting in the sunshine enjoying a sandwich made for me in public by a stranger, ah the little things in life.

K loved her gluten-free pancakes. I tried some bites and they were truly good. Light and fluffy, the only betrayal of their gluten-free composition was that they did not sit heavy in K’s stomach like she reports regular pancakes do.

The Hugo’s menu changes monthly, so you may not be able to try our great meals. But don’t worry, their gluten-free and vegan options are delicious.

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.

The Bertucci’s Gluten-Free menu is a variation on their regular menu. Most of the dishes are naturally gluten-free, or have been slightly modified to remove the glutenus ingredients. This past Friday a bunch of us in the merchandising department grabbed lunch there. It was absolutely pouring out and cold, so I ordered some gluten-free soup to warm me up. A bowl of sausage soup and a side of nice, hearty mashed potatoes seemed the perfect meal for such a Friday.

The selection of gluten-free offerings is pretty large, and I was pleased with my order. The soup was warm and delicious and the mashed potatoes were also very good. Though it was a bit sad to watch my coworkers enjoying delicious-looking pizza, I had a great lunch. In the future, I no longer will avoid dining at Bertucci’s, thanks to their new gluten-free offerings.

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.

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.

After our kayaking adventure, we made our way back home around dinnertime. My parents had put a bug in our ear, so armed with my unused Groupon and my roommate’s recent BuyWithMe purchases, we headed to Zing! to try out some pies on the cheap. For those who can eat regular pizza, Zing! is a great place to buy a slice. They use organic and local ingredients and have many tasty looking pies you can try. They also deliver within a two mile radius.  For gluten-free pizzas, however, you have to order a whole pie, except on Wednesday nights when they have gluten-free slices (this also happens to be trivia night at Tavern in the Square, so really, it works out beautifully).

I ordered a gluten-free John Dough and my roommate ordered a regular Sundance Kid. This pizza does not come cheap! For the two pizzas our total was $39. When we arrived at Zing! to pick up our pies, we discovered why. These pizzas are gigantic. Like, seriously huge. We carried our giant pizza boxes home and set them on the table to survey our feast.

My roommate pointed out that the gluten-free pizza was smaller than hers and how sad that was. Though once I began eating this pizza, that became a relief! I will absolutely be eating Zing! gluten-free pizza for at least the next three days. It is so filling! I’m not used to having pizza in slices that are regular-sized, nor am I used to getting pizzas this large. Zing! gets its pizza dough from Glutenus Minimus and it is fantastic. I couldn’t believe it! It tastes great, it’s got substance and even the crust is good. It’s thicker than usual flatbreads, but isn’t so thick that it distracts from the pizza taste. It’s not grainy, nor  does it taste frozen. The Glutenus Minimus dough is fresh, fluffy and delicious. It reminded me of a recipe for gluten-free pizza dough we use in my family, which I will have to post soon. My roommate also enjoyed her glutenus pizza.

I didn’t like the sauce very much, it reminded me of these frozen pizzas we used to eat as little kids from the grocery store. Still, throughout eating my slices (eating two was seriously pushing it! My fridge is now filled with the remaining six slices and it’s a bit formidable…) I couldn’t help but keep exclaiming to my roommate between each bite at how fantastic this pizza really is.

Could there be a whole gluten-free scene at Zing! on Wednesdays for gluten-free slices? I can’t wait to find out and bring my sister along to try this delicious gluten-free pizza. I absolutely recommend that you try Zing! pizza, it does not dissapoint.