Restaurants

Fleming’s

This past weekend, I was treated out to a wonderful birthday dinner for a very special friend. We dined at Fleming’s (Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar). Despite the fact that I do not eat steak and of course, am gluten-free, I was able to find suitable options on the dinner menu. Fleming’s did indeed have a gluten-free menu, but since the dinner was for celebrating a friend, I did not want to be an inconvenience. I had looked up Fleming’s GF menu online beforehand and preselected a few options I would be interested in. I ended up ordering the Heirloom Tomato & Housemade Burrata Salad. The salad was filled with “fancy vegetables” as my friends called it!  I call it red and golden beets with red and yellow tomatoes. I have to say, this is was my first time eating golden beets and they were delicious! On one side of the salad bowl was about one spoonful of what tasted like ricotta cheese. It complemented the tangy, citrusy vinaigrette very well! Enough about the salad… the waiters were friendly, however we were the youngest group dining that evening! I suppose given that Fleming’s is a wine bar as well as a steakhouse could explain it. Anyways, onto everyone’s favorite course: dessert. There were a few gluten-free options including the creme brûlée, ice cream, sorbet, and fresh fruits with chantilly cream. With some persuasion from the waiter, I settled on a bowl of vanilla ice cream. I know, I know, typically I like to be adventurous, but our server said the vanilla ice cream was “not your plain, ol’ vanilla ice cream. It’s creamy and delicious!” And of course, I was sold.

All in all, I had a fantastic time at Fleming’s. They do indeed have a GF menu, just ask if you would like to see one or you can research your options before hand.

Hope you’re enjoying the holiday season!!

Cheers!

Anika

Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups pecans
  • 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust (we always use GlutenFree Bakehouse Pie Shells)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Stir the corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix in the pecans. Pour this mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 60-65 minutes. Remove pie before it blackens. When tapping the center of the pie lightly, the center should spring back up if the pie is done. Cool for about 2 hours and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe modified from karosyrup.com.

 

Teikoku

I dined at a wonderful Japanese restaurant to celebrate my friend’s birthday two weeks ago. Why I haven’t written this post until now, honestly I couldn’t tell you! I had a great meal and a delightful evening, so I don’t want to postpone any longer.

It can be tricky when you’re dining with friends and not hosting the group. You may be unfamiliar with the restaurant, its service, and how accommodating they are or can be. I was fortunate enough to have my friend call the restaurant before hand to scope out the options. Whether it’s the host or yourself, someone should contact the restaurant to ensure that gluten-free choices can be prepared.

Teikoku had a gluten-free menu with many options! The menu also accommodated for those with peanut or shellfish allergies. We started off ordering warm edamame with sea salt. I think I ate about ninety percent of it (we were a group of eight); it is my favorite appetizer of an Asian cuisine! For an entrée, I had a Vegetable Mix House Roll that consisted of avocado, carrot, asparagus, and cucumber. If you haven’t tried sushi before, I would highly recommend it. If you have eaten sushi and weren’t a fan, I would recommend giving it another chance at his restaurant. And if you love sushi, by all means order it!

Although the veggie roll was excellent, the cherry on the cake was the homemade gelato. I ordered the Mocha, but I was very tempted to go for the Green Tea or White Chocolate Raspberry! I would say it’s even better than Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino Ice Cream (believe me, that’s saying something!).

Please do try out this restaurant! And recommend it to your friends who are peanut-free and shellfish-free as well!

Cheers,

Anika

Diwali: Festival of Lights

For those of you know did not know, today is the end of the Indian holiday called Diwali! Diwali is a week-long festival of lights. Traditionally, small clay lamps are lit all around the house to ward off evil. Brightly colored flowers are arranged in festival patterns as a decoration. In addition to lighting up and decorating the house, sweets and snacks are shared between family and friends.

Although there are a variety of gluten-free choices when it comes to Indian food, some specific treats for the holidays may not be suitable. For example, in my family, we make homemade Gulab Jamun (these are comparable to soft, spongy cakes in the shape of Dunkin Donuts’ munchkins served in a sweet syrup). Another great gluten-free treat we make at home is Kalakand (a dense milk cake served in small pieces). Check out my recipe!

Comment if you would like to see some more Indian recipes on the blog.

Happy Diwali!

Anika

Yangming

Whether it is Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, a celebration or a treat, my family and I consistently return to this Chinese restaurant− Yangming. We always enjoy ourselves filling our bellies and sharing laughs.

As a girl who is gluten-free, it is a bit upsetting that Yangming does not have a gluten-free menu. I am quite familiar with the menu, but the staff is usually helpful in navigating through any new additions and seasonal specials.

As for appetizers, I would recommend the grilled Thai chicken or char-grilled satay lamb. The grilled chicken is essentially the satays that you could find at any Thai restaurant. However, the lamb is different and worth trying! In the entrees, from experience, I know the Spicy Pad Thai with Jumbo Shrimp and Spicy Rice Vermicelli Singapore Style are also gluten-free. But my go-to dish is the Spicy Wild-Peppered Lamb. Just a word of caution, the dish is named rightfully so. This is a rather spicy dish, but with an adequate amount of rice and a few refills of water, it’s quite delicious!

As you can tell, I am a fan of the food here, it never disappoints, but I can’t say the same regarding the waiter’s knowledge of gluten-free foods. About one year ago, when dining at Yangming, I had wanted to try a different dish. I had settled on the Half Peking Duck. I was aware that it is typically served with Mandarin pancakes and Hoisin sauce (the wrap and sauce used in making Mu-Shu Chicken). However, he waiter checked with the chef and informed us the duck would be gluten-free when served without the wrap and sauce. So, I decided to go ahead and order it. And let me tell you, to this day, that is the best duck I have eaten.

But, when I returned to Yangming just over a week ago, I remembered the delicious duck I had eaten and decided to order it again. Since a year had passed, we aired on the side of caution and asked the waiter our usual questions regarding what’s gluten-free. This waiter told us right off the bat that the duck was not gluten-free. He said the actual duck has a coating that would not be suitable. I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to eat the wonderful meal once again, but I was more concerned with which waiter’s words hold truth. In any case, it never hurts to air to the side of caution when there’s even a shred of doubt.

Whether you decide on giving this restaurant a chance or would rather not take the risk, keep in mind that this isn’t the first or last restaurant to make mistakes regarding gluten-free foods. Restaurants can prove to be a bit of a challenge. Just remember, the key lies in staying away from foods that you aren’t certain are 100% gluten-free.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

Anika

Bistro D’oc

After touring the capital city on segways, we had built up quite an appetite (it was most likely the heat)! But nonetheless, we were hungry after a day of exploring and decided to dine at a French restaurant in the touristy area of DC. Although there was no gluten-free menu, our server being French new the contents of each dish back and forth. For starters, we were rather adventurous in ordering Cervelle D’Agneau. Simply a fancy, French way of saying lamb brains. I will spare you of excruciating details, but it was excellent. For my entrée, I ordered the special: mussels in a garlicky white wine base with pommes frites, and a side of creamed young spinach. Everything in my entrée was delicious and very authentic. However, the portions were closer to American standard size rather than French. As for dessert, I indulged in a dessert special, a chocolate mousse with orange peel ice cream. The mousse was unlike anything I had before. The texture wasn’t airy, but neither was it too rich. And the ice cream was house made. The flavor was delicious!

I recommend this restaurant to anyone in DC looking for some great French food!

Cheers!

Anika

Ruby Foo’s

Ruby Foo’s

On our last day in New York City, we grabbed a quick bite at Ruby Foo’s for lunch, an upscale Pan-Asian restaurant conveniently located next to Theater District. We had tickets to a matinee showing of Wicked that afternoon at the Gershwin Theater, which was just around the block! This was not my first time dining at Ruby Foo’s- it was actually my third. They do have a gluten-free menu (the link will lead you to the Menus and Food tab, click on “Ruby Foo’s Full Menu” and the ninth page of the pdf file has the gluten-free menu), but none of their sushi are listed. So, if you are interested in sushi, do ask your server and he or she will be able to identify which ones are gluten-free. I had vegetable roll, which consisted of cucumber, avocado, and asparagus. And upon request, I was a gluten-free soy sauce. For a quick dessert (we were in a hurry to get to the show), I had a scoop of Vietnamese coffee ice cream. As far as I recall, this is the best coffee ice cream I’ve had. It’s even better than Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino Ice Cream, which is really saying something!

Anyways, if you are dining with friends or family who are nor restricted to a gluten-free diet, I know my family enjoyed the dim-sum.

Cheers!

Anika

Rue 57

Here at Rue 57, a breakfast, lunch, and dinner joint in New York City, we enjoyed a late breakfast after a long morning. We had been standing in line for the Good Morning America Summer Series Concert since around 6 am. We had the pleasure of seeing Imagine Dragons perform at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park! Although we had to be up bright and early, every minute of sleep lost was worth it!

Now, breakfast can be a tricky meal for those of us who are gluten-free. When ordering a la carte, it’s hard to find a dish that is completely gluten-free. So, just ask for one or two ideas to be swapped here and there to create a meal of your choice. In simpler terms, just improvise. The dish I ordered was originally smoked salmon and capers on a whole grain bagel served with cream cheese. I simply asked for the bagel to be substituted with grilled tomatoes. When searching for gluten-free substitutes, a good place to start is the eggs, breakfast sausages, bacon, potatoes, cold cuts, fresh fruit, and yogurt. Now, I can’t guarantee all of these options will be gluten-free at every diner, but it’s a starting point to identify what you may wish to ask if it truly is free of gluten.

Anyways, breakfasts and brunches tend to be easier when it is buffet style, but it is possible to find options a la carte as well! Hopefully that gave you some insight as to eating breakfast out on a gluten-free diet, and I would suggest catching one of Good Morning America’s concerts before summer slips out from under our feet!

Cheers!

Anika

Molyvos

After a long day of roaming in and out shops in Times Square, we all agreeded to dining at Greek joint called Molyvos. This typically busy restaurant was having a slow evening because of the fireworks for the Fourth of July! Our intentions were to grab a bite and head back to Time Square and towards the pier to see the renowed fireworks. Unfortunately we didn’t make it because we were enjoying such a great meal!

There was no gluten-free menu, but the waiter was well informed and double-checked everything with a superior. I started out by having a cured salmon tapas (bite-sized) followed by grilled apricots with haloumi cheese, which was shared by the family. The apricots were rather exotic, well at least that’s what I thought until I ordered my entrée. I decided to be adventurous and ordered an appetizer portion of grilled octopus! I do wish it was minced or at least cut up a little, but it wasn’t. I will spare you the details. However, the sucker was surprisingly delicious! And last but not least: dessert. I had an ice cream taster that consisted of two scoops of almond praline and one of honey vanilla. I would go back just for that almond praline ice cream!

I would strongly encourage you to dine at Molyvos if you are in NYC and particularly in Times Square. The restaurant is located in Midtown West so it’s not much of a hike from the bustling touristy areas. Please check it out!

Cheers!

Anika

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

I’m back! But unfortunately not for long. After a very long Fourth of July weekend traveling about the east coast, I am departing for camp tomorrow morning! I will not be able to post for three weeks, but I’m going to try my best to fill you in on my travels before I depart once again.

So, first stop, New York City. Despite the horrid smell of trash in the streets, the boiling summer sun, and people crammed against each other in the touristy Times Square, I return many times each year. And I love it.

We took the train in on the Fourth of July and headed straight for Times Square. There we enjoyed a meal at a family-favorite: Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

If you are unaware, the restaurant is based off of a classic movie: Forrest Gump. The walls are lined with memorable quotes from the movie such as “Stupid is as Stupid does” and “Life was like  a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”. The entrance has a gift shop filled with movie paraphernalia sporting the restaurant’s name or the famous words of Forrest Gump. From the movie-based décor to the fun trivia questions asked by the waiters, the restaurant is a must visit. And there are many locations; I have previously been to one in Orlando as well as the one in Times Square once before.

Now besides the family-friendly atmosphere, they do have gluten-free options! They have a gluten-free menu (sadly it’s not online), which is very helpful. I ordered a refreshing watermelon lemonade and the Pear and Berry Salad. They did have four other entrees in the gluten-free selection and another salad; so there was enough variety. Overall, the food was pretty good, but nothing special. However, I would definitely return time and again for the Forrest Gump-esque atmosphere.

Cheers!

Anika