American

Gullifty’s

I’ve been looking forward to writing about this restaurant for quite some time now. Gulliftys is one of my favorite go-to sit downs. The service is speedy, and the food never disappoints. This contemporary American joint has a menu filled with great signature dishes and a few surprises too! This originally was your around-the-corner sports bar and grill, but the management decided it was time for change. They changed everything from the wallpaper, to the menu, to the bright LCD Screens, to the layout of the dining. These changes, however, gave the once dingy and crowded grill a more classy and finished feel.

Our waiter was friendly, helpful, and polite. She was quick to bring me a print out that supplemented their menu in finding gluten-free choices. I ordered the French Breton Salad. The salad contained romaine lettuce, roasted beets, grilled asparagus, goat cheese, candied pecans, and to top it off: fresh balsamic vinaigrette. I thoroughly enjoyed the salad, although just a heads up, the portions are huge! So unless you’re coming in with a big appetite, choose your entrée wisely.

As for dessert, I shared a gluten-free Chocolate Ganache Tort and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I have to say this is by far my favorite gluten-free flourless chocolate tort. The flourless chocolate dome from PF Chang’s is great, but can be overpoweringly chocolately. This tort had the right balance between texture and chocolate, and the vanilla ice cream knocked it out of the park. I would strongly recommend ordering this for dessert, but save room!

Cheers,

Anika

The Melting Pot

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday with some friends at The Melting Pot. I honestly couldn’t recommend a better place for a leisurely sit down lunch for those with a real appetite!

We had three courses: the cheese fondue, salad, and chocolate fondue. And YES, there were gluten-free options for all courses, so I enjoyed all the food! Since we went in a rather large group, we ordered three different kinds of cheese fondue: Fiesta, Spinach Artichoke, and Traditional Swiss. My personal favorite is dipping broccoli into the Spinach Artichoke. As for the salad, everyone was given Caesar Salads (it was a pre-planned luncheon- more details on that later). The crusted pine nuts were definitely the highlight of the salad. And the best for last, the chocolate fondues! We did three chocolate fondues: the Flaming Turtle, Cookies N’ Cream Marshmallow Dream, and Yin & Yang. Now, you may be thinking well Cookies N’ Cream doesn’t sound gluten-free, and you’re right, it isn’t. I decided for everyone’s convenience that I would stick to one chocolate fondue, so the others could put their glutinous dippers into the chocolate. So, I might be slightly biased when I say the Flaming Turtle was my favorite!

Now, that I have your mouths watering (hopefully!), here’s the behind the scenes. If you’re just looking for a nice lunch or dinner with the family or a few friends, you can walk on in, ask for a table with two burners (so their dippers don’t contaminate your fondue) and start selecting from the gluten-free menu. It’s that easy! If you’re looking to organize a bigger party with gluten-free accommodations, make sure that you call when you book the party to inform them if the whole party is gluten-free or just one person. Then you get to decide whether you want everyone to pour the fondue on their dippers, or if you are going to select one or two fondues that are going to be gluten-free dippers only. The staff was great, the fondue was delicious, and I would recommend The Melting Pot any day!

Cheers!

Anika

White Dog Cafe

Meal #1

After an early morning crew practice, I was treated out to a brunch at the White Dog Café in Philadelphia. I had previously been to the branch in the suburbs, but this was my first time going to the original White Dog! I loved the city location and atmosphere, but one of the greatest highlights was the convenience in terms of gluten-free options. Their select brunch menu clearly labeled all gluten-free options. I had a spinach salad with gilled chicken, honey-glazed almonds, golden raisins, and vinaigrette. I also ordered a hot-spiced chai tea, which was perfect for the weather. Overall, a great restaurant with unique options that I am glad to be able to try!

Meal #2

When dining at White Dog on a Saturday night, I was treated to some new dishes that I had not tried before! As the weather is getting warmer, I went for my usual spinach salad with White Dog’s iced tea (I would recommend it—it comes in a Mason Jar!). But after my main meal was the real treat. I tried two incredible ice cream flavors, and a strangely appetizing sorbet. The maple walnut ice cream was delicious, but I favored the honey ice cream. As for the sorbet, I had avocado sorbet! It was unlike anything I had tasted before. For those who are adventurous in their food choices, but typically held back when its not gluten-free, I strongly recommend these desserts on warm day!

Cheers!

Anika

Gluten-free bread rolls now served at the White Dog in Wayne