Contemporary

Nectar

“Enjoy the little things”

… And it’s already Memorial Day Weekend! Gosh time flies by. Hope you’re soaking in the sun and getting a little extra vitamin D that the prolonged winter deprived us of. Celiac Awareness Month is coming to an end, so I’m going to try my best to sneak in a few more posts before the month’s over.

Nectar is one of my all time favorite restaurants. I haven’t had the opportunity to dine there as often as I would’ve liked, but I have been there enough to know that the summery contemporary decor + the excellent Asian-inspired food (with a French flair) make it a wonderful place to dine. The venue is perfect for a spring time party- you can use the patio and open the window-paneled doors for a breeze. The buddha statues bring through the Asian theme while the bright orange decor is a nice contrast that gives it a modern edge. For the private event I hosted there recently, we adorned each tableset with sandalwood fans and mini take-out boxes with handmade French chocolates.

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As for the service, we had a terrific server named Bob managed to keep straight a variety of allergies and dietary restrictions. The group had one gluten-free gal (guess who?!) and three pescatarians, one strict vegetarian, one peanut-free, and one nut-free gal. Quite a crew, right? But that just attests to how on top of everything our server was.

Anyways, the food. Absolutely delicious. For an appetizer, they modified their crispy goat cheese salad to a “true leaf organic greens salad with pickled root vegetables.” The crispy goat cheese was lightly fried in a glutinous batter. However, the pickled root vegetables were quite interesting (for the better). I can’t quite think of anything just like it. Maybe the closest thing- which is still a bit of a stretch- would be a spicy Indian pickle called achar. But this was a more of a sweet Japanese version if that makes any sense. For the main course, I ordered a classic: a spicy tuna roll. When there is sushi, you get sushi. Need I say more? And for desert, the chef was extremely accommodating. The private party menu had said dessert was a “fantasy finish.” Now honestly, what does that mean? Well considering we had no idea what to expect, I was delightfully surprised. There was a slice of gltuen-free chocolate hazelnut bread, a vanilla mousse with apricot jam, and a strawberry sorbet.

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Hopefully you’re tempted enough to give this place a try. Enjoy the long weekend!

Cheers,

Anika

Tango

Howdy y’all! It’s like Christmas all over again! (minus the snow, the tree, the festive lights, and the caroling) Just add some cake and candles and there you have it folks… a few (okay, more than a few) days back, I celebrated my birthday!

My family and I went to a lovely restaurant on the mainline called Tango. Coincidentally, (or not so coincidentally) this happens to be my brother’s favorite restaurant. Although the contemporary American cuisine can be both exciting and risky in the more-so adventurous choices, it’s the location of the restaurant that really adds an edge. Tango is located just off the train tracks of the Bryn Mawr train station. And what’s really cool is that the restaurant features a Train room that is similar to a dining cart as the trains zoom by the window. You can even feel the tables shaking when a train speedily passes by!

Let me start off by giving kudos to Tango for having a gluten-free menu that corresponds with their complete dinner menu. I was very intrigued by the Shrimp Dumplings, for an appetizer, as I’ve never had GF dumplings before. And I’m happy to say the first time left a good impression! The Shrimp Dumplings didn’t resemble your typical steamed-pork dumpling when taking out Chinese food, but rather it had a crunchy, fried outer coating filled with minced shrimp. Although they were delicious, according to my brother, they were not quite dumlping-like. For my entree, I settled on the grilled rainbow trout served with basmati rice and sugar snap peas. The combination of toasted almonds, lemon, and capers to top the grilled fish added flavor and a zing to it. Believe me, I’m usually criticizing a piece of meat or seafood for being too bland! This is a dish I’m looking forward to recreating at home with my own twist.

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If you do get a chance to go, I recall wanting to try the fish tacos (don’t worry, they use corn tortillas!). However, the trout is definitely worth a try.

Cheers,

Anika

Avenue Kitchen

I owe you all a big apology for my lack of posts for these past ten days (yikes, I’m twitching at how long its been!). Over spring break,  in all the free time I had on my plate, I decided to try out a fairly new restaurant on the mainline. Avenue Kitchen adds a little twist on classic American dishes you all know and love. The restaurant not only features a contemporary American cuisine, but the environment could be described as “modern meets sophisticated”. When I checked out this restaurant online, I caught a glimpse of the white Emeco chairs and mistakenly associated this place with airing on the side of casual. But boy was I in for a surprise, especially given that I enjoyed a meal at dinner time, so the lighting further enhanced the ambiance.

Aside from the aesthetics, this little tasteful place left me with no doubts that I’d be dining here again. There are gluten-free options within the appetizers, salads, entrees, and sides. I ordered the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, roasted baby root vegetables, and toasted lemon jus (can be found under entrees). I know this may sound like the least adventurous or exciting meal I’ve ever willingly had- and that very well may be true. I normally don’t order grilled chicken at a restaurant as a general rule of thumb. But my taste buds were in need of a cleanser to the typically very colorful palate. Surprisingly though, the chicken wasn’t dry and the flavors were well marinated. However, the next time I dine at Avenue Kitchen, I must try the ‘Day Boat Scallops’. I was eying it on the menu going back and forth between the chicken for quite some time. The scallops dish is very similar to the one I enjoyed at Keating’s. If its anywhere close, I’m in for a treat!

Definitely grab a few friends and check out Avenue Kitchen!

Cheers,

Anika

Honeygrow

Honeygrow is a trendy and chic eatery that lies on City Ave. Before I had the pleasure of eating here, I doubted the originality and (please excuse my informality) freshness of the restaurant’s message. The whole idea behind it is simple: “honest eating & growing locally.” Great, I thought, this will be like another Chipotle or Sweet Greens. Now, don’t get me wrong, I always have an appetite for Sweet Greens and an appreciation for Chipotles’, what I like to call, “world-friendly” message (environmentally and people-friendly). But I wondered, what would set Honeygrow apart?

When you enter, I feel like you’re in modern, nearly futuristic, clean and sleek atmosphere. The architecture of the building and inside is clear-cut, simple, yet the simplicity draws the eye. Aside from the aesthetically pleasing look (for those of you who have a taste for contemporary styles), the food is superb. Honeygrow features Stir Fry, Salads, Smoothies, and a Honey Bar. There are touch screens monitors on which you can either create or choose a pre-made order through visuals of the food items. The Stir Fry option consists of noodles, rice, or lettuce, vegetables, seasonings, proteins, and a homemade sauce. Some of the Salads have a slight fusion asian twist. And the Honey Bar, which unfortunately, I was too full to try this time, consists of fresh fruit, a garnish, and local honey. I found the concept very refreshing. Froyo, otherwise known as frozen yogurt, was a hidden treasure that was highly sought after, but when discovered by the public, it went mainstream. While I do hope the Honey Bar maintains its status as a rarity, I want people to experience it (including myself!).

The other day, when I ate my first meal at  Honeygrow, I came to realize how gluten-free friendly it was. When I was creating my own salad, each dressing on the touch screen was labeled with a (GF) for gluten-free if it was indeed free of gluten. Made my life a while lot easier! As for the Stir Fry, I will have to try it next time. I was quick to assume that the stir fry wouldn’t have any gluten-free sauces because of the asian fusion influence in the restaurant’s cuisine. I, however, was proven wrong. The stir fry sauces are labeled identically to the salad dressings with a (GF). Additionally, on top of the counter where you place your orders (next to the touch screens) is a convenient, little sign saying “Ask about any allergies. Notify the staff.”

I would love to see this unique restaurant become a sensation across the nation like Shake Shack. Except the message is one that should be proudly carried “honest eating & growing locally.” Look out around town, Honeygrow is expanding! Two new locations are being added in 2014!

Cheers,

Anika

New Rice Noodles at Honeygrow

Paramour

When going out to celebrate out of my friends birthdays, she chose to dine at Paramour in Wayne, PA. The cuisine is American, but with a distinctive modern and contemporary twist to it. We all had to dress up for the occasion, because the restaurant is classy and chic. My friend knew of my allergy and informed the restaurant beforehand, allowing them time to notify our waiter of appropriate gluten-free choices for dinner.

When walking in, on the left is a sports bar, straight ahead, I caught a glimpse of a private room decked in bright oranges and contemporary furniture. On the right was a posh little table with five of my friends eagerly waiting for me to arrive. Resting on our napkins were small fragrance sachets. I still use mine in my room at home; the scent of ‘Petals of Spring’ never fades away. Additionally, each of us were treated to caramel covered marshmallows. I considered saving mine for my brother, but that plan was quick fall through!

The waiters brought around a variety of rolls and breads, which I had to skip out on. But I was quite satisfied with the earlier sweet treat! For my entree, I ordered the Chop Chop Salad without the turkey. I guess I just wasn’t feeling the meat that day. A rather large portion of salad came out about ten minutes later with carrots, goat cheese, beets, golden raisins, and almonds well mixed in. I throughly enjoyed the salad as I was pretty hungry at that point!

After our belly were full and top buttons opened, we proceeded to the private room! I was very excited to see the colorful room that had caught my eye once more. The room was posh was furnished with a large sofa and many armchairs in the center. A chandeliers glistened above us, and the waiters brought out a birthday cake. We sang and hugged. After heading back to the table, other were brought slices of a red velvet cake, and I was delighted to have a waiter give me about four gluten-free dessert items to choose from. I ended up picking the Cherry Port ice cream. The ice cream was delicious, but after I couple bites, it dawned on me that it had a distinguished taste of wine. I naively had not picked on the play of words of ‘port’. Port has meant port wine. The ice cream was still very good with whole cherries and a French vanilla base, if I’m not mistaken. I would strongly recommend dining at Paramour, and I’ve heard they do superb brunches as well!

Cheers,

Anika

Azie

For a dinnertime end-of-the-year celebration, my family chose to dine at Azie. Azie serves a unique contemporary Asian cuisine and is conveniently located on the mainline (of Philadelphia). I personally like to think of the restaurant as having a French-Japanese cuisine- but don’t hold me to it. Nothing can quite match the exquisite dishes prepared at Azie.

The waiter was very helpful in bringing out a gluten-free menu for me. He also was kind enough to ask the chef whether the specials would be all right for me. Although he was accommodating, he didn’t quite understand the concept of being intolerant to gluten. The special appetizer was raw tuna, avocado, and oranges in a honey miso glaze. After asking the chef, our waiter said, ‘Yes, its okay, its okay. But in the honey miso sauce, we can’t be sure. There may be little bit. Very little. But otherwise okay.’ His ignorance regarding gluten-free diets was not a problem, since I myself simply said, ‘No thank you!’ to the appetizer. But its just a heads up- the staff may seem like they have a grasp on gluten-free eaters, but take precautions!

For the entrée, I ordered one of their special. You may think this is a rather daring choice as the waiter ignorantly said the glutinous appetizer was mostly gluten-free. But this time, the waiter reassured us with bringing the chef out to confirm. So, I feasted on a grilled striped bass served with a mandarin orange salad and edamame risotto. I was not a big fan of the risotto, but the fish and salad were excellent! The fish was fresh and juicy, so I would have to recommend ordering seafood from this restaurant.

Last but not least, the dessert. I didn’t have a whole lot of choices. But being gluten-free, you should try to get use to that. (Or don’t! If you’re passionate, take a stance and starting contacting restaurants that you don’t think provide an adequate amount of GF dessert choices!) I decided to have a refreshing raspberry sorbet once my meal was finished. It was a great way to end the celebrations and congratulations!

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