Seafood

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

Tilapia Tortillas

Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces of tilapia
  • Taco Seasoning
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 GF tortillas
  • Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • Medium Taco Sauce
  • 3 ounces blend of Mexican cheeses

In a glass baking dish, line with aluminum foil and place four pieces of tilapia. Evenly coat the fish with olive oil. Then, sprinkle the taco seasoning on the front and back of the tilapia. Simply bake for 15 minutes at 350°.

Meanwhile, prepare your tortilla and toppings. Follow warming instructions on the packet of the GF tortilla. (I used Toufayan Bakeries Gluten-Free Wraps. One of the best GF tortilla substitutes!) Then add lettuce, cheese, and taco sauce on the warmed tortilla. When the tilapia is ready, just place it in the center of your wrap. You may wish to cut the fish into smaller pieces for eating convenience. Roll it up, stick in a toothpick, and enjoy!

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

“Saumon à l’ail” (Salmon with Garlic)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 6 tbsp. of light olive oil
  • 1 tsp. of dried basil
  • 1 tsp. of salt
  • 1 tsp. of ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 2 (6 oz. )fillets of salmon

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley. Place salmon in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Place fillets in aluminium foil, cover with the marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in a glass dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

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

Legal Sea Foods

This is by far my favorite seafood restaurant in town, when it comes to gluten free options. They have a wonderful gluten-free menu (the menus are all online, by location) packed with many originally wheat-filled options!

I would even consider some of my favorites as my comfort foods. From the Hot Lump Crap Dip to the Crispy Montauk Calamari, their selection never disappoints! Additionally, they have excellent gluten-free poppy seed rolls that your server will bring out along with the wheat rolls to start you off. After my meal, I usually order a dozen of these buns to take home because they are so great! Although most of their dishes never fail to please, I would not recommend the Lite Clam Chowder if you are expecting a creamy, thick, New England-style chowder. When they say “lite”, they mean it. This is a thin, almost watery soup. Overall though, it’s one of my regulars, for sure.