Local Yogurt – Gluten Free Fro-Yo Heaven

I recently made a trip out to a new dessert spot called Local Yogurt. We visited the North Raleigh location at 6106 Falls of Neuse Road. Local Yogurt got its start in Durham as the city's first independently owned frozen yogurt shop. In addition to being a locally owned business, the shop features toppings from area farms and vendors (more on that in minute) – thus the name Local Yogurt.

Restaurant Review: Pei Wei Asian Diner

Pei Wei Asian Diner is a fast-casual (guests order from a cashier, and the food is brought out to the table) restaurant offering up around 10 menu items for Gluten Free consumers. The restaurant originally opened in 2000 and is owned by P.F. Chang's. There are now more than 100 locations in the US. Pei Wei offers a modest selection of freshly prepared Asian items influenced by the cuisines of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand. All of Pei Wei's dishes are made to order and offer customization. We all know how Gluten Free friendly P.F. Chang's can be, so how does the little brother rate?

Mellow Mushroom's Gluten Free Pizza

As I wrote about late last week, Mellow Mushroom has finally rolled out their new Gluten Free pizzas.  I had the opportunity today to meet the folks behind the pizza, see how it is prepared and cooked and most importantly taste the new pie.  I'd like to start off with a big thanks to Triangle Mellow Mushroom owner Casey (Raleigh, Durham and Wake Forest locations) for inviting me in to see the process and taste the product.  Also, thanks to the two members of MM corporate (John and Eric) for providing all the pertinent information so that I could properly share this exciting news with you.  And to Fred Lybrand of Juno Nutrition for again having great connections.

There have been rumors about this day for many months and I'm happy to report that it is finally here.  I'm also happy to share that MM has really thought this through and have a huge desire to get this right for Celiacs or those who are Gluten Intolerant (or as the typo in the menu says "Celiac Intolerant" - I wish I actually was Celiac Intolerant but I digress).  They have really done their homework on the right way to roll out GF pizza.  You can enjoy these new GF pizzas right now at the 3 Triangle area locations during this test market launch.  Let's do our part to make sure this test is successful.

Here are the important points to remember...

1. Mellow Mushroom is using a frozen pizza crust product from Still Riding Pizza.  The crusts are made in a dedicated GF facility and shipped to each MM location frozen.
2. MM is bringing in nearly 50 GFCO certified Gluten Free toppings/ingredients for it's GF pizza.  All these ingredients are kept in a separate preparation area away from the main prep line for wheat pizzas.
3. MM has developed an extensive preparation procedure that will be used by "certified Gluten Free pizza makers" to deliver safe pizzas to those who cannot tolerate Gluten.  I saw this procedure in writing and will try to get a copy to share with you.
4. MM only uses corn meal in their restaurants when preparing wheat pizza, thus no atmospheric gluten.
5. MM keeps all GF toppings, supplies and crusts in a dedicated area.  All GF pizzas will be prepared in this dedicated location.  They use separate utensils as well.
6. MM will be using dedicated GF screens to cook the GF pizzas in a shared oven (wheat pizzas are placed directly on the oven stone itself) to avoid cross-contamination while baking.

Now onto the pizza.  I sampled a pepperoni and mushroom pizza while Fred tried a Hawaiian.  Both were excellent in taste and mouth feel.  The pizzas were the closest to wheat pizza that I've seen to date in the fact that the crust was not either cracker-like or crumbly.  A very NY-style thin crust pizza you could take and fold over to eat - yum!  The pizza is a 12" pizza and comes in larger than any of its competitors offering a full 8 slices.  MM also does not charge an extra fee for the GF crusts, they are the same price as their normal medium pizza.  With nearly 50 toppings to choose from, you can create basically any pizza you like and have it taste pretty darn close to the wheat version you might be used to from MM.

Product Testing Policy
As per the Gluten Free Raleigh "Paul Seelig" Product Testing Policy, I did perform an EZ-Gluten test on a sample of my pepperoni/mushroom pizza.  See the pictures for more information but I'm happy to report that the result was negative (actual test strip on the far left).

Mellow Mushroom is looking for your feedback on their new Gluten Free Pizzas and preparation/cooking procedure.  Please visit their Contact Us Web site to let them know your thoughts and be sure to give this new Gluten Free Pizza option a try.

P.F. Chang's Update

I've written before about my great Gluten Free experience at P.F. Chang's China Bistro.  They sent out an update yesterday that they are now offering 5 additional Gluten Free menu items; Mongolian Beef, Hong Kong Beef with Snow Peas, Beef a la Sichuan, Pepper Steak and Beef with Brocoli.  The P.F. Chang's GF menu (found here) now boasts 28 items.  Yum!

Restaurant Review: Café Harmony

I had the opportunity recently to visit the brand new Café Harmony; Raleigh's "first totally organic & natural café". Most of you are probably aware of the excellent grocery store called Harmony Farms which offers a ton of Gluten Free products. The grocery store is located at the corner of Creedmoor Road and Millbrook Road in North Raleigh (Creedmoor Crossings). The owners recently took over an empty space two doors down from the grocery store and opened a new café. Luckily for us, Café Harmony offers many Gluten Free options. 

I stopped in for lunch and ordered an Albacore Tuna Melt off of their lunch menu. It was very tasty! The lunch menu also includes items like Smokey Black Bean Burger, Organic Egg Salad and Organic Chef Salad. For an extra $1, (what they call GFO), I changed my order to Gluten Free by easily substituting the bun (which I believe was a Jillian's French roll). In fact, 6 of their 9 lunch menu options are already GF or can be made GF for that extra $1. The café also offers a pretty extensive breakfast menu as well with items like Belgian Waffles, Organic Quiche or Green Eggs & Ham. You can also pick up some "A La Carte" options like GF yogurt Granola Parfait, Oatmeal or Donuts! Café Harmony also offers a small kids menu of 3 items (1/2 Tuna Melt, Grilled Banana & Peanut Butter or Grilled Cheese); all of which can be made Gluten Free. I spoke briefly with the manager about their GF food preparation practices and how they avoid/limit cross contact with other items that contain Gluten (this is not a dedicated GF restaurant). She let me know they take GF options very seriously and have the proper procedures and training in place to avoid cross-contact as much as possible. Gluten Free items are prepared in a separate location with separate utensils and are the only items being prepped at that time by the kitchen staff. Workers switch out their gloves and use red handled utensils for each GF order. Seems to me that Harmony Café has the proper procedures in place to make GF items as safe or safer than any other restaurant with a shared kitchen could provide. If you have any questions or concerns, you should stop in and talk them over (or call) to make you feel comfortable.


Café Harmony's mission statement states that they "are dedicated to bringing Raleigh the best of organic and locally supported food. We promote healthy alternatives by providing Gluten Free options & meeting diverse dietary needs." Sounds like a great mission that really offers Gluten Free consumers a great breakfast/lunch spot. 

Information

Café Harmony

Address: 5645 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh

Web Site: http://www.cafeharmony.net

Phone: 919-510-6910

Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am – 3p, Sat & Sun: 8am – 3pm

Menu: http://www.cafeharmony.net/CafeHarmonyMenu.pdf

Restaurant Review: Firebird’s Rocky Mountain Grill

Looking for a "Taste of Colorado" here in the Carolinas? Whatever a Taste of Colorado is, it is indeed tasty. If you have not had the opportunity to check out Firebird's Rocky Mountain Grill and their Gluten Free menu, here is a review of my recent visit which might help. Firebird's was started in the Charlotte area in 2000 by a restaurateur who regularly traveled out west and wanted to bring that experience here to NC. The exposed kitchen and massive open fireplace bring to life the rocky mountain lodge feel. The food also represents the same aspects of the West by using a wood fired grill for cooking most entrees. Firebird's now has 17 locations which include Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte and Winston-Salem. The Raleigh location is at North Hills near Six Forks and I-440 Beltline.

Luckily for those of us who are Gluten Free, Firebird's offers a Gluten Free menu so we can also experience the ambiance. The GF menu can be found here. As you can see, it contains a pretty decent selection of items. There are three salad choices with numerous dressing options and each salad can have wood grilled chicken, salmon, tenderloin or tuna added for a little extra punch. The menu also has a handful of entrees from the Wood Fired Grill like Aspen Sirloin, Filet or Chile Rubbed Delmonico steak. There are also a few other seafood, chops and ribs choices available as well as a handful of sides to round out the menu. There is even a kids menu available which is pretty rare to see.

During my lunchtime visit, I ordered the Mixed Greens salad (diced tomatoes, sugar roasted pecans) and added wood grilled chicken and Honey Mustard Dressing. For a lunch option, it was really light, yummy and refreshing. I look forward to going back and trying one of the steak options, prime rib or baby back ribs for dinner soon - yum. You can also join their mailing list and receive a free gift as well as a yearly birthday gift here. Firebird's was definitely a good GF experience.

Information
Firebird's Rocky Mountain Grill
4350 Lassiter North Hills #118
Phone: 919-788-8778

Restaurant Review: PF Chang’s

I recently had the pleasure of visiting P.F. Chang's China Bistro, a real Gluten Free destination, for dinner. I've been contacted by quite a few readers letting me know that this place really knew what they were doing when it came to catering to GF customers. For one reason or the other, I just hadn't made it over there yet. A reader (thanks Denise) then recently put me in touch with the Operating Manger of the Crabtree location, Glyn Jones. I was invited to experience their Gluten Free dining options and to get some more detailed information from Glyn.

Of course, I first did what I always do, internet research. I found P.F. Chang's Web site which mentions Gluten Free right on the home page. They boast 17 menu items available for Gluten Free diners and even have a link to a recent USA Today in depth article on Celiac Disease. You really just don't see that too often. I also read numerous reviews and message boards from successful P.F. Chang's experiences around the USA. I made my reservation and mentioned that I was Gluten Free due to Celiac Disease and that I would require their GF menu. The hostess I spoke with told me the GF menu is now included in the normal menu – also nice to see.

You can see the online GF menu here. Click the Gluten Free link at the top.

I was really blown away by the sheer number of choices available on this GF menu. The only other place that offers this much is Bella Monica. I'm usually pretty happy to go to a restaurant and be able to eat ONE thing, let along nearly 20 menu items that range from Starters, Soups, Sides, Entrees and Desserts. It was also very nice to see some of the normal menu items that were already Gluten Free or easily modified to be GF.

Our dining experience was top notch, our server was excellent and I was greeted and checked on by the manager on duty (thanks Nate) numerous times throughout the meal. We had the opportunity to sit at the "Captain's table" which is actually located in the kitchen area and provided a front row seat of the operations of the kitchen staff (nice when you are on a special diet so you can keep an eye on things). Our server went over all the Gluten Free menu options and was available to ask any questions that I had. The manager (Nate) also took the time after our meal to show me a few things in the kitchen and to explain the process of preparing a Gluten Free meal as safe as possible. He let me know that the restaurant at a franchise level does an enormous amount of training around GF and other special diets. They take a lot of precautions to ensure safe meals. Some of those precautions involve using designated dishes and cooking utensils and thorough cleaning of shared cooking spaces (Wok) when GF menus are prepared. The order tickets used by the kitchen staff are specially marked GF and special sauces are created used GF soy sauce throughout the process. He said they are always looking for ways to modify or create new menu items to further expand the GF menu – awesome! I was pretty impressed with how they are doing things. Nate let me know that they take safely preparing GF meals very seriously and feel like they have a pretty sound process for doing so. I think the success and growth of their GF business and menu are proof of that.

On to my order… of course I was happy to see RedBridge on the menu so that was definitely a tasty treat (or three). Our party also had the Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps appetizer (Quickly cooked spiced chicken served with cool lettuce cups and gluten free sauce) which were amazing. For my meal, I ordered the Chang's Spicy Chicken (Lightly dusted and stir-fried in a sweet Sichuan sauce, a.k.a. General Tso's) with brown rice. Some of the other members of my party also ordered from the GF menu even though they are not required to eat that way. There were just so many enticing choices. The GF food came out on special round plates with red P.F. Chang's logos (which my server told me to watch out beforehand). This is nice to know that your meal is standing out throughout the cooking/serving process. The food was delicious! I also had some Moo Goo Gai Pan (P.F. Chang's version of the classic Cantonese dish with chicken, shrimp, mushrooms and vegetables) which was also very yummy! The food was so good that I pretty much stuffed myself to the point where I almost didn't have any leftovers. Somehow, I still found room for the GF Dessert menu item; Flourless Chocolate Dome (Served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce). This dessert was also amazing and provided a nice finish to the excellent GF experience.

Overall, this was one of the best Gluten Free dining experiences I've had to date. I will definitely go back in the future and strongly encourage you to do the same. If you have not had the opportunity to dine Gluten Free at P.F. Chang's, now is your chance. The more we visit, the more we will reinforce their decision to cater to us. A win-win. You can also sign up for a Warrior Card and get 10% off your bill.

Information
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
4325 Glenwood Avenue (Crabtree Valley Mall) – there is also a Durham location (Streets @ Southpoint).
Phone: 919-787-7754

Restaurant Review: Sono

This afternoon, I had lunch at Sono in Downtown Raleigh. Sono is a Japanese Sushi place right on Fayetteville Street in the heart of Downtown. I have been to Sono in the past before going Gluten Free but have not been back since.

I paid the folks at Sono a quick visit last week to see if they could handle Gluten Free patrons. They told me that they do stock Gluten Free soy sauce and can make special requests as needed and have done so for Gluten Free diners before without any issues. I felt pretty good about coming back for lunch.

When I arrived, I asked my waiter what Gluten Free options they had. They do not have a GF menu and the waiter was not really sure what they could offer but did mention that they do have GF soy sauce. At that point, I got a little nervous and asked for either a manager or chef to speak with. The waiter quickly got a chef for me to talk to. The chef was very confident he could make me a safe GF meal and asked me what I would like to eat. I told him that before going GF, I had eaten their Grilled Salmon lunch entree and really liked it. He noted that the dish was made with wheat based soy sauce so he'd have to make me a special order and redo everything with GF soy sauce but that it would not be a problem. In addition, he mentioned that the house fried rice also contained wheat based soy sauce so he would make me a GF version of that as well. The dish also comes with steamed veggies which did not need any modifications. I requested that he pan sear/fry my salmon instead of grilling it and he said that would not be an issue.

My order was a slight modification of the lunch shokado bentos - grilled salmon (spicy teriyaki) and it was delicious. You can see their menu here - I have a feeling they could have easily modified other menu items to be GF as well. The portion size was great for lunch and included GF fried rice, GF steamed veggies (2 servings to replace the tempura roll) and of course the salmon. I will definitely go back to this spot for lunch or dinner in the future. FYI - I have been emailed by a few readers letting me know they also had a good experience at Sono.

Information
Sono
319 Fayetteville Street, Suite 101
Raleigh, NC
Phone - 521-5328
Web site - sonoraleigh.com
Email - info@sonoraleigh.com
Lunch: Mon ~ Fri 11:00am-2:00pm
Dinner: Sun ~ Thur 5:00pm-10:00pm
Fri & Sat 5:00pm-11:00pm


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Restaurant Review: Posta Tuscan Grille

I recently had a business lunch at Posta Tuscan Grille located in the Marriott next to the Convention Center in Downtown Raleigh. Posta has been open for about a year but I have not been since it serves mainly Italian food (all that pasta scares me).

Upon entering (the hotel and restaurant are beautiful by the way), I asked to speak with a chef about their possible Gluten Free options. Within a few minutes, a chef appeared and let me know they could definitely make me something Gluten Free for lunch. I inquired some more about the options, what they included and how they were prepared. I eventually settled on the following...

* Pan seared/fried Filet Mignon
* Baked potato
* Steamed greens
* Dessert - fresh fruit cup

The meal was very yummy (Filet usually is though) but I was impressed by the communication between the chef and waitress. She mentioned that she spoke directly with the chef about my meal and he went over everything with her as well. She then passed it along to me for reassurance. I only had to make a few small changes to the normal menu item which weren't too hard. Instead of grilling, I had the chef pan fry. Instead of mashed potatoes, I had a baked potato. The greens were already Gluten Free and had not seasoning other than salt, pepper and garlic.

Overall, I had a pretty good lunch experience. The restaurant was not that full so maybe that helped. I'd go back to Posta in the future even though they don't offer a Gluten Free menu and didn't have very many choices. The food was quality and very tasty.

Information
Posta Tuscan Grille

Web site

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Dress code: Casual
Phone: 833-1120

The Betti brothers grew up in the Tuscan hills just outside Florence, working in the family butcher shop with their father, Silvano, and at the apron of their mother, Rosanna. The Betti's base their recipes around seasonal fresh ingredients and the finest meats, fish and poultry. Their family specialties are the home made Italian Salami. Marco hosts wine and culinary tours to Italy and shares Italy’s treasured ingredients with his American guests, including Porcini mushrooms, white truffles and a fantastic olive oil. Marco also features wine dinners with some of Italy’s most prominent winemakers.

The Betti brothers welcome you to enjoy their family recipes paired with the finest Italian and American wines along with signature cocktails. Posta Tuscan Grille serves breakfast, lunch and dinner along with Bar Posta open daily until late night. Remember to book your next event in one of our Private Dining Rooms.

Raleigh Marriott City Center
500 Fayetteville Street
Raleigh, NC

Phone: 833-1120

Restaurant Review: Qdoba Mexican Grill

I recently had the pleasure of dining Gluten Free at Qdoba Mexican Grill. Qdoba is a "fast-casual" restaurant featuring Tex-Mex style food like burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I frequented Qdoba and it was a favorite of mine, but I had not been back since going Gluten Free. Qdoba started in Denver in 1995 and now has nearly 500 stores in 42 states.

A quick check of their menu online and you'll quickly see gluten in several places, i.e. flour tortillas. But some clarity is provided on their Allergen information page. The soft white corn tortilla shell is marked as wheat free along with a big variety of other items on the menu.

For my order, I played it safe and went with a naked burrito, i.e. in a plastic bowl. I was not brave enough to get the soft white corn tortilla shells. I asked the worker to change her gloves and for me the risk of cross-contact was pretty low (as low as it can be in a gluten filled restaurant kitchen). Each ingredient is in a separate container and has it's own designated spoon. I ordered the naked chicken burrito and had the following added; Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans, Romaine Lettuce, Chicken, Pico de Gallo and Cheese.

The naked burrito was really yummy and big enough for 2 meals. I got a little creative and used my beloved Utz tortilla chips to scoop and eat the burrito rather than a fork. I did not suffer any gluten consequences and will definitely go back.

FYI - Qdoba also has a rewards program called the Qcard. Swipe your Qcard each time you buy Qdoba and after about 10 purchases, you'll be entitled to a free entree. You can get your Qcard at the register when you check out.

Qdoba has 6 Triangle area locations
Raleigh
*424 E. Six Fork Rd.
*3101 Edwards Mill Rd., Ste. 102

Cary
*2222 Walnut Street

Knightdale
*210 Hinton Oaks Blvd.

Apex
*1005 Beaver Creek Commons Dr.

Chapel Hill
*100 W. Franklin St.

Tijuana Flats Coming Soon To Raleigh

Tex-Mex restaurant chain Tijuana Flats is coming soon to Raleigh. This should interest fans of Chipotle, Moe's Southwest Grill or Qdoba (click each link for their respective GF menus).

Check out the Triangle Business Journal article here. The Raleigh store, located in the Quail Commons shopping center at the corner of Falls of Neuse Road and Millbrook Road, will open on September 21st. Look for 6-8 more locations coming soon to the Triangle.

Click here for the Tijuana Flats' Gluten information (located on Page 14). Seems like they are going to be subject to the potential cross-contact found in the other Tex-Mex places.

Ted's Montana Grill - Gluten Free Menu Updated

Check out this great article from Celiac-Disease.com about Ted's Montana Grill and the recent changes to their Gluten Free menu and strategy.

Ted's Montana Grill's Gluten Free menu can be found here and turns out to be pretty extensive. Multiple choices for starters, salads, burgers/chicken sandwiches, entrees, kids menu, sides and desserts can be found.

French fries are also now on the menu but be sure to check each location has a dedicated fryer.

Raleigh has one Ted's Montana Grill which can be found at Triangle Town Center. The location's Web site can be found here.

I have not yet been to Ted's but will try to soon. If you have been, please leave a comment below about your experience.

Red Bowl Asian Bistro Coming To Raleigh

I've heard from many of you out there that an excellent Gluten Free meal can be had at Red Bowl Asian Bistro in Cary.

I personally have not been to Red Bowl yet but recently heard that a new location would be opening soon in Raleigh. Check out Sue Stock's article here from the N&O. Sue says "Also in North Raleigh, at BJ's-anchored Plantation Point off Capital Boulevard, Red Bowl Asian Bistro is under construction next to Mimi's Café and will open in early 2010."

From Red Bowl's Web site...

Originally started in Charlotte, Red Bowl Asian Bistro is brand new to the Cary area. The elegant, traditional setting is combined with a beautiful contemporary flair.

Red Bowl Asian Bistro is a traditional Asian restaurant with a full service bar serving Asian inspired dishes. Each distinctive dish is handcrafted to order using only the finest and freshest ingredients in our immaculate kitchen.

Our combination of Asian cooking techniques (Chinese, Thai and Japanese) allows us to create exceptional pan-Asian cuisine! At Red Bowl Asian Bistro, you will always discover more than you expect, from our create-your-own stir-fry bar, our award winning sushi bar and family friendly environment to our wide variety of Asian dishes.

Red Bowl Asian Bistro strives to preserve the best time-honored Asian cooking traditions while providing a fresh, flavorful alternative for today's food connoisseur.

Click here for Red Bowl's Gluten Free menu (scroll to bottom). Leave a comment if you've had good luck here and are excited about the new location.

Restaurant Review: Biaggi's - Cary

I had the pleasure of visiting Biaggi's Italian Restaurant this week for lunch. I've heard from numerous readers about Biaggi's and all the great experiences folks have had there. Until now, I've just never had the opportunity to get to that part of Cary. Biaggi's is a 22 restaurant chain which began in Bloomington, IL in the late 90s. The Cary location is the only one in NC. The chain strives to make the majority of menu items fresh onsite each day.

As always, I did a little research online at Biaggis.com and was pleased to find their rather extensive Gluten Free menu. This GF menu features a big list of appetizers, salads, pasta dishes and entrees. I was really impressed as the menu seemed really well thought out to provide GF diners with a vast selection. I got a little concerned though about all the grilled items on the menu. Usually, when I see grilled on a GF menu it makes my red flag alert go up as the potential for cross-contact can be extensive on a shared grill. I decided to proceed to the restaurant to inquire further - I could always get another non-grilled item on the list.

Upon entering the restaurant, I spoke with the person at the hostess station. I informed her I was Gluten Free and she gave me the Gluten Free menu mentioned above. I inquired about the grilled options and how that could usually cause some concern. She informed me that Biaggi's entire grill is Gluten Free. No Gluten containing ingredients ever touch the grill and this major change allows for Biaggi's to offer much more GF options on their menu. I also asked her about the pasta choices. I asked if their pasta was either a different color or shape than all the other wheat pastas as to help everyone involved (including me) verify the pasta actually was GF. She went to the back and asked the chef about this and returned with the GF pasta now should be green (spinach). She told me to make sure if I ordered pasta it was indeed spaghetti shaped and green.

Upon ordering, I mentioned to the waiter that I would be ordering off the Gluten Free menu. He said to just relax because they serve multiple GF customers on a daily basis and have a full understanding of the ingredients and cross-contact issues in the kitchen. I felt pretty darn comfortable - one of the most comfortable times eating out since May 2008. I was actually able to sit and talk with the people I was out to lunch with and just relax and wait for my food like everyone else. My extreme urge to ask the waiter 101 questions, to speak directly with the chef, to inspect the kitchen personally was pretty much gone.

I placed my order - Chicken Piemontese. How can you not order this "Grilled chicken breast stuffed with imported Italian ham and smoked provolone and Gouda cheeses. Topped with a lemon-basil butter sauce and served with sautéed asparagus and roasted herb potatoes." YUM. I was actually torn between this and several other menu items. This is the first time I can claim that this has happened since going GF.

The food itself was excellent. I really enjoyed my entire meal, felt totally normal while eating and completely cleaned my plate. I sorta had the thought in the back of my head that this was really too good to be true. The next part is the true barometer. I usually wait about 24 hours and see if any symptoms occur. For me, it's headaches and flare ups of my DH. It's been a few days and I'm extremely happy to report that neither of these side effects have occurred. I'm pretty excited to add Biaggi's to my list of restaurants that really do understand what Gluten Free means - both ingredients and cross-contact.

Information
Biaggi's Italian Restaurant
Preston Walk
1060 Darrington Drive
Cary, NC 27513

Web site - Biaggis.com
Phone - 919.468.7229
Hours - Mon - Thurs 1130am - 930pm, Fri - Sat 1130am - 1030pm, Sun 1130am - 9pm


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Restaurant Review: Gluten Free Pizza at UNO Chicago Grill

Well, it took me a little while to get there but finally I had some Gluten Free Pizza from Uno Chicago Grill last week. I have not been to an Uno previously and was a little surprised that it is actually a really nice sit-down family restaurant. I guess I just figured it was like any other pizza place.

Regardless, we got to our seats and noticed some Gluten Free items listed on the regular menu including RedBridge and three varieties of Gluten Free pizza. The regular menu noted they have an additional Gluten Free menu (ask your server) but the above choices were all I needed to see. We ordered one of each of the pizza choices; pepperoni, cheese & tomato and the new veggie.

After ordering, I asked to speak with the manager and then had the pleasure to speak with Charlie Wheeler. Charlie was excited to speak with a Gluten Free consumer and had lots to say about the new pizza. He recently did the roll out in the Charlotte Uno store and was then moved up to Raleigh. He indicated that they did a monthly Celiac Pizza Party Night at the Charlotte store and would love to organize something like this here in Raleigh. He also indicated the response at the Raleigh store has been very good so far and that he was always looking for feedback about the Gluten Free choices. Any interest in a monthly Pizza Party?

I think at this point I have tried pretty much every GF pizza out there... Uno's GF pizza stacks up pretty well. The crust is the thickest I've tried (other than Rosie's Plate thick crust). A non-cracker like crust is what reminds me the most of normal pizza. The taste was pretty good also, not overly buttery but also not really much taste at all - I guess the toppings, sauce and cheese does all the talking for this GF pie. I'd recommend you ask the server to cook your GF pizza for longer than what Uno recommends. Our cheese pizza seemed to be the most underdone which resulted in crumbly crust. The pepperoni was by far the best tasting and best cooked of the three. The cheese pizza tasted much better during warm-up leftover consumption the following day.

From my discussions with the manager, the pizza is actually shipped to each Uno in it's own pan. It is then unwrapped at the store in a dedicated section, topped with dedicated GF toppings and then placed back in the original packing material and placed in the freezer until ordered. Since it comes on it's own cooking pan, the risk for cross-contamination in the oven is lowered. After having this pizza twice, I have so far suffered no ill effects.

Bottom line - it was really great to walk into a restaurant, see Gluten Free on a normal menu and order pizza and beer with my family with relatively low worry level.

Coming Soon - Woody's Bar-B-Q

I just read about a new restaurant opening in Raleigh at the former Hardee's spot in the North Ridge Shopping Center at Falls of Neuse and Spring Forest roads.

The place will be North Carolina's first Woody's Bar-B-Q. So I thought I would check out their menu since I enjoy BBQ. To my surprise, they have a list of Gluten Free items. Check out page 3 of their nutritional value sheet here.

Gluten Free Menu Items

• Baby Back Ribs
• Spare Ribs
• Sliced Pork
• Smoked BBQ Chicken
• Mesquite Grilled Chicken Breast
• Un-Breaded Chicken WIngs
• Hamburgers
• Hot Dogs
• Cole Slaw
• Bar-B-Q Beans
• Corn on the Cob
• Green Beans
• Salads
• French Fries
  

More to come once Woody's officially opens in mid- to late June.
They also have a sugar free and dairy free menu as well.

Restaurant Review: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Check out the following post over at Gluten Free Cary about Five Guys Burgers & Fries restaurant. Sarah does a great job of reviewing the Cary, NC locations.

A new addition to their Web site -The front page now proclaims:

Zero Gluten, except for our buns.

There are 2 Raleigh locations as well...

• Raleigh at North Hills 4120 Main At North Hills St
• Raleigh at Brennan Station 8107 Creedmoor Road
  

I have updated the Fast Food Restaurant listing with this new information.

ENJOY!

Restaurant Review: Sitti - Downtown Raleigh

I recently had lunch at a brand new restaurant in Downtown Raleigh called Sitti. Sitti is an "Authentic Lebanese Restaurant" which opened a few weeks ago as a joint collaboration of Empire Eats (think Duck 'n Dumpling, Raleigh Times, The Pit, etc...) and Neomonde Baking Company which has served the Raleigh area for 30 years. Unfortunately, Neomonde is a bakery and does not have any Gluten Free items itself.

I had not previously been to Sitti and really didn't have the chance to preview their menu or call ahead like I normally do. I was under the assumption that we were going somewhere else for lunch - oh well. Regardless, upon entering, I did my normal routine of asking the hostess for a manager and/or chef to speak with about my Gluten Free requirements. Within a few minutes, I met with Todd Henderson - Sitti's General Manager.

Todd kindly walked me through what was safe for me on their regular menu. A few minor modifications had to be made but overall the process was a lot easier than other places I have been. He knew every ingredient on the menu which really put me at ease. I ended up with the following for lunch...

Chicken Kabob – tender pieces of marinated chicken grilled on skewers served with garlic whip. Served with Sitti rice, sumac, onion and grilled tomato. $7.99

I immediately questioned the "marinated" part of the description in which Todd then explained the ingredients - all GF. I also asked about the garlic whip - again everything GF. I mentioned to Todd that I was not comfortable with the meal being prepared on a shared grill - he indicated that the meal would be sauteed in a fresh pan by itself - excellent! He then brought up the fact that their Sitti rice indeed had wheat noodles in it. He suggested substituting the Sitti House Salad – romaine, cucumber, tomato, red onion, mint, parsley with olive oil and lemon juice - instead.

Todd also went on to say that he would prepare the kitchen staff on the Gluten Free requirement of my meal and personally check it on as it made it's way through the kitchen. These gestures definitely made me more relaxed about my meal. My meal came out and no mistakes were made - everything just as we had agreed. Others around me ordered the same dish and I could definitely tell my chicken was not cooked on the grill like theirs.

Overall, I really enjoyed the meal at Sitti. It basically turned into a kind of Chicken Kabob salad but the taste was excellent. After the meal, I again approached Todd to thank him for his efforts and to let him know I was pleased with my Gluten Free dining experience. I went on to mention who I was and what I did (this blog) and he became very interested in learning more about Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet. Apparently, Sitti has had quite a few Gluten Free requests and have had to learn quickly about the meal preparation. Sitti seems very open to working with me to create a Gluten Free menu and to get more information about the NFCA's GREAT program. Read this post to learn more about the GREAT program and this post about me becoming a GREAT Guide.

Information
Sitti Lebanese Restaurant
Downtown Raleigh
137 S. Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

Phone: 919.239.4070
Web site


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Rosie's Plate - Gluten Free Pizza Review

About 2 weeks ago I sat down with the folks over at Rosie's Plate to taste test their brand new Gluten Free Pizza offerings. I have previously written about Rosie's Plate and their brand new menu which now includes pizza here. I was really excited to try their pizza because I knew that they would include superb ingredients, the risk of cross contamination would be zero and that they had been working to perfect the pizza for quite some time.

Rosie's Plate offers several different pizza choices as you can see below.
Click here for the full menu.
Click here for the pizza menu.

• Take & Bake Thick Crust Cheese Pizza - $15.50
  
• Take & Bake Thick Crust Greek Chicken Pizza - $22.50
  
• Take & Bake Thick Crust Pepperoni Pizza - $17.50
  
• Take & Bake Thick Pizza Crust Only- $9.50
  
• Take & Bake Thin Crust Cheese Pizza - $15.50
  
• Take & Bake Thin Crust Greek Chicken Pizza - $22.50
  
• Take & Bake Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza - $17.50
  
• Take & Bake Thin Pizza Crust Only - $9.50
  

Basically, the pizza comes in either thin or thick crust and you can either purchase a take & bake package of sauce, cheese and toppings or just buy the crust separately and top it yourself. Their are 3 varieties if you want the take & bake package which include cheese, pepperoni or Greek chicken. The thick crust comes in a 9 inch x 12 inch rectangle shape while the thin crust is a 12 inch round pizza. Most other pizzas I've seen are 10" in size so it's nice to have some leftovers!

I had the pleasure of trying a thin crust cheese pizza fresh from the Rosie's Plate oven for lunch and also took home a thick crust cheese pizza as well for dinner that evening. During my taste test, I got the opportunity to discuss the new pizza with the creators and learn everything about the new product. I got the impression that the creators had put a lot of effort into the new pizza and were extremely happy with the outcome. They were very excited to add this offering to their already large menu. It's my experience that when people create things with a passion that it really shows through in their products.

I personally really enjoyed the thin crust pizza the most. The crust is not super thin like a cracker and it actually does have some nice thickness to it. The thin crust was not doughy or crumbly and held the toppings well. The thick crust is just that, THICK - I'd guess it's about 2 inches thick. If you enjoy that much crust then this pie is for you. I really enjoyed the overall taste of all the pizza I sampled at Rosie's Plate. You can count on Rosie's for quality ingredients and that really shows in the taste and consistency of their products - not just pizza. My favorite part of the pizza was actually the sauce - which has a sort of sweet taste to it. I reminds me of pizza I used to eat where I grew up which was a nice touch for me - made the pizza seem a lot more like regular pizza.

I will definitely purchase pizza from Rosie's Plate again in the future. Hopefully they can toss in a few of the take & bake pizzas to their ever-growing selection of Grab & Go choices.

Gluten Free Pizza Update - ZPizza

I have previously written about a pizza place called Z Pizza which was rolling out Gluten Free Pizza choices. I have spent the past few weeks working with the franchisee of the ZPizza locations in Raleigh and Cary to further discuss their GF Pizza offerings. I met with the owner recently and was walked through the entire process of making a GF Pizza and would like to share the details with all of you. After reading this, I hope you'll feel safe about eating at ZPizza. They have taken some extra steps to get it right that some other local places have not yet taken. Let's hope ZPizza can be an inspiration to them and a safe place for us.

ZPizza is a California based franchise with over 100 locations in the US. They have been in the Raleigh market for about 3 years.

Ordering
From the time you order at the counter until the time you are delivered your GF Pizza, meticulous attention is paid by the staff at ZPizza. Their Point of Sale computer system has a special marking for Gluten Free which causes your order ticket to be printed with a Gluten Free label. The cashier then goes to the kitchen staff area and highlights the Gluten Free label on the ticket to make it stand out further. They then notify the manager (or owner if he is present) about the Gluten Free order. The manager/owner will either make your pizza or directly supervise the entire process.

Gluten Free Crusts
Gluten Free crusts are pre-made using all GF ingredients (including Damato Living Flour) and are sent to the store and kept frozen on site. No GF dough is mixed or made at ZPizza. In addition, to reduce cross-contamination issues when regular wheat pizza is prepared, all wheat flour in the restaurant has been replaced with rice flour. When wheat pizzas are pressed/tossed and prepared, it is using rice flour. This eliminates wheat flour from entering the air and eventually landing on your GF pizza and making you sick. Also, the dough for the wheat pizzas is not made on site further reducing the risks. Wheat flour was replaced with rice flour for about a month before any GF Pizzas were made in the restaurants. The kitchens were also thoroughly cleaned after the switch.

Preparation
Cooks are instructed to wash their hands and put on brand new latex gloves before beginning the preparation. Then a special sealed box is retrieved from the cooler which contains all the necessary tools for making the GF Pizza. It contains pizza pans, cutters, tongs, GF Cheese and GF tomato sauce (along with some other ingredients). Next, your GF crust is taken from the freezer and placed into the GF pan. GF Ingredients are added (they have many choices for pizza - not just cheese!) and the pan is placed in the oven in a dedicated area to the side. A separate paddle is used to place and remove the pizza from the oven. All kitchen staff are notified when a GF pizza is placed in the oven so they do not place wheat pizzas near it. When cooking is finished, the pan is removed and the pizza served.

Ingredients
ZPizza Corporate has thoroughly analyzed all their ingredients and know which are GF and which are not. Any veggies you would like on your pizza are kept in the cooler area and not pulled from the main area where wheat pizzas are topped. ZPizza has a large list of GF ingredients/toppings at the store so please ask when you arrive. Toppings include pepperoni, sausage, cheese and numerous veggies. They also can offer tomato sauce, pesto sauce or chipotle pesto sauce. They are currently working on developing a GF Menu which will be available both online and in the store.

Other items of note
The GF pizzas only come in 10" sizes at this time and cost about $3 more than their wheat pizza counterparts. ZPizza is also looking to add other GF items to their choices including salads, desserts from the Whole Foods Bakehouse and Gluten Free Beer like RedBridge. Please provide feedback to the staff when you visit about what other options you would like to see offered.

My experience
During my tour of ZPizza, the owner made me the following pizzas - Pepperoni with Peppers and Mushrooms, Chipotle Pesto Sauce with tomatoes, corn and roasted red peppers and finally a pesto sauce and cheese pizza. All 3 pizzas were excellent. ZPizza uses high quality ingredients which taste great. For the GF crust, it was very thin and crispy but had a nice flaky, buttery taste to it. Overall, it was a great pizza and I would dine at ZPizza again.

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness - GREAT program
Please see my earlier post about the NFCA's GREAT program here. ZPizza as a franchise has gone through the GREAT training program and has been verified by the NFCA. Look for the window decal when entering the store. See my previous post for all that is included in this verification/certification process.

ZPizza Information
Web site - http://www.zpizzatriangle.com/

Raleigh location
9630 Fall of the Neuse Road
Falls Pointe Shopping Center
(Next to Starbucks)
Phone - 919.844.0065

Cary location
96 Cornerstone Drive
Stone Creek Village
(Corner Davis and High House)
Phone - 919.465.9009