Gluten Free Cary Update

Allow me to introduce a brand new blogger over at Gluten Free Cary. We've had a little hiatus in content on the Cary blog but I look forward to some new and exciting information from a new blogger. Read Joanie's introduction post here. Joanie's 9 year old daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease a few weeks ago and their family is experiencing drastic and vast changes. The first year after going GF is very difficult but you definitely learn the most. Joanie can share all this great knowledge with you and hopefully help you out some.

Welcome aboard Joanie and thanks for sharing your experience in the spirit of helping others. If anyone is interested in contributing Gluten Free news for their city, please see Gluten Free North Carolina and let me know via email which blog you are interested in. I have set up numerous blogs for every major city in NC and will assist you in any way possible.

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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Gluten Free Cary Update - New Guest Blogger

I just wanted to post a formal welcome to Pam McKerring who has now taken the helm over at the Gluten Free Cary Blog. Pam is a Celiac living Gluten Free in Cary, NC for the past year.

Check out Pam's introduction post here.

Useful Resources: Town of Cary GF Classes

Check out the following 2 classes centered around the Gluten Free Diet being offered this summer by the Town of Cary.

1) Allergy-Free Cooking click here to register
Description:
Here’s help for those of you who are allergic to common foods such as peanuts, soybeans and corn. Or it could be foods containing gluten, which you or a family member must completely avoid to treat celiac disease. Maybe you suspect it’s just a wheat intolerance, so your energy level is higher when you don’t have bread or cereal for breakfast. Or you just feel better if you don’t eat any wheat or dairy products. Perhaps you are trying to help your family kick the sugar habit to ward off obesity and diabetes type II. Mealtimes are especially challenging for individuals facing allergies to any, and sometimes all, of these foods. Learn how to prepare allergy-free alternatives in this hands-on cooking class, and make meal times happy times again!

Meets:
Th 08-06-2009 7:00PM - 9:00PM Kitchen-Herbert C. Young Community Center
Th 08-13-2009 7:00PM - 9:00PM Kitchen-Herbert C. Young Community Center

Fees: resident $56.00 | non-resident $73.00

2) Let's Do Lunch--Beyond the Sandwich - click here to register
Description:
Here's fresh ideas for packing lunch for those of you who would rather not eat bread. Whether you're celiac, wheat/gluten intolerant, watching your weight, or just plain tired of the same old sandwich routine, you'll discover healthful and budget-friendly lunch-to-go options for you and your family.

Meets: Th 8-27-2009 7:00PM - 9:00PM Kitchen-Herbert C. Young Community Center

Fees: resident $28.00 | non-resident $36.00

Cary, NC Bloggers Needed

Live in Cary, NC?

Live the Gluten Free Lifestyle?

Interested in helping others in your city?

If you have any questions or interest writing about Cary, NC please email me.

Gluten Free Charlotte Blog Update

As you may already know, there has been some great Gluten Free information coming from Raleigh area blogs over the last few months. For more information, check out Cary/Apex, Durham and Chapel Hill Gluten Free Blogs. A huge thanks to Sarah, Debbie and Lauren for their time and effort in educating all of us about Gluten Free Living in their city.

On that same theme, please allow me to welcome Rachel Bastarache who will begin adding content to the Gluten Free Charlotte blog very soon. Rachel has been learning the Gluten Free intricacies of Charlotte for nearly a year now and has a ton of information to share with us. She plans on writing about grocery shopping, local restaurant reviews and reviewing Gluten Free products she tries.

Welcome aboard Rachel and thanks for all your efforts!

Bella Monica Flatbread Company Update - Whole Foods Cary

Exciting news for Bella Monica Flatbread Company and their fans... I have just received word that their Gluten Free Pizzas are now available in the Cary Whole Foods location on Waverly Place in Cary! This is good news that they are expanding and will become more widely available to Raleigh area consumers. This is a sign of a successful product! Looks like they will also be moving into the other Raleigh area locations very soon - Stay tuned for those release dates!

See my previous posts about their GF Pizzas here.

Gluten Free Chapel Hill Blog Update

Over the past few weeks, I've have been working on getting blogs up and going for the surrounding cities of Raleigh. Specifically, Cary/Apex, Durham and Chapel Hill.

The Durham blog is being filled with valuable content by Debbie Jongkind.

The Cary/Apex blog is also being updated with great Gluten Free stuff by Sarah Egan Warren.

I'm pleased to announce that Lauren Rouse has agreed to come aboard for the Chapel Hill blog. Lauren spends a lot of time in Chapel Hill and UNC and has some great experiences to share with those of you living Gluten Free there. She's had Celiac for 3 years and her Mom and Sister also suffer from the disease. She is very well versed in living Gluten Free and will be bringing a lot of valuation Chapel Hill information to all of us.

Welcome aboard Lauren and thanks for all your efforts!

Please check out the Chapel Hill, Durham and Cary blogs (links can be found at the top of the page) and let me know if you have any ideas/questions/thoughts!

Gluten Free Durham & Cary Blog Updates

I mentioned yesterday that Debbie Jongkind has agreed to become a guest blogger on the Gluten Free Durham Blog.

I have also found another guest blogger for the Gluten Free Cary Blog. Sarah Egan Warren has been a Raleigh area resident for more than 10 years and has spent the majority of that time in either Cary or Apex. Four years ago her daughter went on the Gluten Free diet. Sarah spends a great deal of time helping her young daughter be successful at the GF diet and brings a wealth of knowledge to the Gluten Free Cary Blog.

Welcome aboard Debbie and Sarah! Thanks for all your efforts!

Please check out the new Durham and Cary blogs (links can be found at the top of the page) and let me know if you have any ideas/questions/thoughts!

Also, please let me know if you are interested in contributing to the Gluten Free Chapel Hill Blog.

Gluten Free Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary Blogs?

I have been thinking about this for quite awhile now. I get emails all the time with questions about Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary. Since I live and work in Raleigh, that is my primary focus so these surrounding cities don't get much coverage. I know there are a lot of folks out there living GF in the above cities.

My question is, do any of you wish to provide the same sort of "service" in your city as I do in Raleigh? I have had several other blogs set up for weeks now while I was thinking this over. I finally decided today to open this up to my readers. The thought is the overall content of the additional cities (and the blogs themselves) will be maintained and administered by me to keep a similar look and feel to Gluten Free Raleigh. But you, the folks that actually live, eat and work in Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary will provide the content. You won't have to do anything really to Admin or upkeep the Blog, just provide content.

If you have any questions or interest writing about Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary please email me.

We all live this everyday anyway right? Why not help someone else out living in your city?

Lucky 32 - Gluten Free Menu Update

I heard from the General Manager of Lucky 32 in Cary recently. I had previously written about their GF notations on their regular menu and gave the warning that this in fact means "Guilt Free" and NOT Gluten Free.

Lucky 32 does indeed have a Gluten Free menu available upon request and I have placed portions of it below. The menu may have items on it that are actually no longer available but they indicated they do attempt to keep it up to date.

CHILDREN’S MENU:
-Lucky’s Lunch
Turkey, havarti cheese, carrot sticks, and fresh fruit.

-Grilled Chicken
5 oz. of chicken served with creamy mashed potatoes, fresh fruit

-Grilled Salmon
4 oz. of salmon served with creamy mashed potatoes, fresh fruit

SALADS:
-Fresh Roasted Turkey Salad
Slices of both dark and light moist roast turkey meat from all natural free-range birds raised locally for us, sit atop a bed of crisp mixed greens. Bacon, red onions, toasted pecans and Granny Smith apples add brightness and diversity of flavors. The salad is finished with four slices of avocado, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing.
(NO CRACKERS, BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES OR BLUE CHEESE DRESSING)

-Citrus Chicken Salad
Bright and complimentary flavors are the hallmark of this delicious salad. Chicken breasts (7 ounce) have been marinated overnight in a mixture of lemon peel, garlic, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar and herbs. The chicken is grilled, sliced and placed over a bed of mixed greens. Four wedges of fresh pear, green onions and toasted walnut breadcrumbs garnish the plate. Please ask your guest for choice of dressing.
(NO BREAD CRUMBS OR CRACKERS)

-Grilled Salmon Salad
A 4 ounce portion of salmon is placed on top of salad base and served with carrot sticks, a roasted roma half, red onions, capers, a hard boiled egg. Expo garnish is a ramekin of lemon-mustard vinaigrette and a lemon wedge.
(NO CRACKERS)

-Weaver Tuna Salad
Albacore tuna is tossed with diced cucumbers and combined with lemon- mustard vinaigrette. This mixture is served over a bed of salad base and placed in a chilled pasta bowl and served with toasted flat bread, two slices of tomato, carrot match sticks, and a serving of lemon-mustard vinaigrette.
(NO CRACKERS) base is vinegar if a Celiac

-Mixed Green Salad
Our salad base is made with a combination of romaine lettuce and spinach. The salad base is with a tomato wedge, topped with carrot matchsticks, sunflower seeds, and is served with a Parmesan cracker and a choice of dressing.
(NO CRACKERS)

SALAD DRESSINGS:
All of our salad dressings are made at Lucky 32.

-Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette-mayonnaise and sour cream based, flavored with Balsamic vinegar, roasted garlic, Parmesan cheese and herbs

-Buttermilk Herb- similar to a ranch dressing made with sour cream and savory herbs.

-Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette-a tart and flavorful blend of stone ground and spicy brown mustards, red wine vinegar, and fresh lemon juice

-Honey Mustard-a sweet blend of honey, mayonnaise, spicy brown mustard and yellow mustard

-Balsamic Vinegar and Virgin Olive Oil

-Warm Bacon Vinaigrette-This vinaigrette is made with sautéed shallots, Old Smokehouse Bacon, mustard, balsamic vinegar olive oil, a touch of honey, brown sugar and salt and pepper.

CHICKEN & BEEF:
-Roast Half Chicken
An entire half chicken is slow roasted then finished in the bake oven to crisp up the crust. It is served on a large round plate with creamy mashed potatoes and fresh vegetable.

-Russian River Chicken
A breast of springer mountain free farmed chicken is marinated in oil, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil and sage. Topped with goat lady Chevre crumbles and olive oil. With fried spinach on Top. Served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetable.
(NO FRIED SPINACH)

-Grilled Ribeye
A 10-oz. Niman RanchÒ Beef Ribeye (14 oz at dinner) is seasoned and grilled to temperature. The Ribeye is served with fries at lunch and creamy mashed potatoes at dinner. It is served on a large round plate with a steak knife on right side of plate. A mixed green salad is served at dinner.
NO FRIES DUE TO OIL BEING FRIED WITH GLUTEN

SEAFOOD:
Grilled Salmon
-A salmon fillet (6 oz at lunch/8 oz at dinner) is seasoned with salt and pepper and then grilled to order. We offer a choice of toppings that include; lemon caper butter, corn relish, herbed cucumber sauce, Creole mayonnaise, bourbon butter and any special toppings from the special menu. The salmon is served with fresh vegetable and creamy grits and garnished with a lemon wedge at expo. A mixed green salad is served at dinner.

-Salmon and Chef’s Selection Toppings and Optional Cooking Methods:
Bourbon Butter-butter, bourbon and green onions
Corn Relish- Our Corn Relish is a mixture of sweet corn, jalapeno peppers, roasted tomatoes, red onion, fresh garlic, lime juice, fresh cilantro, ground cumin and olive oil marinated overnight before served.
Lemon Caper Butter-butter, capers and lemon juice
Herbed Cucumber Sauce-yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, mint and kosher salt
Cajun Grilled-seasoned with Cajun spices and cooked on our wood fired grill
Blackened- brushed with oil, seasoned with Cajun spices and cooked on a cast iron grill top

SIDE ORDERS:
-Fresh Vegetables
4-oz. of steamed vegetables (seasonal), tossed with butter, salt and pepper.

-Roasted Vegetables
4-oz. of vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, red onions, & cremini mushrooms) tossed with salt, pepper, oregano leaves, garlic, and dry rosemary, then roasted.

-Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Skin-on Idaho potatoes are baked and mashed until creamy with butter, whole milk and salt.

BRUNCH:
-Cure 81 Ham and Cheddar Omelet
Sauté a three-egg omelet with 3-oz. of diced Cure 81 ham and 1-1/2 oz. of cheddar cheese. The omelet is served with hash browns. Expo places seasonal fruit garnish.

-Vegetarian Omelet
Sauté a three-egg omelet with diced green bell pepper, red onions, tomatoes, avocado, and cheddar cheese. . The omelet is served with hash browns. Topped with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

-Old Smokehouse Bacon and Cheddar Omelet
Sauté A three-egg omelet with 3-oz. of diced cooked bacon and 1-1/2 oz of cheddar cheese. The omelet is served with hash browns.

-Crustless Quiche
Bake 6-oz. of egg mixture in a casserole dish with Swiss, cheddar cheese, spinach leaves, onions and baked until golden. It’s served with hash browns and brunch garnish.

-Steak and Eggs
Grill An 8 oz sirloin is grilled to order. It is served with two scrambled eggs, hash browns and brunch garnish.

BRUNCH SIDES:
-Old Smokehouse Bacon
Four slices of crispy bacon. BRUNCH ONLY

-Hash browns
¾ cup mixture of potatoes, butter, salt and black pepper. BRUNCH ONLY

I will be following up with Lucky 32 as some of their items (which I have excluded here) had Blue Cheese.

ENJOY!

WORD OF CAUTION - Lucky 32 in Cary

I have received some emails about Lucky 32 in Cary offering a Gluten Free menu option. I had been to the location in Raleigh a few years ago before it closed and always liked the food so I decided to do a little digging.

The following is a warning about what I found out about Lucky 32's menu as well as information given to me by their Executive Chef, Jay Pierce.

If you have been to this restaurant in the past, you may have noticed something interesting about their menu. See the following webpage for yourself. Beside some of the menu choices are little GF logos. Somebody like myself automatically assumed that meant Gluten Free, right? WRONG. If you look down at the fine print you will see the following.

GF - Say "Guilt Free" and we'll modify the receipe to reduce sodium and fat. For other special dietary needs, please inform your server.

YIKES - as you can see from this, GF is not Gluten Free at Lucky 32. Once I saw this I contacted Jay to inquire further. I would hate for any people trying to order Gluten Free to be misled. Jay's prompt response is below...

From: Jay Pierce jpierce@qwrh.com
Date: Sun, Sep 14, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Subject: RE: Gluten Free Question
To: GlutenFree Raleigh glutenfreeraleigh@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your email. We do train our staff to offer gluten-free options on menus, because we do have recipes on hand for everything that is made in house, and most things are. We will not call anything gluten free that contains wheat, soy sauce or mustard, which I learned from a celiac-centric web site causes problems for some folks but not all.
As for our GF designation, I will definitely run your suggestion up the ladder. I do know that the symbol you are referring to is a registered trademark that we have been using for quite a few years to designate items lower in sodium and fat.

Once again, thanks for your observations, and feel free to asks questions about menu items of our good folks there in Cary when dining in, or email me when planning a trip there; I’d love to help out.

Jay Pierce
Executive Chef
Lucky 32
1421 Westover Terrace
Greensboro, NC 27408
p: 336-370-0707
f: 336-574-0037
jpierce@qwrh.com
www.lucky32.com

So there you have it. As I always recommend, proceed with caution at ANY restaurant, even the ones that have GF all over their menu.