Sedona Taphouse to Charlottesville

Sedona Taphouse in Charlottesville

Recently we made the trek out to Charlottesville to visit some family. We were there for dinner and lunch (we had breakfast in the hotel room). For dinner, we went to Sedona Taphouse. The atmosphere was that of a typical taphouse or pub. We had one part of our meal that was truly great and another that was really terrible, so this is a very mixed review.

We were excited to see how many gluten free options they offered and there had been pretty good reviews online too. You can see there are options marked GF that are gluten free as they come and options with GFO, meaning they can be modified to be gluten free.  

We decided to try the Crab & Artichoke Dip and I was suprised it came with a gluten free pizza crust for dipping (I am pretty sure the crust was Udi’s, judging by its appearance, taste, and texture).  I assumed they would have something more mundane like tortilla chips.  It was a nice treat to have the pizza crust and the dip was quite good. It was a hearty appetizer that we enjoyed and would get again.

Then I ordered the Julie’s Farmer salad as my meal.  It sounded like a delicious salad and in fact looked like it was at first glance, but then I saw the chicken closer.  It was sadly very undercooked!  The chicken was even sliced in the back, so I was shocked they would have delivered it to the table looking so pink and clearly undercooked.  My husband ordered something that I didn’t take a photo of, but it also came out undercooked though not as bad as mine.  I lost my appetite at this point, so I did not eat any salad.

      

Thankfully the appetizer had filled me adequately, so we just went downtown for some ice cream and called it a night. I did not get sick from the appetizer, so what we did have was safe from a gluten free perspective at least. I’m not sure I would return because of the undercooked chicken and the customer service after we pointed this out, but I did enjoy the appetizer so if we did return, it would be for that. 

The next day we went to an old faithful in the celiac community, Burton’s. They had changed their sandwich buns from Udi’s to a brand I didn’t recognize and they were hard and tasteless. The meal seemed same otherwise and was safe and gluten free, though the roll change was a bit disappointing. I regrettably did not remember to take photos at Burton’s.

(As always, I received no compensation for this review and it is my honest opinion of the good and bad that I share so you can make an informed decision about where you may be able to eat safely as a celiac.)

Tio Pablo – Totally gluten free Mexican food in Richmond, VA!

Its humble entrance

Tio Pablo’s Mexican restaurant might not look like much outside and it’s an area of downtown Richmond being rehabbed, but an all gluten free restaurant warrants a try anyways! While some folks have said it’s not the best neighborhood at night, I have not felt unsafe during our several visits during the day. It’s conveniently located just off I-95, within 2 blocks of  the train station (Main Street Station) and the city’s farmer’s market.

The interior of the restaurant is small, but has nice theming.

       

 

The joy of an all gluten free restaurant means the chips are safe!

Queso dip, chips, side of potatoes, and side of rice.

 

The queso cheese dip is not to be missed!

 

 

 

 

Carne Asada taco

I must say the carne asada taco looks simple, but the flavor is fantastic! They use all corn tortillas and since it’s all gluten free, there are no cross contamination concerns. These corn tortillas blow all others out of the water in terms of taste and texture, too!

The menu has a wide variety of proteins from chicken to carne asada to shrimp and more. There are vegetarian options like sauteed cactus or sauteed vegetables. You can choose to get them in tacos, tostados, or gorditos.

They also have some other entrees, like this Quesadilla Grande, which uses a thicker and larger corn tortilla and is filled with meat, cheese, and veggies. So yummy! There are sides like rice, beans, or roasted potatoes that are quite good. Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday 10am until 3pm also!

Habanero Cheesecake GF NF

Tres Leches Cake GF

Dessert includes gluten free Cheesecake of the Day (habanero pictured–unique but delicious) and gluten free Tres Leches Cake. They also have flan, but I haven’t tried it yet.

In addition to being entirely gluten free, nothing contained peanuts, and the tortillas are vegetarian, so no lard, making multiple safe pork-free options.

I was not compensated in any way for my review, I just couldn’t wait to share such a great place with you! Knock on wood, they don’t make any major changes, because this place is fabulous!  You can view their full menu and find their phone number and address on their website at http://www.tiopablotacos.com.

Shield’s Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, VA – Gluten free review

So first, I have to apologize as this is not up to the level of my normal review and it’s devoid of pictures, but I wanted to share the content nonetheless, in case it could help some of you.  I was in Williamsburg recently for work and the group chose Shield’s Tavern for our working dinner. It was very difficult to even find out if there were gluten free foods available, as the restaurant is run by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, so not quite like a normal restaurant.

Shield’s Tavern’s website (https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/eat/shields) makes no reference to gluten free, but an article on them says gluten free is available. So, after calling the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, they said there is gluten free available, but couldn’t give me more information about which dishes were gluten free and if they had nuts or pork, so I had to nervously go to dinner without a clue!

Fortunately, when I got to the actual restaurant, they were able to inform me that all the entrees could be done gluten free. I see one lists couscous, so I hope they know to replace that with rice. I picked what the safest option seemed to be, the Molasses Grilled Flank Steak.  It’s listed as “Grilled Flank Steak with Molasses, Garlic and Ginger Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Three Sister Vegetables.” I’m happy to report I did not get sick (and I’m extremely sensitive) so I would consider this place safe, but the dish did not have a lot of flavor so I wouldn’t be in a hurry to return. I also verified it was also pork and peanut free, especially because seeing “West African” flavorings can sometimes indicate peanut or peanut butter, so as always, be sure to check if you dine there with whatever meal you’d like to order.

The tavern is as it was originally built in the 1700s, so there are candles (now electric and wick), but not wired lighting and their chairs are very hard and uncomfortable, in keeping with what was available in that era. It’s rather crowded, but a unique experience for those interested in the colonial era. Musicians played in front of the restaurant on the street and occasionally came tableside to play a fife or stringed instrument that resembled a cross between a mini-harp and a guitar.

Boatwrights Dining Hall allergy review

Boatwrights Dining Hall allergy review – gluten free, pork free, nut free (also pumpkin seed, arrowroot, and sorghum free)

A review of Disney World’s Port Orleans Riverside table service dinner option, themed with a partially built ship and boat wright tools, pictured here:

Many of your know I love Disney World–not so much for the characters like
many others, but because of their amazing allergy protocols! Most of Disney
World’s owned restaurants do a great job of keep people safe and most of them do it while providing great tasting food. We visit family in the area so we frequently add a few days in Disney World before returning home, specifically because of their generally good allergy protocols (knock on wood they stay that way!). One of the great recent additions that acknowledges the heavy allergy population of visitors is their allergy menus:

However, sometimes one falls short on taste and that’s how I feel about Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Port Orleans Riverside. They kept me safe, and for that I’m grateful, but the food was horrible! The rolls served were the normal GNI gluten free rolls and were fine, but the appetizer of Colonel Peace’s Pieces were terrible–they had no flavor or spices in the batter and the remulade sauce sadly didn’t help!

I didn’t feel like any of the entrees were good choices (except Voodoo Chicken and waffles, but I can’t eat Disney’s waffle mix because I cannot tolerate arrowroot or sorghum), so I went with steak, green beans, and potatoes–one would think it’s hard to mess that up, right? Wrong. These green beans had no flavoring, were rubber texture, and the steak was rough and flavorless. The mashed potatoes were decent, but not amazing.

The position of the lights throughout the restaurant also were not good, as the lights on the sides of the wall made both my husband and I a bit dizzy! You can see how harsh the glare is in the photo below. For dessert, I ordered the butterscotch creme brulee, only to find out it was a No Sugar Added dessert! (I avoid sugar substitutes and normally don’t have to mention this on top of my many allergies, because typically the menu denotes it, but this time it did not.)

I must add that I really enjoyed Port Orleans Riverside as a resort, but this was a major downfall, as we always like to spend at least one day where we don’t leave the resort–a rest day, which means there has to be decently good food for a few meals. There is no sit down location open for breakfast (just the quick service) and this is their sit-down dinner option, disappointing dining for an otherwise great resort!

The Wooden Monkey: Gluten free in Halifax, Nova Scotia

As I said in my other post, recently we made a trip north to Canada–more specifically to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Now, Halifax may not be a gluten free paradise like some cities or Disney World, but it can hold it’s own for a small city/big town! It’s also beautiful, here’s a view of the waterfront from a boat:

There were a few places on the water with safe options for lunch and dinner, but having done my research before I came, I saw there was a gluten free bakery (that I’ll cover in another post) and a celiac-friendly (not just gluten free, celiac-friendly!) restaurant called The Wooden Monkey.

The Wooden Monkey has two locations–one in Halifax a few blocks uphill from the waterfront boardwalk area and one across the water at the ferry landing in Dartmouth, near Evan’s Fresh Seafood. The one in Dartmouth was closed on Mondays when we wanted to visit, so we went to the one up the hill in Halifax.

They are focused on local and healthy, they don’t even have a deep fryer, but they do have safe fries that are baked and delicious! They have lots of vegan and vegetarian options in addition to gluten free and their menu has entrees with nuts, soy, and dairy marked on the menu.

For their starters, they have lots of gluten free options, we opted to order the nachos and a side of their version of fries, called “Roasties.” It was a large order, flavorful, and plentiful. Truth be told, this with an order of their fries would have been enough food to skip an entree and then have dessert.
 

The entree menu is entirely gluten free but largely seafood based, as many menus are in this fishing town, but as I don’t love fish, I opted for the braised beef with mashed potatoes. It had good flavor though a little strong on the onion flavor, but it was too heavy for me to finish after the hearty appetizer. They also had gluten free pizza and buns which sounded great, but they had sorghum (which I also can’t tolerate). The full menu can be viewed on their website.

Dessert holds two gluten free options–tofu pie and local, organic dairy ice cream. While the Tofu pie comes highly recommended, I avoid most forms of soy and the crust is made from nuts, so I simple had the ice cream which was good.

I’d recommend the Wooden Monkey to anyone visiting Halifax or Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but especially anyone with food allergies or dietary restrictions, as they know their ingredients and mark the top 8 allergens, too!

(I was not compensated in any way for this post, just trying to share what I know to help others with food allergies enjoy their trip more!)

Crab Louie’s – gluten free in Richmond

If you’re looking for a fantastic gluten free place on the south side of Richmond (technically Midlothian, Virginia), be sure to check out Crab Louie’s!

While unassuming in this historic building in a shopping center, this place has a HUGE gluten free menu. It’s not all seafood either! They are pretty well aware of the gluten free needs to keep it safe in the kitchen, but the servers can be a little hit or miss, so do stay vigilent.  Also, be prepared–they have several complimentary homemade sweet breads they serve, these are not gluten free!

The Martha’s Vineyard salad comes with greens, onions, tomato, mushrooms, dried cherries (my favorite) and a maple vinaigrette that is delicious! Be sure to specify gluten free because there is usually croutons on the non-gluten free version.

For some reason, I don’t have a picture of the chicken dish I sometimes get (grilled chicken dijon), with a baked potato as my side.

   

But the real charm here is the gluten free crab cakes!! And the delicious sauce that comes with them is amazing–I even use it on my baked potato too.

The Bananas Foster Sundae is heavenly, BUT you do have to be careful that they make it fresh and it’s gluten free, as it is usually served with a gluten-ful rolled wafer stick stuck in it. As a celiac, I have had to ask them to re-make it, but it is so worth it!
Here is the link to their very large gluten free menu: http://crablouies.com/site/gluten-free-dinner-menu/.  As always, all opinions are my own and to the best of my current knowledge.

Lynchburg, VA gluten free dining

Recently I had to travel to Lynchburg, VA for work. It’s a large town/small city but before I went it seemed like a middle of nowhere place. Naturally, I did lots of research as to where I could eat safely. Aside from chain restaurants, one of the very few recommendations was La Villa–a small, local Italian restaurant.  (I often find authentic Italian restaurants to be celiac-friendly, likely because Italy is!)

  

The owner was actually the one who sat us and when I asked for a gluten free menu, he took quite the interest. He asked how I learned about the restaurant and proudly shared with me how many options they have and how the chefs are fully trained in Italy. He told me they fully understand celiac and gluten free safety. They essentially have a whole second kitchen area where they do the gluten free prep!

Normally this much tomato sauce would scare me–I like some, but heartburn appears often with too much…or so I thought. The owner convinced me I should try my dishes the way they come–with lots of housemade tomato sauce, made fresh and boiled down 6 hours EACH DAY! (It also didn’t have added onion, another suspect.) Surprise–no heartburn!

Above on the left is the gluten free cheese-stuffed ravioli. On the right is the gluten free chicken parmesan (grilled instead of fried) with Bionature GF pasta. I did not ask about nuts, but I did not have any issues.

The atmosphere was very casual–it reminded me of a remodeled interior of a Pizza Hut, but the food was of a much higher caliber. So know, if you’re ever in the Lynchburg area (for Lynchburg College, Liberty University, or the nearby Appomatox Courthouse) in search of gluten free, be sure to stop in to La Villa! (and tell em Gluten Free VA sent ya)

4 ingredient Lava Cakes – gluten, soy, & nut free

Easy Lava Cakes – gluten, soy, & nut free

I apologize this post wasn’t up for Valentine’s Day, but my husband found and tweaked this recipe for me and it is absolutely DELICIOUS! So, naturally, I had to type it up and share it with you all! Now you have it for whatever your next special occasion is (your birthday, Easter, or Saturday–you know, we don’t judge around here!)

My husband says thankfully they’re not hard to make, because I have asked for him to make them again tonight, so I had fresh photos, of course! 😉

• 8 TBSP butter (or non-dairy alternative for dairy free)
• ¾ cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (Top 8 free)
• 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks (ideally free-range, just sayin’)
• 2 TBSP sugar (I prefer Woodstock Organic unbleached)
  
  INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and line a muffin pan. (I prefer the “If You Care” brand of muffin liners, they are are not bleached. Can be found on Vitacost.com or Whole Foods.)
2. Melt the butter and chocolate chips together over low heat until smooth.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture until well combined.
4. Divide among 9 standard muffin cups and bake until cakes are puffed up, but still jiggly in the center – about 6 to 8 minutes. 
5. Turn out upside down onto a plate, garnish, and serve immediately.
   

*This could also easily be made dairy free by using a non dairy butter substitute.

**These can be topped with fruit, powdered sugar, or a Free2B Suncup–that makes it taste like there is a peanut butter sauce on top (but they are peanut & nut free, soy free, shellfish/fish free, gluten free, egg free, and working on dairy free).

OR you can take them with you to Outback and have them with their amazing ice cream and homemade fudge sauce (it’s gluten free, as is the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under–but that brownie has nuts, so normally I just have the ice cream and chocolate sauce).

Squash Lasagna – gluten free, low carb, and yummy!

Summer Squash Lasagna GF

*Not the prettiest picture. I was too excited and ate a bunch before taking a picture. This was after I sliced it and put it i the fridge, but you get the idea.

I love lasagna, but finding gluten free noodles isn’t always easy and this is a way to make it lower carb and get some veggies in!

Ingredients

1/2 jar Prego spaghetti sauce (gluten free–I like the Three Cheese variety)
2-3 medium yellow summer squash
16 oz. container of cottage cheese (I like Daisy–very few ingredients, creamy, and gluten free)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (separated into two 1 cup servings)
1/2 pound cooked ground beef
1 egg

*This is for an 8×8 square pan, double the recipe for a 9×13 casserole dish.

Slice squash into thin rounds
Toss lightly in some olive oil and bake in the oven about 10 minutes (or microwave) until soft.
Mix together cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 egg, ground beef, and as much spaghetti sauce as desired. (I like to layer them separate as seen below, but for simplicity you can mix it all in one bowl.)
      

Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of square pan.
Layer spaghetti squash over the sauce.
Spoon cheese/beef mixture over squash slices.
Over the cheese, lay another layer of squash.
Spoon cheese/beef mixture over squash slices.
Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil.
Cook at 375 for about 40 minutes, broil for 3-5 minutes to brown the top, if desired.

*I prefer yellow summer squash because it doesn’t have a bitter taste like zucchini can and it’s not as overbearing as other kinds of squash, but this could work with other squash varieties, if you desire.

Cheeseburger in Paradise – gluten free in Virginia Beach

The topic of gluten free fries recently on Celtic Celiac inspired me to list the places I can have celiac-safe gluten free fries. There are actually several places in Virginia Beach, but my favorite is Cheeseburger in Paradise.

This restaurant is a fun, summery, Jimmy Buffet style restaurant. It has island themed food and drinks and a nice gluten free menu. I’ve heard mixed reviews on various Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurants around the country, but the one in Virginia Beach is very celiac friendly, as long as you let them know it’s an “allergy.”

Pictured above is what I always get: the Sweet Fire Chicken (they have gluten free buns for $2 more, but I like it as a dinner without the bun).  It comes with pepperjack cheese, banana peppers, and delicious sweet fire sauce. I always get extra sauce to dip my fries.

So when in Virginia Beach, enjoy gluten free fries and other fun fare at Cheeseburger in Paradise, located near the Lynnhaven Mall, about 5-10 minutes from the Oceanfront and 5-10 minutes from Town Center areas. (As always, all opinions are my own and I was not compensated.)