GlutenFreeSpot.com » Restaurant Spotlight

Restaurant Spotlight: Olive Garden Part 2

Eric — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:53:47 +0000

Hope you had a chance to check out my last review on Olive Garden. I was very surprised that they even had a Gluten Free menu and even more excited when I saw the choices and how good my meal was! I would highly recommend it.

My next part of the review will be my next visit. I recently went to the Olive Garden in Eugene, OR. We had a group of about 8 people and while making reservations we made sure to ask for a Gluten Free menu to be put on the table. When we arrived we were seated promptly and I was given the Menu. I ordered the mixed grill again because I was craving it again after my first time. Everything went well while ordering. When the food was brought out I noticed something different about the meal. There was a sauce on the meat and there were also fried potatoes on the side. I asked the waiter to confirm that this was Gluten Free. He went to the kitchen and came back with the news that the meat was Gluten Free but the potatoes were not. I was very glad I had a feeling that something was not right or I could have been very sick. He was very understanding and ordered another Gluten Free Mixed Grill. They were able to comp me for the one they made a mistake on because they would have thrown it away otherwise. The others at my table were excited to get a free entree! They also gave me my Gluten Free Mixed Grill and salad for free.

The waiter was genuinely sorry for the mix up in the kitchen. I understand that people sometimes make mistakes but it is also important for you to confirm that the meal is Gluten Free and if you have a funny feeling about something do not be scared to ask about it! This was a near disaster and I was grateful that it turned out well!

Restaurant Spotlight: Olive Garden

Eric — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:26:59 +0000

This one might be a shocker. How can an Italian restaurant famous for never ending pasta bowls and bread sticks be safe? Olive Garden has a pretty nice Gluten Free menu. This will be a 2 part review for 2 separate visits. My first visit was near the bay area in California. I was handed the menu along with a complimentary glass of wine. I chose the Mixed Grill described on the site as “Skewers of grilled steak and chicken marinated in Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil. Served with broccoli and grilled vegetables”. The server understood my situation and I was comfortable in my order. I was surprised with the rest of the options and they all sounded good. There was salmon, steak and even a pasta dish. The salads could also be prepared Gluten Free and I had a Caesar salad. I felt the price was fair for the quality of the food. The Mixed Grill was great and I felt just fine afterward. I would recommend Olive Garden if you have one in your area!

Overall: B+

I would have liked to see more options, but for the type of restaurant I was very pleased!

Restaurant Spotlight: Bellagios Pizza Offering Gluten Free Menu

Eric — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:59:53 +0000

Not even 5 years ago was it easy to find a decent pizza crust to make my own pizza at home. This evening I was able to call and order a Gluten Free pizza and have it delivered to my house! I was so happy to hear that Bellagios Pizza is offering Gluten Free options. For those of you who live in the Portland area I suggest you give it a shot.

Here is a link to their Gluten Free Menu

They have classic options but also have build your own pizza’s.

The lady taking my order was very knowledgeable and assured me that my pizza would be cooked separately and in a different oven that the other pizzas to make sure cross contamination was not a risk. The Gluten Free pizzas only came in a small size however but it was a perfect amount for me, I even have one slice for snacking later. At about $12.00 I was not overwhelmed with the price because of the convenience and how good it was. The receipt even said Gluten Free on my order which made me even more comfortable with eating it and I felt fine after eating it.

I ordered a sausage and green pepper pizza and it was delivered within the hour. I was very happy with my order and I will be looking forward to the next time I make an order from Bellagios. If you have one of these chains in your area I suggest you try them (they are locally owned), let me know what you think when you do!

Restaurant Spotlight: Go Healthy Cafe

Eric — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:20:15 +0000

Recently I was driving down a main street in Eugene and I noticed new cafe with a sign for “Gluten Free Sandwiches”. I was really surprised and happy to see this. Even though it was closed when I drove by I went back a few days later because I just had to try it. The place is called Go Healthy Cafe. They offer many local, organic healthy options. They have a wide variety on their menu. Sandwiches, burritos, bowls, quesadillas. All of their ingredients are fresh and organic and usually local. I went in and asked about their Gluten Free options and they said I could pick any sandwich and they just substitute the bread with their Gluten Free bread. It was $1.00 for this option but well worth it. I asked about cross contamination issues and the lady who took my order was very informative and told me that they have a separate toaster and utensils for their toasted sandwiches. I was very pleased to know they are knowledgeable about my needs and had taken measures to prevent cross contamination.

I ordered the Chicken Pesto. Here is their Menu. Take a look I am sure you will find something that you would like. I was impressed with the meal! Coming into it I was a little skeptical about how the bread would be but I was very pleased to find out how delicious it was. Our order came out pretty quick and I felt fine afterward. I had a good experience here and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good healthy meal.

Another great thing about this place is they serve Gluten Free Pastries. I came at a time when they were just about to start making them so I did not get to try any. I asked and they said they have brownies, coffee cake and lemon bars to name a few.

I really liked this new cafe and I will definetely be going back and will try something new! Does anyone have a Go Healthy Cafe in their area?

Restaurant Spotlight: P.F. Changs, Eugene, OR

Eric — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:48:00 +0000

My last Restaurant Spotlight was of Romio’s in Seattle, WA.

My next Restaurant Spotlight will be theP.F. Chang’s in Eugene, OR. I recently had the opportunity to eat at one of the finest Chinese restaurants around, P.F. Chang’s. The atmosphere is really relaxed and they have their lights fairly low so its an intimate setting. More importantly, they do a great job with Celiacs and Gluten Free menus. In the past I have always asked for a Gluten Free menu and they bring out a 1 page menu with appetizers, soups, rice, sides,entrees and desserts. When I went more recently the Gluten Free menu was actually on the back of the regular menu. I see this as an upgrade because they must have been getting a lot of requests for a Gluten Free menu so they just decided to include it with every menu. The waiters and waitresses are very smart about the diet and are very helpful when it comes to ordering and getting the food you need.

P’.F. Changs is one of my favorite restaurants because of their options and how great the food is. I ordered an appetizer and an entree. For my appetizer I had the Gluten Free lettuce wraps. These are part of the reason why I like going here so much. The appetizer is about $8.00. The lettuce wraps are healthy and make my mouth water.

For my entree I ordered Chang’s Spicy Chicken and a bowl of white rice. The chiken is “lightly dusted and stir-fried in Sichuan sauce”. Again, one of the reasons why I like to eat here. The chicken was perfect and not too spicy and not to plain. Each order gives you quite a bit of food so I never have to worry about leaving the restaurant hungry. The chicken was about $14.00.

I am very pleased with P.F. Chang’s both for their compliance with the Gluten Free diet but also the quality of the food. I would recommend eating there to anyone who is looking for a great Gluten Free meal!

Click here for the Gluten Free Menu.

Fast Food Gluten Free Menus

Eric — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:59:43 +0000

As I mentioned in my last post I would be following up with more information on Gluten Free options at fast food restaurants. I have included links below to some of the top fast food restaurants and their gluten free options. Most of these are allergen chart which allow you to see what each individual item contains.

In my opinion Wendy’s does the best job with their menu. Personally I would stick with salads because they are pretty safe and away from the kitchen. I would still be careful about eating at fast food restaurants just because of the potential for cross contamination though. If you have had success at one of these restaurants and would like to share please do!

Taco Bell
Carl’s Jr.
Wendy’s
Dairy Queen
Burger King
Subway

Restaurant Spotlight: Romios Pizza and Pasta; Seattle, Wa

Eric — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:29:34 +0000

While vacationing in Seattle, WA I was able to find Romios Pizza and Pasta on Google. Seattle has a large celiac community and the options at this restaurant were amazing, I will get into this in a future post. I recommend going to Romio’s or at least looking at the menu to check out what they have. Right away I was able to get a 7-page Gluten Free Menu complete with appetizers, salads, pizzas, subs, grinders, gyros, desserts and even beer. They have such a wide variety of gluten free food plus a menu for those who do not need a gluten free menu. The gluten free items are a little bit more expensive than the regular items but this is due to the higher cost of specialty items I believe.
This is one of the first times I have been in a place like this it was awesome! I was able to order an appetizer for one of the first times ever. I got a half order or gluten free garlic bread with marinara sauce. The garlic bread was delicious! I had never had bread like that before and I was very happy! It was about 6 dollars. After, I ordered a 12in gluten free pizza with pepperoni, green peppers, Italian sausage, and mushrooms. It was about 23 dollars. It was a large pizza so I ate half of it and saved the other half for lunch the next day. Again, delicious! For the first time I was able to eat a great gluten free pizza in a restaurant. It was more expensive than the wheat pizza but I am not as worried about that as getting great food. Plus I can eat the rest for lunch! I really enjoyed my time at Romios and the food was great, if you are in the area you should definitely check it out. Have any of you found any good gluten free pizza places?

Introduction to Restaurant Spotlight

Eric — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:13:42 +0000

As a part of this blog I am going to do a review of a restaurant that I eat at. I am planning on making this a bi-monthly thing, just depending on how often I can get out to various restaurants. I will make these places that have several gluen free options and it will be a plus if they have a Gluten Free menu.

These reviews will talk about my experience at the restaurant, my approach to ordering, what I ordered and the approximate cost, taste and my overall experience. I hope I can provide helpful information and if you are in that area you will be able to check out the restaurant and let me know what you think also.