Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Happy Birthday to Me! - Mellow Mushroom & Mary's Gluten Free Goods

So, my birthday was two weeks ago.  How old did I turn?  29 again, of course.  Don't you know better than to ask a lady her age?  Just kidding.

Anyway, I am lucky to have a really close group of friends.  We have named ourself the Tuesday Nigh Movie Crew.  They have been very supportive of me through my Celiac Diagnosis and completely understand when I say I can/cannot eat certain things.  I also have to be nice to them because they know where I buried all the bodies!

So for my birthday one of them picked up GF pizza from Mellow Mushroom.  They got only GF pies so I wouldn't have to worry about cross contamination.  Does it get much more thoughtful than that?  Not for me.  The pizza was pretty good.  It was a middle crust - not thin like most GF pizzas, and not deep dish like real pizza.  They carried ham and pineapple, which is my favorite.  Actually, I mis-typed it in an e-mail once as "him and pineapple," so you can image the jokes that sprung from that mistake.

I also have an awesome co-worker named Claire.  She ordered GF cupcakes for me from Mary's Gluten Free Goods bakery.  If you haven't had any of Mary's GF baked goods, check out the link here.  Claire got carrot cake (my favorite) and vanilla cupcakes for me.  The whole office ate them even though they were GF and we all decided you can't really tell the difference. 

Several restaurants in town serve Mary's rolls, bread, desserts, etc.  Ones I know for sure carry her stuff include Cafe Eclectic, Fuel Cafe, Tsunami, Ciao Bella, and Cortona.  She also comes to the Downtown Farmer's Market.

All in all, it was a really nice birthday.  Stay tuned for future info on Outback Steakhouse, Huey's, Cipotle, and The Rendezvous.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Five Guys - Midtown

The Five Guys in Midtown finally opened.  Yay!  Hubby and I went there for a date night a couple of weeks ago.  Here's a couple of things to keep in mind about visiting Five Guys:

The parking at the new Midtown restaurant is scarce.  The building was built on a very small lot and there is very limited parking.  We ended up parking on the street behind the restaurant.  This should ease up once the city builds the Overton Square parking garage behind the restaurant.

If you have a peanut allergy, you really shouldn't go there.  And if you're Celiac, you might want to avoid the peanuts too.  One of the charming things about Five Guys is that they have big boxes of peanuts that you can help yourself to.  It's a nice thing for people who are super hungry.  But not so good if you have a peanut allergy.  Personally I avoid the peanuts because I worry about cross contamination.  They are in the shell, but to me it's not worth the risk.

You get a whole lot of food.  The burgers are double patties, unless you order the little version.  And a small order of fries is more than enough for two people to share.  All the toppings are free and there are 15 to choose from.  Be forewarned if you ask for a burger with everything, you will get just about everything!

For us gluten free folks, they make the burger on a "lettuce" bun.  It comes wrapped in foil, so it's not too messy to eat if you keep it in the foil.  The fries are cooked in a dedicated fryer, so they are safe to eat.  They are good, but very greasy and are cooked in peanut oil, yet another reason for folks with peanut allergies to avoid Five Guys.  They do understand cross-contamination and the staff is really good about changing their gloves.  Plus the kitchen area is open to the rest of the restaurant, so you can actually watch them making your burger and be sure that the food is safe. 

So, in short, Five Guys is pretty good for Celiacs and Gluten Intolerants, but not so good if you have a peanut allergy.  You can check out their menu here.

Frida's

I am sure that many in Memphis mourned when Zinnie's East closed a while back.  Frida's, a new Frida Kahlo themed Mexican restaurant has sprung up in its place.  For those who equate Mexican food with cheap, just a heads up that while Frida's is not super expensive, it is not as cheap as any of the restaurants in town with "El" in the name.

If you have kids, be sure to make a stop at the sign/fountain at the entrance.  They'll love it.  Actually I enjoy watching the fountain too.  And if the weather is nice, grab a table on large covered patio.

Now, I have to make a confession.  When I go to Frida's, I only order one thing - the tamales.  I absolutely adore tamales.  And when one of the waiters told me they were just as good as the ones his grandmother makes back in Mexico, I was hooked.  The tamales come with a sauce that can be either mildly hot or super hot, depending on the day you order. 

 
Their refried beans are really great too.  They are super yummy.  I don't really know what else Frida's serves that is gluten free.  They probably have other options but I keep getting stuck on the tamales.  If you go there, let me know what you ordered, so I can help out those people who do not like tamales.
 
I do know that their tortilla chips are not GF because of a shared fryer, so don't snack on them.  I try to remind myself of all the calories I'm saving by not eating the chips with salsa or queso. Sometimes it satisfies me, other times I just grab some Tostitos and salsa and do the same damage at home :)
 

Pei Wei

Since we're on the topic of Chinese food, I went to Pei Wei a couple of weeks ago with some friends.  Pei Wei and P.F. Chang's are sister restaurant chains, with Chang's being higher priced and Pei Wei in the lower price range.  Both have very detailed corporate policies about gluten free food and both offer gluten free menus, but I find that Chang's has better educated staff and a more extensive GF menu. It's a case of getting what you pay for.

Still, Pei Wei is a pretty easy and good gluten free experience.  Here is a link to their Menu.  Previously I tried the Asian Chicken Chopped Salad, which was very good.  This time I was craving some egg rolls and since they had a GF version, I went with the Vietnamese Rolls.  Not exactly egg rolls, but still very delicious.

They are actually bigger than they look in the photo.  And the accompanying peanut sauce was reallly yummy.  So, if you're looking for an easy place to go where they have the gluten free menu already laid out for you and you don't have to try to explain gluten free to the waiter, check out Pei Wei.

Mulan, Part I, II & III

Hi folks.  I'm back!  Did you miss me?  Sorry for the long time between posts but things have been super crazy.  First of all I got glutened, which slows me down mentally and physically, then my work schedule became super crazy, and then a wicked combination of strep throat and flu took down our entire household for while. 

Enough with the excuses and back to the restaurant info.  You know, as a Celiac I usually don't mind giving up a lot of things but there are a few I do miss - deep dish pizza, croissants, eggrolls, and crab rangoon.  A while back hubby decided he wanted to try Mulan - the asian restaurant in Cooper Young.  I love trying new restaurants and love supporting restaurants in my neighborhood, but I have to confess that my heart fell a little when he mentioned Mulan.  Eating Chinese food is fraught with peril for Celiacs.  Between the soy sauce, the flour-based sauces, and the large amount of fried foods, it's hard to find something safe for us to eat.  Plus there's the trauma of watching your friends and family eat all those good eggrolls, crab rangoon, and crunchy things that go in the soup (not sure if they have a name, I've always called them soup crunchies) in front of you.  But I decided to give it a shot anyway.

We walked in and were quickly seated.  Then my next challenge came.  Our waiter didn't speak English as his first language.  It's hard enough to explain gluten free to waiters who are native English speakers sometimes, much less someone who has a language barrier to overcome.  I didn't need to worry because the waiter was fantastic.  That was the good news.  The bad news he told me is there was essentially one thing on the menu I could eat - chicken with vegetables in a garlic sauce (with a side of steamed rice).  Atleast it wasn't hard to decide what to order!


The food was really good.  The garlic sauce was very delicious.  And the atmosphere it Mulan is nice too.  They have a front area that they decorate for the holidays - right now there are about 50 stuffed easter bunnies hanging out there.  If you visit, be sure to notice the koi pond on your way to the restroom.  And if you have kids, ask your waiter/waitress to show them the table with the frog that changes color.  I don't give you details on the frog because I don't want to ruin the surprise for you.  Plus on some dishes they use this LED cube that changes color as part of the garnish.  It was a hit with my son.  Here he is playing with some:


A few weeks ago we went back to Mulan to eat again and had a different waiter.  I ordered chicken in garlic sauce again and got a totally different dish this time - still gluten free, but this dish was spicy. I  love spicy.  My hubby is a wimp and can't deal with the heat, so he ordered the same dish but not spicy.  And last night we took some family to Mulan and I got the same thing and it was spicy again.  The spicy version is good too.

So my advice is to try Mulan if you like chicken in garlic sauce.  It's very good.  But know that is essentially the only thing on the menu that is gluten free.  Be sure to remember to specify if you want your dish hot, medium or mild.  And don't forget to visit the color changing frog!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Congrats to Hog & Hominy

Hi folks.  I've been off the boards a while because of my last glutening and an absolutely insane work schedule.  I have a few restaurant reviews up my sleeve, just haven't had time to sit down and write them. 

Just wanted to share something I read in this morning's Daily News:

Memphis has some of the best pizza in the U.S. according to Travel + Leisure Magazine.




Staff Memphis Business Journal
The magazine Travel + Leisure has released a list of the top 20 cities to get a slice of pizza and both Memphis and Nashville made the list.
Though Memphis is well-known as a culinary destination, pizza may not be the first signature food that pops to mind. But Travel + Leisure notes that, "Fun-loving Memphis takes a soulful approach to its pizza."  The article places Memphis 14th on its top 20 list siting Hog & Hominy's Red Eye pizza and the pulled pork and coleslaw pizza at Aldo's Pizza Pies.
 
So congrats to Hog & Hominy and Aldo's both.  If you haven't had a chance to visit Hog & Hominy check out my earlier review of their Gluten Free Pizza.

Also, as a Midtowner, I've been watching with excitement as some new restaurants are springing up on Union Avenue.  Panera Bread is opening up at the end of the month.  Unfortunately they don't carry any gluten free bread, but they do make a good salad and I hear some of their GF soups are very good.  Also, Five Guys is currently under construction and looks like it will be open pretty soon.  I've had very good experiences eating GF at the Five Guys on Ridgeway and hope that the Midtown one will be just as good.  They offer a delicious GF burger and their fries are safe to eat too.

I hope to be back on the blog very soon with posts on Mulan, Pei Wei, and Frida's. 

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Amerigo

This past Friday hubby and I were running some errands in East Memphis and wanted to stop and grab a bite.  We decided to try Amerigo.  I just got an I-phone for Christmas and have decided that it's almost a must if you're eating out gluten free just for being able to check out menus.  I hopped online and was super excited to see that they had a gluten free menu.

I asked at the hostess station for the GF menu and they easily found one, which is usually a good sign.  And it even looked like a real menu, with prices and everything.  I've been in restaurants where they had to dig for 10 minutes before they found the GF menu, which was a many-time photocopied, wrinkled thing. 

We were seated and I started salavating over the menu items - Pasta Pomodoro and Spaghetti Alfredo - and all of it gluten free.  I was so excited.  The waitress then came to take our order and crushed my hopes by informing me that they were out of GF pasta.  I could have cried at that moment.  I was almost like my 6 year-old when he wants to do something and is told that he can't.  I pulled myself together and ordered the Veal Picatta.

It tasted pretty good, but would have been better with the pasta it was supposed to be served with.  To console myself over the missing pasta, I ordered the Peanut Butter Rocky Road Blondie.  It was super yummy.  I would have posted a photo but hubby and I had eaten half of it before I remembered to!  It was nice to be able to order a dessert and this one was super tasty.

So the moral of this GF story is not to get your hopes up about the pasta, but feel free to console yourself with some dessert.

Jason's Deli

I have eaten at about 4 Jason's Delis in Memphis and have had a great experience at all of them. Last week I didn't have anything to eat for lunch, so I twisted the arm of my coworker, Claire, and made her hit Jason's Deli with me. Claire loves their salad bar. As someone who usually gets stuck eating a salad because there is nothing else gf on the menu, I forgo the salad bar and rejoice that I can eat a sandwich.

As a proud girl of Irish and German roots, I usually go for either a corned beef, pastrami, or Ruben. Be forewarned if you order a sandwich that is usually toasted that their toasters are not GF. Ask them to skip the toasting.

Like most chain restaurants, Jason's has a CYA disclaimer on their menu. In an age where McDonald's can get sued because their coffee is too hot, I can understand why they feel the need to protect themselves. In fact, they have even added a disclaimer sticker to their sandwich box.  (Sorry the pic is sideways, I was having technical issues) 


I braved the legalize and ate my sandwich anyway and it was quite yummy.  They use Udi's bread and it tastes pretty good.  My only issue with it is that it always falls apart when I try and eat it.  Here's a shot of what it looked like.  One thing you can say for Jason's - they don't skimp on the meat.
So if you're looking for a quick and easy place to grab a sandwich, consider stopping at one of the Jason's Deli's in town.  And check out their GF menu here:  Jason's Deli GF Menu

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Mellow Mushroom

Okay, after a brief post to rhapsodize over Trader Joe's, I'm back to restaurant land.  Earlier this year, the Memphis Business Journal announced that Mellow Mushroom is expanding into East Memphis.  This really excited me, because as a Midtowner, I don't make the long trek out to Germantown for dinner that often.  That means that I haven't had a chance to try eating some of their GF pizza.

Today the MBJ did another story on the expansion.  In case you haven't seen it, here are some of the details:
 
The second Memphis-area Mellow Mushroom should sprout up on Park Avenue by this summer. The local development team, operating as Mellow Ventures LLC, has filed a $750,000 building permit to convert the former AAA Auto Club Group building at 5138 Park into a restaurant.
 
Project demolition has started and construction could begin in late February. Harvey said they hope to be completed by June.  The 7,880-square-foot building at Eastgate Shopping Center will have an outdoor patio when completed.

Here's another opportunity for all of us Celiac and Gluten Intolerant people to get a decent dinner.  I've heard kind of mixed reviews from friends about the pizza and the service at the restaurant in Germantown.  Have you dined there?  Anyone care to comment about their experience?  Was the pizza good?  Did they seem to understand avoiding cross contamination?

For those of you interested in their menu, here's a link:  Mellow Mushroom Gluten Free Menu.  I really liked their comment on the bottom about the precautions they take.  My only criticism is one that I've heard often on message boards and blogs about GF menus in restaurants - there are no prices.  I understand that there's a good chance I will have to pay more for a gf pizza crust, gf pasta, or gf sandwich bread, but I guess the restaurant owners are worried that people will complain about the extra cost.  I don't know.  Any restaurant owners out there that care to weigh in?

On a personal note, I got glutened recently.  No, it wasn't at any of the fine establishments that I've talked about on the blog.  It was actually on my way back from Nashville (see the Trader Joe's post).  One of my many side effects when I ingest gluten is that I lose all my energy and become very depressed and apathetic.  Unfortunately it lasts for several weeks.  I am hoping to keep up with the blog while I recover, but there is a chance I may be too tired for a while.  But I will definitely return when all the evil poison is out of my system and I feel top notch again.  Until then, stay gluten free in the Bluff City...

Trader Joe's

Hi my GF Friends.  This post is not about restaurants but about my favorite new store, Trader Joe's.  For quite a while, my kind friends and family have been bringing back goodies to from Trader Joe's when they travel abroad (as in, to Nashville).  Recently my family and I were headed back from a camping trip and since we were passing through Nash-Vegas, I declared that we had to stop at Trader Joe's so I could see all this gluten free goodness that I had heard about in person.

For those of you travelling to or through Nashville, it's a quick stop off I-440.  Take the Hillsboro Road Exit and the store is about 1 1/2 miles up the road.  On a Sunday afternoon, the place was packed.  There was serious competition for parking and serious cart dodging in the store.  My 6-year old came in the store with me, which was probably a mistake since he was complaining the whole time and nearly getting run over by carts.  

The store was nice.  It was actually a lot smaller than I expected...maybe 2/3 the size of the Whole Foods on Poplar.  And there wasn't as much GF stuff available as there is at Whole Foods.  But the advantage of Trader Joe's is that it's super cheap.  When is the last time you could combine super cheap and gluten free food in the same sentence?  I walked out with a paper grocery bag filled to the brim with GF oatmeal, granola, polenta, cereal and chips for only $25. 

When I was checking out, I told the cashier I wished we had one in Memphis.  He went on to explain that it was a privately-owned company and that they were trying to expand slowly since they did most everything in-house.  I was impressed.  Try to imagine a cashier at Kroger being able to explain the company's expansion plans to you.  It boggles the mind, right?  He also suggested that I go on the web site and request a location in Memphis.  I have actually done that before and got a nice reply e-mail from them.  If you're interested in getting a T.J. in Memphis, here's the link you need:  Trader Joe's Customer Service.  Go to the Customer Questions and Feedback drop down box and click on Location Request.  Maybe if enough of us request it, they'll put one here in the Bluff City.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Hog and Hominy

Didn't feel like cooking dinner Friday night.  That's nothing new for me.  But I was tired of going to all the usual restaurants we eat at.  Luckily I had picked up the latest copy of Edible Memphis last week.  They had an article on gluten free ordering etiquette and a list of some GF restaurants.  Since they don't have a link to the list on their website, I took a picture to keep as a handy reference:


I thought I'd give Hog and Hominy a shot.  It's located at Brookhaven Circle.  The place was hopping on a Friday night with lots of folks enjoying some delicious looking food.  The waiter seemed pretty knowledgeable about the gluten free items on their menu.  He said that all their pizzas could be made on a gluten free crust.  I was hooked right then.  I don't know about the rest of you GF peeps, but I get tired of eating salads at restaurants because it's the only safe food.  It was good to have tons of options.  Here were the pizza options alone:



We decided to go for the 'Shrooms Pizza.  This is what it looked like:

 
I would never have thought to put arugula on pizza, but it was really tasty.  It gave it a nice tang.  Like most GF pizzas, it was a thin crust.  It was good - not overcooked like thin crusts sometimes are.  The pizza was a little small for the both of us to eat.  We probably should have ordered one of their side dishes to go with it.  Especially since I was starving and hadn't had GF pizza in quite a while.  I made a pig of myself at Hog & Hominy (pun intended).  Overall I was very happy with my meal.
 
On another note, I do miss a good deep dish pizza.  I would pay a lot of money if someone could invent a good GF deep dish crust.  I never cheat on my GF diet and am seldom tempted.  But the other night I worked late and my husband ordered a pizza for him and my son.  The crust was sooooo tempting.  If anyone out there knows someplace in the Memphis area with a GF deep dish pizza, please, please, puh-lease let me know!  In the mean time, the thin crust pizzas at Hog & Hominy make a pretty good substitute.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Attune Foods

If you're anything like me, you get a ton of spam in your e-mail - everything from improving your love life and discounts on insurance to Nigerian investment scams.  While wading through all the junk yesterday, I was pleased to find an e-mail from Attune Foods with some useful information.  For those of you not in the know, Attune makes gluten free cereal and probiotic bars.  You can find them in Memphis at Whole Foods, or as my friend Robb calls it, "Whole Paycheck."

Here's what Attune had to say in their e-mail:


"With a New Year comes new intentions of eating better, doing better, goal-setting or maintaining healthy habits. We decided this year to take a different approach to tackling a new calendar year by suggesting how to start eating clean in 2013. Clean foods are simply defined as whole, unprocessed foods to help you thrive.

Eat Clean 2013 Menu Plans & Shopping Guides
We teamed up with three Registered Dietitians including our Nutrition Ambassador Janel Funk for something to get you going in the right direction. Each of them created a week-long menu plan with a corresponding shopping list to show how eating clean can be easy and delicious. Click on the type of menu plan below that you think fits your lifestyle best."

 
I looked at the menu plan and it had a couple of good looking recipes and some different menu ideas.  Here's the link in case you want to check it out:

Attune Foods 2013 Eat Clean Gluten Free

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Panera Bread


BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad
You may be wondering why on earth someone with Celiac Disease would eat at a restaurant with the word "Bread" as part of the name.  Suprisingly, Panera does a good gluten free salad.  My coworker and I got gift cards for Christmas (Thanks Tommy!) and decided we would treat ourselves.

Usually when I eat out, I try to do a little research online for some menu options before I get to the restaurant.  Unfortunately Panera doesn't have much information about their gluten free options on the web.  But they will e-mail a list of safe foods and several people have posted the list on their blogs.  They also have a huge book (think War and Peace) in their store that lists all the ingredients in each dish.  After a little trial and error, the server and I figured out that I could safely eat the BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad.  Doing some later research on the web, it looks like I could have had some of the soups, including black bean, corn chowder, and creamy tomato.  Something I'll have to keep in mind for next time.

Because Panera makes and serves mainly bread dishes, there is a higher risk for cross-contamination.  Personally this is the second time I've eaten at the restaurant at Poplar and I-240 and have not been glutened.  But as always, different people react to different amounts of gluten, so be cautious. 

Here is a blog with recent Panera gluten free information:
http://glutenfreeworks.com/blog/2012/06/29/panera-bread-summer-2012-updated-information/

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Welcome to My Gluten Free World

Welcome to Gluten Free Memphis, a restaurant blog for Celiacs and Gluten Intolerants living in Memphis, TN.  My name is Sharon and I have Celiac Disease.  I was diagnosed in 2012 and have been gluten free since July of that year. 

When I was first diagnosed, I did a lot of research on Celiac Disease and how to eat a gluten free diet.  One thing I noticed was missing on the web was specific information on eating gluten free in the Memphis area.  I am hoping this blog will fill that gap.

I am married to a very great husband and we have a school-aged child.  I try to cook fresh, healthy food at home as much as possible, but between soccer practice, working late, Boy Scouts, church, and all the other craziness that is my life, sometimes it's just easier for us to go out to eat. 

Of course eating out becomes much more complicated once you can't have gluten.  That's where this blog comes in.  I hope it will help those of you out there who are also gluten free.  I will do my best to try and post often, but can't guarantee how often because of all the craziness I mentioned above.  Thanks for reading.  I hope to see you eating out Gluten Free in the Bluff City.