Glutino Flax Bread

I am not crazy about any of the Glutino bread varieties, but when I absolutely need bread to make sandwiches, I find the Flax Seed variety to be the most palatable. The Flax takes away from the usual bland, dry taste of Glutino bread. Also, flax seed is supposed to be very healthy. I buy this bread at Whole Foods where it costs approx. $5.69 per loaf.

Whole Foods Pizza Crust

Whole Foods Gluten Free Crust is thick, bread-like and very good. It is definitely a much heavier crust than the other gluten free pizza crusts on the market, but when you crave a thicker pizza, this hits the spot. One crust typically is enough for two people or two meals. They come in packs of two in the Gluten Free fridge and cost $7.99 for the pack.

Update of UNO's Chicago Grill review

After going to UNO's a second time, I am happier with their gluten-free pizzas. Although they only guarantee that the pepperoni and cheese pizzas are gluten free, they will put their regular pizza toppings on a gluten free crust if you ask. This makes their pizzas much much better. I liked their crust but I found the plain pepperoni pizza to be very bland, but now that I can get more toppings, such as veggies and pineapple, I will happily go back.

Continental Airlines good for allergies

Continental Airlines is allergy friendly. Not only are their flights peanut free (unlike Southwest, Delta and Northwest), but they also offer gluten-free meals. You just have to request the gluten free meal at least 24 hours before your flight.

Sammy's Woodfired Pizza

I tried the Hawaiian (Canadian bacon & pineapple) pizza with the gluten free crust at Sammy's the other day. The toppings were very tasty and fresh. The crust was okay. It was a thin crust with a mild flavor. The edges got very crispy - kind of sharp in your mouth. Overall though, the greatness of the toppings overcame the mediocrity of the crust. The ability of getting a good tasting pizza at a regular restaurant is wonderful! Sammy's is all over San Diego, so it is convenient and the service was great too. I will definitely go again. The gluten free crust costs $3 extra, but that seems pretty standard at restaurants that offer gluten free products.

www.sammyspizza.com

Gluten Free Bakery & Coffee Shop in Escondido

A reader just told me about this new bakery & coffeeshop. I have not had a chance to visit yet, so please let me know what you think in the comments section. They have gf white and cinnamon raisin bread and are developing other products.

GNI Bakery (Gluten Not Included)
2250 S. Escondido Blvd
Escondido, CA
760.432.6100

www.gnibakery.com

OPENING SOON!!

Easy Pizza Crust

I just tried TooValoo's frozen pizza crusts. They resemble a whole wheat tortilla but they are of course gluten free, and are more substantial than a tortilla and don't break apart like a tortilla. You can take them frozen from the freezer and place toppings on them and put them right in the oven without having to thaw them out. They have a very mild flavor and are very light so they basically provide a good base for the toppings of your choice. They are a good size for a meal and they are relatively low in fat with only 4.5g per crust. They are available online or at the Leucadia Farmer's Market.

www.toovalooglutenfree.com

Pancakes for the lazy....

I found these Gluten Free, dairy free frozen pancakes at Trader Joe's the other day. They are in the freezer section with all the other breakfast items. They are silver dollar size pancakes and there are 4 packets of 3 pancakes in the box. All you have to do is open one package and put them in the microwave for 90 seconds and out comes delicious, soft, moist pancakes. These are very yummy and great to grab for breakfast or for on the go. They are Trader Joe's own brand but are 100x better than the Trader Joe's brand wheat free frozen waffles. I think they were either $3 or $4 per box.

Risotto - still dissapointing

I thought I would give Lundberg Risotto another shot - this time in Garlic Primavera. Unfortunately it was no better than last time. The risotto itself is not bad, it's just the flavor that is too strong and not very good. I could go crazy and make risotto from scratch or more likely I will keep looking for a better version! Oh well, hopefully I will have better luck next time.

Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake - yummy!!

I went to the Cheesecake factory for lunch the other day to meet a friend. I have not been there in years since their typical cheesecake contains wheat. But I checked and to my surprise, they have one gluten free cheesecake - the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. It is gluten free because it is flourless. The cheesecake has three different layers. The bottom layer, which is typically crust in most cheesecakes, is a dense layer of a thick chocolate mousse-like substance. The next layer is somewhat less dense and contains chocolate chunks. The top third of the cheesecake is a lighter chocolate cheesecake. The top is sprinkled with cocoa and a square of chocolate godiva chocolate. Yummy is all I can say! It is very rich so it took me three sittings to finish it, but it was excellent. However, I should mention that they will not guarantee that it is gluten free due to cross-contamination etc. However, I did not have any reaction to it. I did not get the whipped cream - I am not sure if it is just cream or not. I also had the Cobb Salad (skipped the vinaigrette dressing because it looked a little suspicious). The Cobb Salad was dissappointing because it was 95% lettuce, 4% egg and .05% avocado, chicken, and bacon.

www.cheesecakefactory.com

The Prado Restaurant

I had lunch with a friend at the Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park a few days ago. I ordered the fish tacos and they were delicious. The fish was fresh and grilled which made it soft and succulent as opposed to a lot of fish tacos where the fish is dry and chewy. The corn tortillas were delicious and it also came with fresh jicama and shaved cabbage and warm smokey beans. Overall, it was delicious and had no hint of gluten anywhere. We sat outside on the beautiful patio and enjoyed the scenery. The service was excellent. The prices are a little high but I think it is worth it for a special treat.