Gluten Free Takeout during COVID in the San Fernando Valley

 While stuck at home during COVID, it an be difficult to find GF options for takeout.  One can only eat Chipotle so many times before needing more variety.  My go to, to go place during COVID has been Cafe Orient in Chatsworth (website link here) They have many GF Options available, and prices are reasonable ($10-13 for most things but an extra cost for beef or shrimp). 

My favorites

- GF Sweet and Sour Chicken Chinese Style Stir Fry  (a recent addition to their menu)

-GF Yellow Curry with Potatoes, Squash, Snow Peas, and Chicken.  This is great with rice added at home.

-GF Pad kee-mau: Flat rice noodles with onion, tomato, basil, and a tamarind glaze (I get chicken or beef)

-GF Pad Thai (no explanation needed.  I get chicken and no egg...guess I know which comes first for me.)

There are also GF Tofu and Veggie Spring Rolls that are refreshing but a bit pricey.

The address: 20527 Devonshire St, Chatsworth, CA 91311

Best Gluten Free Hamburgers (with GF bun)

1. Stacked: Food Well Built - I've eaten the burgers twice at their Thousand Oaks location.  Great! Lots of GF options. Ipad ordering shows exactly what is GF and the management is well aware of cross contamination issues and how to avoid them. The GF buns and burgers would fool a non-celiac. My burger (one of them) included double patties, two cheeses, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli sauce, bacon, a scrambled egg, and more than I can remember.  Keep up the good work.  Photos to follow when I get around to it. Other locations in Torrance, Cerritos, and San Diego.

2. ????????????

I'd love to add to this list, though it is hard to find gluten free hamburgers that have a bun rather than just a lettuce wrap.  Let me know if there are others I should try...please don't recommend places that you know cross contaminate the bun or burger during cooking.

FDA finally defines "gluten-free" for food labeling

This came out on August 2nd, 2013...nice to know they are finally doing something about this issue...too bad it only takes effect after about year.  (technically a year and 30 days after August 2nd).

Let's hope they do something about restaurants and companies that knowingly cross contaminate their products, but still advertise them as being gluten-free.

If you have questions: 1-888-INFO-FDA

You may find the original news release on the FDA website through this link.
I have copied the information below.


FDA defines “gluten-free” for food labeling

New rule provides standard definition to protect the health of Americans with celiac disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today published a new regulation defining the term "gluten-free" for voluntary food labeling. This will provide a uniform standard definition to help the up to 3 million Americans who have celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive condition that can be effectively managed only by eating a gluten free diet.

“Adherence to a gluten-free diet is the key to treating celiac disease, which can be very disruptive to everyday life,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “The FDA’s new ‘gluten-free’ definition will help people with this condition make food choices with confidence and allow them to better manage their health.”

This new federal definition standardizes the meaning of “gluten-free” claims across the food industry. It requires that, in order to use the term "gluten-free" on its label, a food must meet all of the requirements of the definition, including that the food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. The rule also requires foods with the claims “no gluten,” “free of gluten,” and “without gluten” to meet the definition for “gluten-free.” 

The FDA recognizes that many foods currently labeled as “gluten-free” may be able to meet the new federal definition already. Food manufacturers will have a year after the rule is published to bring their labels into compliance with the new requirements.

“We encourage the food industry to come into compliance with the new definition as soon as possible and help us make it as easy as possible for people with celiac disease to identify foods that meet the federal definition of ‘gluten-free’” said Michael R. Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.

The term "gluten" refers to proteins that occur naturally in wheat, rye, barley and cross-bred hybrids of these grains.  In people with celiac disease, foods that contain gluten trigger production of antibodies that attack and damage the lining of the small intestine. Such damage limits the ability of celiac disease patients to absorb nutrients and puts them at risk of other very serious health problems, including nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, growth retardation, infertility, miscarriages, short stature, and intestinal cancers. 

The FDA was directed to issue the new regulation by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), which directed FDA to set guidelines for the use of the term “gluten-free” to help people with celiac disease maintain a gluten-free diet.

The regulation was published today in the Federal Register².
For more information:

• FDA: Gluten-Free Labeling³
• FDA: Gluten-Free Labeling Final Rule Q&A⁴
• Consumer Update⁵

El Pollo Loco's Not So Gluten Free Menu (not much of a menu when you factor in cross contamination)

Not to go off on a rant, but most of the items on El Pollo Loco's hyped Gluten Free menu are NOT celiac friendly.  It is great that they want to serve gluten free food, but after speaking with their guest services telephone number....I think it would be hard to make a truly gluten free meal.

For example, the fries and taquitos are cross contaminated in the fryer.  The chicken (something that I thought should be fine) is also NOT ok, as it is chopped in the same location as the chicken marinated in soy sauce (which contains wheat).  The customer service representative was kind enough to point out that many other items on the gluten free menu are probably also cross contaminated, and that I should check carefully with the restaurant manager before ordering.

Ask them yourself by calling 1-877-375-4968 (5am-9pm Pacific Time, seven days a week).

Why is there no corporate concern about cross contamination? Maybe the FDA will get involved when their gluten free food labeling law finally takes effect in August of 2014...

Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill Gluten Free Menu

Sharky's now has a gluten free menu. If you ask in the restaurant, there is a one page menu to order from.  It only appeared effective December 2012, so is very recent.  I have not located a copy on the website, but if you find it online please add the link as a comment.   They must have had a GF menu training recently...The cook was aware of cross contamination issues, he even mentioned that although the chips are made from corn, they are cross contaminated in the fryer....so are not gluten free. The corn tortillas are prepared on a different griddle than the flour to prevent CC. There is even an AJ burrito bowl on the GF menu that is not on the regular menu.  I was at the Simi Valley location...if you'd like to go to the place that seemed on top of things. The other locations are also supposed to offer and be aware of the GF menu items.

Here is the link to Sharky's Gluten Free Options

It is a PDF file.

McDonald's French Fries are not gluten free (and they even contain milk)

I have been operating under the impression that the french fries at McDonald's were gluten free because they have a separate fryer and therefore are able to avoid cross contamination.  However, I ate some fries on yesterday and didn't feel so great, so decided to do some research.  Lots of places online will mention McDonald's fries as being gluten free, but that is not the case.  Read for yourself on the McDonald's website on this link.
For those of you who believe I am capable of correctly doing a cut and paste from there, here is what it reads (as of the time of this post on Dec 5, 2012).

French Fries

Allergens: WHEAT AND MILK Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*, citric acid [preservative]), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK.

Therefore:  
I am not going to be eating any more of the fries. I know that beef flavoring was an issue for them in India, so if I travel to India I will investigate the possibility of eating the fries there...otherwise, no more golden arches fries for this celiac.

 

Gluten Free: Zankou Chicken...or Costco chicken?

Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I used to like the convenience of being able to go to Zankou Chicken.  Three or four of us would get the whole chicken with garlic, pita (eek. gluten), etc.

I drove past a Zankou Chicken that is opening soon in Granada Hills (@Chatsworth and Zelzah), so I decided to check if they have gluten free options (as more places become aware of GF needs, the options available are increasing). 

Lo and behold...gluten free options.  Obviously, you cannot get the pita wraps, but check the link to see what you can get....the chicken is the way to go in my opinion.  Their website has a handy PDF menu also.

The other place I noticed gluten free rotisserie chicken recently was Costco.  Cheap, well labeled, and GF...but you have to walk the quarter mile to the meat dept in the back of the store after surviving the parking lot. The chicken is not on their website, as it is an in store item...not something that they will send via UPS...use the website to find a Costco near you, then hunt in-store. (you do need to be a member..if you live somewhere other than the US and have never heard of Costco before).

In summary, if you are a masochist, you can save some money by getting a gluten free rotisserie chicken at Costco, but for convenience and flavor Zankou Chicken is hard to beat.

GF in SF (Jane on Fillmore)

I was up in San Francisco a few weeks ago for Memorial Weekend and had a great gluten free breakfast at Jane.

gluten free muffin from jane (see texture)

They make everything in house from scratch and always have GF options available.
The muffin I had was delicious, and they also have excellent coffee.  The muffin had good texture, chewiness, nice top, and great flavor.  If in SF, you should stop by and treat yourself...

jane gluten free muffin and coffee

The address: 2123 Fillmore Street  San Francisco, CA 94115
It is in Pacific Heights (for those of you who know your SF neighborhoods).

jane sandwich sign on fillmore st

Gluten Free in the OC

I'm spending a few days in Orange County.  These are some reminders for myself of gluten free places I should check out or perhaps avoid.

Check Out.
Paul Martin's American Bistro- in Irvine Spectrum. Looks good but rather pricey. 
Original Pancake House - Orange and Anaheim locations only.  Gluten free pancakes, waffles, crepes, and soon french toast.  Not sure if they cross contaminate with cooking surface. Ask first.
Pei Wei Asian Diner - GF menu here.  I'm excited about the GF sweet and sour chicken.  1302 Bison Avenue, Newport Beach, CA. (near MacArthur and the 73).  
Also in Terminal C of John Wayne airport (now with limited GF options at airport as of 8/21/2013)
Sensitive Sweets Bakery - in Fountain Valley. Looks like babycakes (see my GF in New York postings), but with more muffins.  Custom cakes are a small fortune, but the rest seems reasonable (for GF).  Closed Sunday and Monday.
118 Degrees - Raw food place in the Camp in Costa Mesa. Folks claim lost of GF stuff (including beer, brownies, pizza...) but their website is less than revealing. They mention wheat free. Make sure they know that some things not called wheat also contain gluten.
Z'Tejas - in South Coast Plaza mall. Menu here, separate GF menu at store.
Taco Mesa - gf options delineated on the menu above the counter.  Hole in the wall vibe with modest prices.  $1.25 tacos on tuesdays. Four locations.
Rutabegorz - Fullerton, Orange, Tustin. Word on the theoretical street is that they have a separate GF menu upon request. Not sure, so don't go there when starving.  Or, call the location ahead of your visit.
Stonefire Grill - Irvine and Fountain Valley locations.   GF options listed here.  They have a lot of CYA language which makes me sketchy.

Don't forget to check out my previous posts about Orange County for other options.
        example: Newport Rib Company, BJ's, Red Brick Pizza, Chipotle, PF Changs, Outback,





Avoid
Z Pizza - I have asked at different locations. All locations have admitted openly that they "like, totally, cross-contaminate."  Good to know. Too bad they can't take some steps to prevent that.  They use same utensils, sauces, pans, etc.  I wish there was a Garlic Jim's in the Newport Beach area (Garlic Jim's is my GF pizza of choice...haven't written them up yet as I was waiting for a place with tables....I digress.)

Green's Gluten Free Beer Review - Magically Delicious

Green's Gluten Free Beer (3 types).

I was given 3 Green's Gluten Free Beers to try for my birthday a while back.  They were a bit of an extravagant treat, as I usually would not have spent so much on a bottle of beer.  Now that I have tried them, I am willing to pay to have them again, as they were quite different (and pretty darn strong).  They are each 500mL, so larger than a normal beer (if that allows one to justify spending more money on them).  If you care, they are a Belgian import.  You can usually find them at BevMo or Total Wine.  Here is their North American site.

I will give them each a brief review ordered by descending alcohol content...Notice the large Gluten Free text on each bottle...puts your mind at ease.

Green's Tripel Blonde Ale (gluten free)

1. Green's Tripel Blonde Ale (8.5% ALC/VOL).  Potent. Yellow gold. Tangy kick. Lot of head. Consider adding lemon or orange slice.

Green's Dubbel Dark Ale (gluten free)

2. Green's Dubbel Dark Ale (7% ALC/VOL). Dark. Nutty brown. Fizzy. Like a less sweet Newcastle (if you ever tried that before becoming Gluten Free).

Green's Amber Ale (gluten free) - sorry it's a bit blurry...

3. Green's Amber Ale (6% ALC/VOL). Sweet. Dark cranberry red. Frothy. Little fizzy.  Good with piece of chocolate...random, I know.

Wingstop - NO LONGER Gluten Free Wings of ANY kind(Beware)

Once upon a time there were GF wings offered atWingstop.

I went on their website to find a location near me and decided to double check the allergens. 

Egad!  ALL of their food now is listed as containing gluten because of the way they filtrate their oil in the cleaning process, even the bone-in wings may have trace amounts of gluten...and can no longer be called completely gluten-free.  (I'm guessing that means that they mix the boneless and bone-in wing oil during the cleaning process.)

Don't believe me (or don't want to believe me)? 

Their allergens can be found on the website here.

Looks like I will be going to TGI Friday's for some bone-in wings that are GF from now on.  Several locations now offer a gluten free menu...ask at the one nearest to you.  I'll post some photos when I get around to it.

I guess this shows that it is always good to double check that allergen information at a restaurant has not changed since your last visit....

GF Restaurant Review - Seasons 52 at South Coast Plaza

A few weeks ago I visited Seasons52 in the South Coast Plaza.

Their name comes from a "seasonally-inspired" menu (their words). They use fresh ingredients and promise that nothing on the menu is over 475 calories. 

Seasons52 Coaster

Their alternative menus (including gluten free) can be found here.

I had a nice beef meal, with seasonal vegetables and tasty potatoes.  The sauce was tasty, but probably too spicy for most people (I really enjoyed it).

Gluten Free Lunch @ Seasons 52 in South Coast Plaza

 I enjoyed the meal, but was rather hungry a few hours later (the downside of a low calorie lunch).

Service was attentive and unobtrusive.  The interior was nicely designed, though some of the dining room chairs looked rather battered.

Seasons 52 Interior

The wait for food was about 20 minutes, because it was cooked to order, so make sure you are not in a rush. 

The official address is:

Seasons 52
At South Coast Plaza

3333 Bristol St Suite # 2802

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(714) 437-5252

 

It is located on the outside of the mall, the entry looks like this:

Seasons 52 Costa Mesa Entry

CeliacsUnited.com Hits 10,000 page views

Thanks to you readers, celiacsunited.com got its 10,000th page view yesterday.  Thanks for using my gluten free resource as your resource also.  I'll be trying a small format change in the future, with more top 5 lists going forward.  Let me know how you like it.

Gluten Free in Mammoth Lakes

I was up in Mammoth two weeks ago and found a few gluten free places to eat.  If you are up there for camping/fishing/biking/skiing/snowboarding/... here are some places to consider.

Stellar Brew and Deli
3280 B Main St.
Serve Breakfast and Lunch (coffee shop with alcohol).
They had many gluten free and vegan options on the weekend, and a few on weekdays.
 I tried two of the muffins and enjoyed them both.
They also have GF sandwiches for lunch.
Great GF Option.  Cozy eat in area, or take your food to go.

Angel's Restaurant. 
On the corner of Main St and Sierra Blvd, across from Quality Inn.
Wood smoked BBQ with several gluten free options.  Gluten free options are not online, but ask at the reservation desk in the restaurant..  Has a slightly different taste since it is wood smoked.  Their homemade bbq sauces were gluten free.  Not overly pricey (~$20ish).  I'd eat here again (and would probably enjoy the meal more if I were fresh off the slopes).  Nowhere near as good as Blue Smoke in New York, or Newport Rib Company (both reviewed elsewhere on this site), but celiacs can't be all that picky when it comes to finding places that you can eat out in smaller towns.

Gluten Free in Boston (gf travel) Ideas

I'm heading to Boston in the near future for a trip. 
Places on the list are possible options while sightseeing...I have not been to them yet, so reviews will have to wait until my return.  The list is more for my own reference while there.  If you are going, this may also help you.
I will be based just north of Harvard University, in Cambridge (Porter Square Transit Stop).  I hope to find some options near there....

 Elephant Walk Restaurant - several locations, link is to menus.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140
617-492-6900
Brunch - Sunday 11:30am - 2:30pm  (cost is $10-15)
Lunch - Monday-Friday 11:30am - 4:00pm (generally $10-$15)
Dinner - Monday-Friday 4:00pm - 10:00pm (entrees are $15-$25)
Dinner - Saturday and Sunday 5:00pm - 10:00pm (entrees are $15-$25)
other locations:
Boston: 900 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02215     617-247-1500
Waltham: too far east for the casual tourist. 

B.Good - several locations. including but not limited to back bay, downtown boston, and harvard. 
Burgers, with gluten free bun.

Chipotle - lots of locations. Closest to me will be One Brattle Square 02138 (@ Harvard Square)
Downtown location at 101 Summer St [Bedford and Lincoln]

PF Changs - 3 locations: 
Cambridgeside Galleria (near the museum of science) Lechmere is closest Transit
100 CambridgeSide Place, Suite C101
Cambridge, MA 02141
617-250-9965

Downtown (southwest of Boston Common) Arlington is closest Transit
8 Park Plaza Space D-6
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 573-0821

Prudential Center  (Prudential Station is closest Transit)
800 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02199
(617) 378-9961

Trader Joes - first 2 locations are closest but not really transit convenient....
211 Alewife Brook Pkwy
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone Number: 617-498-3201
Trading Hours: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm No Alcohol Sold
 View Map

748 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone Number: 617-491-8582 Trading Hours: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm Alcohol: Beer & Wine Sold M-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 12pm-10pm  View Map

1317 Beacon Street Brookline, MA 02446 Phone Number: 617-278-9997 Trading Hours: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm Alcohol: Beer & Wine Sold M-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 12pm-10pm View Map

Whole Foods Market - several around. check website for locations.
115 Prospect St, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 USA   617.492.0070
 --seems most convenient. Central Square is Transit.

Also one in Charles River Plaza (Bowdoin is Transit)
181 Cambridge St, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 USA  617.723.0004


The Ginger Exchange - 1287 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 250-8618
(closest cross street is prospect)
GF pad thai and singapore rice noodles are some of the gf options (currently priced at $8)
interesting idea for lunch. also not too transit convenient.  dished that are spicy = very... (reviewers say)
*****free delivery with $15 order minimum
12 - 3, 5 - 11, bar closes at 12am (monday-wed)
12 - 3, 5 - 12, bar closes at 1amc(thursday - friday)
12 - 12, bar closes at 1am (saturday)
12 - 10 (sunday)
 Closed Monday - Friday from 3 - 5pm

Myers + Chang -
separate gf menu includes Indonesian fried rice at $14.
1145 Washington St (South End)
Boston MA 02118
617.542.5200
open from 11:30am until 10pm (11pm some nights)


East Coast Grill - 1271 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 491-6568
said to do well with food allergies. seafood place. $20-30 for entrees.  pricey. not transit convenient.

Wagamama - 3 locations. gf options. great idea for lunch. $8-15ish
faneuil hall, harvard square, prudential center

Stone Hearth Pizza -  1782 Mass Ave. Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140   617-492-1111
Just south of Porter Square. GF Pizza. 11:30 am til 9 or 10pm.
GF Pasta is about $10. GF Pizza is $8-$20 depending on size/toppings.


Zing Pizza - 1925 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA (617) 497-4300
GF slice night on Wednesdays. in Porter Square. gf available other times?
Closed Mondays.  Open 12pm til 9 or 10pm.
Delivery available after 3:30pm within a 2 mile radius.

Nebo Restaurant - has gf menu. italian. pricey $25ish. looks good. opens at 5pm.
90 North Washington Street, Boston, MA 02114   (617) 723-6326
Boston's North End/Bullfinch Triangle  () ‎

Bertucci's Brick Oven - 799 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139-3509 (617) 661-8356 () ‎ 
Near Lafayette Square. Italian Food. Chain store found in several states.
entrees at $15-20. separate gf menu.

Kickass Cupcakes
378 Highland Avenue Somerville, Massachusetts 02144 (Davis Square Transit)
They ask: Please call to check on today's gluten free flavor availability in the store.
Phone: 617-628-CUPS
Hours:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
11-7	11-7	11-7	11-8	11-10	11-10	12-6

NOT ON THIS LIST (as of July 2011)
Outback Steakhouse - not currently in Boston
Dennys - not currently in Boston

GF BBQ in the OC and Long Beach (newport rib company)

It is nice to find somewhere that serves celiac friendly food, and an added bonus if the food is actually decent.
Newport Rib Company is GREAT!

Their menu identifies menu items as being gluten free or gluten/casein free. 

They have a large menu.  There are salads for the non-carnivores, but I'd recommend vegans eat elsewhere and save the table space for people that want some excellent GF BBQ.

In Costa Mesa, they are called "The Newport Rib Company."  The Long Beach location is called "Naples Rib Company."  I ate at the Newport Rib Company, so all comments and pics are from that location.
The first picture is of their BBQ sauce.  I don't know why there are babies on the bottle (bit strange), but their BBQ sauce is free of gluten and casein.  They sell it at some local stores, and I got a bottle to take home w/me.  The sauce is great, and can be slathered liberally on anything (except maybe your morning cereal).

Gluten Free BBQ Sauce from the rib company

 

The next picture is of "The Combo."  It is a Ribs, Chicken, Brisket, and Louisiana Hot Sausage platter.

"The Combo"

I tried to consume an entire BBQed Baby Back Ribs Platter (A Very Large Size).  My sides were BBQed beans and Mashed Sweet Potatoes (both GF and good).  I managed to defeat the ribs, but was unable to eat for about 18 hours as I was so incredibly full.  They were lovely and were so large that they draped off the edge of the plate.

BBQed Baby Back Ribs (A Very Large Size)

All dinners are served with cornbread, fresh vegetables (corn for me), fruit (in this case pineapple), and your choice of 2 sides (extensive list).  They have 2 types of cornbread, GF and regular.  It was nice to see that the GF variety had a different shape, so that there was absolutely no confusion about which one was the GF.  The GF cornbread was warm and steaming. Excellent.

Gluten Free Cornbread

I highly recommend Newport Rib Company for anyone looking for GF BBQ.  Non-celiacs will love it too.

Gluten Free in Downtown Sacramento

I'm heading to Sacramento soon, so this is a list for me to refer to...I won't be there for long, so the list will not be very lengthy. I am staying on J street, so things will tend to cluster downtown (I hope).

If there is anywhere obvious you think should be added, feel free to add to the comments section.

Gluten Free Specialty Market -  (916) 442-5241

2612 J Street, Suite 1, Sacramento, CA 95816

Parking behind building. (GFS)
Store Hours: Monday - Friday: 10 am to 7 pm Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm Sunday: 10 am to 4 pm 

  PF Changs:  1530 J. St. Suite 100, Sacramento, CA (916) 288-0970

 chain food, dependable GF menu

 BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse (916) 570-1327 

3531 N. Freeway Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95834

Opens @ 11am.  Kind of on way to/from airport 

Chipotle Mexican Grill - (916)444-8940

1831 Capitol Ave (19th and Capitol). Sacramento, CA 95814. 

Hours: 11am-10pm 

also just north of downtown (about 4 miles)

3830 Truxel Rd. (Truxel and Gateway Park). Sacramento, CA 95833 

Hours 11am-10pm 

Mati's Indian Express - (916)341-0532

says: gluten free friendly...

1501 16th Street , Sacramento, CA 95814 

Located in the Fremont Building on 16th and P Street. Two doors down from Starbucks, directly beside Nishiki Sushi.

Trader Joe's- 916-456-1853

5000 Folsom Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95819   (East of Downtown.)

Hours: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm  

 7 Sisters Gluten Free- (916) 727-2777 

8493 Auburn Blvd. Citrus Heights, CA 95610

waaay outside of where I am going, north east of downtown...other than that, looks good.

Gluten Free Pizza - RedBrick Pizza / RedBrick Pizza Cafe

I was in Ventura on a business trip and discovered another place with GF pizza.
It is a chain restaurant, with other locations (great for travelers that need GF food).

There are 2 websites..
RedBrickPizza   and    RedBrick Pizza Cafe
as it turns out, I ate at the Cafe version, but it appears that both have GF pizza.  I would call your local RedBrick Pizza place before driving over there to make sure that they have it.   There are quite a few locations in the south bay and orange county.  There is also at least one in the Santa Clarita area, but nothing in the San Fernando Valley.

I tried 2 pizzas, both gluten free and delicious.  Most of the toppings are also GF, so lots of variety, and inexpensive.  They had separate prep, tools, and understood the concept of cross contamination (unlike some other pizza places).  The pizza came out hot and yummy.

I tried:
ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN
mushrooms, red onions, red bell peppers, bacon, garlic, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, creamy white garlic sauce   (great!)
and
HAWAIIAN
ham, pineapple, cashews, mozzarella, red sauce(cashews were unique..never had that on a Hawaiian pizza before...very good).


I went to this location:
3-6 Ventura
4990 Telephone Rd.
Ventura, CA 93003

Phone (805) 658-2828
Fax 805-658-2858

Original Moonshine - GF throwback

I read an article in the Los Angeles Times food section on January 13, 2011.  It was all about clear choices in whiskey...namely moonshine.  The full LA Times article can be found here.

I haven't got around to it yet, but am looking forward to trying "Original Moonshine."  Their website mentions...

Original Moonshine Clear Corn Whiskey is hand-crafted from 100% estate-grown corn and distilled four times in a Prohibition-era copper pot still.

 You need to be over 21 to access the website (fill out your age on the home site).
They have a nice map where you can "Find the Shine" for sale.

It's in a bunch of local watering holes...but you can pick it up retail at the following places.

Name		Address
	Beverage Warehouse	4935 McConnell Ave., #21 Los Angeles, CA 90066
	Convoy Liquors	4383 Convoy St., San Diego, CA 92111
	Crest Balboa Liquor	6139 Balboa Ave., San Diego, CA 92111
	Gil Turner's	9101 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
	Hi Times	250 Ogle St., Cost Mesa, CA 92627
	John & Pete's	621 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069
	Mel & Rose	8344 Melrose Ave., Beverly Hills, CA 90067
	Mission Liquor	1801 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104
	Vendome	9153 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212
	Wally's	2107 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
	Wine House	2311 Cotner Ave., #B, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Let me know how you like it...

Gluten Free at Staples Center

I was at Staples Center wandering the concourse, and lo and behold...
gluten free beer at staples center. 

It is at the Budweiser stand...

Budweiser stand with gluten free beer at staples center

And here is the price list..rather exhorbitant, but pretty much everything at staples center is.  It's nice to be able to have some GF beer and yell for the home team (Kings, Clippers, Lakers). 
Gluten free snacks and candy are also available.  Remember, GF beer at Dodger games is $6, so this is not much more...(and the money isn't going to the McCourt divorce).

Gluten Free prices at Staples Center