Author: Red Rose & Honey

Gluten Free in Poughkeepsie!

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I was recently in the Hudson Valley for my alumni weekend! When I was in college I was not on a gluten free diet, so I was happy to find several restaurants with gluten free options while I was visiting.

Baby Cakes Cafe

This is a cute cafe close to the Vassar campus. Baby Cakes is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A few weeks ago a friend and I stopped here for lunch. I ordered the Chicken Chipotle sandwich on gluten free bread, but without the chipotle mayo and I added avocado. Unfortunately, the cafe does not make the mayo themselves and could not guarantee that it was gluten free. I ALWAYS question dressings and marinades on my meals. It’s better to be safe and ask than end up with a tummy ache! My meal was a little bland, but since I did not get sick this lunch was a success. My none gluten free friends always love their meals too.
This is a restaurant I have dined at many times while in college; especially when family was visiting. I have never met anyone (including myself) who has had a bad meal here. When I as back in Poughkeepsie for alumni weekend my friend and I ate here for dinner. The server was very knowledgeable about their gluten free options. Amici’s offers gluten free pasta along with several other dishes that they can make gluten free. (Tips: always remember to question the sauces when ordering a pasta dish) I ordered gluten free penne with white wine clam sauce and it was excellent! Gluten free or gluten lover, Amici’s never disappoints!
Shadow’s was a favorite of mine while in college. My friends and family always loved going here for dinner. I did not eat here while visiting for my alumni weekend, but I did notice they have a new gluten free menu! Shadow’s is another restaurant I have never had a bad meal at, so I highly recommend trying their gluten free menu if you are in the area. The restaurant is also right on the Hudson with beautiful views.
P.S. I was VERY happy to find that Darby’s carries RedBridge! That made me one happy alum!

Views From the Walkway over the Hudson.

Gluten Free Trip to New England!

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A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I visited Maine, New Hampshire and Boston! I hope my blog helps anyone traveling to these areas. Enjoy!

Gluten Free New England

On our first night in York Beach, Maine we ate in town at Inn On The Blues. I was so happy to see that their menu identified gluten free options! Our server was very helpful and made sure to communicate my allergy with the kitchen. I ordered the Caprese Salad with grilled chicken and asked for the chicken to be grilled in a separate, clean pan. When our food was brought to the table they informed me again that my food had indeed been cooked separately to prevent cross contamination. For all of you non-gluten-free readers: my boyfriend ordered clam chowder and fried clams. We both loved our dinners!

Guac-n-Roll is another restaurant right in the town of York Beach. This restaurant has a gluten free menu! Our server was very helpful and aware of what could be made gluten free. I ordered the margarita shrimp with a side of guacamole and of course, a margarita! I went with a classic margarita and my boyfriend tried the orange, both were delicious!

We ate here for lunch when we were in Portland, ME. I was so happy to find a place that offered gluten free options. They even assured me that they grilled the gluten free food on a different grill. I got the Old Port sandwich on a gluten free wrap/pita roll. It was absolutely delicious! I wish I could have brought a few home with me. This is definitely a place to try in Portland!
This restaurant is on the water in Portsmouth, NH with beautiful views. I have to start off by saying that the service we received here was absolutely terrible, but I am going to look past it to tell you about the gluten free options! On the menu they identify the gluten free options for you. I had the award winning seafood chowder and it was to die for. I rarely find soups on menus that I can eat and being in New England I was dying for some chowder! I also had the River House Spinach Salad with grilled chicken and honey mustard dressing. They server (and the menu) assured me all gluten free food is cooked separate and they try their best to prevent cross contamination.
Joe’s American Bar & Grill
Absolutely loved this restaurant in Boston down by the waterfront. It has a great atmosphere, outdoor seating and a very gluten-free-friendly menu! The wait staff was very knowledgeable about gluten allergies and almost anything on the menu could be made gluten free. I ordered the Prime Rib French Dip on a gluten free roll with sweet potato fries (fried separately to prevent cross contamination!).  This wasn’t a usual meal choice for me, but I loved it! Whenever I find a very gluten-free-friendly restaurant with a good menu I always take the opportunity to try a dish I can’t get very often. Run, don’t walk to Joe’s American!

City Landing
Our last dinner was at city landing in Boston. This restaurant has outdoor seating and a gluten free menu. I ordered the Roast Chicken Breast. It was very good, but didn’t quite wow me….I may have just had gluten envy as I watched my boyfriend eat his pasta dish! Nonetheless, I would recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a good date night dinner spot.

Mahi-Mahi Tacos!

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To kick off my vacation week my cousins and I made Mahi-Mahi tacos with a corn salad. I found the recipe on Pinterest from Women’s Health Magazine. Click here to follow the recipe I used! Since going gluten free I have not found a brand of soft-shell tacos that I enjoy, so we used hard corn shells. In the future I think I would prefer to find a gluten free soft-shell taco for this dish. We used 1 1/2 lbs of fish like the recipe calls for and it was enough for the three of us. The recipe also calls for blackening spice – I used Old Bay’s which is gluten free. Mango is another ingredient in this recipe. Even though the directions call for 1 mango, I bought 2 just in case. Mango can be a pretty difficult fruit to cut because it gets slippery and sometimes does not amount to much edible fruit. Instead of coating the fish in oil for grilling we just used a Smart Balance cooking spray. All Smart Balance products are gluten free! 
 
As a side dish we also made a grilled corn salad which I also found via Pinterest. Click here for the recipe! This turned out to be a delicious and easy dinner! When we were finished we decided we might like the grilled corn salad on the tacos instead of the mango topping because the corn dish had a little spice to it. I love when I am able to find recipes that are naturally gluten free or are easily adaptable because it makes dinning with friends and family much more enjoyable!
 
 
I have been gluten free for just over a year now and I have realized how helpful it is when other people share their tips or a good recipe with you. Keeping a gluten free lifestyle is by no means easy, but if you are in the same boat as me and gluten free is the only way to live a healthy (and pain free) life remember to share your tips! With that being said – if you have found a brand of gluten free soft shell tacos/wraps please leave it in the comment section of this post! 

Update 10/11/13: Rudi’s Gluten-free wraps are awesome!