Tag: glutenfree

Bistango NYC!

Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment
A few weeks my boyfriend and I went to dinner at Bistango. After months of drooling over their website menu I was beyond excited for this special date night! Bistango is certified gluten free and is absolutely fabulous. As soon as the sever comes to the table he/she asks if anyone has a food allergy. The menu clearly identifies the gluten free options although the entire menu can be gluten free. They even serve gluten free Italian bread. It had been over a year since I had Italian bread at a restaurant (at Yamanja in Aruba) and it was AMAZING! Light, fluffy and delicious. I believe they order their bread from Everybody Eats in Brooklyn. For dinner I had the gluten free spinach ravioli in a pink sauce. My boyfriend ordered the pork chop (gluten style) and we shared coffee gelato for dessert. This was the best dinner I’ve had at a restaurant in a long time and I can’t wait to go back. I highly recommend Bistango. You won’t be disappointed!

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.

Mahi-Mahi Tacos!

Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment
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!