California Gluten-Free Guide: San Francisco

December 29, 2015May 25, 2021 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

The last stop on our trip was beautiful San Francisco. We spent only two days in the chilly city, so we had to cram in as many sites as we could. Shortly after arriving in San Fran (and after spending a significant amount of time looking for parking) we went to Mariposa Baking Co. for gluten-free eats. Mariposa had so many gluten-free options that I rarely get to enjoy. I decided on the ham and cheese puff pastry. I am not kidding when I say it brought tears to my eyes. It was so delicious; buttery, flaky crust with a warm ham and cheese inside. Pure heaven I tell ya!

While in San Fran we visited Lombard Street, the San Fransisco Bridge, the Embarcadero Center and did plenty of walking through the city. We were really hoping to ride a trolley, but after waiting on line for almost an hour a trolley broke down just as our turn came up. Luckily, a nice person standing next to us told us that we were holding metro passes that could be used on all public transportation. After asking several people for directions we finally found a bus to take us to the bridge. I am so happy we got to walk across the San Fran Bridge, but we definitely could have used jackets. I definitely recommend packing layers for San Fran because the weather was much cooler than I was prepared for.

For dinner we stopped at Jamber Wine Pub which had a cool vibe and outdoor seating. Many of the menu options were gluten-free, although they were not marked on the menu. Our waitress was very helpful in pointing out which items I would be able to order. We shared spicy buffalo cauliflower as an appetizer. It was a bit too spicy for me, but I liked that it was not dipped buffalo sauce and was coated in a dry rub instead. For dinner I ordered a salad, which was on the small size, and Mike enjoyed a delicious burger.

This is the last of post of my California Gluten-Free Guide. I hope you have enjoyed my posts and picked up a few new restaurants to try.

California Gluten-Free Guide: Santa Barbara

October 3, 2015May 25, 2021 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

After leaving LA, Mike and I headed to Santa Barbara for an afternoon. It was a cloudy day, but we stopped at the beach to put our toes in the Pacific one last time. We walked around the town and visited the historic Santa Barbara Court House which offered the most beautiful views of the city.

I was looking forward to stopping at Savoy Cafe & Deli for lunch because I had read that they offer gluten-free options. Totally pumped and ready for a gluten-free sandwich I ordered the Gibraltar on gluten-free bread. I also asked the waitress if they cut the gluten-free bread on a clean cutting board with a clean knife to which she respond, “Yes, no problem.” After overhearing our conversation, another waitress behind the counter interrupted us. She told me that since I was concerned about how my bread was being cut, she wanted to let me know that the bakery Savoy orders the bread from slices the gluten-free bread on the same machine that slices gluten-filled bread. Queue the silence. I did not see these details coming (although they were greatly appreciated) and had to get off line to re-think my order.

Totally stumped and not in the mood for a salad, I asked the waitresses if they would be able to make the Gibraltar sandwich with a romaine lettuce wrap. Luckily, they said they were definitely up to the challenge. Mike ordered the Gibraltar on regular bread, we bought a snicker doodle cookie and sat down at a table to wait for our food. The Gibraltar Romaine Wrap was a success! It was so good and perfectly wrapped. I didn’t miss the bread at all. The waitress told me it was the first lettuce wrap she ever made. Let me tell you; she nailed it. I am sending a big thank you to that waitress and Savoy Cafe for going above and beyond to make my lunch awesome.

After leaving Savoy Cafe, Mike and I continued walking around town of Santa Barbara. There are a lot of shops and restaurants in this area. We walked past Lilac Patisserie, a completely gluten-free cafe and bakery. I could not resist and ran right in. There are very few gluten-free bakeries on Long Island, so I was excited to buy a homemade baked treat. Mike and I agreed on a cinnamon coffee cake which we ate the next morning. It was perfect. This coffee cake was tasty, moist and the perfect size to share. Mike even said that if he wasn’t the one to buy it he wouldn’t have thought it was gluten-free. Highly recommend Lilac Patisserie if you’re looking for GF. desserts in Santa Barbara.

We spent the day in Santa Barbara then made our way to north to Solvang.

California Gluten-Free Guide: LA

October 3, 2015May 25, 2021 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Along our trip from San Diego to San Fran, my boyfriend and I made a quick stop in Los Angeles to visit a friend for a night. Although it was great getting to see our friend, we did not plan this portion of our trip well. We were also visiting during a heatwave, which didn’t make for ideal sight seeing conditions. Hopefully I can offer some tips and help you make better use of your time while in the LA area. My #1 tip is to make a plan, don’t wing this portion of your trip. There is so much to see in LA that it can be overwhelming. The night we were there, we narrowed our plans down to two options; a Mumford and Sons concert or the more touristy option of seeing the Santa Monica Pier. I kind of felt like we could have seen Mumford and Sons in NY and I wasn’t sure that we would visit LA again, so I decided we should go to Santa Monica. After sitting in LA traffic for over an hour, I realized that I had not made the right call. When in doubt, go to the concert!

EVO Kitchen

While in LA, we stopped at EVO Kitchen on Sunset Boulevard for lunch. EVO is completely gluten-free friendly and offers a large variety of options. They also have gluten-free beer. Although the pizza looked delicious, I opted for a salad. We enjoyed our meal and I would have went back for a second time to try the pizza, but we were in LA for less than 24 hours.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

From San Diego to LA, one of my favorite frequent stops was to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I loved that they offered almond milk! At home, the only place I can find coffee with almond milk is Dunkin Donuts. In addition to almond milk, they offer gluten-free instant oatmeal. When I’m not traveling I make fresh oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast, so after 5 days of not having oatmeal I was thrilled to find some at The Coffee Bean.

The Line Hotel

While in LA we stayed at The Line Hotel and I would definitely recommend it to others. The Line is an awesome boutique hotel with an urban feel. I loved how unique it was. It was like no hotel I’ve ever stayed at. Every room has a huge window with a view of the city and a comfortable bed. We also got a great price on Expedia. To top it off, we saw a member of Portugal. The Man in the elevator.