Gluten Free at MSG!

Fear not, sports fans! The revamped Madison Square Garden is gluten free friendly. Their gluten free stand is called, "Healthy at The Garden." The menu includes hot dogs, nachos,  fries, chicken fingers, pizza, multiple beers and more! They also offer pre-made sandwiches by The Bare Naked Bakery on Long Island. I bought the sandwich, but the bread was VERY dry. Although the sandwich wasn't my favorite, I have to say the gluten free menu at The Garden blows away those of  the other arenas/stadiums I've been the.

FYI - Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and The Barclay's Center have gluten free stands as well!

Bistango NYC!

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!

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.

Amici's

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 On The Hudson

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!

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!

Inn On The Blues

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

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!

Fit to Eat

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!

The River House

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.

Gluten Free Baking Class

My mom and I recently took a gluten free baking class at Sur La Table. We baked banana bread, biscuits, chocolate chip muffins, coconut macaroons and pizza.  The pizza and macaroons turned out to be disappointments which was unfortunate because we were really looking forward to learning a good gluten free pizza crust recipe.  The biscuits and muffins were great recipes. We both thought the texture was very similar to "normal" biscuits and muffins.  These recipes also allowed you to switch it up! You could easily add fruit instead of chocolate chips to the muffins and herbs to the biscuits. It was also great to exchange tips and ideas with the other students.

My mom and I really enjoyed taking the class together, so if there is a Sur La Table near you, check out the class schedule! The instructor also told us the  French macaroon class uses a gluten free recipe.

Mahi-Mahi Tacos!

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! 

The Classy College Cookbook on Twitter

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5 Napkin Burger NYC

5 Napkin Burger is another one of my favorite gluten-free-friendly restaurants in the city. I have found the staff to be very knowledgeable and understanding of gluten allergies. I have even had a server who was gluten-free himself! 5 Napkin offers gluten free buns, beers and fries! What more could you ask for?! They have a pretty big menu with a good variety. I recommend looking over the menu and selecting a few meals you are interested in then ask our sever if they can be prepared gluten-free. My favorite burger is the Avocado-Ranch (minus the ranch because it's not gluten free!) with a New Grist beer. 

Gluten Free Mexican in NYC!

Dos Caminos has become my go-to Mexican restaurant in the city. The servers are very knowledgeable and understand gluten sensitivities. As always, it's important to notify your server of your gluten allergy when you are seated. Almost everything on their menu can be prepared gluten-free! The kitchen even puts a label on your plate to indicate a food allergy, so there is no mix up! I have been told that they try their best to make sure the corn chips (for the salsa and guacamole) are fried separately, but they can't 100% guarantee there aren't any slip ups. Instead, you can ask for veggies to eat with your guacamole. I have only been to the Dos Caminos on 3rd  Avenue, so make sure to discuss your gluten allergy with the staff at their other locations. I recommend the chicken or mahi-mahi tacos! And of course a Margarita!