Friday, May 29, 2009

June's NFCA Monday Meet-Up at Mirabella Cafe

On the heels of its participation in the upcoming celiac awareness event on June 2, Joe Palombo's Mirabella Cafe in Cherry Hill, New Jersey also will be the location of the next Monday Meet-Up event. The Meet-Up is scheduled for June 15 and is sponsored by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Guests will be able to make individual selections from the specially created gluten-free menu. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue until 8:30 p.m.

Representatives from NFCA will be there to answer questions and to provide information on celiac disease and gluten intolerance. The group will offer a door prize of items of particular interest to those on a gluten-free diet.

Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at (856) 354-1888 or through OpenTable.com.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Gluten Free Philly News and Notes

UPDATE (6/1/09): Andreotti's Viennese Cafe has posted its gluten-free menu for the June 2 dining event. The menu includes a tasting menu and artisanal gluten-free breads.

During this holiday-shortened week, I wrote about our Memorial Day weekend in New York City, where we took in a Phillies-Yankees game and ate everything from Chinese food to pizza to macaroni and cheese, all with gluten-free options.

Betty Crocker's gluten-free dessert mixes are set to hit stores in the Delaware Valley (and nationwide) next week, on June 1. The varieties include brownie, chocolate chip, devil's food cake, and yellow cake mixes. The same day is the official rollout of six gluten-free Chex cereals, including Chocolate Chex, the only one I haven't yet found in local supermarkets. Be sure to check the front of the boxes for the "Gluten Free" label as I'm sure some stores will still be carrying the older versions at first.

Also next week, on June 2, is the celiac awareness dining event at five southern New Jersey restaurants: Joe Palombo's Mirabella Cafe and Andreotti's Viennese Cafe in Cherry Hill, The Tortilla Press and Blackbird in Collingswood, and blueplate in Mullica Hill.

Among the additions to the restaurant list this week is The Bellevue Tavern in Cape May Court House, New Jersey; the restaurant has a dedicated gluten-free menu available on the premises. In Wildwood, New Jersey, La Piazza Cucina serves gluten-free pasta.

In other local restaurant news, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey outpost of The Capital Grille is set to open on June 15.

The Whole Foods Market in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania is sponsoring a one-hour "Gluten Free Living" class on Wednesday, June 10 at 6 p.m. Lois Quigley, a holistic health counselor, will speak about the many options available for a gluten-free diet. There will be a handout listing manufacturers that make gluten free products that are sold at the store and a goodie bag with recipes and free samples will be offered. The cost is $5.

Have a great weekend!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Gluten Free Road Trip: A Bite of the Big Apple

Our original plans to visit my brother and his family in Gaithersburg, Maryland over Memorial Day weekend changed late last week when my 11-month-old niece became ill (she's since gotten better). Since we couldn't go there, we chose to head up the New Jersey Turnpike and spend the weekend in New York City, where, incidentally, the Phillies were taking on the Yankees. I went onto StubHub, Craig's List and some other sites on Friday night to see what tickets were still available for Sunday's matchup between the Phillies' Cole Hamels and the Yankees' CC Sabathia. Given the threat of rain in Sunday's forecast, though, I didn't pull the trigger but instead decided to see how the weekend went.

We checked in early Saturday morning at Le Parker Meridien, just south of Central Park and away from the bustle of Times Square. Curiously, we found a line of people waiting outside the front of the hotel when we arrived. We learned that the Phillies players were staying at the hotel, and the fans out front were waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite players or snag autographs. Our kids could not believe that we were going to stay in the same hotel as the team! After checking in, we waited in the lobby as several players made their way out to the bus that would take them to Yankee Stadium for the late afternoon game. We spotted first baseman Ryan Howard coming off the elevator and heading into the lobby. I think the kids were a bit intimidated about asking for an autograph, so they went up to him just to say hello. Ryan was smiling as he gave each of the boys a high-five. I was so completely caught up in the moment that I went into the hotel's business center, logged onto StubHub and bought seats for that afternoon's game in the Bronx.

We were starving, so we headed down the street to Lily's 57, the sister Chinese restaurant of Lilli & Loo (where we've eaten before). Both restaurants have extensive gluten-free menus that include dumplings, barbeque ribs, fried rice and noodle dishes.

After lunch, we headed northbound on the Subway to the stadium to catch the game. The new ballpark was built across the street from the original Yankee Stadium. The new building, while imposing, lacked uniqueness. The teams slammed seven balls out of the park, the last of which Alex Rodriguez hit off of Brad Lidge to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Yankees won the game two batters later, the only loss for the Fightins in the three-game stand. Because of the big lunch, we didn't eat at the ballpark, but the gluten-free items available included Kozy Shack pudding, Cracker Jack and Turkey Hill and Carvel ice creams. Hebrew National hot dogs are also available without buns at many stands.

For dinner, we went back to the hotel and ate at the Burger Joint, literally a hole in the wall that can't seat more than 25 or so customers. The restaurant, which serves only hamburgers, fries and milkshakes, is among New York's City's highest-rated places to get a burger.

The next morning, we met friends uptown at Peter's Gourmet Diner for breakfast. A., our older son, enjoyed gluten-free french toast made with Sterk's bread, along with eggs and hash browns.

After breakfast, we spent a beautiful afternoon visiting relatives and playing Wiffle Ball in a park by Columbia University. From there, we headed to the IMAX theater near Lincoln Center, where we caught the Night at the Museum sequel - the kids loved this one too, but frankly the first one was better!

Following the movie, we considered going for dinner at Risotteria, which is our favorite gluten-free restaurant in Manhattan, but we didn't feel like trekking downtown. Instead, we ended up at Slice, which serves pizza made with organic ingredients. The gluten-free pizza is made with a rice crust and can be topped with any number of ingredients. While A. enjoyed the pizza, he agreed with me that Risotteria's pizza is better.

The morning of our departure, we headed from our hotel around the corner to Jamba Juice for smoothies. From there, we walked down Sixth Avenue and decided to take in the NBC Studio Tour at Rockefeller Center. I'd been wanting to go there for a while but our schedule never seemed to coincide with a tour at the right time. We were able to see the studios used for NBC Nightly News, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and, of course, Saturday Night Live. One of the pages leading the group asked for two volunteers to be "readers," so I raised my hand and was chosen. It turned out that another tourist and I were being picked to read a mock newscast. I had the part of the meteorologist, so I stood in front of a "green screen" and pointed to different sections of the country on a map that I couldn't see. My wife and kids got a good laugh out of it!

After the tour ended, we hit the last two food stops on the trip, both in Greenwich Village. First, we went to Babycakes. The bakery makes delicious cupcakes, cookies and other sweets without refined sugar. We enjoyed gluten-free lemon and chocolate cupcakes in the store, and bought some chocolate chip cookies and agave-sweetened brownies to take home with us. From there, we took a taxi over to S'MAC, which specializes in macaroni and cheese served in a variety of combinations. A. ordered a small "All-American," which combines rice pasta with American and Cheddar cheeses. He opted to get gluten-free breadcrumbs to top off the dish.

We left New York City satisfied that we were able to cover lots of ground in a short amount of time. Given its size, Manhattan's gluten-free options are more spread out than in a city like Philadelphia, but restaurants with celiac-friendly menus can be found in nearly every neighborhood. If you're looking for other New York City restaurants with gluten-free menus, I suggest checking out the website for the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Gluten Free Philly News and Notes

It's been a relatively slow week of activity in the gluten-free world as we head into the Memorial Day Weekend. On Monday, I wrote about our experience at The Melting Pot in Philadelphia. The management there was extremely helpful in walking us through the safe food options and ensuring that there was no cross-contamination. The restaurant, which also has outlets in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware, is a great place to celebrate a special family occasion or go out with a group of friends.

Congratulations to subscriber Reyna of Philadelphia, who won the Goodies Giveaway 2 prize of Shabtai Gourmet sweets.

In addition to participating in the South Jersey gluten-free dining event on Tuesday, June 2, Joe Palumbo's Mirabella Cafe in Cherry Hill, New Jersey is sponsoring another cooking class with Tammy Hughel. The gluten-free three-course tasting menu will be available at the class on Tuesday, June 9. The class starts at 6 p.m. and costs $40. Reservations for the class are suggested.

The Tortilla Press in Collingswood, New Jersey has posted the gluten-free menu for the June 2 dining event on its website. All of the appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts will be gluten free. We've made reservations for Tortilla Press for that evening and hope to see some of you there.

Trader Joe's is coming to the Square at West Windsor shopping center in Mercer County, New Jersey this summer.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro is offering diners a complimentary order of lettuce wraps, which are gluten free, with the purchase of an entree. To get a voucher, go to this link at the restaurant's website and enter your email address.

While not locally oriented, I thought I'd mention an email I received from Enjoy Life Foods, which makes gluten-free cookies, bagels and snack bars. Amazon.com is offering 20 percent off eligible Enjoy Life products until May 31. Enter the code ENJOYLIF at checkout. Orders totaling $25 or more qualify for free Super Saver shipping.

We will be traveling to Maryland this weekend, so I will have a Gluten Free Road Trip report next week spotlighting some restaurants outside our area. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

A Pot of Gold

We celebrated my wife's 40th birthday Saturday night with a family dinner at the Center City Philadelphia outpost of The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant. If you're not familiar with fondue cooking, diners use forks to dip food into warm, semi-liquid sauces that are heated in small pots. I spoke with Kimberly, the general manager, in advance of our visit to tell her that our older son was on a gluten-free diet. Kimberly, who was familiar with the diet, told me that we were able to bring any gluten-free foods that would make for good dipping.

We were able to get a table with two burners, which allowed us to prepare gluten-free foods on a dedicated cooktop. For the four of us, we ordered two Entrees for Two, which includes a cheese fondue course, salad, and an dinner entree. We didn't bring our own gluten-free bread, but my son was able to use the tortilla chips, carrots, celery and apples served by the restaurant to dip in the Cheddar Cheese fondue. The kitchen left out the lager beer from that fondue, which contained cheddar and Swiss cheeses, garlic and seasonings. Following that course, we enjoyed salads with a gluten-free house dressing.

Filet mignon, shrimp and boneless chicken breast were part of the Signature Selection entrees we ordered for dinner; we left out the fish fillet as a matter of personal preference and the teriyaki-marinated chicken because the marinade was not safe. Instead, we doubled up on the beef and chicken. For our entree fondues, we chose a vegetable broth bouillon as the gluten-free option and the coq au vin. Potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli florets accompany the entree fondues.

We ordered two small dessert fondues a la carte, choosing the pure milk chocolate and the Yin & Yang, which was half dark chocolate and half white chocolate. We brought gluten-free pretzel sticks, pound cake and brownies for our son to go with strawberries and bananas that were on the menu. The restaurant served its own cheesecake, pound cake squares, brownies and marshmallows on a separate plate.

Kimberly happened to be working the night we went, and she double-checked all of the food before it arrived tableside to make sure there were no cross-contamination issues or mix-ups. She told us that all managers are trained to do this when a diner requests gluten-free options. Whether making a reservation online or by phone, be sure to note that one or more diners will be eating gluten free.

We found The Melting Pot to be a great place to celebrate a special occasion and were extremely pleased that the staff and management took care to accommodate a gluten-free diet. The kids especially enjoyed the novelty of dipping food into the different fondues. Plan to spend about two hours eating a four-course meal there.

Melting Pot on Urbanspoon

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Gluten Free Philly News and Notes

There's still time to enter Goodies Giveaway 2, where the prize this time around is $75 worth of Shabtai Gourmet sweets. The deadline is Monday, May 18. All the details can be found at this post.

Reservations are still being taken at the five southern New Jersey restaurants participating in a celiac awareness dining event on Tuesday, June 2. One restaurant, Joe Palombo's Mirabella Cafe, offered a gluten-free menu for Mothers' Day brunch.

I added two new restaurants to my restaurant list: City Kitchen Pizza in Southampton, Pennsylvania, which offers GF pasta, and Elevation Burger in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. The latter, which is set to open its first area location this month, offers organic burgers free of fillers and fries cooked in 100 percent olive oil. Simplicity Desserts in Voorhees, New Jersey is a new addition to my list of bakeries.

Uno Chicago Grill has added veggie pizza to its gluten-free menu, following its successful introduction of cheese and pepperoni varieties a few months ago. The veggie pizza features peppers, onions and mushrooms as toppings. Thanks to Maureen at Hold The Gluten for the info. Uno will host a national "Dough Rai$er" from Monday, May 25 through Sunday, May 31 to benefit the American Celiac Disease Alliance in support of National Celiac Awareness Month in May. Diners interested in participating in the fundraiser can secure a voucher at this link, which they can then bring to their local Uno Chicago Grill location. Twenty percent of sales generated from those who participate will support the ACDA cause.

Among the vendors at the Bryn Mawr Farmers' Market in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania will be gluten-free bakery Spice of Life. The market will open for the season on Saturday, May 23 and will be open every Saturday, rain or shine, through the fall. Spice of Life will sell fresh gluten-free breads, rolls and sweets at the market. Freshly baked Spice of Life products also are available at the Devon, Pennsylvania Whole Foods (delivered on Fridays) and at FoodSource in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ritt's Bakery in Millville, New Jersey will be hosting a food tasting on Sunday, May 31 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Among the products being sampled will be the store's new soft pretzel sticks as well as gluten-free popcorn chicken nuggets from Casa Foods.

A Paoli, Pennsylvania business that offers prepared foods for home cooking has numerous gluten-free options. At HomeCooked, customers can order meals in advance for later pick-up or prepare them at the store. The gluten-free menu lists many healthy entrees and sides.

Grind House Café in Haddonfield, New Jersey now offers handmade gluten-free cookies made with organic ingredients. The varieties include Chocolate Fudge, Ginger Molasses, German Chocolate Cake, Snickerdoodles and Peanut Butter.

In Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Burlap and Bean Coffee carries vegan and organic gluten-free cookies made by Kookie Karma.

Deliteful Foods in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, celebrating its third anniversary, is offering 10 percent off for Gluten Free Philly readers through the end of May. All you have to do is mention that you heard about the offer through this site. Deliteful Foods has lots of products not available anywhere else in the Delaware Valley, including cakes, cookies and breads from Katz Gluten Free.

Have a great weekend!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Goodies Giveaway 2

UPDATE (5/19/09): Congratulations to subscriber Reyna of Philadelphia, who is the randomly selected winner of the giveaway!

UPDATE (5/12/09):
Several readers who wanted to enter were concerned about posting their email addresses. To make it easier to enter, all email subscribers and Google blog followers who haven't previously won a Giveaway are eligible to win. If you're not currently subscribing through email or following the blog through a Google account, simply do so and you'll be entered. You can earn additional entries through the methods described below.

In my March post about gluten-free foods for Passover, I mentioned the delicious Shabtai Gourmet cookies and cakes made by Cinderella Sweets. Shabtai Gourmet is a bakery line specializing in gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, casein-free and dairy-free cakes and cookies made in a dedicated facility. The products also are Kosher-Parve (dairy-free). At Passover, we enjoyed the Raspberry Roll and Brownie Bites, as well as our family favorites: the Rainbow Cookie Squares and the Seven Layer Cake. Through its website, Shabtai offers free shipping on all orders in the continental United States. Locally, the bakery's products can be found, among other locations, at ShopRite markets in Cherry Hill and Marlton, New Jersey.

Now, you can enjoy some of these awesome goodies for free! Cinderella Sweets has graciously agreed to send the winner of the giveaway $75 worth of Shabtai Gourmet products.

Here are the details: the giveaway will run now through 11:59 PM EDT on Monday, May 18, 2009. I will announce the winner on an update to this post and will contact him or her to get the shipping address and phone number for delivery confirmation - continental U.S. residents only and no P.O. boxes, please. The winner's email address will be randomly selected using random.org - first address on the randomized list wins! Sorry, but so that others have an opportunity to win, prior winners of the Goodies Giveaway are not eligible for this one.

There are four different ways to enter, up to four entries per person (once by each method):
  • If you've already tried Shabtai's cakes and cookies, tell me in a comment to this post which product is your favorite. If you haven't, check out their products here and let me know which one you'd most like to try. Unless you post your comment using a public profile with a link to your email address, your comment must include your email address (post it in the format "name [at] domain [dot] zzz" to avoid spammers - for example, "gfphilly [at] gmail [dot] com").
  • Sign up to follow my blog or subscribe to email updates. Unless you've previously won a Giveaway, current followers and email subscribers also are eligible to win. Whether you're a current or new follower/subscriber, add a comment to this post with your email address to let me know you want to be in the running.
  • Create a link to this post on your own blog letting others know about the giveaway. Be sure to comment here with a link to your post.
  • Post a comment to another post on the blog with your email address listed if not otherwise accessible.
Good luck!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Gluten Free Philly News and Notes

Tops this week was the announcement about a special gluten-free dining event that will take place at five South Jersey restaurants on June 2. Joe Palombo's Mirabella Cafe and Andreotti's Viennese Cafe in Cherry Hill, The Tortilla Press and Blackbird in Collingswood, and blueplate in Mullica Hill will showcase "made-to-order" cooking without gluten ingredients. To avoid cross-contamination, the chefs will be making their kitchens entirely gluten free for the evening. Reservations are recommended and can be made through the restaurant's websites or by phone.

On Sunday, I posted my review of delicious cheesecakes and brownies made by Moondance Heavenly Desserts. The company's cheesecakes are now being carried locally by Whole Foods.

Last Thursday, I mentioned that the area outposts of the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chain will be participating in the Chef to Plate National Awareness Campaign throughout the month of May. The Gluten Intolerance Group is sponsoring a national awareness campaign for gluten-free living through restaurants that offer support to people with celiac disease.

Since the last News and Notes post, several more celiac-friendly restaurants were added to my list, including Davio's, an upscale Italian steakhouse in Philadelphia offering varied gluten-free menus for both lunch and dinner.

Tuesday, May 5 marked the debut of a new gluten-free orange cake at all U.S. Starbucks locations. The cake, which is individually wrapped, is moist and has a not-too-sweet citrus flavor. At several Starbucks in Center City Philadelphia, the cake is selling for $1.95 each. The company has posted a "behind-the-scenes" look at the manufacturing process behind the cake at its Ideas In Action Blog.

In late April, I attended a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park and can happily share the news that hot dogs on gluten-free buns are available at the concession stand behind Section 128. I'm told that treats from Good Eatz Bakery will be added there soon. A Gluten Free Philly reader reports that Redbridge beer is available at the stand behind Section 202. I should mention that the bun was crumbly and had to be eaten while being held together with the foil wrap. However, it is a good first effort - hopefully, Aramark, the concessionaire, can improve the preparation method so that the bun stays intact.

Speaking of gluten-free beer, I visited the South 10th Street location of Philadelphia's The Foodery this week and found that the store carries brews from New Grist, Redbridge and Green's in addition to several "hard" ciders that are safe for celiacs.

General Mills has launched a new website to promote the upcoming release of its new gluten-free dessert mixes. The site includes product information and recipes. The brownie, chocolate chip cookie, devil's food cake and yellow cake mixes, which are made in a gluten-free processing facility, are set to hit supermarket shelves on June 1.

Local Wegmans markets recently began carrying gluten-free cakes and pies from Sweet Sin Bakery, based in Baltimore. On a recent visit to the Cherry Hill Wegmans, I found a Cookies & Cream cake, an apple pie and "mini" lemon meringue and key lime tarts, among other items. Owner/chef Renee D'Souza told me that her desserts will also be in area Whole Foods stores by June.

Blueberry and flax muffins, sugar and oatmeal raisin cookies, and vegan chocolate-chip cookies from Sweet Christine's Gluten Free Confections are now available at Benna's Cafe and B2 in South Philadelphia, according to an post on the Philadelphia City Paper's food blog.

Elizabeth Barbone, the author of the recently updated Easy Gluten-Free Baking cookbook, will be making several local appearances later this month. Elizabeth, who also offers recipes at glutenfreebaking.com, will be teaching at the Wegmans in Downingtown, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, May 26 (Gluten-Free Baking 101) and Thursday, May 28 (Gluten-Free Bread Baking 101). Both events run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Registration and ticket information is available by calling (610) 518-7800. She will also be cooking at Everything But the Kitchen Sink in Hockessin, Delaware on Wednesday, May 27 (Spring Comfort Foods) and Friday, May 29 (Gluten-Free Baking 101). Call (800) 731-7066 for more information and to register for the Delaware events.

As a housekeeping note, if you don't already have Gluten Free Philly bookmarked on your favorite web browser, you can simply go to glutenfreephilly.com to access the site.

Tune in next week for an exciting gluten-free product giveaway. As a teaser, I'll tell you that the prize - and a sweet one, at that - is from a company that's been mentioned before at Gluten Free Philly. Have a great weekend!

Monday, May 4, 2009

South Jersey Dining Out Event on June 2

UPDATE (6/1/09): Andreotti's Viennese Cafe has posted its gluten-free menu for the June 2 dining event. The menu includes a tasting menu and artisanal gluten-free breads.

UPDATE (5/21/09): The Tortilla Press has posted its gluten-free menu for the June 2 dining event on its website. All of the appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts will be gluten free.

Five southern New Jersey restaurants will be offering celiac-friendly menus at a special one-night dining event. On Tuesday, June 2, 2009, Joe Palombo's Mirabella Cafe and Andreotti's Viennese Cafe in Cherry Hill, The Tortilla Press and Blackbird in Collingswood, and blueplate in Mullica Hill will showcase "made-to-order" cooking without gluten ingredients. To avoid cross-contamination, the chefs will be making their kitchens entirely gluten free for the evening. Mark Smith, owner/chef of The Tortilla Press, told me that the goal of this event is to show all guests - whether or not they are on a special diet - just how delicious gluten-free foods can be.

Joe Palombo's Mirabella Cafe is a trattoria-style Italian BYOB boasting the perfect marriage of the unique and familiar in Italian cooking with a casual European atmosphere.

Andreotti's Viennese Cafe combines the freshest ingredients available in an eclectic Country French/Northern Italian menu with old-world charm.

The Tortilla Press is a Mexican-influenced BYOB offering meats and accompanying side dishes familiar to the American palate, but seasoned with the clean, savory flavors of Mexican herbs and sauces.

Blackbird is an upscale casual 70-seat BYOB that features chef Alex Capasso's signature Franco-Italian cuisine with hints of Asian influence.

Blueplate, also a BYO restaurant, offers creative culinary innovations that combine New American and French cuisines in a cozy atmosphere.

The participating restaurants already are familiar with preparing gluten-free menu items. Back in March, I wrote about the many dishes (and tortilla chips) at Tortilla Press that are safe for diners on a gluten-free diet. On May 5, Mirabella Cafe will be hosting a cooking class featuring a gluten-free menu.

Dinner reservations can be made with the individual restaurants through their respective websites or by phone.

  • Mirabella Cafe - (856) 354-1888
  • Viennese Cafe - (856) 795-CAFE
  • The Tortilla Press - (856) 869-3345
  • Blackbird - (856) 854-3444
  • blueplate - (856) 478-2112

Sunday, May 3, 2009

A Marvelous Night For a Moondance

Moondance Heavenly Desserts is an Ohio bakery that recently began offering its cheesecakes and brownies at Whole Foods markets in the Philadelphia area. Founder Shelley Ritchie, who started the company in 2005, has created a number of desserts that are made in a dedicated gluten-free bakery. In addition to six different cheesecakes, Moondance offers fudge and walnut brownies.

Shelley was kind enough to send us some desserts to sample. Both the mini cheesecakes - baked on a pecan shortbread crust - and the brownies are individually wrapped. We tried the raspberry ribbon cheesecake, which will be featured at Whole Foods for Mothers' Day, along with the classic and butter toffee varieties. While all of the cheesecakes were deliciously creamy, the entire family felt the standout was the butter toffee (above), which is topped with crunchy pecan and toffee pieces. We also enjoyed the brownies, which were rich and moist.

Other cheesecake flavors include chocolate chip, lemon curd, and pumpkin, which is sold seasonally from October to December. In addition to the mini size (4 oz.), Moondance's cheesecakes are sold in a 6-inch version that serves eight people. The brownies (4 oz. for the fudge variety, 5 oz. for walnut) are priced at $3.99 each, the mini cheesecakes at $3.99 each, and the larger cheesecakes at $17.99 each at Whole Foods. The mini cheesecakes also are available for online ordering through the Gluten-Free Mall.