Friday, June 27, 2014

News & Notes: June 27, 2014

This week, Delaware and New Jersey beach towns are the places to be to eat gluten free. Options at The Penguin Diner in Bethany Beach (105 Garfield Parkway, 302-541-8017) include omelets, French toast, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, Cuban sandwiches and fries. Gluten-free items are marked on the menu. Just down the block, The Frog House (116 Garfield Parkway, 302-539-4500) kitchen staff prepares gluten-free pancakes on a separate part of the grill and serves crab cakes.

Bethany mainstay Sedona (26 Pennsylvania Ave., 302-539-1200) can accommodate gluten-free diners, grilled eggplant and scallops are among the gluten-free options at nearby Patsy's (121 Campbell Place, 302-537-2433). Other items can be modified.

In Ventnor, The Ladle of Luv (7307 Ventnor Ave., 609-822-5683) serves many prepared gluten-free foods to-go and also has a small seating area for freshly made meals. The gluten-free menu includes wraps, burgers, crab cakes, quesadillas and mac-and-cheese. (I reviewed next-door neighbor Salt Ayre Bistro in Tuesday's post.)

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

In the Ayre Tonight


Seasonal restaurants dot the landscape of Jersey Shore towns like Margate, Ventnor and Longport, many opening just before Memorial Day and serving meals through October. Salt Ayre Bistro, a three-year-old BYOB along the southern edge of Ventnor (7309 Ventnor Ave., 609-428-6952), is one such place. Serving dinner Wednesdays through Sundays, the cozy French-influenced seafooder stands out among the dozens of Italian and American restaurants on Absecon Island.

Friday, June 20, 2014

News & Notes: June 20, 2014

b.good's Kale & Quinoa Bowl
The change in seasons has brought with it a number of grand openings in the Philadelphia region. New England better-burger joint b.good is set to open its first area location at the Promenade in Marlton (500 Rt. 73 S.) on June 26. There, you'll find gluten-free buns, kale & quinoa bowls, salads, fries, smoothies and shakes. Many ingredients will be locally sourced.

On Monday, casual American chain Not Your Average Joe's opens in Glen Mills (561 Glen Eagle Sq., 610-500-2222) with a stacked gluten-free menu that includes burgers on caramelized onion rolls, herb-crusted haddock and carrot cake.

After closing its Cherry Hill location several years ago, the family-style Italian chain Buca di Beppo is set to return to New Jersey with a spot at Bally's in Atlantic City early next month. The current gluten-free menu there features six entrees along with salads and sides.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The Newest Philadelphia Flyer


Though celebrity chef Mario Batali's plans to import his Italian food marketplace Eataly from New York City to Philadelphia remain uncertain, one of his chefs hopes to bring an exciting new gluten-free concept to town this fall.

Mark Ladner, the James Beard Award-nominated executive chef at Batali-backed Del Posto in Manhattan, has launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign aimed at developing Pasta Flyer, which unites Americans' love for two contrasting cultures: rural Italy's unhurried pasta lunches and urban Japan’s bustling, quick-service ramen shops. (You can watch the chef and his staff preparing Del Posto gluten-free specialties like 100-Layer Lasagna, Orecchiette with Lamb Neck Ragu and focaccia in this video.)

After three years of research, development and testing, Chef Ladner has created a patent-pending pasta bowl that marries the two cuisines. During lunch, Pasta Flyer will serve Bene Boxes, or "good” boxes - like a Japanese bento box but for Italian food. Inside these convenient, compact and compostable boxes, guests will get a perfect portion of gluten-free pasta, salad, protein and a snack of the day for under $15, delivered in less than three minutes.

Friday, June 13, 2014

News & Notes: June 13, 2014

Local seafooder Doc Magrogan's in West Chester (117 E. Gay St., 610-429-4046) offers a gluten-free menu featuring fish tacos, scallops, salmon and raw bar favorites. Other locations in University City (3432 Sansom St., 215-382-3474) and at the Dover Downs Casino (1131 N. Dupont Hwy., 302-857-3223) can accommodate gluten-free requests.

Bobby Dee's Rock 'N Chair in Avalon (2409 Dune Dr., 609-967-3300) has a gluten-free menu with items like pasta, pizza and seafood mac-and-cheese.

In Exton, Appetites on Main (286 Main St., 610-594-2030) has chicken fingers, wings, burgers and sandwiches on its new gluten-free-friendly menu. I'm told that the fried items are prepared separately.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Hello, Goodbye

When the bakery behind Stroehmann, Entenmann's, Arnold and Thomas' products launches a gluten-free bread, you have to figure it has done its homework. Bimbo Bakeries USA, headquartered in nearby Horsham, Pennsylvania, had been testing its "Goodbye Gluten" line since mid-2012 before debuting white and multigrain breads and two kinds of sandwich wraps nationwide.

Like the bakery's glutenous counterparts, the gluten-free breads and wraps are sold fresh, so they can be taken right out of the package for making sandwiches and left out for several days before being frozen. Bimbo (pronounced BEEM-bo) has obtained certification from the Gluten Intolerance Group's Gluten-Free Certification Organization for all of the Goodbye Gluten products.