News & Notes: June 8, 2018

Hometown snack purveyor Herr's Foods has introduced sweet and crunchy funnel cake-flavored snack balls that are gluten free.

Berks County's Sweet Street has added gluten-free brownies to its Manifesto line of baked goods. The individually wrapped brownies are made with a gluten-free flour blend, cage-free eggs and dark Honduran chocolate. The company's gluten-free chewy marshmallow bars are sold at Barnes & Noble bookstores.

Annie's Homegrown has debuted gluten-free Cheddar Bunny Tails snack crackers. The new cheese crackers will be making their way to stores this summer.

A few more Ocean City businesses are accommodating gluten-free customers. TJ's Ice Cream Plus in Ocean City (100 E. Atlantic Blvd., 609-398-5055) has gluten-free cones; all of the chocolate flavors have gluten but many others do not. On the Boardwalk, all of the fries at the new Frenchy's Fries (822 Boardwalk, 609-513-3144) are gluten free, as are the fresh-cut (but not spiral) fries at
Curly's Fries (944 Boardwalk, 609-398-1972).

Center City Philadelphia is primed for poké. At The PokéSpot in Rittenhouse Square (1804 Chestnut St., 267-541-2183), all bases and proteins are gluten free, as are most toppings. The sriracha aioli and tamari soy sauces also are gluten free. Opening this summer East of Market Street (1037 Chestnut St.) is the first of several area Pokéworks locations. The online allergen guide lists all proteins and mix-ins and all but one base as gluten free, along with many sauces and toppings.

At long last, my favorite fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant, CAVA, is coming to the Philadelphia area later this year with a location in Rittenhouse Square (1713 Chestnut St.). Most menu items are gluten free.

In Manayunk, Boostin' Bowls (100 Levering St., 267-331-8974) has açaí bowls with gluten-free granola as an available topping along with smoothies. Meanwhile, the rapidly growing Playa Bowls has new locations on Beach Haven on Long Beach Island (610 N. Bay Ave., 609-467-5818) and in Forked River (44M Manchester Ave., 609-994-2828). (Hat tip to Facebook follower Kevin K.)

Prohibition Taproom in the Spring Garden section of Philadelphia (501 N. 13th St., 215-238-1818) offers gluten-free fried chicken every Tuesday prepared in a separate fryer.

The menu at the new Rice & Curry in Ambler (521 Limekiln Pike, 215-390-1945) has several gluten-free options like pad Thai, chicken coconut soup and curry.

The newest tenant on the main drag at the University of Delaware is Peruvian restaurant Pachamama (76 E. Main St., 302-738-3800), which opened yesterday. (Thanks Beth S.). Although the signature rotisserie chicken is not gluten free, many gluten-free items are listed on the menu. Avoid the fried items like the banana chips, though, as there is no dedicated fryer.

Reader Melissa D. let me know that the menu at Arooga's in Allentown (327 Star Rd., 888-622-9464) is heavily annotated with gluten-free choices. The kitchen maintains a separate fryer for wings and tater tots.

The Lehigh Valley also has a gluten-free bakery in Kendra's Buttercup Bakery (484-226-0517). Based in Bangor, Northampton County, Kendra's is an made-to-order bakery offering pick up and local deliveries. Orders can be placed online or over the phone.

With yet another round of rainy weather on tap for the area, stay dry and have a great weekend!

- Michael

With the updated Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,700 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!