Crazy Like a Fox

Corn dogs and funnel cakes are now within reach without traveling to the Jersey Shore. The just-opened Fox & Son (512 N. 12th St., 215-372-7935), has brought these fried delicacies to Philadelphia's famed Reading Terminal Market. Even better, the menu is entirely gluten free and all items are made to order.

My son and I made a quick jaunt into the city over the weekend just to check out the stand, located toward the back right of the market (intersection of aisles C and 4). For starters, there are four different kinds of dogs to choose from: pork and beef, turkey, kosher and vegan. We opted for the kosher Classic ($4.99 or two for $8), but the corn dogs also can be dressed with corned beef hash, cheddar jalapeno or sweet potato, chorizo and sour cream ($5.99). The sweet corn flour coating was the perfect complement to the salty beef stick. For early birds, Fox & Son has a breakfast corn dog, made with sausage and topped with maple syrup.

We shared orders of poutine ($6.99), fried cheese curds and, of course, funnel cake. Poutine is a Canadian staple: a basket of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Fox & Son's sauce was very much to our liking, more of an au jus than what you'd find at a Thanksgiving feast. The gooey, deep-fried cheese curds ($4.99), made locally at Birchrun Hills Farm, are served with a side of addictive ranch dressing.

Ah, the funnel cake ($5.99). Topped with powdered sugar and made with rice flour, it's doughy, sweet and melt-in-your mouth delicious.

We chased our meal with organic blood-orange fountain sodas from Idaho's Tractor Soda Co.; other flavors are available, as is fresh-squeezed lemonade and Mexican Coke.

Though several other merchants at the market offer gluten-free options, none have the variety or novelty that Fox & Son brings. My son was ecstatic to be able to enjoy foods he'd never had before in the comfort of a dedicated gluten-free eatery. With its proximity to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and Old City, Reading Terminal Market attracts many out-of-town visitors, but tourists and denizens alike should make their way to Fox & Son for a taste of the boardwalk any time of year.

Southern Comfort

Don't let the small, whimsically decorated dining room - as in two tables small - at Waffles & Wedges deter you from savoring two of America's favorite comfort foods. This corner spot in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood (1511 Pine St., 215-309-3222), which opened in April, specializes in baked potato wedges and homemade waffles that can be topped with dozens of options.

For gluten eaters, the shop offers traditional buttermilk and Belgian-style Liege waffles, but the kitchen maintains an entirely separate waffle iron for gluten-free versions made with rice flour. Toppings run the gamut, both sweet and savory. During a recent visit, my son and I indulged in one of my childhood favorites: waffles à la mode with local favorite Bassetts ice cream. He ordered his with a scoop of vanilla and a dollop of Nutella, while mine was crowned with chocolate marshmallow ice cream. I took great pleasure in listening to him rave over his waffles and ice cream, which he had never eaten before our visit there.

All of the starches - plain potato wedges, sweet potato wedges and waffle cut fries - are gluten free and can be ordered with a variety of dipping sauces for a nominal charge. The creamy horseradish sauce were a fine complement to our order of plain potato wedges.

News & Notes: April 24, 2015

Sunday marks the grand opening of mostly to-go Waffles & Wedges in Center City Philadelphia (1500 Pine St., 215-309-3222). As the name suggests, the menu will be comprised of "Liège" Belgian-style waffles (the gluten-free versions will be made on a dedicated iron) and baked potato "fries" (all gluten free). Many of the sauces and toppings don't contain gluten either.

Opening this summer in Wynnewood is a second area b.good (280 E. Lancaster Ave.). Ninety-five percent of the menu at this healthier fast-casual restaurant chain - another location is in Marlton - is gluten free, including Udi's buns, all fries and several desserts.

Seeing Red

Move over Nathan's - there's a new name-brand bake-at-home fry to try. Fans of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers are familiar with the chain's Bottomless Steak Fries, which are gluten free at the many locations that maintain dedicated fryers. Red Robin's fries are now available in frozen food aisles nationwide, prepared with the burger chain's signature seasoning salt blend.

Over the weekend, I baked half a bag in a pre-heated oven (at 425 degrees) for about 25 minutes, turning them over about half-way through. So how do they compare to the deep-fried restaurant version? A tasty facsimile. They'd be ordinary steak fries without the seasoning salt, and it's the spices (a combination of salt, garlic, onion and paprika) that make the difference here. The fries were cooked throughout and had that typical "fry bite," save for the smaller, crispy pieces that were well done. 

Unlike at the restaurants, the retail version of Red Robin's fries aren't bottomless. The bake-at-home fries, which are produced by ConAgra Foods, are sold in 22-ounce packages for a suggested retail price of $3.19. (I paid $3.99 at a local Acme.)