News & Notes: August 9, 2019

If you follow Gluten Free Philly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you know that Philly's own Wawa convenience store chain is testing two new gluten-free products: a Canadian bacon, egg & cheese muffin and a turkey & cheese hoagie. The test, which runs through September 1, is being conducted at six Pennsylvania locations:

• 1195 Pottstown Pike, West Chester
• 1501 West Chester Pike, West Chester
• 1010 West Chester Pike, West Chester
• 3604 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
• 1190 Market St., Philadelphia
• 150 S. Independence Mall W., Philadelphia

The products are made by a third party in a certified gluten-free facility. It comes in to stores frozen and individually bagged. Wawa associates heat it up directly in the bag.without opening it (similar to Starbucks' protocol for warming the now-discontinued gluten-free breakfast sandwich). Associates are also instructed that if the customer asks for any additional condiments on the side, they need to communicate that there will be cross contamination and they cannot eliminate the risk that gluten will be present. There are no further plans now for expanding or continuing the test, but the company's Product Development team will regroup after the test is complete to discuss next steps.

So how do they taste? From the comments to my recent social media posts, the breakfast sandwich seems to be the better of the two options, a sentiment shared by our contributor Sara, who took the pictures above. In particular, the hoagie that's served was not as appetizing as it appears in the promotional photo. One the plus side, she thought the price point ($4-$5) was reasonable.

At South Philly Barbacoa in the Italian Market (1140 S. 9th St., 215-360-5282), all menu options except for the apple cake are gluten free.

Reader Laura S. let me know that the Salty Mermaid Bar & Grille in North Wildwood (2507 Delaware Ave., 609-600-6125) preps gluten-free chicken tenders and fries in a dedicated fryer, and also offers flatbreads, pasta, burger buns and Redbridge beer.

Baltimore Gluten Free posted about her recent Jersey Shore vacation, and mentioned two new-to-me options. Pure Juice + Kitchen in Stone Harbor (9821 3rd Ave., 609-741-7226) has smoothies, juices, bowls, avocado and nut butter toasts. Eat Clean Org is a gluten-free meal prep company that has pick-up locations at, and delivery to, many shore points. The menu changes weekly.

Brigantine Bistro (3015 Brigantine Blvd., 609-264-5050) has gluten-free options for breakfast like omelets, pancakes and French toast as well as sandwiches at lunch. The kitchen uses a separate toaster and grill.

Calfornia Pizza Kitchen, which recently closed its Cherry Hill location but opened a location at Philadelphia International Airport (Concourse E), is offering take-and-bake certified-gluten-free cauliflower pizza at all non-airport outposts.

A new Red Lobster-branded gluten-free cheddar biscuit mix is now available at Walmart stores nationwide, though the product has been spotted at other markets such as Wegmans.

Wegmans has changed over its store-branded gluten-free pizzas from a rice flour crust to a cauliflower crust. All are priced less than $7.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

With the always 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!

News & Notes: January 7, 2011

Happy new year to everyone. I'm kicking off 2011's first News & Notes with a proverbial bang, in what may well be my longest post to date.

On Tuesday, I wrote that legendary Chinatown chef Joe Poon is preparing gluten-free General Tso's Chicken as part of his Chinese New Year dinner menu, available now through the end of March.

Keith Taylor, late of Roxborough's since-closed Holy Smoke, plans to open a gluten-free-friendly dine-in/take-out offshoot of his Zachary's BBQ catering business next month. The restaurant will be located at 1709 Markley Street in Norristown (formerly the site of Boston Barbeque) and he'll offer many of the same meats currently available for catering. Chef Taylor underwent training with the NFCA's gluten-free food-service program.

Fuel, which serves light, healthful fare in Center City (1225 Walnut Street, 215-922-3835) and South Philly (1917 East Passyunk Avenue, 215-468-3835) can prepare gluten-free panini made with corn/flaxseed bread. I'm told that the kitchens take precautions to avoid mixing with wheat.

Reader Manisha A. was kind enough to let me know that Half Moon Restaurant and Saloon in Kennett Square (180 West State Street, 610-444-7232), which is known for its wild-game meats, serves burgers and sandwiches on gluten-free bread. The restaurant's gluten-free menu also lists beer and dessert, among other items.

Belzano Ristorante, located in West Windsor - call it Princeton - at the Shops at Windsor Greens (3495 Brunswick Pike/U.S. Route 1, 609-720-900), offers eight different pizza styles, panini, penne, appetizers and other entrees on its gluten-free menu. Separate pans and utensils are used for the gluten-free items. You can print out the take-out/delivery menu for coupons.

Tonight, I will be rooting on my Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, who are playing for the NCAA Division I Football Championship against Eastern Washington. On the UD campus in Newark, you can now get gluten-free pizza at the Main Street Seasons Pizza. In fact, all of the Seasons Pizza shops in Delaware, Pennsylvania (Malvern and Aston) and New Jersey (Cherry Hill and Stratford) now serve the pizza. Register to get 10 percent off your first online order. The full list of locations is posted on the company's website.

Not to be confused with Seasons Pizza, Seasons 52 Fresh Grill in King of Prussia and Cherry Hill recently unveiled its Winter 2011 gluten-free menu.

Musical chairs in Collingswood: Blackbird is set to move from 619 Collings Avenue to 714 Haddon Avenue by mid-February (sharing an address with West Side Gravy), while on March 1 IndeBlue will relocate across the street to take over Blackbird's current location.

Whole Foods, which previously abandoned plans to open a market in northern Delaware, is in development to set up shop in nearby Concordville. The location will be at the Glen Eagle Square shopping center, site of a former Genuardi's store, according to the Wilmington News Journal.

Exclusive to Whole Foods are Late July's new organic multigrain snack chips. The chips come in three flavors - Sea Salt by the Seashore, Mild Green Mojo and Dude Ranch - and are certified gluten free. (The Dude Ranch variety won the Best New Product award in the food category at the Natural Products Expo East 2010.) The chips will be coming to other outlets soon.

Funny that from time to time I still see the original Doritos logo plastered to the sides of Frito-Lay delivery trucks. The company has now tapped into the "throwback" craze by not only reprising that emblem, but also its most popular, most requested flavor, Doritos Taco. (The product label lists no gluten ingredients.) The limited-edition bags will only be available through the Super Bowl in early February, but plans are for the company to keep this variety around. Not all stores will carry the product; check the Frito-Lay website's "Where to Buy" feature to locate one near you.

Amy's Kitchen has introduced several new gluten-free products. The Sonoma Burger is a combination of organic quinoa, walnuts, mushrooms, veggies and spices. The burger, which is gluten, dairy and soy free, will be available in stores beginning this month. The 240-calorie Light & Lean Black Bean and Cheese Enchilada contains organic black beans, tofu, brown rice, vegetables and cheese in an organic corn tortilla with a blend of tomatillo and ranchero sauces. Also part of the Light & Lean line is the 220-calorie Light & Lean Soft Taco Fiesta, a soft corn tortilla between a layer of brown rice, shredded vegetables and sweet corn and a layer of black beans and cheese, covered with a blend of our tomatillo and ranchero sauces.

The delish soft pretzel bites from Tonya's Gluten Free Kitchen that were sampled at Appetite for Awareness are now sold at Martindale's Market in Springfield. Hat tip to reader Dana M.

Whole Foods in Marlton now carries gluten-free frozen buttermilk biscuit dough from Virginia's 3 Fellers Bakery. Also spotted in the freezer there was StarBites' Brazilian-style cheese bread.

This month's Amazon Grocery sale items are posted, and there are a few gluten-free products listed. Add an additional 15 percent savings when combining the instant rebates with a Subscribe & Save order.

• Just the Cheese low-carb snacks: Save 20% with code JTCHNYNY
• Corazonas tortilla and potato chips: Save 10% with code CORZCHIP
• Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pancake and whole grain bread mixes: Save 15% with code BOBSNYNY
• thinkThin bars: Save 15% with code THINKJAN
• Oskri bars, crunch and dried fruits: Save 15% with code OSKRIJAN
• KIND bars: Save 5% with code KINDNYNY 
• Chex cereals: Save 15% with code BIGGNYNY

Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery is working with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness on the "Spread the Bread" charitable program. For every dollar coupon downloaded, Rudi's will give a dollar, up to $20,000, to the NFCA to help in its efforts to better educate physicians in the diagnosis of celiac disease. Coupons are available on the Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery website and Facebook page through February.

On Wednesday, January 12, the Celiac Center at Paoli Hospital will host "All About Celiac," a special presentation and interactive question-and-answer session with Peter H.R. Green, M.D., director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. The one-hour event will be take place at 2 p.m. at the hospital's Potter Room (Zone B, Level 1), located at 255 West Lancaster Avenue in Paoli. Seating is limited, so you must register for live attendance. Registration for the online webinar also is available.

The Children's Celiac Support Group is sponsoring a "Supper Bowl" party on Sunday, January 23 at the Bucks Specialty Care Center in Chalfont (500 West Butler Avenue). Running time is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. RSVP at 267-426-6822 or by e-mail.

I mentioned in the last News & Notes that we savored the Orange Bundt Cake prepared from a recipe in a new dessert cookbook, The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free. Since then, my wife made the Toasted Coconut Pound Cake, Orange Cheesecake Squares, Chocolate Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and the insanely delicious Honey Bun Cake. (For the record, we shared most of these with friends over the holidays!) The book can be ordered from Amazon for under $10. On December 21, author Anne Byrn appeared on ABC's Good Morning America to showcase a couple desserts from the book, and you can view the segment below. Have a great weekend!

Goodies Giveaway: Bisquick Gluten Free Baking Mix

UPDATE (10/4/10): Congrats to reader Jake M., whose name was randomly selected as the winner of the prize pack!
___________________________

Have you spotted the new Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix at your local market? I've found it at Wegmans and ShopRite over on the Jersey side of the Delaware. (The mixes are now available at Amazon.com through this link.) With Bisquick Gluten Free, you can make favorites like pancakes, waffles, biscuits and more.

At the product homepage, you'll find many gluten-free recipes for meals and desserts such as Chicken Dumplings, Cheeseburger Pie, Coffee Cake and French Apple Pie that incorporate Bisquick Gluten Free. You can visit MyBlogSpark to download a printable coupon for $1 off the new mix.

MyBlogSpark has generously offered a Bisquick Gluten Free prize pack, which includes a box of the mix, a pancake pan, pancake pen and a pancake flipper, to a lucky Gluten Free Philly reader. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment to this post about what you'd like to make with the mix.

Some brief guidelines: (1) please do not enter unless you or a family member is on a gluten-free diet; (2) one comment per person; (3) U.S. residents only. Most important is to make sure your comment provides a way for me to contact you. If your comment does not link back to an email address, blog or website through which I can get in touch with you (some past entrants have blocked their Blogger profiles), post your email address in the comment in the following format: "name[at]domain[dot]suffix."

The giveaway runs now through Sunday, October 3 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. I’ll randomly select one winner the next day and will contact him or her by email. If I don’t hear back from the person with his or her mailing address by the following Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern, I’ll select another name.

Good luck!

DISCLOSURE: MyBlogSpark has provided me with product samples, product information and is offering the prize pack. Neither I am nor any immediate family member is an employee, officer, director or agent of MyBlogSpark or its respective parent, subsidiary and affiliated entities, advertising and promotional agencies. My full Disclosure Policy can be found at the blog's Disclosure page.

News & Notes: June 25, 2010

I'll start off the festivities on this Friday with a reminder of two upcoming local events. This Sunday, I'll be speaking at the Delaware Celiac Support Group meeting in Newark and will have product samples. The event is at Christiana Hospital (Room 1000) beginning at 3 p.m. You can RSVP at this link. Tickets are still available for Celiac Awareness Night at the Phillies game on Wednesday, July 7. I will be volunteering at the information table on the 200 Level for part of the evening, so if you're attending please stop by and say hello.

A new gluten-free beer was the subject of a post this week. Estrella Damm Daura from Spain is now being imported into the United States, with Pennsylvania among the first states to have access to it. The novelty of the beer is that it's made with barley malt that is removed during the production process, bringing the level of detectable gluten to less than 6 parts per million.

Lots of news - and notes, of course - to get to this week. La Locanda in Edgmont (4989 West Chester Pike, 610-353-7033) has gluten-free pasta, while its neighboring take-out place (5003 West Chester Pike, 610-325-5200) has pizza from Still Riding.

In Media, American restaurant Generations (9 State Road, 610-565-8212) now notes gluten-free items on its dinner menu.

Reader Jamie let me know about two places she and her family have eaten at with success: New American Tango in Bryn Mawr (39 Morris Avenue, 610-526-9500), which is working on producing a dedicated menu, and Haverford's Du Jour (379 Lancaster Avenue, 610-896-5944).

Two weeks ago, I mentioned that Modo Mio, in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, has gluten-free pasta. Co-owner Peter McAndrews also runs sandwich shop Paesano's across the street (152 West Girard Avenue, 267-886-9556) and at the Italian Market (901 Christian Street, 215-922-9220), both of which will have gluten-free bread available for sandwiches beginning next week, according to the Inquirer's Michael Klein.

In Center City, 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton (10 Avenue of the Arts, 215-523-8273) can accommodate gluten-free diners. Pastry chef Monica Glass, who has celiac disease, tells me that several of her desserts are or can be modified to be gluten free.

In Wilmington's Little Italy, Ristorante Attilio (1900 Lancaster Avenue, 302-428-0909) now offers gluten-free pasta.

Also in Wilmington, Thai restaurant Soybean Asian Grill (4702 Limestone Road, 302-636-0800) uses gluten-free soy sauce and all noodle dishes are made with rice noodles. Thanks to reader Tammy for this news.

Steakhouse Seasons 52, in King of Prussia and Cherry Hill, posted its Summer 2010 gluten-free menu.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, locally in Radnor and Marlton, has new items on its Summer menu. Safe for those on gluten-free diets are the Lump Crab Louis Cups appetizer, Porcini Rubbed Filet Mignon (no cream sauce), Peppercorn Steak and the Salmon Nicoise Salad.

In more brew news, the Side Bar in West Chester and Chickie's & Pete's South Philly location (thanks Mark) carry Redbridge, while the Sidecar Bar & Grille - also in South Philadelphia - has Lakefront New Grist beer and Doc's Apple Cider.

Back in April, I shared the news that General Mills will be producing a gluten-free version of Bisquick starting this summer. Well, summer is now here and the mix will soon follow. In anticipation, the company has posted many recipes calling for the mix, including strawberry shortcake and biscuits. (Thanks to Kim of Gluten Free is Life for the link.) Nutritionally, a 1/3 cup serving of the new mix, which is made in Canada, has less fat (0.5 grams) and sodium than even the low-fat version of wheat-laden Bisquick. The ingredients are rice flour, sugar, leavening (mainly baking soda), modified potato starch, salt and xanthan gum.

General Mills, which has been progressive in introducing gluten-free products, has a website listing all of its safe products, including Nature Valley Almond Crunch and Peanut Crunch bars. A tip of the hat to reader Leslie, who shared that website with me.

Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse's two newest products are 12 oz. round cakes in vanilla and chocolate flavors.

New animal cracker-style cookies are out from Ian's Natural Foods. I'm not a fan of the Ian's products generally, although there are a couple of exceptions. Perhaps this one will pleasantly surprise me.

So there you have it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

News & Notes

I was excited to announce this week the latest Goodies Giveaway - with a twist. Readers have the opportunity to earn $100 for referring a restaurant that opts to carry Still Riding Pizza. The company, which makes gluten-free pizza pies used by pizzerias and Italian eateries throughout the United States, is offering readers a monetary incentive for suggesting restaurants that decide to add Still Riding's pizza to their menus. All the details are in my Monday post. As a result of a reader referral, Genteel's Trattoria, just outside Princeton, New Jersey in the neighboring town of Skillman, has already agreed to carry the pizza. There's definitely a need for gluten-free pizza in Center City Philadelphia, so hopefully someone can get a place there on board!

On Wednesday, I wrote about Giambri’s gluten-free holiday chocolates that can be purchased at the company’s store in Clementon, New Jersey or ordered online.

The big restaurant news this week was Bertucci’s introduction of a gluten-free menu that includes appetizers, entrees and desserts, although no pizza at the moment. Bertucci’s has many locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Ooka, with Pennsylvania locations in Doylestown (110 Veteran's Lane, 215-348-8185), Montgomeryville (764 Bethlehem Pike, 215-361-1119) and Willow Grove (1109 Easton Road, 215-659-7688), can modify most menu items, including sushi, to be gluten free. The restaurants carry wheat-free soy sauce.

Reader Bethann shared information on Stephen Starr’s Parc French bistro on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia (227 S. 18th Street, 215-545-2262). She told me by email that the restaurant, which uses a separate fryer for its French fries, can accommodate gluten-free diets.

Another reader recommended Cravings Café in Lansdale, Pennsylvania (155 Pennbrook Parkway, 215-855-4500), noting that the chef was knowledgeable on the gluten-free diet and prepared a separate gluten-free sauce upon request.

A commenter wrote that Noble, a modern American restaurant in Philadelphia (2025 Sansom Street, 215-568-7000) was easily able to accommodate both gluten and dairy restrictions.

I added Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Amaranth Gluten Free Bakery (717-330-4359) to the bakery list, as its products are sold locally at Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square Farmers' Market and Weaver's Way Co-op, Whole Foods in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and Harvest Market in Hockessin, Delaware.

On the grocery shelf at a local ShopRite, I spotted R.W. Garcia tortilla chips that were boldly labeled “gluten free” on the front of the packages. All of the company's products except for the spicy multi-grain chips (oats) are gluten free.

Amy’s Kitchen has introduced organic mini gluten-free chocolate cakes. Thanks to Maureen at Hold the Gluten for the information.

Woodchuck's limited-edition Oak Aged Cider has been released for the holiday season. The beverage has hints of oak and vanilla, and is a bit lighter than the company's other ciders at 150 calories per 12-ounce bottle. The cider should be available through January 2010.

As part of our family's Thanksgiving meal, I made gluten-free biscuit mix from Duinkerken Foods, based in Prince Edward Island, Canada. (I received a sample bag at the Philadelphia Appetite for Awareness event.) The recipe required the addition of half a stick of shortening and some milk and yielded about 15 biscuits. While not flaky like glutenous ones, the biscuits were crusty on the outside and airy inside. I can’t compare these to other brands since we never made gluten-free biscuits before, but I thought these turned out well, with many gluten-consuming guests enjoying them at our holiday dinner. The mixes can be ordered through the company's online store, but shipping to the United States is pricey.

On a recent weekend morning, I made gluten-free pancakes for the family using a different mix for the first time – Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix. I used a recipe using the mix posted by a blogger for Betty Crocker and it turned out great! They turned out much better (and a bit sweeter) than any other mix I’ve used in the past, reminiscent of crepes although not as thin. The mix is available at Amazon.com (currently $23.84 for a six-pack ($20.26 with Subscribe & Save)) and in many supermarkets.

Also at Amazon, selected Bob's Red Mill products are on sale at 10 percent off when using code BOBSGLFR at checkout. If you place a Subscribe & Save order, you can save another 15 percent. You can support Gluten Free Philly when purchasing your gluten-free groceries, holiday gifts and other items at Amazon. just click through this link; it won't cost you anything extra.

Keep emailing your restaurant news, product finds and events. Have a great weekend!