News & Notes: June 10, 2016

The Delaware Valley's newest comedy club, Punch Line Philly in Fishtown (1004 Canal St., 215-309-0150), has announced its inaugural summer lineup beginning with shows on July 8. The showroom's menu includes celiac-friendly gluten-free pizza and a veggies-and-hummus plate.

The Goat's Beard has gone beyond Philadelphia for its second location. The New American bistro has just opened in Wayne (103 N. Wayne Ave., 484-584-4979). Gluten-free options are noted on the menus, which are the same as those offered in Manayunk.

Glenside's Keswick Tavern (294 N. Keswick Ave., 215-886-4277) offers gluten-free rolls for its chicken sandwiches and burgers.

News & Notes: May 27, 2016

(Photo Credit: Yoku/Facebook)

Tucked into the corner of Rittenhouse Square's Pure Fare is Yoku (119 S. 21st St., 267-318-7441), an all-gluten-free Asian build-a-bowl concept. Guests can either order a curated bowl or create their own, choosing from a variety of bases, proteins, toppings, garnishes and sauces. The take-out spot also offers a number of soups, including a rice dumpling version.

Mission BBQ just opened its first New Jersey location in Deptford (1901 Deptford Center Rd., 856-352-5158), joining area spots in Northeast Philadelphia (11000 Roosevelt Blvd., 267-538-0102) and Wyomissing (1775 Papermill Rd., 484-509-0019). An outlet is also coming to Whitehall (1421 Grape St., 484-408-0325) in July. Mission offers a gluten-free menu listing proteins, salads and sides.

2016 Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo Recap

If the crowd at the first annual Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo in Oaks, Pennsylvania on Saturday was any indication, there was tremendous pent-up interest in having a gluten-free vendor fair return to the Philadelphia area.

More than 55 companies, restaurants and bakeries sampled their products and handed out information at the event, where I was one of the presenters. The entrance to the expo led more than 2,200 attendees to the stands of presenting partner Wegmans as well as the always popular Tonya's Gluten Free Kitchen, where Tonya and her family pleased guests with her fantastic gluten-free soft pretzel nuggets.

2016 Expo West New Gluten-Free Products Roundup

Natural Products Expo West, the industry’s largest trade show, took place last weekend in Anaheim, California with more than 3,000 exhibiting companies and 70,000 attendees. As usual, there were plenty of new gluten-free products announced at the event.

South Jersey-based Caesar's Pasta debuted a new line of frozen entrees under the Caesar's Kitchen brand that will hit store shelves this summer. The new "Gluten-Free Gourmet" meals include Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese and 3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni & Meat Sauce.

popchips announced an entirely new product line called Ridges, after spending several years experimenting with its process of combining heat and pressure to create a ridged chip. The new Ridges line rolls out to retailers nationwide in June in four flavors: salted, tangy barbeque, cheddar & sour cream and chili cheese. Ridges will be available in both a single-serve bag and a share bag. In addition to the four new Ridges flavors, original popchips come in nine varieties: sea salt, barbeque, crazy hot, sour cream & onion, sea salt & vinegar, sweet potato, cinnamon twist sweet potato and organic kettle corn.

New Products Report from Expo East

Yogurt, beverages, and snacks of all shapes and sizes. Those seemed to be the products in abundance at last week's Expo East, a showcase of natural foods that exhibits annually at the Baltimore Convention Center. Gluten-free products were featured throughout the fair, with more than half of the wares on display or being sampled in that category. Some were obvious (water - flavored, sparkling and still - dried fruits, and poultry and meats, to name a few), some were brand extensions, and some set out to improve on existing products. There were no novel items to be found, but many stood out for their creativity and taste.

The newest gluten-free product to debut at the show was a line of gluten-free pretzels called Gratify. Made by Israeli food company Osem, the pretzel varieties include sticks, twists, plain, sour cream & onion and sesame thins, and chocolate- and yogurt-coated twists. The pretzels will be available nationwide in early 2013. Glutino's coated pretzels were preferable to Gratify's, but the sticks rivaled Snyder's gluten-free version.

Local favorite Conte's Pasta sampled the consumer version of its new bake-in-bag gluten-free pizza and announced a line of refrigerated gnocchi, ravioli and pierogi, which will cut down on prep time. After a successful test in Minnesota, kids entertainment center Chuck E. Cheese's will have Conte's gluten-free pizza at all locations nationwide as of October 15.

I tried three other gluten-free pizzas at the show. Bold Organics, from New York, is free from gluten, dairy, egg and nuts and comes in Vegan Cheese, Veggie Lovers, Meat Lovers and Deluxe. (Bold is sold locally at natural-foods stores and will soon be at Acme Markets.) Florida's Better 4 U!, which is not yet available in the Philadelphia area, has five flavors on a multigrain crust, including a vegan roasted vegetable pizza. Longtime gluten-free baker Foods By George now has a dairy-free/gluten-free pizza. 

Our favorite cookie at Expo East was the new Chocolate Merry Mint from Dr. Lucy's, one of two new holiday flavors. It came pretty darn close to replicating the taste of a Girl Scout Thin Mint. The company also has new Snack 'n Go Packs and Brownie Cakes, its first non-cookie item.

In general, I prefer soft cookies. Gilbert's Gourmet Goodies and WOW Baking fit that bill with their excellent snickerdoodle cookies. Another great find, although not yet available in this area, was Salt Lake City's Blossom Fine Foods, whose marble brownies were delightful.

Go Max Go makes healthier versions of candy-aisle staples, from Mahalo and SNAP! bars (akin to Almond Joy and Nestle Crunch) to Cleo's Peanut Butter Cups, all gluten, dairy and egg free.

Hilary's Eat Well and Qrunch Foods had convenience in mind when developing their tasty veggie burgers; they can be prepared in a pop-up toaster. Both are millet and quinoa based and are free of the major allergens.

The yogurt marketplace is growing by the day; I'm not sure there are enough cows to keep up. Chobani Greek Yogurt is coming out with 2% banana, non-fat pear and smaller (3.5 oz.) four-packs of Fig with Orange Zest, Caramel with Pineapple, Coffee with Dark Chocolate Chips and Raspberry with Dark Chocolate Chips. These will join the new "Flip" line that pairs vanilla chocolate chip low-fat yogurt with raspberry and honey low-fat yogurt with banana. Wallaby (whose non-fat yogurt I love) has also ventured into the Greek realm with four varieties.

There were a lot of nuts, seeds and other "raw" foods at the show. The best came in spreadable form: The Razzle Dazzle flavor of all-natural PB Crave (one of four varieties) and Nu Life Market's Sun Lite creamy sunflower kernel spread.

Kinnikinnick's products were the first my son ate after his diagnosis, but it's been a while since we've bought them. I'm reconsidering in light of trying the brand's "soft" bread. The new hot dog buns and sandwich bread were indeed soft and moist - not crumbly in the least. 

Udi's Gluten Free debuted tortillas made with tapioca starch, brown rice flour and corn starch, which come in 6" and 9" sizes. My son loved his sample of Udi's new "inside-out" everything bagel. O'Doughs, a gluten-free bakery out of Toronto, had its new 100-calorie bagel thins - plain, flax and apple cranberry - on display.

In the snack aisle, Lesser Evil, whose Krinkle Sticks I crave, has a line of black bean-and-chia crisps - Southern Barbeque, Crunchy Dill Pickle, Feta and Black Olive and Jalapeno White Cheddar. Another favorite, Medleys snack mixes from El's Kitchen, now come in three varieties - cheddar and sour cream & onion, in addition to original. The Real Deal's all-natural veggie chips have been spiced up with the addition of a sriracha flavor. A new product making its way east from Pittsburgh is the Hippie Chips line of baked potato chips.

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!

Where's the Beef?

Compared to grains like brown rice and corn, quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") doesn't appear much in gluten-free products. Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America and was known as the "mother of all grains" by the ancient Incans. Perhaps the unlikeliest of foods in which to find quinoa is a veggie burger. One only has to look as far as the frozen sections of local stores to discover organic vegan burgers from Asherah's Gourmet.

The Doylestown company blends protein-packed quinoa with such vegetables as potatoes, carrots, peppers and onions to make its burgers. The quarter-pound patties are free of gluten, soy, dairy and nuts. One burger has just 180 calories and 5 grams of fiber.

You can order an Asherah's burger on a gluten-free bun at Basically Burgers in Doylestown. Four-burger packages are sold at all local Whole Foods Markets and many local natural-foods stores in the Delaware Valley. The burgers also can be ordered from the company online or by calling 215-489-9815.