Friday, March 4, 2011

News & Notes: March 4, 2011

If you are looking for the latest ramblings from Charlie Sheen, you've come to the wrong place. I passed on interviewing him since he already gave an exclusive to "20/20."

Let's get to the important stuff. The popular farm-to-table dining concept has arrived in Hatboro with the opening of McCourt's (119 S. York Rd., 215-956-5170). The kitchen serves an all-organic menu that includes gluten-free vegetable noodle soup, crab cakes and pasta, along with other safe choices.

Once you get past the lengthy CYA part, the gluten-free menu at Rittenhouse Square's Devon Seafood Grill (225 S. 18th St., 215-546-5940) offers a decent selection, along with Estrella Damm Daura beer.

As Winter turns to Spring, trips down the shore aren't far behind. There two spots in Cape May to mention this week. First is Aleathea's at the Inn of Cape May (7 Ocean St., 609-884-5555), which has a gluten-free menu. In addition, The Mason Cottage Bed and Breakfast (623-625 Columbia Ave., 609-884-3358) can provide gluten-free breakfast to guests. (My post about other accommodating bed-and-breakfast inns in the area can be found through this link.)

Opening day at Zachary's BBQ in Norristown (1709 Markley St., 610-687-3130), the gluten-free-friendly barbeque joint I mentioned in January, is set for Tuesday, March 8.

Sunday nights are Family Fajita Night at the Tortilla Press Cantina in Pennsauken. The four-course gluten-free meal includes chips and cheese dip, salad, chicken fajitas with corn tortillas and beef tacos, and ice cream. Cost is $10.99 per adult and $5.99 per child.

Annie's Homegrown now has two more gluten-free cookies on the market: Ginger Snap and SnickerDoodle Bunny Cookies. They can be ordered at Annie's online store and will soon be appearing soon in stores.

Locally made Better Butter peanut butter spread, which I wrote about last November, now comes in a Cinnamon Raisin flavor.

Yet another company has come out with gluten-free microwaveable "bowl" dishes. Helen's Kitchen has a new Fiesta Black Bean Bowl and a Veggie Fajita Bowl.

Wegmans' Passover product and recipe guide is out, picturing gluten-free products such as Hoo-Lachmu flatbread, Macabee and Angel's Touch pizzas, Frankel's cheesecake, Klein's Viennese cake and, of course, Shabtai Gourmet's cakes and cookies. (The bakery's petit fours - a Wegmans exclusive that debuted last year - were unbelievably delicious.) The guide, available at stores, has a recipe for cheese quiche featuring Shabtai's new frozen pie crust. The fresh baked goods from Shabai and others likely will show up in markets by late March/early April.

In the same vein, gluten-free products are starting to appear on supermarket shelves for Passover, with more on the way. Last weekend, I found the new Yehuda gluten-free matzo at ShopRite in Cherry Hill. It tastes much like egg matzo, only saltier, and it's quite good. I paid $5.49 a box, no doubt a bargain compared to ones we've bought in years past.

Last week I mentioned that Camp Sesame, a summer day camp for 3-to-7-year-olds in Blue Bell, can provide gluten-free meals. Reader Bethann S., who told me about that camp, says that a sister camp for 8-to-14-year olds, Camp Rockwood, also can do the same.

Through March 9, Triumph Dining is offering free standard shipping on all of its products, which include the Gluten-Free Grocery Guide, Restaurant Guide, multi-language Dining Cards and new Sticker Kit. Use code STICK22 at checkout for the free-shipping offer.

On sale at Amazon.com this month are several gluten-free groceries (add an additional 15% off for Subscribe & Save orders):

Nicole M. Seitz is a gluten-intolerant psychotherapist specializing in helping people adjust to the emotional aspect of living with celiac disease. Beginning Monday, March 14, she will be leading a six-week support group, meeting at Food For All Market in Mt. Airy, for people with celiac disease, gluten-intolerance and food sensitivities. She intends for the group to be a benefit for people who may be wrestling with adjusting to the diagnosis. The cost is $60. For more information call the market at 267-297-7122.

The Mercer County Celiac Support Group will be meeting at Belzano Ristorante in Princeton on Thursday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.

That's a wrap! Enjoy the weekend!
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1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the tip about the Passover products hitting the shelves. I didn't realize they would already be out. My mom lives near a Shoprite that has an amazing selection so I will have to start looking when I go visit her.

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