News & Notes: September 28, 2012

More than 1,500 people came out in perfect weather last Sunday for Appetite for Awareness in Center City. As you can read in the recaps from the NFCA staff blog, Gluten-Free Fun, Embrace G-Free, Gluten Free/Dairy Free NJ and Ellen Ensminger, everyone seemed to have their favorite restaurants and products. This being a Philadelphia crowd, soft pretzels from Tonya's Gluten Free Kitchen were a popular treat, as were samples of Sweet Note Bakery's fresh bagels. Pasta Pomodoro in Voorhees again won the People's Choice Award. (Pasquale, you should get a Hall of Fame award next time and give someone else a fighting chance.) The NFCA has posted event photos at its Facebook page.

Between Appetite on Sunday and Expo East in Baltimore on Saturday, I had a busy weekend. As I wrote on Tuesday, the Charm City's annual natural foods show featured many new gluten-free products, including a line of gluten-free pretzels set to arrive in stores early next year. Conte's Pasta's gluten-free bake-in-bag pizza, which was displayed at the expo, will be available at all Chuck E. Cheese's kids entertainment centers beginning next month.

Beginning October 6, Appetite participant Sazon (941 Spring Garden St., 215-763-2500) will offer a 100% gluten-free brunch buffet every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

New York-based The Lite Choice soft-serve chain is extending its reach into Pennsylvania. Within the next month, Philadelphia locations - both Kosher certified - are due to open at 135 South St. and at 1528 Walnut St., next to Starbucks on the 16th Street side. (Outlets in Collegeville and West Chester are on the way, too.) TLC's low-fat soft serve, smoothies and shakes are gluten free, as are all of the 80 organic flavors. Notably, the new locations will have gluten-free cones and gluten-free toppings will be labeled.

Desserts Capital (215-837-0992) is working on a Philadelphia storefront, but in the meantime baker Xina has gluten-free brownies, cookies and signature Baby Cakes (a cake/donut combo) available for delivery within the city and most of Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties. She maintains a separate set of baking utensils and bakeware for the sole purpose of making gluten-free products, and keeps ingredients in separate containers. The commercially licensed kitchen Xina now uses is thoroughly cleaned prior to gluten-free baking.

Philadelphians can order produce, meat, seafood and deli products, and other groceries, including gluten-free items, from FreshDirect, an online retailer. FreshDirect is initially launching in eight center-city Philadelphia zip codes, with plans to expand throughout the Greater Philadelphia region in 2013. The eight zip codes include the following neighborhoods: Rittenhouse, Logan Square, Washington Square, Old City, Society Hill, Bella Vista, Queen’s Village, Graduate Hospital, Grey’s Ferry, Fairmount, Art Museum, Spring Garden, and Northern Liberties. FreshDirect’s online store front is now open, allowing customers to register online, shop and schedule deliveries beginning October 1. You can test-drive the company's DeliveryPass service for one cent (which includes unlimited deliveries for two months) and also save $50 off an order of $125 or more with code FDINPHILLY.

The Di Bruno Bros. location in Center City (1730 Chestnut St., 215-665-9220) is stocking gluten-free cookies from Goodie Girl Tribeca. Flavors include Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Crunchy Chaos (marshmallow, chocolate and candied roasted cornflakes!), Quinoa Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin, which sell for $3.49 per package. Owner Shira Berk has her gluten-free products ELISA-tested (they're below 5 parts per million) and made on a dedicated line. She also sells gluten-free goodie baskets and cookies through her website. (Enter YUMMY2012 at checkout for a 10% discount.)

Registration is still open for tomorrow's first annual Manayunk Tomato Trot, a four-mile run to benefit LUNGevity. Post-race festivities include awards, live music and free gluten-free pizza from the Couch Tomato Cafe.

Health coach Jennifer Fugo is hosting a healthy gluten-free cooking series focusing on winter and holiday meals. The three-week series runs Tuesday evenings from November 13 through November 27 at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. The cost is $50 plus a $10 material fee. More information is available at her website.

October events include a seminar on gluten-free food production at Paoli Hospital, a cooking demo with the Food For All crew in King of Prussia, a baking class in Philadelphia, a vegan cooking class down in Rehoboth, the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes in Camden featuring Team Celiac, and even a wine pairing in Philadelphia.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

News & Notes: September 14, 2012

Appetite for Awareness is just one week from Sunday. The first 20 readers to place ticket orders today will get 20 percent off with code 20OFF, and all orders today are eligible to win one of five special Appetite for Awareness T-shirts. The randomly selected winners will be notified by email prior to the event and the shirts can be picked up at the event. All proceeds from the event benefit the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness's education and advocacy efforts. Whether you're there or not, follow all of the action on Twitter that day with hashtag #A4A12. I'll also have an open thread on my Facebook page for readers to post their own finds while at the event.

NFCA founder Alice Bast is a semi-finalist in this week's round of Philadelphia magazine's Be Well Philly Health Hero Challenge. You can vote for her once a day through Monday by liking the Be Well Philly Facebook page and then clicking on the Health Hero Challenge logo. The four weekly semi-final winners will move on to the finals in October. For every vote, United Healthcare will donate $1 to the American Heart Association (up to $5,000).

Muse, an New American bistro in Oxford (306 Market St., 610-998-1308), is gluten-free-friendly. (Thanks Bethann S.)

Bridget Foy's on South Street (200 South St., 215-922-1813) has added a gluten-free menu.

David Boyle, the executive chef at Center City Italian steakhouse Davio's (117 S. 17th St., 215-563-4810), has created a seasonal gluten-free pumpkin gnocchi made with rice flour and a spicy pumpkin puree.

Rittenhouse Square's Caffeination (2100 Chestnut St., 215-568-8006) carries baked goods from The Little Bakery. The all-gluten-free bake shop in Blue Bell is the reigning Philadelphia magazine "Best of Philly" winner for gluten-free sweets.

The write-up of the first part of my family's California vacation last month was posted Tuesday, covering La Jolla. I'll share our Anaheim and Santa Monica/Los Angeles adventures in future posts.

Butterfly Bakery, which will be exhibiting at Appetite for Awareness, has a new gluten-free line called Baby Butterfly. The mini cupcakes and muffins should be at Wegmans markets next month. The bakery is offering a $2 mail-in rebate on the purchase of any two products.

Udi's new products include a unique Everything Inside Bagel and quinoa Mighty Bagel, French baguettes and dinner rolls, and two new muffin varieties. The baguettes and rolls will hit stores in October, while the other products will debut in January.

The next CHOP Children's Support Group meeting is set for September 30 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Voorhees Specialty Care Center (1012 Laurel Oak Rd.). The topic is "Surviving School and Siblings," and pizza and ice cream will be provided. Kids can bring their favorite snacks to share. RSVP by September 27 via email or call 215-590-2985.

There's also a children's support group meeting Wednesday at St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia (3601 A St.) starting at 5 p.m. RSVP today by calling 215-427-6538.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

News & Notes: July 27, 2012

As readers of my Tuesday post know, I published an open letter to representatives of Aramark Sports & Entertainment (which runs the concessions at Citizens Bank Park) about a disappointing Celiac Awareness Night at last Friday's Phillies game. Aramark has heard our criticism and has apologized for what happened. Their representatives have assured me that they will improve their services and, in particular, the gluten-free menu at the ballpark. My sincere thanks go to the many readers who shared their frustration on Facebook, via Twitter and by email, as there was strength in numbers.

From lemons to lemonade: Aramark plans to have gluten-free pizza available beginning with next week's homestand against the Diamondbacks. Look for the pizza at the Seasons Pizza stand in Ashburn Alley. In addition to the usual fare at the Section 128 South Philadelphia Market stand, gluten-free hot dogs, salads and Redbridge beer are now sold at the Market Express stand at Section 321. Other additions are in the works for this season and beyond, so keep it tuned to this station.

Coatesville gastropub The Whip Tavern (1383 N. Chatham Rd., 610-383-0600) notes gluten-free dishes like bangers and mash and, um, bubble and squeak (Google that, won't you?), as well as more familiar choices such as chicken wings, on its lunch and dinner menus. Other items can be modified to accommodate gluten-free diets. The restaurant's current beer options include New Planet Off Grid Pale Ale and six different hard ciders.

Pure Fare, serving all-gluten-free sandwiches and other healthful items, has opened its second Philadelphia location on South Street West (1609 South St., 267-687-2292). For those in University City, you can find Pure Fare's new food truck on 40th Street between Spruce and Locust streets.

The Metropolitan in North Wales (750 Upper State Rd., 215-361-1603) now offers Udi's hamburger buns, along with many other gluten-free choices. (Thanks to reader Holly S. for the tip.)

Agiato in Manayunk (4359 Main St., 215-482-9700) currently offers gluten-free Fox Tail pale ale from Nevada and six different hard ciders.

Congratulations to the The Little Bakery in Blue Bell (921 Penllyn-Blue Bell Pike, 267-708-0984), winner of Philadelphia magazine's Best of Philly award for "Best Gluten-Free Sweets." The editors singled out the gluten-free bakery for its biscotti and mint iced chocolate brownies.

Beginning Monday, Brûlée Bakery's gluten-free macarons and brownies will be sold at Martindale's Natural Market in Springfield (1172 Baltimore Pike, 610-543-6811).

Whole Foods announced yesterday that it's opening a larger market in Wynnewood, three times the size of the current location. The new store, which doesn't yet have an exact location. is expected to open in 2015.

Traditional Dry will be the first variety of the new gluten-free Commonwealth Ciders line from Kensington's Philadelphia Brewing Company. The cider initially will be available on draft, with bottles to follow this fall.

Today is the last day to save $15 on adult admission to the Delaware Valley's largest gluten-free event, Appetite for Awareness. The all-ages A4A will take place at The Strawbridge Building in Center City Philadelphia on September 23, and there'll be dozens of area restaurants and national and local vendors. It's all you can eat and drink for one price. New restaurant additions include Brio Tuscan Grille, Rouge and The Tomato Bistro. Buy tickets through this link and use promotion code MIKE for the discount, which can be combined with the purchase of student and children's tickets.

Also, individuals and businesses are invited to place ads in the keepsake Appetite for Awareness program book, which will be distributed to attendees at the event. The reservation form and ad specifications are posted at this link.

Two other event notes: Volunteers are needed in advance of and during A4A, and those who commit to four hours or more receive free admission to the event. More information is available through this link. For the artistically inclined, there's a T-shirt design contest for shirts that will be sold at the event, with some cool prizes awarded to the winner. Details about the contest (entries are due by August 15) are here.

Philadelphia Horticultural Society staffer Claire Baker, who writes the So What CAN You Eat? blog, is hosting a discussion about celiac disease and will share gluten-free recipes today from noon to 2 p.m. at the PHS Pop-Up Garden at 1905 Walnut Street. Attendees can bring a brown-bag lunch (or maybe something from nearby Pure Tacos) and come and go as they please.

I'll leave you this week with a clip from NBC10's The Ten Show featuring gluten-free chef Laura Hahn, who blogs at Guilt Free Foodie Cutie. Laura won the show's "Next Local TV Chef" competition and will appear on The Ten Show periodically over the next several months.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

News & Notes: June 29, 2012

The signage has gone up and the butcher paper is coming down. At long last, Ocean City's Pure Tacos is set to open its Center City Philadelphia location (1935 Chestnut St., 215-496-9393) on Monday, July 9. In addition to having seating, the shop will offer take-out and delivery options for orders placed over the phone or online. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. You can follow Pure Tacos' Twitter feed or Like on Facebook for information on an upcoming free tacos giveaway.

Lots of reader recommendations to pass along this week. Jaime L. let me know that luncheonette Hannah G's in Ventnor (7310 Ventnor Ave., 609-823-1466) has five gluten-free menu items, which are prepared on a separate grill: blueberry pancakes, roasted vegetable cheese omelet, ranchero eggs on quinoa, spinach quinoa salad and a Cajun chicken platter. The kitchen also has a dedicated toaster on hand.

Thanks to Jared G. for sharing word that Cherry Hill's The Kibitz Room (100 Springdale Rd., 856-428-7878) is now serving its oversized deli sandwiches on gluten-free bread.

The new Alfredo's Italian Pizza Kitchen in West Chester (34-38 E. Street Rd., 484-315-8685) has a dedicated oven for gluten-free pizza and separate utensils and cookware for pizza and pasta. The restaurant is running a Living Social deal right now for $10 that'll net $20 worth of food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Out on Long Beach Island, North Beach Haven's The Maine Course (1301 Long Beach Blvd., 609-492-2328) has gluten-free crab cakes. (Thanks, Sophia K.)

Reader Tom P. let me know that there are gluten-free options available in West Cape May at the Cape May Organic Market (120 Park Blvd., 609-884-3200) and at Good Earth Organic Eatery (600 Park Blvd., 609-898-6161).

In more second-location news, Underdogs, the franks-and-fries joint in Center City, is planning to open at 1205 S. 9th Street in South Philly. The menu there, as at the original, will include gluten-free rolls. Expanding into Wilmington (2510 Foulk Rd.) this fall is Delaware's Two Stones Pub. The Newark spot offers four gluten-free beers.

Now that the lines have died down, Shake Shack is worth a trip for some gluten-free burgers, hot dogs, fries and custard, as I wrote in my review on Tuesday.

On the sweet side, Go Bananas Frozen Yogurt in Richboro (1057 Second St. Pike, 215-952-6083) marks its gluten-free yogurt flavors (hat tip to Jennie), as does Spoon Me in Voorhees (900 Haddonfield-Berlin Rd., 856-324-3544)(thanks again to Jared G.). All of the organic frozen yogurt at Yogo Sano in Wayne (1 West Ave., 484-580-8205) is gluten free.

El Rey, Melograno, Alma de Cuba and Pasta Pomodoro are just a few of the local restaurants that will be participating in Appetite for Awareness on September 23. There'll be lots of sampling too, from the likes of Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery, Blue Diamond, Crunchmaster, Bakery on Main, The Grain Exchange, Sweet Christine's and Butterfly Bakery. The event will be held in Center City at the Strawbridge Building from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are now available

If you aren't already doing so, you can follow Gluten Free Philly on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Tips, comments and suggestions are always welcome by email as well.

Have a great weekend and holiday too!

- Michael

* * *

My new 'Gluten Free Philly' Delaware Dining Guide is available as an e-book download. Featured in The News Journal, the guide provides hyperlinked listings for restaurants, bakeries, markets and attractions throughout the First State, including Wilmington, Newark and the southern resort towns like Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. Updated editions published within 30 days of initial purchase will be emailed to purchasers free of charge.

Many Happy Returns

Barring an extension, last Tuesday was the deadline for filing your tax returns - for most of us, an unpleasant task if there ever was one. One return date that is welcome, though, is Appetite for Awareness. The signature event of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness will take place on Sunday, September 23 at the historic Strawbridge & Clothier building at 801 Market Street in Center City Philadelphia from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. I'm proud to share the news that I will be honored at this year's event.

As in the past, a highlight is the Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, where the city’s top chefs work with local physicians to serve their creative gluten-free dishes. There will also be cooking demos in front of the Grand Staircase, a Children’s Pavilion with kid-friendly gluten-free food and activities, dozens of vendors, a Beer Garden with flat-screen TVs to watch the day's sporting events, and the opportunity to win a one-year Mercedes lease. (You can read my recaps of the 2009 and 2010 events.) Guests can also participate in an attempt to set the record for the world’s largest gluten-free Rice Krispies Treat.

For one admission price, you'll have unlimited gluten-free food and drink and a reusable shopping bag to take all of those free samples home. Early-bird tickets are now available and are $50 for adults, $25 for students (ages 12 and up) and $20 for children ages 5-11. A discounted family package (two adults and two children) is $125. (The cost of admission may be tax-deductible as a charitable donation; check with your tax advisor.) Non-discounted tickets will be sold at the door. At the same time, you can also purchase raffle tickets for a one-year lease of either a 2012 Mercedes GLK350 or C300. The venue is easily accessible via public transportation and there is free on-street parking in nearby Chinatown on Sundays.

Appetite for Awareness Recap

"I don't want dinner tonight," my older son proclaimed as we rolled out of the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal, the site of this year's Appetite for Awareness. That sentiment was a common refrain among many of the 1,600 attendees, who recently spent a gorgeous Sunday afternoon sampling gluten-free dishes from 20 area restaurants and products from dozens of vendors. This year's event, held on October 24, raised more than $225,000 that will help support the mission of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Our day began with a late-morning brunch at 10 Arts Bistro, located at the Philadelphia Ritz-Carlton (where our boys chatted in the lobby with several players for the San Francisco Giants, who were waiting for a ride to the airport fresh off their series win over the Phillies). The "gluten-free blogger brunch" was sponsored by Rudi's Organic Bakery, whose marketing director shared with the group the story behind the company's development of its gluten-free breads. (Shameless plug - check out the blogs from other guests, such as Hold The Gluten, Celiac Advocate, Gluten-Free Fun, Gluten Free Mike, Gluten Free Long Island and Renegade Kitchen.) 10 Arts pastry chef Monica Glass, who has celiac disease (read my recent Q-and-A with her), prepared wonderful petite pumpkin macarons and brownies to top off the meal.

The Cruise Terminal was a new venue for the event, and it was much easier to navigate the terrain there than at the former location, the Wells Fargo Center. At the riverside end of the hall was the Children's Pavilion, with face-painting and other activities. With a hungry group of parents and kids nearby, vendors such as Main Line Pizza, Grandma's Grotto, Rudi's - with its "PB&J Snack Attack" - and Shabtai Gourmet drew large crowds there.

The Biergarten at the other end of the terminal provided a spot for football fans to watch the Eagles-Titans game on several large-screen televisions while enjoying adult beverages and munching on turkey and Italian hoagies. The sandwiches, piled high on party trays, were made with Dietz & Watson cold cuts and Grainless Baker rolls. Bartenders mixed cocktails featuring Boyd & Blair potato vodka, distilled in western Pennsylvania.

Other restaurants and a smattering of vendors were situated toward the main entrance. Chefs from local eateries like Pasta Pomodoro, Buddakan, El Rey, Rouge and Zahav prepared gluten-free dishes for sampling. Attendees were able to vote for their favorites, and The Palm won the "People's Choice Award" for its crab cakes.

Chef demonstrations were scheduled throughout the afternoon, with Monica Glass, Le Bec Fin's Georges Perrier and cookbook author Silvana Nardone showcasing their gluten-free recipes and cooking skills before rapt crowds.

The highlight for me was the vendor tables, where I could try the latest additions to the gluten-free marketplace. This year, the two best new products I sampled were the soft pretzel bites from Tonya's Gluten Free Kitchen (based in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania) and Ian's Chocolate Wafer Bites.

How cool it was to see a warmer stuffed with gluten-free soft pretzels rather than the glutenous version. The salty, buttery nuggets were addicting: I was embarrassed to keep going back to the table to get another, then another. Tonya's products, which also include cinnamon sugar soft pretzels and bites, whoopie pies, frosted banana bars and breads, are available locally at the Great Pumpkin in West Chester, Kimberton Whole Foods and Nature's Garden in Reading.

Ian's wafer bites resembled bite-size Kit Kats, coated with smooth milk chocolate. I'm not a fan of most of the company's other products, but this is one is a winner.

Popular gluten-free bakery Udi's made its A4A debut this year, playing to the home crowd by serving slices of cheese steak pizza made with the company's crusts. Other newcomers included Wynnewood's Main Line Bakery (where I just had a delicious slice of lemon-frosted pound cake),The Grain Exchange, Philadelphia Gluten Free Ravioli Pasta Co., Glow Gluten Free, Bye Bye Gluti, O'Dough's and Gluten Free to Go.

I began attending A4A when the event was in its relative infancy, hosted the first few years by several NFCA supporters at their homes. It has grown into the region's largest gluten-free vendor fair and restaurant showcase. More importantly, over time it has attracted the attention of medical professionals and restaurant chefs who previously had little to no awareness of celiac disease.

To see more event photos and read recaps from other bloggers, visit the NFCA's event page.

Appetite for Awareness Recap

The sixth annual Appetite for Awareness, sponsored by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, brought 30 Delaware Valley restaurants and caterers together last Wednesday evening to share gluten-free cuisine with more than 1,000 attendees. The restaurants included past favorites such as Pasta Pomodoro and The Capital Grille and newcomers like Casona, Chifa and Zahav.

At the VIP reception that kicked off the event, John Binswanger and his family were feted for their longstanding contributions to the NFCA. Binswanger is the chairman of Binswanger & Company, which manages major commercial building projects in the Delaware Valley and elsewhere.

My older son and I covered a lot of ground that night, sampling our way through the concourse to the Marketplace section that covered about half the floor of the Wachovia Center. We chatted with Christine Ruggio of Sweet Christine's Gluten-Free Bakery in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Christine had mini frosted donuts that were better than anything made by Entenmann's. Before heading into the arena proper, we also sampled focaccia from Aunt Gussie's and several breads from Lancaster, Pennsylvania's Amaranth Gluten Free Bakery (formerly Spice of Life). While several vendors offered slices of gluten-free pizza, we were most impressed with the top-and-bake pizza shells from DeIorio's, made under its Violet Packing brand. Right now, the company's product is only sold at wholesale commercially, but hopefully they will distribute to the retail level soon.

It was pretty cool walking on the floor knowing that the ice the Flyers skate on was just beneath our feet. We made a beeline for two vendors in particular: Shabtai Gourmet and Sweet Freedom Bakery. Our family has long been a fan of Shabtai's gluten-free cakes and cookies, which were originally made just for Passover. (Hello, Rainbow Cookies!) Due to the popularity of those products, the Itzkowitz family decided a couple years ago to bake its celiac-friendly wares year-round.

We also met Sweet Freedom's Heather Esposito and Allison Lubert, who plan to open their gluten-free bakery on Philadelphia's South Street in early November. They sampled their chocolate chip cookies, which were so soft and chewy.

Other local Marketplace participants included Caesar's Pasta, Conte's Pasta, Virago Baking Company, Dietz & Watson, Froose, Zukay Live Foods and Good Eatz. All of Dietz & Watson's meat and cheese products are gluten-free except for scrapple and bockwurst, and many are sold pre-packaged at area supermarkets to eliminate possible cross-contamination at the deli counter. Conte's displayed packaging for the company's new line of microwaveable pasta meals.

I was so happy for my son and other first-time guests to partake in this great event, which has evolved from a small reception in a private home to a convention of sorts for Philadelphia's growing gluten-free community. With its growing popularity, Appetite for Awareness should draw even more attendees and raise awareness of celiac disease even further in the years to come.