News & Notes: September 1, 2017

Glutino has introduced Milano-like fudge and mint fudge Italian creme cookies as well as a version of graham crackers. Glutino parent Boulder Brands is offering shoppers a $7 rewards e-card when purchasing three Udi's, Glutino, evol, Gardein or Earth Balance products at one time. The rebate can be submitted up to three times per person through October 15.

Goodie Girl Cookies' new gluten-free fudge striped cookies are now available exclusively at Walmart. A 75-cents-off coupon is available at the company's website.

Schar's two newest crackers sold in the United States are sea salt snacker thins and European-made Italian crostini.

In addition to no added sugar, KIND's new Fruit Bites do not contain any juices, purees, concentrates, preservatives or genetically engineered ingredients. Each snack has three ingredients or less and is made with real fruit, like cherries, apples and mangoes. The suggested retail price is $4.99 per five-pack box.

In time for the fall, Amazon.com-owned Whole Foods has debuted gluten-free pumpkin spice bites, pumpkin pie spiced apple-filled snacks.

News & Notes: July 8, 2016

(Photo Credit: Harry's)

With the summer in full swing, we'll start this week with some shore news. At the Tropicana in Atlantic City, Broadway Burger Bar (2801 Pacific Ave., 609-317-4660) has a gluten-free menu that includes buns, while sister restaurant Gallagher's Burger Bar at Resorts (1133 Boardwalk, 609-340-6554) also offers gluten-free buns. The gluten-free menu at Harry's Oyster Bar and Seafood at Bally's (1900 Pacific Ave., 609-431-0092) includes many items from the raw bar as well as salads, fresh fish and broiled crab cakes. (Hat tip to Celtic Celiac.)

In nearby Ocean City, Cousin's (104 Asbury Ave., 609-399-9462) offers a gluten-free menu that includes chicken Parmesan over penne. The gluten-free pasta is cooked separately.

Up the coastline in southern Ocean County, Barnegat's Lefty's Tavern (547 N. Main St., 609-607-0707) notes gluten-free options on its menu, including nachos, fish tacos, chili and salads. Nearby, Captain's Inn in Forked River (304 E. Lacey Rd., 609-693-3351) serves gluten-free pasta along with several entrees.

News & Notes: May 8, 2015

Irish pub Tir Na Nog has opened its first suburban location in Cherry Hill (482 E. Evesham Rd., 856-520-8312), replacing Dubh Linn Square. The gluten-free menu includes burgers, pasta with vodka sauce, and fried calamari. The kitchen maintains a dedicated fryer, but be sure to specify gluten-free orders to your server.

Canyon Bakehouse this week announced the launch of its newest gluten-free products: Plain Bagels, Everything Bagels and Brownie Bites. The suggested retail prices of the Bagels and Brownie Bites are $5.49 and $6.49, respectively. All three products are now available for online purchase and will be available in Target and other natural and conventional grocers nationwide beginning this month.

The J.M. Smucker Company recently debuted Hungry Jack Funfetti Pancake & Waffle Mix. (Locally, Wegman's sells it for $3.49 each.) Also new are four new gluten-free Smucker’s Fruit-Fulls Blended Fruit flavors: Apple Cobbler with Oats, Tropical Fusion with Oats, Pom-Berry with Chia and Strawberry Vanilla with Chia.

News & Notes: April 11, 2014

Taking over the former Peace A Pizza location in Ardmore is Snap Custom Pizza (4 Station Rd., 610-896-4488), a Chipotle-style quick-service restaurant where the pizzas are made in about two minutes. Chef Tim Van Winkle says that after a gluten-free pizza order is placed, a single employee will handle the preparation. using a pre-made crust, the employee will pull ingredients and toppings from the walk-in fridge and prepare the pie with separate bakeware and utensils. All pizzas with a gluten-free crust are $8.49, regardless of whether guests order a featured or custom pie with a choice of toppings. (Most toppings are gluten free, but avoid the meatballs and blue cheese salad dressing.) The shop's grand opening is tomorrow, when doors open at 11 a.m. and the first 50 guests get a free pizza. It's then $5 per pizza until 5 p.m.

News & Notes: September 23, 2011

As many of you know, the area's premier gluten-free event, Appetite for Awareness, has been a fall affair in years past. However, due to venue and scheduling considerations, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness is considering holding Appetite in Spring 2012. In the meantime, the NFCA is hosting a major donor event at a private home on Tuesday, October 18 honoring Dr. Ritu Verma of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a familiar name to the Philadelphia gluten-free community. Chef Marc Vetri (Vetri, Osteria, Amis) will be the special guest, with chef demos by Brad Spence (Amis) and pastry chef Monica Glass (10 Arts Bistro & Lounge) and gluten-free fare by Wolfgang Puck Catering accompanied by a wine tasting. If you would like to learn more about becoming a sponsor or purchasing a ticket, please contact the NFCA's Nancy Ginter.

Earlier this week, I wrote about Dogfish Head's new gluten-free beer that will be available in bottles by the end of the year.

All menu items at Cantina Diablos Mexican Grill in Ardmore (2330 Haverford Ave., 610-642-1370) can be made gluten free.

The area's second Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is now open in Chadds Ford, at the Garnet Valley Plaza Center (91 Wilmington West Chester Pike, 484-785-6880). The restaurant has a gluten-free menu.

Seasons 52 Fresh Grill's two area locations - at the malls in King of Prussia and Cherry Hill - have set their Fall 2011 gluten-free menu.

Reader Kelly R. let me know that Fuel's Center City Philadelphia location (1225 Walnut St., 215-922-FUEL) is serving gluten-free chocolate fudge cake in addition to panini.

Some recent restaurant closings: Philadelphia's Adsum and Ry's Bagels in Berlin, New Jersey.

Deliteful Foods' new location is in the Quakerbridge Village Commons in Lawrenceville (4110 Quakerbridge Rd., 609-799-7756)

Sweet Christine's gluten-free baked goods will be available at Eagles home games this season. They can be found at the concession stand behind Section 117 at Lincoln Financial Field with other gluten-free fare.

Now at Whole Foods stores are Annie's new Organic Orchard Fruit Bites. Available in grape, strawberry, apple and cherry, the Fruit Bites contain one serving of fruit in each pouch. The fruit snacks are naturally gluten and gelatin free, are vegan, and contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

JD's Best Pizza is now available at Martindale's Natural Market in Springfield. Thanks to reader Dana M. for the tip.

Food for All Market in Mt. Airy will have Feel Good Foods' gluten-free dumplings available for sampling on Sunday, September 25 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Have a great weekend!

Goodies Giveaway: Live Gluten Freely Product Box

Live Gluten Freely is an online community created by General Mills that offers gluten-free product news, articles and real-life stories from participants. The site also provides recipes, ranging from breakfast treats like Blueberry-Corn Muffins to dishes like Favorite Chicken Nuggets to desserts like Brownie Ganache Torte with Raspberries and Carrot Cake.

General Mills offers more than 300 gluten-free products, available in grocery stores nationwide. Keep up with new additions to the gluten-free list by subscribing to the Live Gluten Freely Newsletter. Every month, you'll receive recipes, tips, coupons for gluten-free items, new product information and more delivered directly to your inbox. Click here to sign up. Also, be sure to visit Live Gluten Freely on Facebook. "Like" the page and check out recipe ideas, product news and tips about living without gluten.

MyBlogSpark is offering one Gluten Free Philly reader a Live Gluten Freely product box, which includes an assortment of gluten-free products from popular brands like Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Chex and Larabar. The product box, a $24.99 value, contains the following items:

• Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Brownie Mix
• Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
• Honey Nut Chex Cereal
• Bisquick Gluten Free Original Pancake and Baking Mix
• Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack - Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit Gushers, Fruit by the Foot
• Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar Snack Bar
• Betty Crocker Potato Buds Mashed Potatoes
• Betty Crocker Red Serving Spoon
• Coupons and More

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment to this post about your favorite gluten-free friendly restaurant in the Delaware Valley (southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and northern Delaware).

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 31 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.

Starbucks Redux

After Starbucks discontinued its gluten-free Orange Valencia Cake last year less than three months after introducing it in U.S. stores, many in the gluten-free community expressed disappointment at not having a pastry option. The coffee purveyor has since offered KIND snack bars as a gluten-free selection.

Starbucks is now set to expand its selection of healthier snack options. Beginning tomorrow in participating U.S. stores, customers will find additional choices with 220 calories or less per serving, many of which are gluten free. In addition to the KIND bars, the safe products include:

• Lucy’s Cookies: Available in Chocolate Chip, Sugar and Cinnamon, these cookies also are free of dairy, eggs, casein and nuts ($1.50 for Grab & Go Packs and $5.95 per box)
  
• FoodShouldTasteGood: Available in Multigrain and Sweet Potato, the all-natural chips are made primarily of corn ($1.50 per bag)
  
• Peeled Snacks: No-sugar-added dried fruit snacks in much-ado-about-Mango, Apple-2-the-core, and Cherry-go-round varieties ($2 each bag)
  
• Peter Rabbit Organics: Organic fruit snack pouches sold in Apple & Grape and Mango, Banana & Orange varieties ($1.95 a pouch)
  
• Two Moms in the Raw: Blueberry and gojiberry granola mixes ($3.95 a bag)
• Sahale Snacks: Nut blends and glazed nuts available in Pomegranate Cashew and Soledad Almond varieties; it's not yet known whether a third offering, a Chipotle/Ranch Almond blend, is gluten-free, as it is a new-to-market Starbucks exclusive ($2.50 per package)
  
• Stretch Island Fruit Company: All-natural portable fruit "leathers" available in Harvest Grape, Autumn Apple and Summer Strawberry varieties ($0.75 each)
  

Goodies Giveaway 5: Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks

UPDATE (10/5/09): Congratulations to reader Sherazada, who's the winner of the giveaway!

When I was a kid, I often had strawberry-flavored Fruit Roll-Ups for a snack. Not only are Fruit Roll-Ups still around, my kids love them - except I couldn't have imagined back then they would be eating Fruit Roll-Ups With Tongue Tattoos or, for that matter, Fruit Gushers, Fruit By The Foot or fruit snacks shaped in just about every animal and cartoon character imaginable!

Having school-age children, my wife and I find it convenient to keep fruit snacks on hand. I was happy to notice recently that General Mills, the makers of Betty Crocker fruit-flavored snacks, began labeling these products as gluten free. With its introduction of gluten-free dessert mixes and reformulation of Chex and other cereals to become gluten-free, General Mills has endeared itself to the gluten-free community. The fruit snacks are made with real fruit and are less than 100 calories per serving.

As part of Gluten Free Philly's latest giveaway, you have an opportunity to reminisce about your youth - or please the younger set. One lucky reader will win a Betty Crocker "Simple Joys" prize pack (pictured above) that includes two packages of Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks, a retro Pick 'em Up Sticks game, a light-up yo-yo and a classic Frisbee, all courtesy of MyBlogSpark.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment to this post about one of your favorite games to play as a child.

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, post your email address in the comment in the following format: "name[at]domain[dot]suffix."

The giveaway runs now through Sunday, October 4 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. I’ll randomly select one winner the next day and will contact them 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!