Crepini has introduced a gluten-free ingredient version of its Egg White Thins, a low-carb, high-protein wrap that’s made with about 90% egg whites, flax meal, non-GMO canola oil, salt and pepper. The wraps are sold in Costco stores and about 2,200 Walmart stores nationwide.
Pamela's Products has announced several new gluten-free products that will hit stores this year. The company's line of gluten-free ramen comes in three flavors - Spicy Beef + Veggie, Savory Chicken + Veggie, and Vegan Very Veggie - and will be available in August with a suggested retail price of $3.39 per pack.
New to the pasta meals line are two new Mac N’ Cheese products: Vegan Mac and White Cheddar. These new varieties will be available starting in May with a suggested retail price of $3.79 for a 5 oz. box. The Vegan Mac N’ Cheese will also be available in a family-size 10 oz. box, with a suggested retail price of $5.99.
Pamela’s Grahams will be available in July in a new chocolate chip flavor, with a suggested retail price of $4.99. All of the new products will be available on Amazon.com and at participating retailers.
Saffron Road unveiled their latest gluten-free additions to its globally-inspired frozen entrée product line: Thai-Style Green Curry with Chicken, Coconut Curry Chicken, Vegetable Biryani and Madras Curry with Chicken Meatballs. The new dishes will be available beginning in June for the suggested retail price of $4.99 per package.
Gluten-free snack purveyor From the Ground Up is expanding its product line later this year with cauliflower-based stars, stalks and tortilla chips as well as new butternut squash pretzel sticks and twists.
From Lakefront Brewery, which crafted the very first gluten-free beer granted label approval in the United States, comes another certified gluten-free brew. New Grist Gose-style with lime is 5.1 ABV and is crafted using rice, sorghum, lime and sea salt. It features Zeus and Willamette hops with an IBU rating of 15. Its release date is set for April 15.
Grainful has reformulated its frozen entrées by incorporating a new gluten-free grain blend of whole oats, quinoa and sorghum and layering on more vegetables, proteins, and sauces. Grainful also transitioned to using a bowl in the packaging. They come in eight varieties, including Tuscan Bean & Kale, Unstuffed Pepper, Vegetarian Chili and Porcini Mushroom Chicken. The revamped products have already started hitting shelves at leading retailers across the nation including Wegmans, ShopRite, Safeway, HEB, Giant Eagle and Whole Foods. The entrées will also be available for purchase online on the Grainful online store and at Amazon.com this month.
Nona Lim’s new instant noodle bowls come in three non-GMO, gluten-free varieties: Thai Coconut Lime, Chicken Pho and a vegan Green Curry. Each 14.5-ounce bowl is cold-shipped for freshness and sold in the refrigerated aisle for a suggested retail price of $6.99.
Kidfresh will introduce its first gluten-free product, a new White Mac 'n Cheese, later this spring. Kidfresh offers a line of children's favorites enriched with hidden vegetables and without any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The line of frozen meals is nationally distributed and available in over 10,000 stores.
Truly Spiked & Sparkling has debuted its newest gluten-free alcoholic sparkling water: Truly Wild Berry, with a hint of natural juiciness and sweetness from California strawberries, raspberries and Marion blackberries. Truly Wild Berry will be sold in six-packs and featured in a new Berry Variety Pack with two other exclusive flavors, Blueberry & Acai and Raspberry & Lime, along with Pomegranate.
Locally, Bridget's Steakhouse in Ambler (8 W. Butler Pike, 267-465-2000) notes gluten-free options on its dinner menu, as does the refreshed Bar 1929 at Woodcrest Country Club in Cherry Hill (300 E. Evesham Rd., 856-439-4300).
Not only is the all-gluten-free Real Food Eatery planning to open a second Center City location this spring at 1700 Market St., one in the Fairmount section (4040 City Ave.) is coming soon.
Chickie's & Pete's opened its newest sports bar this week in Marlton (25 Rt. 73 S., 856-452-5126). The bone-in wings and Crabfries are gluten free, prepared in separate fryers from breaded items.
Pasta Pomodoro, the longtime gluten-free-friendly Italian restaurant in Voorhees, has lost its lease. Elsewhere, the Rittenhouse Square outpost of grilled-cheese and shake purveyor MilkHouse has closed, but it's business as usual at the Suburban Station and 30th Street Station locations.
Have a great holiday weekend!
- Michael
With the updated Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,600 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!
The Philadelphia region can finally claim its own gluten-free brewery. Blueprint Brewing Co. opened last weekend in Harleysville (1571 Gehman Rd., 267-649-7006) with its hoppy Blue Skies IPA on tap and cans in the near future. Read more about Blueprint in my April 2017 post.
Not to be outdone, Original 13 Ciderworks in Kensington (1526 N. American St., 215-765-7000) has just opened Philly's first cider tasting room. The menu there lists a number of gluten-free options, including duck fat fries prepped in a gluten-free fryer. Incidentally, the Gluten Free Philly restaurant app [iOS/Android] now has a cuisine category for "Breweries" that includes Blueprint, Original 13 and other adult-beverage makers in the region.
White Elephant, a Thai restaurant in Huntingdon Valley (759 Huntingdon Pike, 215-663-1495), can prepare many items on its lunch and dinner menus (any dishes not noted with a "G" noted can be made gluten free). Thanks Mom!
In Cherry Hill, Hong Kong Fusion (1998 Marlton Pike E., 856-751-3888) can prepare gluten-free mei fun noodles, as well as many protein dishes with white sauce or gluten-free soy sauce. I highly recommend the sticky-rice cookies, one of several gluten-free desserts.
The newest all-gluten-free restaurant in the Delaware Valley is hoping to debut later this fall. Heart Beet Kitchen in Westmont (29 Haddon Ave., 856-240-1106) will offer a plant-based, organic menu full of healthy fare, smoothies, soups and desserts. For now, Heart Beet brings some of its wares to the Westmont Farmers' Market every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Stir-fry and salad purveyor Honeygrow has opened its first Delaware location in Wilmington (5609A Concord Pike, 302-407-3331). Another, on Main Street in Newark, is planned for later this fall.
Burning Brothers Brewing, an all-gluten-free brewery out of Minnesota, has plans to bring its Pyro American Pale Ale to Philadelphia, though given Pennsylvania's Byzantine liquor laws there's no ETA just yet.
Kettle Kups K-Cup Soups are new, all-natural, Keurig brewer compatible soups. All varieties - Homestyle Chicken, Homestyle Beef and Garden Vegetable - are gluten free.
ShopRite in Marlton (307 Rt. 70 W., 856-983-7370) is hosting a Gluten-Free Food Festival next Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be lots of samples being offered, and I'll be hanging out there from 11 a.m. to noon. Some of the more than three dozen vendors participating include Boar's Head, Crunch Master, Sweet Megan's Bakery, Sweet Note Bakery, Evol, Udi's, Glutino, Lance, Late July, Perdue and Pretzel Crisps.
Have a great weekend!
- Michael
With the Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,400 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!
Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar in Cherry Hill (923 Haddonfield Rd., 856-488-7590) has added gluten-free burger buns as an option. The fries are prepared separately. (Thanks to reader Michelle M. for the tip.)
Rosa Blanca, the Center City Philadelphia Cuban diner from Jose Garces, closed last weekend and will reopen in the fall with a different concept.
The Market at Cherry Hill's Farm & Fisherman (1442 W. Rt. 70, 856-356-2286) is now selling two kinds of gluten-free cookies from local baker Sugar & Spice: White & Dark Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nuts and Snickerdoodles.
Gluten-free Patricia's Cheese Ravioli at Maggiano's
Casual Italian chain Maggiano's Little Italy debuted new gluten-free items yesterday in time for its annual "Eat-A-Dish for Make A-Wish" campaign. The "Eat-A-Dish" menu is available for dine-in or carryout and features the following gluten-free-friendly dishes:
Shrimp and Avocado Lemonette - mixed greens, smoked bacon with a lemon vinaigrette
Patricia's Cheese Ravioli (choose this and take a Classic Pasta home for the next day compliments of the chef) - gluten-free ravioli, parmesan broth, spring vegetables and a truffle mascarpone
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp - sweet corn relish and honey calabrian glaze or Tuscan potatoes, arugula and lemon (available April 30 to June 3) / sauteed spinach, Fontina cheese with a lobster cream sauce (available June 4 to July 8)
Creme Brulee Trio - chocolate honey, caramelized honey and citrus (available April 30 to June 3)
Flourless Chocolate Cake - chocolate cake, mixed berries, hot fudge with vanilla bean ice cream (available June 4 to July 8)
Information on the kitchen's preparation of gluten-free dishes is posted on the company's website. To participate in this year's "Eat-A-Dish" campaign, guests just need to dine at Maggiano's from April 30 through July 8 and enjoy a gluten-free-friendly feature from the "Eat-A-Dish" menu. In return, Maggiano's will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for every dish and $.50 for every glass of Wish Lemonade ordered from the special menu. In addition to these giving opportunities, Maggiano's will sell star-shaped cards, which feature inspirational stories of wish children, to guests for a donation of their choice. Guests who donate more than $10 will receive a commemorative star with a $10 coupon to be used during a future visit.
Diners can also get $10 off by joining the restaurant's E-Club. Area Maggiano's locations include King of Prussia (205 Mall Blvd., 610-922-3333), Philadelphia (1201 Filbert St., 215-567-2020) and Cherry Hill (2000 Rt. 38, 856-792-4470).
Morgan's Pier on Penn's Landing (221 N. Columbus Blvd., 215-279-7134) opened for the season yesterday with a new chef ("Top Chef" winner Nicholas Elmi) and a new menu. Both the weekday dinner and weekend brunch menus note gluten-free items. Hard ciders are available on draft and in bottles.
Come November, P'unk Burger (1823 East Passyunk Ave.) will offer South Philly a modern-day twist on a classic Passyunk diner. The BYO will feature all-natural burgers (with gluten-free buns), fries and shakes.
The Pillsbury Best line of flours from General Mills now includes a multi-purpose gluten-free flour blend, made with rice flour, potato starch, pea fiber, tapioca starch and xanthan gum. Wal-Mart is among the stores carrying this product.
Reader Karen Z. let me know that Trader Joe's just came out with a gluten-free pumpkin pancake mix and will have stuffing in time for Thanksgiving.
Udi's Gluten Free is launching four new varieties of both breakfast and lunch burritos along with Italian-inspired skillet meals for two. The breakfast burritos include Egg, Sausage & Cheddar, Uncured Bacon & Cheddar, Chicken Apple Sausage and Egg White, Southwest Veggies & Cheese. The lunch burritos options include Bean & Green Chile, Chicken, Spicy Southwest Veggie and Steak. The burritos retail for $3.99 each. The Skillet Meals varieties ($11.99 suggested retail) are Chicken Parmesan, Ziti & Meatballs, Chicken Florentine and Chicken Alfredo.
Dole has introduced an all-gluten-free Garden Soup line in five varieties: Carrot Ginger, Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil, Southwestern Black Bean & Corn, Sweet Corn and Tomato Vegetable. The soups do not contain MSG and are made with non-GMO ingredients. You can download a coupon good for $1 off one carton.
The State College Celiac Support Group is once again hosting the Central PA Gluten-Free Expo. This year, it will take place on Sunday, Nov. 9 at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania. Vendors include Wegmans, Tonya's Gluten-Free Kitchen, Goldbaum's and Against the Grain Gourmet. Dr. Alessio Fasano of the Center for Celiac Research in Boston will be the headlining speaker. Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door; children 16 and under are free.
Have a great weekend!
- Michael
With the Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,400 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!
Indian restaurant Coriander in Voorhees (910 Haddonfield-Berlin Rd., 856-566-4546) lists many gluten-free items, such as spicy corn soup, tandoori lettuce wraps, and the chicken kebab trio, on its menu.
Gluten-free pasta is available at Spring House's Po Le Cucina (805 N. Bethlehem Pike, 267-663-7204), where the kitchen keeps a dedicated pot on hand. Many items are or can be made gluten free. (Thanks to reader Shari S. for the tip.)
Say Cheez in Princeton (183D Nassau St., 609-924-2454), has gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches, and the kitchen will prepare in a saute pan with a clean spatula upon request.
Most everyone has a favorite cultural soup. Maybe you want for won ton, get misty for matzoh balls, or go ga-ga over gazpacho. It's hard to go wrong with the Italian trifecta of minestrone, pasta fagioli and lentil & pasta. Mrs. Leeper's, a longtime gluten-free pasta maker, has just introduced a convenient way to prepare those three Italian favorites.
Natural Products Expo East, held in Baltimore each September, is an opportunity for both emerging and developed companies to showcase their products for retailers and distributors. Here's a look at some gluten-free products that are either on their way to market to stores or gaining wider distribution.
Pizza
A Texas pizza chain sampled retail versions of its gluten-free pizza. Russo's New York Pizza has six crispy pizza varieties, including the excellent Mulberry (Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon and hamburger), that will be making their way to markets.
Smart Flour Floods was one of many companies at the expo hailing from Austin, Texas. Smart Flour's frozen pizzas were distinctive for their ancient grains flour base. The crusts in the new Classic Cheese, Garden Margherita and Uncured Pepperoni varieties are made with a blend of tapioca, sorghum, teff and amaranth flours. These are free of soy, egg and rice. The Pepperoni pizza won the expo's "Best New Food" award.
On this Celiac Awareness Day, there's no better time to celebrate the news that there are three all-gluten-free bakeries coming to the Delaware Valley.
Bucks County will get its own 100% gluten-free storefront bakery this fall. The Happy Mixer is looking at a late October or early November opening at the New Britain Village Square in Chalfont (4275 County Line Rd.). The menu includes donuts, cakes, cookies, muffins and biscotti.
"The Frog," Pure Sweets' pistachio espresso cookie
(Photo credit: Tommy Leonardi)
Pure Sweets, which I first wrote about back in February 2012, just signed a lease for 1706 Locust Street near Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia with a Spring 2014 opening planned. Not only will owner Andrea Kyan have a spot to vend her 100% gluten free, vegan, organic and kosher cookies and macaroons along with her new line of tonics, she'll be offering prepared food reflecting her Southeast Asian heritage. She's also considering delivery to South Jersey.
The creative force behind Philadelphia's Modo Mio, Monsu and Paesano's is at it again. Gluten-free-friendly chef Peter McAndrews has just opened Popolino (501 Fairmount Ave., 215-928-0106), a Roman trattoria in Northern Liberties featuring a lavish antipasti bar. As noted on the menu, accommodations can be made for gluten-free diners. McAndrews, whose children are celiacs, raved about Toté Bakery's gluten-free bread to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which featured the bakery in the Food section of yesterday's edition.
If all goes well today during inspections, Jules Thin Crust - with its fabulous gluten-free pizza - will open its Wayne location (114 E. Lancaster Ave.) for business tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Goodies from Pure Sweets, featured here a few weeks ago, are now available at Ultimo Coffee (1900 S. 15th St., 215-339-5177) in South Philadelphia and Northern Liberties' One Shot Coffee (217 W. George St., 215-627-1620).
The all-gluten-free Little Bakery in Blue Bell (921 Penllyn-Blue Bell Pike, 267-708-0984) now sells bake-eat-home chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie dough by the pound.
Last weekend, many companies announced new gluten-free products at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. Udi's Gluten Free Foods is launching classic French and whole-grain seeded dinner rolls and vanilla cupcakes that will debut in July. The company's previously announced frozen pizzas and muffin tops are on the way to stores now.
Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery's new gluten-free tortillas are made with whole grain flours and have a soft, pliable texture. The tortillas, which will retail for $5.99 a package, are available in plain, spinach and fiesta flavors.
"Nourished Together" is a four-session nutrition and cooking course being held next month in University City. The course fee of $180 is inclusive of all instruction, ingredients, course materials and dinner. You can save $36 (20%) through Tuesday, March 20 by mentioning that you read about the course at Gluten Free Philly. Call 215-872-5521 for registration.
The Flavor Festival at Phoenixville will take place on Saturday, April 21 from noon to 5 p.m. at Franklin Commons (400 Franklin Ave.). Most of the wineries at this food-and-drink event will have gluten-free crackers and local gluten-free-friendly vendors such as Cupcake Wars victor Dia Doce, Mompops, FreshaPeel Hummus and Chile Spot will be participating. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the gate.
My "Dining Out Philly" giveaway celebrating the blog's 3rd birthday runs through Sunday. (I very much appreciate all the birthday notes received this week!) Food For All in Mt. Airy has generously offered a $30 gift certificate as one of the prizes, so there will be seven winners in all. Other prizes are from Zavino, The Tomato Bistro, Pure Tacos, THE QUICK FIXX, Sweet Freedom Bakery and Toté.
The logical extension to putting your favorite design on a birthday cake is having it on your pizza. As I wrote on Tuesday, Pizza Prints that feature cartoon characters, NBA teams and holiday images are available for gluten-free pies at several local pizza shops.
Congrats to reader Kate M., who was the winner of the recent Robert Mondavi Wine Tour giveaway. I'll have another giveaway - a tasty one at that - coming up soon.
Naked Pizza in Ewing (1400 Parkway Ave., 609-771-6100) and soon in Princeton (180 Nassau St.) has gluten-free pizza. A video on the chain's website shows the prep methods to avoid cross-contamination.
A stone's throw from Rittenhouse Square in Center City is Pure Fare (119 S. 21st St., 267-318-7441). All of Pure Fare's salads are gluten free except wheatberry and falafel, and most soups are safe as well. Also gluten free are the quinoa skillet bread, veggie quiche, quinoa porridge, all pastries and the soft-serve frozen yogurt.
Comings and goings: Reader Rich S. let me know that Bonefish Grill is opening soon in Langhorne at the Plaza at Oxford Valley (500 Oxford Valley Rd., 215-702-1312). The debut is set for November 14. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay has opened his newest Bobby's Burger Palace location at the Cherry Hill Mall (2000 Rte. 38, 856-382-7462). Meanwhile, gluten-free-friendly JayBee's Cafe in Skippack has closed, as has L'Oca, an Italian BYOB in Philadelphia's Fairmount section that offered gluten-free pasta.
Look for Udi's gluten-free burger buns at participating Red Robin locations. Reader Jodi F. posted on the Gluten Free Philly Facebook page that the Langhorne location has them.
Pei Wei Asian Diner is offering a buy-one-get-one entree voucher redeemable through November 15 by watching a video at its new Pei Wei Market website and submitting your email address.
Philadelphia's own gluten-free Sweet Freedom Bakery (1424 South St., 215-545-1899) has plenty of items for fall, including pumpkin pies, cookies, cupcakes, donuts and more. The bakery is taking advance orders for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday by phone.
Finally, an ice cream cake without those gluteny chocolate crunchies. I spotted an M&Ms-themed cake with no gluten ingredients at ShopRite in Marlton.
Trader Joe's has added some new gluten-free products since my last visit there. Among the offerings are packages of masala dosa, chicken tikka masala and beef pho soup.
The CHOP children's celiac support group will next meet in Princeton on Sunday, November 13 to celebrate Thanksgiving. The meeting will take place at the CHOP Specialty Care Center (707 Alexander Rd., Suite 205) from noon to 2 p.m. Guests can RSVP with their last name and number and ages of children by November 9 by calling 215-590-2985. Bring your favorite gluten-free side dish along with the recipe.
As I mentioned on Wednesday, I am one of 10 bloggers participating in the "Gluten-Free Holiday Giveaway Galore x10." As part of the giveaway, one lucky reader of this site will win prizes that include a copy of Katie Chalmers' new gluten-free book for children and lots of food items. You have until December 15 to enter; just go to the original post and add your comment.
Last week, I mentioned that Carlucci's Grill in Yardley added a gluten-free menu. Well, I overlooked the fact that its sister location in West Windsor (335 Princeton-Hightstown Road, 609-936-0900) also added the same gluten-free menu with pizza and pasta, among other items.
New reader Todd C. emailed me about Manayunk's The Ugly Moose (443 Shurs Lane, 215-482-2739), which can accommodate a gluten-free diet. Also available there are Redbridge, New Grist and Shakparo beers.
Midatlantic in University City (3711 Market Street, 215-386-3711) can serve gluten-free diners and, in addition, offers Samuel Smith Organic Cider and a rotating gluten-free beer selection.
Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's Italian Grill and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar are offering a holiday gift card deal. Buyers will receive a $20 Bonus Card for every $100 purchase of gift cards. The gift cards and Bonus Card can be used at any of those restaurants; the Bonus Card is valid from January 1, 2011 to February 10, 2011.
The Grain Exchange's products are now not only gluten free, but also nut free. In addition, the bakery will be producing biscotti - starting with chocolate chip - using Mr. Ritt's recipe. Caramel delight bars and several cookie varieties from The Grain Exchange are now available at BRE Bakery, located at the new 263 Marketplace in Warminster (700 York Road, 215-821-8462). Thanks to reader Marcella P. for the tip.
Main Line Baking Company in Wynnewood will offer online ordering and nationwide shipping of its gluten-free items starting December 13, and is working on developing some vegan/gluten-free baked goods.
Udi's awesome breads and bagels are now carried by Trader Joe's markets in the area for $4.99 a package.
Back in June, I mentioned that a local company had introduced gluten-free New England Clam Chowder and Southwestern Clam & Corn Chowder under the label of Old Original Bookbinder's, the famed Philadelphia seafood restaurant. New to the product line are ready-to-serve vegetable soups in four flavors: Brandywine Mushroom, Butternut Squash and Mushroom, Sweet Burgundy Onion and Zesty Tomato. They will be sold in natural and specialty food stores across the country.
This month's Amazon Grocery sale items are posted, and there are a few gluten-free products listed. Add an additional 15% savings when combining the instant rebates with a Subscribe & Save order.
Reader Jackie P. let me know that St. Peter's School in Queen Village (319 Lombard Street), is holding a Holiday Sale this weekend that will include a selection of gluten-free baked goods. The sale will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The Big Blue Marble Bookstore in Mt. Airy will host a book launch party on Sunday, December 12 for Genevieve Sherrow, a nutritionist, food writer and natural foods chef based in South Philadelphia. She will discuss her new self-published book, Gluten-free Warrior, a therapeutic whole foods cookbook for individuals with gluten, wheat and soy allergies. The book includes a collection of recipes inspired by Indian, East Asian and contemporary American cuisines. Food from the book will be available for sampling at the event, which begins at 2 p.m.
Finally, a reminder that the next Philadelphia Gluten-Free Supper Club dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, December 14 at Buca di Beppo in Center City. For more information about the club or plans for the dinner, e-mail reader Adriana Z.
Although longtime Philadelphia dining fixture Old Original Bookbinder's closed last year, the restaurant's popular chowders, soups and bisques are still made and can be found in markets along the East Coast. Now the company behind these products has introduced gluten-free New England Clam Chowder and Southwestern Clam & Corn Chowder under the Bookbinder's label. The semi-condensed soups will be available at retailers this summer in 10.5-ounce cans.
"We are extremely excited about these two new soups," explained Sean O'Neil, Bookbinder Specialties' Chief Soup Officer, in a statement. "There is a strong demand for great tasting, healthy, restaurant-quality food that can be easily prepared, and a growing need for individuals with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease," he said. "We adapted the recipe of two favorites to be gluten-free, with lower sodium, and no artificial additives, flavors or colorants." According to O'Neil, both soups will be available for online ordering by the end of June. Next month, the company plans to introduce more gluten-free soup varieties.
The Media, Pennsylvania-based Bookbinder Specialties Company sells soups and seasonings based on favorite recipes from the Old Original Bookbinder's restaurant, established in 1865 in Philadelphia's historic Old City.
It was a busy week in the local gluten-free world, what with the Sixers celiac awareness night last Friday, Sunday night's dinner at Sauté dinner and Wednesday night's "Cupcakes & Cocktails" fundraiser at APO Bar+Lounge. We went to the Sixers game, where Aramark served a delicious gluten-free pasta dish in addition to the always-on-the-menu hot dogs and chicken sandwiches. I wasn't able to attend the "Cupcakes" fundraiser because I was in Cleveland on business. While there, I saw a legit NBA team in the Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena, which has a concession stand with gluten-free pretzels.
On Tuesday, I wrote about the gluten-free vegan burgers from Asherah's Gourmet in Doylestown. Healthy Bites To Go Market in Philadelphia will be offering samples of the burgers on Sunday, April 11 beginning at 11 a.m.
Lots of restaurant and product news to, um, digest this week. The Golden Inn in Avalon (7849 Dune Drive, 609-967-2111) has gluten-free options at its casual Luigi's Pasta & Vino and at its more formal Dining Room. The restaurants were profiled a couple weeks ago at MontgomeryNews.com.
For those of you who plan to vacation further up the New Jersey coastline this summer on Long Beach Island, stop for gluten-free pizza on the way there at Pietro's Pizza in Manahawkin (712 East Bay Avenue, 609-597-6708).
Quakertown now has its own Five Guys Burgers & Fries (254 N.W. West End Boulevard, 215-536-0555) to know and to love.
Among the gluten-free-friendly restaurants participating in the South Jersey Restaurant Week from April 11-16 are Andreotti's Viennese Cafe (Cherry Hill), Blackbird (Collingswood), Casona (Collingswood) and La Campagne (Cherry Hill). The special four-course menus during the event run between $25 and $35.
National sandwich chain Jason's Deli, with an area location at the Upper Dublin Shopping Center in Willow Grove, is surveying customers on their interest in gluten-free sandwiches. Let the company know of your interest and share your comments.
Gluten-free milk chocolate, vanilla and red velvet mini cupcakes are available on Fridays and Saturdays at Cupcakes Gourmet in Malvern (288 Lancaster Avenue, 484-318-8057) and Wayne (279 East Swedesford Road, 610-688-3144), where they're mindful of cross-contamination. The chocolate-flavored minis, with three different buttercreams, can be ordered online and shipped nationwide. Thanks to reader Karin for the tip.
In Elkins Park, gluten-free cookies are baking at Once Upon a Cookie (215-880-6751). Owner Tracy Brown uses organic rice flour for her moist, chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. The gluten-free treats are made before any glutenous ones using clean equipment and utensils. They can be found at Weavers Way Co-op in Philadelphia and can also be ordered online or by phone and delivered locally.
Speaking of gluten-free pretzels, Snyder's of Hanover confirmed yesterday on its Facebook page that the company's new pretzel sticks will be certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization, whose standard is less than 10 parts per million of gluten. The company did not announce when the product will be launched other than to say it is "coming soon."
A sale on a couple gluten-free products at Amazon warrants a mention. First, save up to 30% off on Think Thin breakfast products: save 15% using code THNK4009 at checkout and save an additional 15% (with free shipping) when combining with a Subscribe & Save order. Also, save up to 30% off on Pure Bar breakfast bars: save 15% using code PURBR643 at checkout and save an additional 15% (with free shipping) when combining with a Subscribe & Save order. Both deals run through April 30.
It should be a great weekend to spend outside - enjoy the warm weather!
I've heard from a number of vendors this week who are excited about their participation in next week's Appetite for Awareness and Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, to be held on September 30. "Main event" tickets are still available through the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and are $100 for adults and $35 for students, and may be tax-deductible. If last year's event was any indication, the opportunity to sample food from some of the area best restaurants and get lots of product samples and coupons is worth the price of admission. If you spot me there (my picture is posted in the "About Me" section of Gluten Free Philly), feel free to introduce yourself.
After I wrote about the ready-to-eat gluten-free meals from GoPicnic on Monday, reader Dina wrote to tell me that the company is running a 20%-off promotion for orders placed through its website. Just type KIWI in the coupon code box at checkout. The offer runs through October 31.
On Wednesday, I profiled Sweet Christine's Bakery in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, which sells gluten-free breads and sweets exclusively.
Morton's Steakhouse, with locations in Philadelphia and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, has gluten-free options on its menu.
The Melting Pot is set to open its Warrington, Pennsylvania location (uprooted from Chestnut Hill) on September 30.
Since Mr. Ritt's Bakery moved out of town a couple years ago, there's been no dedicated gluten-free bakery in Philadelphia. That's about to change with the arrival of Sweet Freedom Bakery. The bakery, owned by Allison Lupert and Heather Esposito, is coming to Center City (1424 South Street) in November. Sweet Freedom's products, which will include cakes, cookies, loaves, muffins, brownies, blondies and pizzelle, will also be allergen-friendly, vegan and contain no refined sugars.
There's also some new-product news this week. Nature's Path has introduced two more gluten-free cold cereals. Both Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise are made from organic grains such as corn, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth.
More Canadian baking: Kinnikinnick Foods announced this week the introduction of several new items, which are currently, or will soon be, available for online ordering at the company's website. New are chocolate and graham-style KinniKritters animal crackers and panko-style breadcrumbs. The products will be available in stores in next several months.
Kettle Cuisine, which makes frozen, ready-to-eat soups, has added several new products to its existing gluten-free line. The company has rolled out a vegetarian Three Bean Chili as well as Organic Carrot & Coriander Soup, Organic Chick Pea with Spinach Soup, Organic Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Soup and Organic Cream of Mushroom & Potato Soup. All of the products come in 10-oz. microwaveable bowls and sell for a suggested retail price of $3.99 each.
There are many gluten-free-friendly restaurants participating in some upcoming local Restaurant Week programs. Diners can enjoy a three-course meal from October 5-12 during Delaware Dines Out for only $30 per person. Among the restaurants involved are Iron Hill Brewery in Newark and Wilmington, The Melting Pot in Wilmington and Newark's Soffritto Italian Grill. The South Jersey Restaurant Week runs from October 18-23 and features a four-course meal for either $25 or $35 per person, depending on the eatery. Andreotti's Viennese Cafe in Cherry Hill, Blackbird in Collingswood, Mullica Hill's blueplate, Casona of Collingswood and La Campagne in Cherry Hill will be offering special menus during this promotion. Links to the websites of these restaurants are posted on the Gluten Free Phillyrestaurant page.
I'll leave you this week with a video preview of the Appetite for Awareness event:
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