2011 in Review

Each passing year brings an exponential increase in gluten-free awareness. More and more chefs annotate their bills of fare with safe items, if not create dedicated menus. New - sometimes novel - gluten-free products consistently populate supermarket shelves. Let's revisit some of the highlights from 2011, as showcased on these pages.

January brought news of gluten-free Asian dumplings from Feel Good Foods. (The company's line of egg rolls is coming early in 2012.) I also wrote about various gluten-free products that were to debut for Passover, including a new matzo that is now available year-round. Post made its Marshmallow Pebbles cereal gluten-free, while Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles were sold as marshmallow treats. In addition, Kikkoman announced a new gluten-free soy sauce.

Word came in February about several new gluten-free stores in the area: the Little Bakery in Blue Bell and the Philadelphia Gluten-Free Pasta Company in Media. New products featured that month included a gluten-free version of Kellogg's Rice Krispies, Glutenfreeda's pizza wraps, Udi's cookies, and house-brand butterfly shrimp sold at Genuardi's.

Philadelphia's own Tastykake put its gluten-free cookies on the market in March, while New Planet announced Pop Tart-like toaster pastries that are about to hit shelves next month. Udi's and Rudi's showed us their (hamburger) buns and hot dog rolls, while Annie's added to its gluten-free cookie line. Featured were local companies Wellshire Farms and Lizbeth Lane, which produces cooking sauces, as well as a review of Elevation Burger.

April showers brought reports on Tonya's Bakery's soft pretzels and Philly's own Bassett's Ice Cream. Plenty of new products were announced then, such as Organic Bistro single-serve microwaveable bowls, Amy's shortbread cookies, Moondance sweets and Herr's sesame-rice tortilla chips.

I kicked off May with a review of Center City Brazilian restaurant Fogo de Chao and a post about locally brewed Revolution Cider. I also wrote about my addiction to Bachman's sweet potato tortilla chips, which I also discovered along with Joy ice cream cones and Julian's pancakes.

My "Dishing With" Q-and-A series continued in June with Flyers owner Ed Snider. We celebrated my wife's birthday with an excellent dinner at Modo Mio in Northern Liberties, which I reviewed. On the (spicy) product front was news about Guy Fieri's gluten-free barbeque sauces and salsas and Old El Paso's Tortilla Stuffers meals.

Our Memorial Day weekend trip to the nation's capital and Baltimore was the focus of a July post. I also featured locally-made Peanut Chews and even duck ravioli. Among the new products mentioned were Saffron Road's frozen chicken meals, baking mixes from Simply Organic, and Glutino's bagel chips.

I announced the winners of the first annual Readers' Choice Awards in August, and also featured El's gluten-free snack mixes. Williams-Sonoma's baking mixes and Gorton's Seafood grilled fish entrees were among the product mentioned that month.

Another Philadelphia ice cream company - Jack and Jill - garnered a September feature, as did Dogfish Head's hugely anticipated gluten-free ale and a review of the Rainforest Cafe in Atlantic City. I discovered delicious mozzarella sticks from Russo's, Mi-Del's gingerbread cookies, and Applegate Farm's corn dogs as well.

Kozy Shack's new chocolate rice pudding and refrigerated Indian meals from Cafe Spice merited mention in October.

I hope many readers had the chance to get to Wegmans in November, when the markets began selling gluten-free holidays sweets like panettone cakes and spekulaitus cookies. I reviewed the newly opened Bobby's Burger Palace at the Cherry Hill Mall and raved about Tate's chocolate chip cookies.

With December came word of a new Pure Tacos location in Center City and an excellent dinner at University City Mexican spot Distrito. Annie's announced that its gluten-free mac and cheese would be sold in microwaveable packages and Butterfly Bakery made a return to the marketplace.

Throughout the year, I also mentioned dozens of restaurants and bakeries that are able to accommodate gluten-free diets.

Of course, much of the information shared here wouldn't be possible without the growing number of Gluten Free Philly readers who let me know about the goings-on in their own neighborhoods. Thanks to everyone for reading the blog, and for following @GFPhilly on Twitter and liking the Gluten Free Philly Facebook page. I'm sure that 2012 has lots of excitement in store, and I can't wait to share it with all of you. My family and I wish you a safe and prosperous new year.

2010 in Review

With this last post of the year, I'll hit the rewind button on 2010 and recap the news and features that made their way to Gluten Free Philly over the past 12 months.

I led off the year in January writing about the many gluten-free products from Schar, which recently announced that it would be building its first U.S. manufacturing facility in southern New Jersey. The Delaware Valley is fortunate to have many gluten-free bakeries close by, and I profiled two of them in January: Cookies...For Me? and Sweet Freedom Bakery. I also wrote about the return of gluten-free snacks to Starbucks, the removal of gluten from Nathan's hotdogs, and new Snikiddy snacks.

For a short month, February was a busy one. I featured The Greenwood Kitchen, purveyor of "raw" snacks, and local pizza chain Seasons Pizza, which added gluten-free pies to many of its locations. Also that month, I broke the news that Whole Foods was discontinuing its branded line of gluten-free baking mixes; as if on cue, King Arthur Flour soon unveiled plans for its own line of gluten-free mixes. P.F. Chang's announced that it would be adding beef dishes to its already extensive gluten-free menu. I reviewed Stephen Starr's Asian restaurant Pod and announced plans for a local gluten-free dining event at Casona in Collingswood. New products mentioned were Glenny's fruit-and-nut bars, new flavors of Liz Lovely cookies, Glutino rice cereals, Annie's Homegrown cookies and deluxe mac-and-cheese, and Pamela's individual-size brownie and pancake mixes.

March brought news of new brownie and pancake mixes from Simply Organic, Peeps-flavored Italian ice from Rita's, Blue Horizon crab cakes and fish sticks, Food for Life English muffins, Glutino multigrain bagels and yogurt- and chocolate-covered pretzels, and Passover products like fudge-stripe cookies. I also featured the locally-made quinoa burgers from Asherah's Gourmet.

In addition to showers, in April came word that Snyder's would be introducing gluten-free pretzel sticks, Hain Celestial's Gluten Free Café line would include soups, gluten-free Bisquick and Hamburger Helper mixes from General Mills were on the way, and Pure Tacos would open an all-gluten-free taco stand on the Boardwalk in Ocean City. All of this was tempered by the news the area's original gluten-free bakery Mr. Ritts would be closing its doors. Featured this month were baked goods from The Grain Exchange in Doylestown, now available at many area markets. I also wrote about the snack-factory tours offered by Utz and Snyder's in York County and Herr's in Chester County and Udi's gluten-free bagels.

May was a light month, but I did review the Snyder's pretzels and featured gluten-free bakery Tesori's in Medford, which has unfortunately since closed.

I redesigned the Gluten Free Philly website in June and led off the month with a review of breads from Canyon Bakehouse and a mention of new soups based on recipes from longtime Philadelphia restaurant Old Original Bookbinder's. I also resumed my ongoing Road Trip series, writing about a Mother's Day weekend trip to New York City. Mid-month, I wrote about a newly imported gluten-free Spanish beer, Estrella Damm Daura lager, which has since rolled out more broadly in the United States. Later in the month came word that Food For All, an allergen-friendly market, would be opening in Philadelphia's Mt. Airy neighborhood. New products mentioned included Ian's animal crackers and Whole Foods cupcakes.

In the midst of a run to the division title, the Phillies held their annual celiac awareness night in early July. Another Road Trip entry detailed a shore excursion to Ocean City. Main Line Baking Company rode into town at the Wynnewood train station, offering gluten-free treats. I started a occasional series called Dishing With, and my first interview was with celiac Monica Glass, the pastry chef at 10 Arts.  I also passed along information on MI-DEL's new mini S'mores cookies, Goldbaum's waffle cones and Harry & David's cookies.

News that Dock Street Brewing Company brought back its Sudan Grass Ale, made with sorghum, surely slaked the thirst of many patrons in the heat of August.  Making their debut that month were Schar's cheese crackers, baguettes and hoagie rolls, burritos from Amy's Kitchen, Handy's crab cakes, Heartland pasta, and Immaculate Baking's chocolate-chip cookie dough.  I reviewed Rx in West Philly, which hosted a dinner from the Philadelphia Gluten-Free Supper Club.

The spotlight shone in September on more new gluten-free breads, these ones made by Rudi's. I also profiled The Naked Cookie in Montgomery County and wrote about Ian's new chicken tenders and pepperoni french-bread pizza, Woodchuck's pumpkin-flavored hard cider and Hol-Grain's onion ring batter and tempura batter mixes.The another installment of the Road Trip series chronicled our summer vacation to Toronto, Niagara Falls and Cooperstown.

The year's last Road Trip was posted in October, when I wrote about our day at Citi Field in New York to see the Phillies take on the Mets. Reviewed were products from gluten-free bakery O'Dough's and Philadelphia restaurant Adsum. Lots of new foods garnered a mention then, including Kinnikinnick pumpkin donuts, Purely Elizabeth cookie mixes, Coleman chicken nuggets, Glutino donuts and Ian's chocolate-covered wafer bites.

In November, I posted my roundup of the NFCA's Appetite for Awareness, the largest gluten-free event in the area. New products figured in both features and News & Notes posts, including locally made Better Butter, Bachman pretzels and Ian's - yes, Ian's again - with onion rings on the way early next year.

The many kinds of My Dad's Cookies, which I reviewed in December, prompted raves from readers. I also shared word that Philly's own Sweet Freedom Bakery would be appearing on Food Network's Cupcake Wars show. (The episode debuts tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern.) Perhaps the biggest product development this month was that gluten-free soft pretzels will soon be coming to Whole Foods freezers, courtesy of Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels.

Time doesn't permit me to list all of the new area restaurants that added gluten-free menus this year, but there were lots of them. My list of the accommodating restaurants was constantly updated, as was the catalog of local markets, caterers and bakeries.

I can't be everywhere, and so I appreciate reader emails letting me know about new finds in the greater Philadelphia area. Don't be shy about dropping me a line or posting a comment. I'm also open to suggestions on how to improve the site and for topics to write about in the coming year. Thanks to everyone for tuning in, and have a happy and healthy 2011!

2009 in Review

During this inaugural year of Gluten Free Philly, the many gluten-free products, restaurants and events I featured acknowledged the ever-increasing awareness of gluten intolerance. In this year-end recap, I’ll look back at the interesting developments in the gluten-free world for 2009.

In March, I reported that General Mills was introducing varieties of gluten-free Chex cereals and Betty Crocker dessert mixes. I also wrote about gluten-free soft pretzels, Conte’s Pasta’s gluten-free pizza and pasta products, Still Riding pizza, and the many gluten-free products – including chow mein noodles – that were available for Passover. The Tortilla Press, a Mexican BYOB in Collingswood, New Jersey that offers gluten-free menu items, was the subject of my first restaurant review. At the end of the month, I shared the news that the Phillies would be serving gluten-free hot dogs at all home games at Citizens Bank Park.

I started my April posts writing about gluten-free food items found in supermarket freezers - breakfast options like ready-made pancakes and egg sandwiches as well as lunch and dinner entrée choices. The month also brought short-lived excitement with the news that Starbucks would be introducing a gluten-free orange muffin. Unfortunately, the coffee chain would discontinue the product a few months later.

Cheese seemed to be the theme of my May posts, as I wrote about gluten-free cheesecakes from Moondance, the fondue dinner my family and I had at The Melting Pot in Center City Philadelphia, and the gluten-free pizza we ate during a Memorial Day weekend trip to New York City.

I reviewed P.F. Chang’s China Bistro’s gluten-free options in June, a month when I also wrote about gluten-free ice cream sandwiches, “naked” chicken nuggets, gluten-free beer on tap from Dock Street Brewery, Caesar’s Pasta frozen Italian entrees, and more celiac-friendly General Mills cereals.

I started July off blogging about my family's road trip to the Washington, D.C. area, which has a number of gluten-free-friendly restaurants. I also wrote about the many options available at HersheyPark and nearby eateries in Hershey, Pennsylvania, as well as those near Eagles training camp in Bethlehem. Closer to home is Pasta Pomodoro in Voorhees, New Jersey, which I mentioned in another post. The Italian restaurant offers one of most comprehensive gluten-free menus in the Delaware Valley. On the product front, I reviewed Bella Monica’s gourmet gluten-free flatbread pizza and Glutenfreeda’s bake-at-home cookies, oatmeal and burritos.

I reviewed locally produced gluten-free pizzelle from Dee Tees’, fruit drinks from Froose, beef pot pies from Twin Hens, and choices at regional restaurant chain Iron Hill Brewery in August. I also broke the news that month that the Eagles would be offering gluten-free concessions at the team’s home games during the 2009 season. My family hit the road again - this time to Boston - where my older son ate a hamburger on a gluten-free bun at Burton’s Grill. He also contributed to Gluten Free Philly, writing about his week-long experience at Camp Celiac in Rhode Island.

Back to school in September and for me that meant making the kids’ lunches. I wrote about two companies offering gluten-free breads, French Meadow and Udi’s. Both the French Meadow tortillas and Udi’s white sandwich bread have become staples in our house. Other products I profiled were New Harvest Naturals’ gluten-free meatballs, pound cakes and oat muffins, Turtle Mountain’s non-dairy desserts, and GoPicnic’s shelf-stable meals. I also blogged about Sweet Christine’s Gluten-Free Bakery in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

In October, I recapped the prior month’s Appetite for Awareness and Gluten-Free Cooking Spree at the Wachovia Center, the home of the Flyers and Sixers. Attendees of the team’s home games and other events at the arena can find gluten-free hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and beer. I reviewed Pei Wei Asian Diner’s gluten-free choices, which can be ordered online for pickup. On the gluten-free product front, I wrote about a variety of hard ciders and Le Veneziane imported Italian corn pasta.

Locally produced KōV non-dairy desserts, Sorella Bakery biscotti and Dietz & Watson cold cuts were products I wrote about in November, when I also posted a roundup of regional bed and breakfast inns serving gluten-free meals. I also reviewed Sazon, a Venezuelan restaurant in Philadelphia that offers many gluten-free choices, including sandwiches made on masa flour bread.

With Christmas approaching, I mentioned Giambri’s, a Clementon, New Jersey candy shop that sells gluten-free holiday chocolates in December. I also wrote about a new Main Line-based meal preparation service, Cathy’s Kitchen, which makes gluten-free meals that can be delivered in Philadelphia and its western suburbs. For vacationers to Clearwater, Florida – the Spring Training home of the Phillies – the city and the surrounding area have many gluten-free-friendly restaurants, bakeries and stores, as I posted this month. Gluten-free New York bagels from Joan’s GF Great Bakes and a review of Lolita, a modern Mexican restaurant in Philadelphia rounded out my posts at month’s end.

Sprinkled throughout the year were my News & Notes posts, in which I shared information on new products and gluten-free-friendly restaurants, bakeries, caterers and markets, and Goodies Giveaways that provided Gluten Free Philly readers a chance to win lots of gluten-free-related prizes.

Drop me a line to let me know if there’s a restaurant, product or other topic you’d think would worthy of a posting on Gluten Free Philly in the coming year. Have a happy and healthy 2010!