News & Notes: August 5, 2016

Sabra has announced the launch of Sabra Spreads, a line of refrigerated sandwich spreads made with hummus. The condiment, which comes in a squeezable bottle comes in three flavors: Garlic Herb, Honey Mustard and Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper. Sabra Spreads will launch nationwide beginning September 1st (with limited retail availability late summer) and will be available in the refrigerated deli section of grocery stores and supermarkets. All three products are kosher, gluten free, and non-GMO. The suggested retail price is $3.99 per bottle.

Nut-butter maker Justin's has introduced the first extension of its Snack Pack product line. Justin's Peanut Butter and Banana Chip Snack Pack comes in two flavors: Classic Peanut Butter + Banana Chips and Honey Peanut Butter + Banana Chips. One side of each pack features Justin's Peanut Butter and the other organic banana chips. Available exclusively at Target for $1.99, the gluten-free snack contains 5-6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and over 200 milligrams of potassium, all for just 200-210 calories per serving.

Nabisco has added to its line of Good Thins crackers with the addition of a sea salt variety made with corn masa flour.

My son spotted several frozen entrees from Beetnik Foods in the gluten-free frozen aisle of the ShopRite in Cherry Hill, including Grass-Fed Beef Bolognese and Chicken Cacciatore. All of the meals are gluten free and organic.

Ride to Rhode Island

Having covered much of the region from New York to D.C. on weekend family getaways over the years, we looked to expand our geographic footprint this summer. It had been quite some time since my last visit to Newport, Rhode Island's famed coastal town - 25 years to be exact. A return trip, even if a bit farther than our usual domain, was in order.

After a washed-out false start two weeks earlier, we set out in the end of July for a two-night stay over a weekend coinciding with the renowned Newport Folk Festival. In addition to the Folk Festival and its jazz festival counterpart, Newport is perhaps best known as the longtime home of the America's Cup yacht race as well as hundreds of Gilded Age-era mansions.

On the trip north, we stopped in Mystic, Connecticut, a quaint fishing village made famous by 1988's Mystic Pizza, which featured Julia Roberts in one of her first film roles. Though it likely wasn't an option back then, the original Mystic Pizza (56 W. Main St., 860-536-3700) offers gluten-free pizza, which our son described as one of the best he's ever eaten.

News & Notes: July 22, 2016

Enjoy Life has introduced bite-size Mini Cookies, available in both crunchy and soft-baked varieties. The four crunchy options are Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Sugar Crispy and Vanilla Honey Graham and the three soft-baked versions are Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Brownie and Snickerdoodle. All of the cookies are gluten free and free of the top eight allergens. The Mini Cookies will be in stores soon.

Local cold cuts purveyor Dietz & Watson has a new Originals line, a collection of gluten-free products featuring no-antibiotics-ever and organic and nitrate-free deli meats and all-beef franks, as well as RBST-free cheeses.

We spent a lovely day last week in Cape May, New Jersey, where there are a number of gluten-free-friendly restaurants. The Cape May Fish Market (408 Washington St., 609-770-3790) serves sandwiches on gluten-free rolls, while That's Amore (301 Washington St., 609-898-3663) offers risotto and notes gluten-free options on its menu. We enjoyed a fine lunch at the Mad Batter (19 Jackson St., 609-884-5970), which has a gluten-free menu, though the fryer is not separate. Elaine's Dinner Theater (513 Lafayette St., 609-884-1199) offers gluten-free fare as part of its theater menu.

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.

Minding Your PDQs

For those on a gluten-free diet, these are heady days on the west side of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Since 2014, Whole Foods and Jules Thin Crust have opened on Kings Highway, Pei Wei, Zinburger and Wegmans are in the shopping center on the former Garden State Park grounds, while MOM's Organic Market and Snap Kitchen are slated to open along Haddonfield Road this fall. Joining the ranks with its grand opening last month is PDQ, a Florida-based fast-casual concept in eight states that is owned by the co-founders of Outback Steakhouse.

PDQ's Cherry Hill location (614 Haddonfield Rd., 856-335-3239) is the chain's second in New Jersey; the first, in Sicklerville, opened last fall. PDQ, which stands for People Dedicated to Quality, specializes in chicken tenders, fries and shakes, all made to order - there's no freezer on the premises.