Monday, April, 15, 2013
I’ve long been a fan of Chef Rick Bayless. Several times I’ve walked by his community of restaurants in Chicago (Xoco, Frontera, Topolabampo) but was always on the way to a dinner reservation elsewhere or a work commitment. On a recent trip to Chicago, I made sure I wouldn’t walk by again without stopping in for a meal.
And, wow, what a meal!
Before I share too much about my meal, I have to tell you the menu at Frontera changes seasonally. I was there on the last day several of the dishes I ate were offered. Today’s menu may reflect different dishes than what I ate. But based on the six dishes I sampled, I’m gonna guess you’ll be well fed, regardless of the season. Here’s a peek into the dining space:
About eating gluten-free here: while they don’t have a specific gluten-free menu, they have well-informed staff. Our server was quick to point out what was gluten-free and was unsure on only one of the many dishes I asked about. She was incredibly patient and made a trip to the kitchen to confirm one dish that she suggested to us. I felt comfortable eating here.
First up, from the Vegetables (and a little meat) section of the menu, Jicama Street Snack. This dish is so very simple…and so very delicious. Crunchy spears of jicama, cucumber and pineapple with a drizzle of lime juice and sprinkled with guajillo chile. This was the best $6 I spent in Chicago.
Next, I shared a couple of rice dishes with my favorite fella. White rice with black beans, grilled knob onions, morita chile peppers, a basic yet flavorful dish. This is the kind of food I could eat every day. The second rice dish was a red chile rice with lentils and pineapple.
This kale dish, oh the kale. You know I’m a big fan of kale, but this dish would make a believer out of the kale-reluctant. I know, some of you still don’t buy into my kale craziness. This dish, I’m convinced it would change that for you. Black kale with a guajilla chile sauce, little chunks of sweet potato and wood-grilled onions. I’m usually a good sharer of food. I considered stabbing my favorite fella’s hand with my fork every time he reached for some of this. Only kinda sorta kidding.
Then there were a couple of tamale dishes. Fresh corn tamales, two little pillows of masa and corn kernels steamed in banana leaves, were delightful. I know that’s not very descriptive but they truly were delightful. The masa had a fluffiness to it and the pillow shape was the perfect serving size for one. These left me wanting to know more about tamales beyond the traditional corn-husked steamed version.
The second tamale course was huitlacoche tamales. Corn-husked steamed, more like the traditional tamale I’m most familiar with. Huitlacoche seems to be a polarizing food, folks love it or hate it. I’m in the love it corner and it was great in a tamale dish. I suppose if I called these corn smut tamales you wouldn’t like them, but I’d encourage you to try them anyway.
Here are a couple more photos of the space. It’s no surprise this entire stretch of street in Chicago, claimed by Rick Bayless, is full of delicious smells, vivid color and activity. I would eat here again in a heartbeat. I had more gluten-free vegetarian choices here than at many vegetarian restaurants and every dish I tried was something I would happily have again. Except that the menu has now changed. I may need to go back for another round…
Frontera Grill is located at 445 North Clark Street in Chicago, IL. 312.661.1434
Eat With: minimal caution. My experience was that the staff is well-informed and cautious in providing a safe gluten-free meal. I was told that chips are fried in a shared fryer, however I was offered corn tortillas as an alternative. Ask away, questions were welcomed.
Johnna’s I Ate Here series is not intended as a restaurant review, rather a summary of Johnna’s experience dining out. You may or may not have a similar experience. Menu prices, items and ingredients featured were current at the time of writing. Please read the menu carefully and ask your server for assistance in ordering if you have dietary restrictions. It’s a good idea to call ahead and let the restaurant know of your food needs.
Saturday, March, 23, 2013
I planned to eat at Taco Punk once. I ended up eating there three times in a week. The tacos are seriously good here and I could eat them every single day. For a week, I almost did. If it weren’t for the plethora of amazing restaurants in Louisville, I would be happy eating only at Taco Punk.
Prior to eating at Taco Punk, I e-mailed to ask what is gluten-free on the menu and what items would work for a vegetarian. I got a prompt reply telling me which items are gluten-free and vegetarian. On my first visit, it became apparent the staff were also in the know, handling my order with care from the minute I mentioned my order needed to be gluten-free. While the housemade tortillas are not gluten-free, I was offered corn tortillas which are stored separately. Yay!
My favorite dish at Taco Punk is the veggie mole. Usually mole is off limits to me, since many moles are thickened with bread or a gluten-full flour. Taco Punk has a pumpkin seed mole and it’s everything I like in a mole: thick, rich, savory with a hint of sweet. And gluten-free!
The platters at Taco Punk are a great value. For about $10, I got two tacos, chips and salsa plus a side. On two visits, I had guacamole for the side. It’s good stuff! Tacos are dressed to your liking. For me, this means shredded cabbage, pickled onion and pineapple habanero salsa. With chips and salsa plus a side, one taco would have been a plentiful meal, as they are stuffed with the veggie mix that is prepared when your order is placed. I would guess even the heartiest of appetites would be satisfied with the two taco platter here.
Taco Punk is in Louisville’s Nulu neighborhood, the East Market District. I enjoyed window shopping and checking out the other bars and restaurants in the neighborhood. It was nice to have a little time before or after dinner to browse the neighborhood, which was full of other folks doing the same. If you are going on a Friday or Saturday night, be prepared to wait a bit for a table at many restaurants and to park a block or two away.
Taco Punk is located at 736 E. Market Street, Louisville, Kentucky. 502.584.TACO.
EAT WITH: Minimal caution. Be aware that the housemade tortillas are NOT gluten-free, but a gluten-free corn tortilla is available, just ask!
Johnna’s I Ate Here series is not intended as a restaurant review, rather a summary of Johnna’s experience dining out. You may or may not have a similar experience. Menu prices, items and ingredients featured were current at the time of writing. Please read the menu carefully and ask your server for assistance in ordering if you have dietary restrictions. It’s a good idea to call ahead and let the restaurant know of your food needs.
Friday, March, 08, 2013
On a recent ski trip, we spent just enough time in Denver for me to snag a few of my favorite cookies, have an amazing breakfast and visit a store I had heard great things about on-line but had not visited in person, Nooch.
Did you know I really dig nutritional yeast? It’s my favorite popcorn topping. When I reduced the amount of dairy in my diet, nutritional yeast became even more important than a popcorn topping, although those are pretty important here. It’s wonderful in anything that needs a cheesy flavor and contains the elusive B12 for those of us who consume few or no animal products. We might as well buy 50 gallon barrels of the stuff. Yes, we call it Nooch. I can’t think of a more clever name for a vegan market than Nooch, the slang term for nutritional yeast.
Nooch is a deceptively tiny corner store near downtown. I say deceptively because the store is packed to the gills with so many wonderful products!
Not even far enough inside for the door to close us, I had already spotted Bearded Brothers bars. On the same shelf were some terrific dairy-free candy bars that I had not tried before. Also, Primal Strips and some goodies from Hail Merry!
I also scored raw nut cheese from Punk Rawk Labs. I hear chatter of this cheese often but had never tried it before. I’m writing a separate post about it soon. All you really need to know is it is AMAZING.
My favorite find at Nooch was Kolat nut butters. The Espresso Hazelnut is divine and appealed to the fella, who is chocolate hazelnut fan and rabid consumer of all that is coffee. If you like some variation of Nutella and a cup of joe, try this. While it doesn’t contain chocolate, it hits the same flavor notes and is a healthier option than most chocolate hazelnut spreads.
Between me and my favorite fella, we loaded up our basket, (warning: profanity in photo below) with enough snacks to last a couple of days. I was able to find lots of gluten-free goodies I was familiar with as well as many I had never seen before. It was also nice to know everything was dairy-free, one less red light for me to look for while shopping.
I got a fun new shopping bag (just in case someone asks me where I get my protein…since that never happens!) and had a nice chat with the folks working there. Really terrific people and a great little store full of lots of yummy goodness.
As we were leaving, the Waffleganger food trailer was parking out front. I hear the folks at Nooch often save a space for a vegan food truck. You might check their Facebook page before visiting to see if there’s a food truck visit planned! While most of them don’t fit my dietary challenges, had we been an hour later, the fella would have indulged in some Waffleganger goodness.
Nooch is located at 3360 Larimer Street in Denver, Colorado. 720-328-5324
Shop with: confidence. Read labels as you always would. (I bought a candy bar that contained no gluten but was manufactured in a facility that also processes wheat, use the same caution as in any store.) That said, I found the staff here very knowledgeable and friendly so ask away if you want to know more about a product or need help locating something.
Saturday, February, 16, 2013
I took a few days off recently to go snow skiing. I’ve been skiing for 20+ years, but my favorite fella is relatively new to skiing. Skiing on a gentler area of the mountain with him gave me lots of opportunity to observe kids and adults in ski school.
Maybe it was the thin air above 10,000 feet making me loopy, but in watching kids as young as 3 learn to ski, I learned a few lessons. Not lessons that apply just to skiing, but lessons that apply to life and more specifically, to the challenges of eating healthier foods or eating with a dietary restriction.
I saw this ski instructor loading a 3 year old up on a chair lift. Chair lifts can be scary, but apparently not to 3 year olds. Well, at least not until you get to the top of the mountain. Then sometimes you need a little assistance. A handy loop on the back of this cutie’s jacket made it easy for the instructor to pick her right up and set her down on her skis at the top of the lift.
Sometimes, I need a loop on the back of my jacket, too, for those moments when I reach the really challenging part of any task and need a little support or encouragement. I’m grateful for those around me who don’t hesitate to grab me by the back of my jacket and firmly place my feet beneath me. When I get discouraged that eating healthy doesn’t make me as thin as I wish or that eating gluten-free isn’t always easy, I’m thankful for that loop on the back of my jacket.
From the chair lift, I saw another little kid, surely under 5, in a group class. The instructor was waiting just a bit down the mountain. First, the kiddo was skiing great, facing forward, yet very quickly got turned around backwards. Rather effortlessly, he was gliding down the hill backwards. The entire class, kids and the instructor, kept cheering him on! “You’ve got it, keep coming this way!”
Boy, did I recognize this position. Sometimes I’m moving the right direction, down the mountain or toward the finish line, yet I’m looking the opposite direction. And there’s my tribe, my wonderful group of encouragers, keeping me on task, cheering for me, directing me to my goal. I think this may be the most critical element in making dietary changes, having folks who will cheer you on even when you are looking the opposite direction.
And then there were the tumbles. People learning to ski, and even more so, people learning to snowboard, fall A LOT. The little kids on the slopes rebound quickly, pop right back up and head on down the mountain. Some folks are a little less reluctant to try again, maybe they’ve already fallen 50 times that day, maybe snowboarding isn’t coming naturally to them. But the important thing is that they get back up.
I’ve tumbled, stumbled and fallen a lot in my quest for health and on my weight loss journey. Some days, I pop back up like those little kids learning to ski and get right back to it. Other times, I’ve taken much longer to get back on track. I’ve considered trudging down the ski slope in clunky boots instead of learning to ski. Guess which method is more effective?
The last little tidbit I learned came on the very last day of our ski trip. My favorite fella doesn’t really dig snow skiing. It’s getting easier for him and he falls a lot less these days, but I’m never certain he enjoys it as much as he tolerates it because I enjoy it. So on the final day of our trip, he said, “I’m gonna learn to snowboard today.” WHAT?!? It’s hard, many folks spend their first 3 days falling and falling and falling some more. How much could he learn in half a day and how frustrating would it be?
I went skiing by myself for awhile and after a few hours, skied over to where he was taking a class.
Imagine my surprise–he was upright. He was making smooth turns and it was obvious he was actually enjoying it! So after three years of trying to ski and not really digging it, he tried something slightly different and found his nitch.
I know about this. I’ve tried and tried to stick with eating plans that were overly restrictive but promised to make me healthier, tried the current trendy “lose weight fast” plan and struggled. It wasn’t easy, wasn’t enjoyable, didn’t work for me. Not that everything has to be easy or enjoyable, but I know now that I’m much more likely to stick with a plan if it is. The lesson, in short, if you are doing something that isn’t really working for you, change it up!
So that’s it on my deep thoughts from ski school. I’ve returned to lower elevation and am all set to put some of the lessons into play. And the next time I’m in the mountains, I may just learn to snowboard…
Thursday, January, 10, 2013
It’s not often I find myself dining where I don’t have to ask a gazillion questions about the menu. “Is there gluten in this? Are you sure? There’s no soy sauce in the marinade, right? How about the salad dressing? Can I please read the label? Would the chef please confirm for me?” It was an absolute treat to visit Annie May’s Sweet Cafe for this exact reason.
And also for the amazing food.
I visited Annie May’s a few times while working in Louisville. One day I had an oatmeal cream pie and a classic cupcake.
The oatmeal cream pie was much larger than the Little Debbie version and also much more flavorful. If I could figure out how to make the filling, I would eat gallons of it. It’s better that I don’t know. The oatmeal cookie part had a nice crunch around the edges and was chewy in the middle, my idea of a great cookie.
The Classic cupcake, Annie May’s take on a Hostess cupcake, was a light and moist cake with a fluffy filling and a ganache on top. I think it is clever that they piped the word “classic” into the swirls of frosting. This was one of the best gluten-free cupcakes I have had.
On another visit, I had a funnel cake. While writing the 52 Foods on a Stick blog, I watched my friends eat a lot of fair food. Most of it I’m okay with not being able to eat, but I do really miss an occasional funnel cake. Sure, I could make one at home, but having one out is part of the experience. While it’s not exactly a fair food experience, this funnel cake was perfect in every way. In some ways, it was better than fair food, grease had not completely saturated the plate it was served on and I didn’t have to wait in a line outdoors on hot concrete. Fluffy, soft cake on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, it was a perfect funnel cake. Toppings were available but I ordered mine in fair-food-purist fashion, powdered sugar only.
My final visit was for lunch. I got a box lunch to go, a sandwich, quinoa tabouli and fresh fruit. I got to customize my sandwich with a wide selection of vegetables and vegan cheese. The quinoa salad was a nice, light salad with a vinegar dressing. The bun, made in-house at Annie May’s, was a nice sandwich size and didn’t fall apart as so many gluten-free breads do.
The next time I’m in Louisville, I’ll definitely go back to Annie May’s. I may find a reason to visit Louisville just to go back to Annie May’s. I’d very much like to try their pizza and the other bakery items I didn’t manage to eat my way through. I highly recommend you stop by to visit, too!
I got a good laugh out of their tip cups. Which one would you choose?
EAT WITH: wild abandon! They get gluten-free here and will take great care of you. Tell them what you can and can’t eat and they’ll point you the right direction.
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe is located at 3110 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. 502.384.2667.
Johnna’s I Ate Here series is not intended as a restaurant review, rather a summary of Johnna’s experience dining out. You may or may not have a similar experience. Menu prices, items and ingredients featured were current at the time of writing. Please read the menu carefully and ask your server for assistance in ordering if you have dietary restrictions. It’s never a bad idea to call ahead and let the restaurant know of your food needs.
Tuesday, December, 11, 2012
In 2012, instead of a 52 project, I did a 40+12 project, 40 Days of 40 Favorite Things for my 40th birthday plus 12 Adventures. This post is one such adventure. While it does not include a gluten-free or healthy recipe, it is part of my healthy approach to life lived well. I hope you’ll read along when I write about my adventures, they are an important part of the journey to health!
While I work really hard to make this eating gluten-free thing look easy (and actually BE easy), there’s a comfort that comes with being around others who understand. One of my favorite adventures of the year was attending the gfe-Gluten Free Easily retreat at Shirley’s beautiful home, which I consider to be a retreat center. Keep reading, you’ll see why…
I drove from DC to Shirley’s beautiful home in a wooded area with a lake. I had not met Shirley in person, but really felt like I knew her because she has always been such a great source of support for the entire gluten-free community online. She is every bit as warm and inviting in person and her home reflects that. I knew the minute I arrived leaving was going to be difficult. It was so peaceful!
Over the weekend, I met many more fabulous ladies and reconnected with Diane of The Whole Gang. Diane was almost always in the kitchen, seamlessly creating meals for the vegetarians, the dairy-free folks, whatever food challenge was at hand. She made it look easy and it was always delicious. It was here that I fell in love with the Hurom juicer and learned about guaco-tacos. I’m rarely without a jicama after learning this great trick.
I really enjoyed meeting Debi of Hunter’s Lyonesse and we’ve since shared a meal closer to her home than mine or Shirley’s. She keeps her camera at the ready and that makes me feel comfortable–being with others who photograph food like I do is a treat. There was certainly no shortage of food photography in this group of ladies!
The angel food cake Linda of Gluten-Free Homemaker shared made this trip worth it, even if all I did was eat cake. And the incredibly simple, insanely delicious chocolate fondue Kim of CookIt Allergy Free whipped up to go with it? Divine! These ladies are truly masters of the kitchen.
Shirley did an amazing job showing us her part of the country. We saw beautiful historic sites, went on a horse and carriage ride and even had a bit of local food.
Here’s Diane showing Heather of Gluten Free Cat the how-tos of steamed crab. While not something I eat, it is always interesting to me to see local food and I’m glad I had to chance to join these gals for a regional meal.
Visiting the local farmer’s market was another highlight of this trip for me. I brought home tomato basil jam and had a delicious gluten-free muffin at the market made by a bright young lady, Maren, who surely has a future in baking. I also visited the water the same day, such a beautiful part of the country!
Just so it doesn’t sound like all we did was eat and sight-see, I’ll share a bit more. One night we had a lovely lunar yoga class with Jennifer. Jennifer isn’t a blogger but should be. She’s witty and smart and savvy to the ways we should treat our bodies. I adore her and am so glad to have met her.
We also had down time to catch up with the cyber world and to laugh. Boy, we laughed A LOT. There’s such a sense of ease with these ladies, knowing we all get each other from a place of more than just food. That sure did make for a fun weekend full of food and laughter. And there’s was this handsome pooch, Sonny. Icing on the cake for me, a lovely group of ladies AND a dog!
I’ve traveled several times since going to Shirley’s wonderful retreat and each time I’ve thought about how easy it was, how much fun I had, going to a place full of other gluten-free folks. While I have no plans of moving to a gluten-free commune, it sure was fun spending time with a group of gluten-free folks in a beautiful setting. I hope to do it again one day soon!
Thursday, December, 06, 2012
In 2012, instead of a 52 project, I did a 40+12 project, 40 Days of 40 Favorite Things for my 40th birthday plus 12 Adventures. This post is one such adventure. While it does not include a gluten-free or healthy recipe, it is part of my healthy approach to life lived well. I hope you’ll read along when I write about my adventures, they are an important part of the journey to health!
I really enjoy kayaking. Just me and my kayak floating along in the ocean. Me and a kayak, no passengers, no co-captain of my tiny little ship.
That’s where the adventure comes in here. See, when I’m in a kayak by myself, I have some false illusion of being in control. It’s up to me to stay upright in the boat and I can paddle wherever I’d like to.
That’s where the adventure comes in. I’m not a fan of tandem anything. I’ve got issues, y’all! My favorite fella, love him, kayaks with me in the ocean in his own kayak but has had a few awkward and unplanned exits from his watercraft. He’s not quite as comfortable with the kayak as he is with a mountain bike. We balance each other that way, as I’d rather be in a kayak.
But I really wanted to see the Captain Cook Monument on Hawaii’s Big Island. It’s only accessible by water and requires a government-issued landing permit if you intend to get out of the water to see the monument, which is technically on British soil. We need an outfitter with a permit and found a great one, except they only had tandem kayaks.
While there is definitely a learning curve, it wasn’t bad at all. The kayak loading area was one of the scariest I’ve seen, huge waves crashing against a concrete boat launch with a 4 foot drop down so we literally jumped into our boats while local kiddos held the lines in exchange for a couple bucks. We saw less adventurous sorts taking large boats out to the area later in the day and realized they had missed all of that fun.
On the paddle out, we saw spinner dolphins. They put on quite a show. Once at the monument, we snorkled for a few hours, had a light lunch and paddled back. I’m not usually an early morning person, but was glad we had gone early, as the large boats of tourists arrived later and it became a little less tranquil.
If getting into the boats had been slightly scary, paddling back into the boat launch area was WAY scary. The waves were intense and pulled us back out as quickly as we could paddle in. After 3 attempts, we managed to get close enough to toss a line up to one of those cute kids who yanked us in and held the boat steady long enough for us to toss our gear bag up and climb up the concrete wall. Pegs of re-bar sticking out provided a few places to grab on but I think adrenaline may have been the critical tool in getting back on land.
Would I tandem kayak again? If it is all that is available. I still prefer being solo but I did it and it was fun. Actually, more than fun. It was a great adventure!
Wednesday, December, 05, 2012
In 2012, instead of a 52 project, I did a 40+12 project, 40 Days of 40 Favorite Things for my 40th birthday plus 12 Adventures. This post is one such adventure. While it does not include a gluten-free or healthy recipe, it is part of my healthy approach to life lived well. I hope you’ll read along when I write about my adventures, they are an important part of the journey to health!
Way back at the first of the year, I mentioned I wasn’t doing a 52 project this year. Instead, I chose to do 40 of my favorite things on the 40 days surrounding my 40th birthday, followed by 12 adventures for a total of 52 fun days.
I’ve had so much fun on my adventures and am excited to share them with you in the next 12 days. Here goes…
Adventure #1, Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
My favorite fella and I went stand-up paddle boarding in Hawaii. We rented boards and paddles near the hotel where we stayed and got brief (think 2 or 3 minutes brief) instruction before heading into the ocean. Not a tranquil lake, but the big ol’ ocean with waves and surfers and more waves.
Ok, so they weren’t huge North Shore waves, but we come from a landlocked place. The waves looked huge as we bobbed in the water trying to figure out how to get on the board, keep the paddle in hand and time our attempts to stand up with the waves in mind.
We both managed to get up on our boards and paddle around. I spent the majority of the time on my knees paddling or in the water retrieving my paddle that had become separated from me during one of my less-than-graceful falls off of the board after being broadsided by a wave. And I loved every minute of it!
No pictures of us stand-up paddle boarding to share, not that we didn’t try. We both struggled with waterproof cameras and ended up with unintentional photos of feet or a portion of a board. It took mere minutes to figure out it was best to focus on waves and the fun of the adventure than to worry about snapping a share-worthy photo.
Up next…another adventure in Hawaii. One that made me uncomfortable and forced me to relinquish my illusion of control.
