Category Archives: Real Reviews

My Favorite Frozen Pizza Crust

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Bacon and onion pizza.

Good gluten-free pizza is hard to come by.  Harder than cake, cookies, or even- dare I say it-bread.  I stumbled upon a fabulous gluten-free pizza in an Italian restaurant in Vienna, but since moving to Rochester, I haven’t found a pizza or frozen crust I’ve really enjoyed…until I found Silvana’s Arize.  I love this crust.  It is crispy, chewy, and doughy at the same time.  It doesn’t get soggy or soft under the pressure of the sauce, and it tastes good alone.  You can pile toppings on top and they won’t slide off after the pizza cools.  My husband says it best, this crust isn’t good gluten-free pizza crust, it’s just good pizza crust.

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My favorite pizza yet: light on the sauce, spicy, four cheese, tomato and brussel sprouts.

Silvana’s Arize is actually a spin-off company of Nick’s Deli and Pizza in Chili.  Silvana Bellone, an Italian immigrant living in Rochester, was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2003.  Shortly thereafter, her son and niece were diagnosed.  Determined to provide the same good quality Italian products she was used to making and eating, she developed and starting selling her bread products at the family’s restaurant: Nick’s Deli and Pizza in Chili.  Nick’s still makes gluten-free pizza and sandwiches to order, but you can also buy the products frozen at Nick’s and now select Wegmans (East Avenue carries the pizza crust).

Post-5K Eats and Drinks at Victoire

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310717_10101941522794604_1948470766_nThis past Saturday I ran my first 5K- the Color Vibe.  I’ve never really enjoyed running.  I signed up for Color Vibe 5K because of peer pressure – all my friends were doing it!  Once I signed up though, it became serious.  I trained for the 5K like runners train for a marathon, working my way up to those 3.1 miles slowly over periods of weeks.  When I woke up Saturday morning to a windy combination of rain, hail, and  snow, I thought, “Really, Universe? How is this supposed to motivate me”?  But strangely it did.  I was determined to conquer this race.  My friend Alissa, an experience half-marathon runner, set the pace and I followed even though I was huffing and puffing on the brink of collapse during our last half-mile sprint.  But, I did it!  I ran the race in under 30 minutes which was my goal and I felt awesome.  Really awesome.

7572_10101926734066334_1767894334_nAfter we all crossed the finish line, gave high-fives, and took photos, we decided to celebrate with some bloody marys.  We went to Victoire because it was the only bar in the neighborhood that was open at 11 am!  Victoire specializes in Belgian beer and food. I had a great experience at Victoire, despite being a place where a celiac could potentially have NO gluten-free options, I had plenty. Not only do they carry Green’s Endeavor Dubbel Ale, a Belgian gluten-free beer, but three interesting cider options, and a Raspberry Kombucha Beer, which is made from hops, kombucha, and raspberries – therefore gluten-free.  I had the latter on this occasion and while it was too sweet for me, I was just happy to have an interesting drink option at a beer bar.  For food, I really wanted fries.  Obviously, there was a slim chance of this being a possibility because of cross-contamination.  However, I this to my server and she asked the chef who confirmed that the oil was new and I was able to enjoy their signature Belgian frites with different dipping sauces.  Victoire was the perfect end to my first 5K experience: cosy atmosphere, delicious frites, and ample drink options.

 

Lucy’s Maple Bliss Cookies + Giveaway

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Recently, Lucy’s Cookies emailed me and asked if I wanted to sample their Maple Bliss Cookies in honor of Maple Syrup Month.  I grew up in a house where we ate my father’s from-scratch pancakes every weekend, and one of my favorite things in the world is a warm pancake slathered with butter, covered with real, pure, maple syrup.  So of course, I couldn’t refuse!

Lucy Gibney founded Lucy’s Cookies after discovering her son had severe food allergies.  All of her cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, tree nut and peanut-free.  They are made in a dedicated bakery where trace amounts of these common allergens are tested for.  Not only is this great for individuals with multiple allergies, but multiple allergies within a household.

I’ve had Lucy’s cookies once before.  This past December, my friend served Lucy’s special holiday Merry Mint Cookies at a book club.  I found them light but with a huge punch of flavor.  Everyone else did too.  These Maple Bliss Cookies are also light and crunchy which is driven by the oat-based ingredients (all gluten-free, of course).  This cookie is sightly sweet and the maple flavor is present but not pronounced.    The cookie actually captures the buttery-sweetness of a properly dressed pancake.   I like this, but if you are looking to indulge at the end of the meal, this is not the cookie for you.  Instead, this cookie is best enjoyed in the afternoon with a glass of milk.

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Luckily, I  am not the only one benefiting from Lucy’s Cookies generosity.  I have an extra box to give away to a reader.  Comment on this post by April 17 with your favorite way to enjoy maple syrup, and I will randomly select a winner!

Review: Next Door’s “Living Gluten Free”

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Whatever expectations I had for last night’s “Living Gluten Free” dinner by Next Door were exceeded.  From start to finish, I felt special.  The event took place in the Test Kitchen, a private dining space and when we arrived for the reception,  Alex and I were each given a glass of prosecco.  While sipping on prosecco, we noticed that Danny and Stenzy Wegman were amongst the guests.  It certainly upped the “special” factor but also was a great example of how involved Wegmans is in the community it serves.  For the amuse-bouche, we were served a butternut squash soup shooter which set the standard for the deliciousness that was ahead of us, then we were ushered to the tables.

The 18 guests were seated at two long tables, dressed elegantly and lit with candles, creating a warm and intimate ambiance.  Executive Chef, Chris Brandt opened the dinner by talking about how easy it actually is to accommodate gluten free diners, since there are so many foods that are naturally gluten free, and that Next Door regularly caters to dietary restrictions.  I was generally aware of this, as a frequent Next Door diner, but it was reassuring to hear from the Chef, himself.  Then, the food service began with Wegmans own freshly baked gluten free multigrain and white breads.  Out of the eight people at our table, only three were celiac/gluten-intolerant, but every was quite happy with the flavor and moist texture of the bread.  Interestingly, only Alex and I were Rochester residents, one guest came all the way from Auburn to take part in this special evening.

nextdoorThe first course was the Raw Winter Vegetable Salad.  Shaved cauliflower, beets, radish, and winter truffle were tossed with microgreens and dressed with a truffle-yuzu dressing.  For added crunch, the chef prepared a chia seed cracker, which was my favorite surprise gluten free treat.  This was Alex’s favorite dish because of its uniqueness.  I could smell the second course of scallops being prepared in the test kitchen, which was just feet away from us, and when it arrived, my taste buds were ready!  The scallops were served with a vanilla-fennel-pear sauce and cranberries.  This was my favorite dish because the scallops were cooked perfectly and I loved the vanilla-cranberry flavor combination with a savory dish.

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Waiting for our main course of colorado lamb, we were once again teased with delicious smells that wafted from the kitchen.  The lamb was prepared as roasted chops and a braised foreshank, seasoned with rosemary.  It was served with baby carrots, goat cheese potato puree, and a zucchini-mint sauce.  Both cuts of meat were incredibly flavorful, but slightly fatty.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed this dish thoroughly.  The portion size of the dishes was relatively generous, so after our main course, we were all feeling quite satisfied.

 

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However, any feeling of fullness was ignored as the waiters presented us with dessert: molten chocolate cake with house-made cherry-vanilla ice cream, cherry sauce, and a chocolate wafer.  The cake was in one word, decadent.  The cake-y outside gave way to a ganache on the inside.  The ice cream helped tone down the chocolate and the cherry sauce was so good I could have licked it off my plate.  Chef Brandt shared with us that he used Cup4Cup as a replacement for wheat flour in the cake and recommended it generally as a good all-purpose GF flour.

When we’d finished our last course, there were murmurs of delight and approval in reflection of the experience we had all just shared.  No one missed the gluten.

As we left the Test Kitchen, I stopped to thank the Chef and saw a plate of leftover chia seed crackers. After I mentioned how much I enjoyed the crunch and flavor of the crackers, Chef Brandt offered them to me to take home.  See? Special from start to finish.

Brunch at Brown Hound Bistro

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Last weekend, we took advantage of the fresh snow and went to Bristol Mountain for a day of skiing.  This was only my second time at Bristol Mountain as a new Rochesterian.  I was impressed by the accessibility of the mountain and the amount of runs they had for a small mountain in western New York.  We did a half day, getting in as many runs as possible to keep our bodies moving and warm.  By the end of the day, we were all much more exhausted than we had anticipated and spent the rest of the evening at a friends’ house on Canandaigua Lake by the fire, drinking wine.

The next morning, re-energized, we woke up early (for a weekend) and had breakfast at the Brown Hound Bistro.  The Brown Hound Bistro is near the southwestern part of Canandaigua Lake in South Bristol.  It is in a charming 100-year-old house and seats only 20.  It defines cozy.

Brown Hound Bistro only serves Brunch on Sundays and only from 8-2, so if you want a table, you are strongly encouraged to make a reservation.  For someone with a non-restricted diet, the menu has a wide array of options.  From French toast to German pancakes, NYC inspired bagel sandwich with salmon (entitled the Oh My Gawd!) to a Greek inspired lamb wrap, the Brown Hound has something for every palate.  But for a celiac like me, I felt limited to the eggs and salads especially since there weren’t any labels or disclaimers for special diets.  So, I ordered the Wild Bills Hangover, an omelette with cheddar, banana peppers, onion and bacon.

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I must admit, I didn’t disclose the fact that I was gluten free, until I specified no toast.  At that point, the waitress said, “I think we may have some gluten free bread left.”  Am I glad they did!  Yes, the omelet was delicious, but the gluten free bread was hands down the best gluten free bread I have every had.  It was sliced thick-Texas style, flavorful  and the texture was spot-on: chewy, but not tough.  I made everyone at the table sample it and they agreed it was really good.  Alas, bread that good, gluten free or not, could only be homemade and indeed it was.  I shamelessly asked the waitress for the recipe but she said it was a secret.

The Brown Hound Bistro makes good food and is quite charming- but I can get good food and charm at a lot of places.  What makes this small restaurant stand out is its baked goods, made on-site.  Although I would suggest they beef up their labeling practices on their menu and advertise that they accommodate gluten free diners, I would make the trek from Rochester on a weeknight to enjoy the freshly baked gluten free bread and I suggest you do too.