Sometimes…if you look hard enough…you manage to find something amazing…despite it being a processed food in the freezer department. At least it was at a natural food store…so that’s saying something, right? Right!
That’s what I’ll keep telling myself.
Anyway…what I speak of is a brand of gluten-free and vegan pizza (this version anyway) made by BOLD Organics. In fact, BOLD Organics pizzas (the vegan and the meaty ones) are all gluten-free, milk-free, lactose-free, casein-free, whey-free, egg-free, peanut-free, and treenut-free. EPIC!! I mean…EPIC, right?! Right!
BOLD Organics was founded with a simple principle to strive for – creating the most delicious and healthy frozen pizza on the market. And that vision was reached and realized with the line of gluten-free and dairy-free pizzas that, as the Web site puts it, “are redefining just how good eating healthy can taste.”
It’s not too bold (see what I did there?) a statement either. Because what BOLD Organics did…was take their goal and do everything in their power to make it a reality. Seriously. Founder, Aaron Greenwald, often found that traditional gluten-free products on the market were bland and lacked taste. That was when Aaron embarked on his mission to not just help people eat better…but also feel better. And he sourced the best chefs he could find who not only understood gluten-free food, but could also provide bold (I did it again) flavors to the products his company would produce. And so…BOLD Organics was born.
BOLD Organics began producing high quality, allergen-free foods…so people could have a choice when it came to gluten-free pizzas. He strove to provide restaurant quality food with premium taste…without paying a premium price.
Well, when I spotted this in my natural food store’s freezer…I decided that having a frozen pizza on hand wasn’t a bad idea. I mean…when you need something easy one night, just pop it out of the freezer, onto a pizza stone…and viola…dinner! So, I had one stashed in my freezer. And, as I am trying very hard to work my way through the plethora of gluten-free goodness I have stocked up in my freezer and pantry, on Friday, as I had a 16 mile run on Saturday, I figured gluten-free pizza would be the way to go.
BOLD Organics Gluten-Free and Vegan Veggie Lovers Pizza (cooked)
Out of the two vegan options offered by BOLD Organics, I went with the Veggie Lovers version. Why? Because any pizza that is topped with seasonal vegetables (organic roasted red peppers, organic roasted yellow onions, and shiitake mushrooms) is okay in my book. The cheese they use is completely vegan. So, I pulled this out of the freezer directly after work and preheated the oven to 450° F, per the instructions on the box. I stuck my pizza stone in to warm while the oven preheated and set about opening up the box.
The box does make me think that the pizza would be a little bigger than it really is…but what it lacks for in size (it’s an 8-inch pizza), it makes up for in the fact that it is not a cracker-crust, very thin-crust pizza. Nope. Not at all. This pizza has depth to it. It has the most amazing crust…and I could tell that before it was even baked. With the oven heated and pizza stone warm, I tossed the pizza in to cook for 20-22 minutes. If the vegan cheese has not melted, it says to broil it for 1-2 more minutes. The cheese on my pizza melted beautifully and the crust became fluffy and golden and just…perfect looking.
I removed the pizza from the oven and sliced it in half. The box I have says the serving size was half the pizza. That seems to have changed now…but…I’ll go off what I had in my freezer. One half went to my roommate, the other half was mine…all mine. I can say this…it looked and smelled amazing. But, as always, the true test lies in the taste. That is the absolute heart of the matter.
I settled in for dinner, fork in hand, and sliced through the crispy, yet soft crust. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. That is pizza crust perfection, my friends. PERFECTION! And, furthermore…this pizza was frozen pizza perfection. It looked like all the non-gluten-free counterparts you see on the market. It wasn’t this sad-looking thin crust slab of cheese and veggies. No. This was a bold looking, veggie laden (save for the mushrooms…I got a bit gypped on those), vegan cheese coated amazing thing. The flavors were melt-together perfect. It was sweet from the peppers and savory with the cheese. It had that perfect crust. I was in pizza heaven. I was. Because, with the exception of my local allergen-free bakery, I can’t find anything but cracker-crust when it comes to gluten-free pizza. That just changed. My whole frozen pizza world just expanded. I was…SO impressed. The cheese, even being a vegan mozzarella, was stretchy and melty and gooey. Pizza perfection. BOLD pizza perfection. I’m sold. For life.
Let’s talk ingredients and nutrition, shall we?
This pizza is made up of filtered water, vegan gourmet mozzarella cheese alternative, inulin, soy protein, agar agar, sea salt, plant-based natural flavor, carrageenan (BOO!), vegetable source of lactic acid, organic crushed tomatoes, organic potato starch, organic rice flour, organic corn meal, organic roasted red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, organic roasted yellow onions, fresh yeast, organic tomato paste, organic extra virgin olive oil, xanthan gum, organic evaporated cane juice, organic oregano, organic apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and organic spices (rosemary, black pepper, granulated garlic, red chili).
As far as nutritional value goes…for half of a pizza…this isn’t too bad. One serving (1/2 of the pizza) served up 340 calories and 13 grams of fat. That’s actually not bad! I was impressed. It has 670 mg sodium, which is a little high…but…not bad in the grand scheme of things. The serving has 6 grams of sugar as well, which is super good. And, 1/2 of the pizza dishes up 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.
It’s awesome. BOLD Organics produced a product they can totally be proud of and stand behind. I loved every bite I took of this one. And I will definitely try the Vegan Cheese version in the future too. With a fluffy and flaky crust like that…it’s hard to stop me from stuffing another one in my freezer.
This pizza BOLD-ly went where no gluten-free pizza went before…and they did it perfectly!
A serving of BOLD Organics Gluten-Free and Vegan Veggie Lovers Pizza
It’s the second weekend in July…and that means one thing when you live in Utica, New York.
Yep…
The Boilermaker!
Confused? Don’t be. The Boilermaker 15K Road Race was established in 1976 and has grown to become the largest 15K road race in the United States. Not only that, the Boilermaker is ranked as the most competitive 15K in the world, drawing people from all across the United States as well as from other countries. It’s a big freakin’ deal. And that was why I found myself in Utica, New York this past weekend. I was running in The Boilermaker 15K.
And…as we have established from blogs past…before any major road race, my fuel of choice is a gluten-free pizza.
Lucky for me, a lot of the guesswork on this trip when it came to food was taken out of the equation. My high school friend, Jean, lives in Utica and she was the one who really directed me toward this race. I was going to run it the year before, but…I had a conflict in the schedule. Not this year. So, when I told her that I would require a gluten-free pizza the night before, she was sending me two different local Italian places that both offered gluten-free pizza. They both sounded good, so my roommate and I flipped a coin.
And the winner…Charlie’s Pizza.
Jean said it was her favorite place to grab food, so this was already sounding promising.
After a long day on the road, getting reacquainted with old friends I hadn’t seen in 15 years, hitting up the race expo, and taking my friend Jenn to Florentine’s to place an order for delicious baked goods she used to get when she lived in Utica…we all were rather hungry. So, our next stop was dinner. And that meant we all piled back into Jean’s car and headed toward Charlie’s Pizza.
Looks can be deceiving, and when you first catch a glimpse of Charlie’s Pizza in Utica…well…you might be tempted to go elsewhere. Located next to the Big Lots, it’s a little strip mall sort of joint. It looks like a dive at first glance, but I’ve learned, sometimes these “dives” are the gems of the area when it comes to food. I wasn’t casting judgment. I was going to get my pizza! We walked in to Charlie’s Pizza and it reminded me a lot of those establishments that are run down but for all the right reasons. They’ve got longevity. They’ve been there awhile. One of the ladies behind the counter asked if we were dining in. We said we were so she told us to take a seat anywhere. As we were a party of five, we took the big table at the back, underneath the television. Soon, menus were passed our way and we began to peruse the selections while our drink orders were taken. This allowed the rest of us to decide what we were going to order. Cathy and I were definitely splitting a gluten-free pizza. Jen W. and Jean were going to split a large pepperoni pizza ($14.99). And Jenn went for an order of their Stuffed Shells ($9.99).
All Cathy and I needed to do now was choose our toppings. In the end, we went for what is becoming one of our favorite pizzas to order when all ingredients are available. We settled on a Gluten-Free Pizza with Onion, Mushroom, and Pineapple ($15.50 – small cheese pizza: $9.00, made gluten-free: add $3.00, with two extra toppings: add $2.00; with one premium topping: add $1.50).
With orders in, we settled back into talking. Jean and Jenn W. were high school friends of mine, and when I moved away in 1998, I hadn’t been back to see them. We had lots to talk about and to catch up on, so you can imagine the conversations we had while waiting on food. With their pizza and pasta, there were side salads and soup for “The 3 J’s” at the table. Both Jen and Jean got the tossed salad (minus the olives) and Jenn went with the Italian Wedding Soup. It was a nice way for them to calm their rumbling stomachs. And not too long after they polished those off…food began to arrive.
Everyone’s food looked great. Jenn had expected more than just three stuffed shells with her order, but she said it turned out to be just enough. Jean and Jen’s pizza looked amazing.
But this gluten-free vegetarian was ready to dive into her own pizza creation.
Charlie’s Pizza offers up the usual gluten-free crust…cracker crust. I am not a huge fan of cracker crust when it comes to pizza as it can go wrong so easily. However…Charlie’s Pizza got it totally right. For one thing, the waitress informed us that they pre-bake the crust before they top it and put it in the oven again. This helps get the right amount of crispness to the dough so that it doesn’t remain soggy toward the middle. There is nothing worse than a soggy gluten-free pizza crust. And trust me…I have had my share of those! The cheese was melt-in-your-mouth good. And it really paired well with the fresh vegetables and the pineapple that topped the pizza. The onions and mushrooms were baked in to perfection, so that the flavors melted into the cheese and crust instead of being too bold and standing out. And the sweet pineapple was ripe and added the right hit of sweetness. The sauce was fantastic. And I loved that, while it took a bit of time to eat, the crust never once grew soggy as it sat on the tray. Not once. It remained crisp and a beautiful golden color. No burned edges. No struggling to get the pizza out of the pan. This was easy…simple…and totally delicious. I was impressed.
Highly impressed!!
Much thanks to Charlie’s Pizza for the amazing gluten-free eats the night before what turned out to be a fun, but grueling 15K the following morning. I felt well fueled for the run and have them to thank for not making me break my pre-race-night food tradition. I felt completely safe eating there as it came highly recommended by Jean. The pizza wasn’t greasy…which means everything sat well in my stomach. And it was honestly just really good food made by a great family-run business.
Thanks for the suggestion, Jean. Outstanding pizza to compliment an outstanding trip!
Charlie’s Pizza’s Gluten-Free Mushroom, Onion and Pineapple Pizza
So, I’m in Indianapolis. That morning, I ran 10 miles for training. My lunch was a gluten-free cookie and an orange. It was after 6 p.m. and I was starving. I had just finished up a string of back-to-back panels at a local sci-fi convention in Indianapolis, the entire reason I was in Indianapolis in the first place. My initial thought was a gluten-free sandwich from Jason’s Deli, but that would require leaving the convention hotel, driving out to the restaurant, which wasn’t nearby, and sitting and eating. And I honestly just didn’t have the energy.
So, my roommate and I hijacked the computer in the business center and started surfing Find Me Gluten Free.
And pizza…that’s not only convention food…it just sounded really, really, really good.
The most highly recommended place on the search was a local place called Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza. We pulled up the Web site, and…there it was…a 10 inch gluten-free crust. Awesome. We wrote down the number and checked the delivery area. And we were just a block or two outside of the delivery region. Cathy decided it was worth a try to ask if they would deliver to us, as they weren’t that far away. So, she called. And they were more than happy to accommodate. That was awesome.
We placed our order…one gluten-free pizza with mushrooms, red onion, and pineapple ($14.00). It just sounded…really good. With the order in, we were told it would be about 35 minutes, as it was a Saturday. So, we decided to keep ourselves occupied until we got the call that they were nearby. We’d meet the delivery guy in the lobby. We walked around and talked with some people while we waited and when they asked where we ordered pizza from, and we said Jockamo…they all melted and practically salivated on the spot. If that is any indication of what we were in for…I was beyond excited. And really, really hungry to boot.
It felt like no time had passed at all when Cathy’s cell phone rang. We skittered to the front lobby and had only a few minutes to wait before the delivery guy walked through the door and tracked us down. The pizza was handed over and we paid him, extra tip for coming outside of the delivery area. And then…no waiting, we hurried back to the hotel room to dive in and get some food in our stomachs.
I flipped open the pizza box and found the typical pizzeria gluten-free pizza. A cracker crust topped with red sauce, our toppings of choice, and cheese. I snapped a picture and then it was game on. We were starving and the pizza smelled fantastic.
So…we dove in. And devoured the pizza in less than 10 minutes, if that is any testimony as to how good it tasted. And this wasn’t just the “OH MY GOD I AM SO HUNGRY I WILL EAT WHATEVER IS IN FRONT OF ME REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT TASTES GOOD OR NOT” sort of hungry. It honestly tasted really, really good.
Let’s start with the crust. The thin crust was cooked almost to perfection. Almost. It had a really good flavor, but it just didn’t have that golden crustiness that I prefer with my pizza crusts, which meant, it came across as being a little soggy. Of course, some of that could be a reflection of the fact that it was cooked, packed in a box, put in a car and delivered to us. So, I’m not saying the crust was bad at all. It just didn’t have that crunch to it when I bit into it. The red sauce was fantastic. I’m not just saying that. The tomato flavors were rich and bold and seasoned to perfection. The toppings we selected were fantastic. The mushrooms, onions and pineapple were all cooked to perfection, the pineapple’s sweetness being a nice contrast to the umami flavor of the mushrooms and the bite of the onions. And then…the cheese. A nice hit of saltiness that the pizza needed…creamy and gooey and just…the entire package was phenomenal. Yep. I was impressed.
Like I said…we devoured that pizza in less than 10 minutes, each of us getting three slices each. No holds barred. It was gone as quickly as it had arrived and we were left licking marinara off our fingers and happily discussing how every bite of that pizza was beyond delicious. We were now fortified for the long evening ahead of us.
Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza really surprised me. I didn’t know what to expect, just that all the locals were salivating whenever we mentioned where we ordered pizza for our dinner. And that was enough testimony to put my mind to ease. If we had scrolled a bit further through the menu, we also would have discovered that they also offer gluten-free cookies, made by Deihdre Alltop. I didn’t know about these…but now that I do…next time I’m in Indianapolis and order from Jockamo (there will be a next time…YUM!), I think dessert will have to happen as well. Because with a choice of three different gluten-free cookies…you just can’t go wrong.
Needless to say, the service at Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza, their willingness to come just outside of the delivery area and deliver to us at the convention hotel, spoke volumes of their service. Their food…especially that house made marinara…did the rest of the talking. Honestly, one of the best sauces I have ever encountered on a pizza. It was cooked up really well…the toppings were fresh and complimented the sauce, the crust, everything. I was beyond impressed.
If you are in the Indianapolis or Greenwood area, go by Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza and get a pizza. Dine in, take out, have it delivered. Just trust me…you really want to try it. I was one happy gluten-free pizza loving girl, let me tell you. And I’ve had a lot of gluten-free pizza in my life. This one…is definitely near the top of the list.
Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza’s Gluten-Free Pizza with Mushrooms, Red Onion and Pineapple
Let’s face it, my gluten-free friends. When it comes to pizza crust, we usually have two options – make it ourselves…or use the frozen pre-packaged cracker crust pizza shells made by numerous gluten-free companies. While these aren’t all bad…I have been fortunate enough to go to a few restaurants that actually make gluten-free pizza crust that isn’t crunchy thin and tastes like…real…awesome…pizza…crust.
But, tradition for me is a gluten-free pizza before the night of a big race. For 5Ks…I’m apathetic on the tradition, but on a 10K or higher…you better believe I want my gluten-free pizza the night before. I’m a superstitious athlete…and this has just been my magic night-before-the-race fuel. It just works for me. But…recently I’m on a tighter-than-usual budget (I blame race fees!), so instead of dropping money at a restaurant, I decided to pull out this kit I purchased at my local Earth Fare awhile back and give it a shot. It would be…the best of both worlds. A crust made from a mix that I got to roll out like a real pizza…without it feeling or, hopefully tasting, like those gluten-free cracker crusts of gluten-free pizza monotony.
I should trademark that…
Anyway…
It had been a long day at work and I was rather hungry when I walked inside from a long day at the office. Immediately I settled into the kitchen to get this pizza working. I opened up the kit, pulled out the vacuum-sealed pizza crust mix, the sauce packet, and the baking paper that they provided. I preheated the oven to 450 degrees and put my pizza stone in there to warm up. So far…so good. Now came the fun part.
I call this the fun part because this is where I felt like I was really, truly, making a real…yes a REALpizza. The crust was vegan, which means it had no eggs added to it and no dairy was involved in making it. In fact…it took 1/2 cup of water, warmed in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then the pizza crust mix that was provided. This was a simple blend of organic brown rice flour, organic buckwheat flour, teff flour, sweet rice flour, yeast, organic raw sugar, sea salt and vitamin C. Seems legit, yes? Well, I did as instructed and poured the mix into the warmed water, stirring it until it was all incorporated and then making a dough ball, as instructed, in the bowl, covering it with the provided baking paper, and letting it sit for 10 minutes to rise.
While that was happening, I prepared the rest of the toppings…which is whatever you want. For me…vegan Daiya cheese, avocado, pinapple, tomato, onion, green pepper, and broccolette. Mmmm…veggie pizza with a hit of sweet pineapple. It would be epic. I just knew it.
With my veggies chopped and ready for the pizza, I removed the baking paper…and noticed my dough ball hadn’t even altered in size. It looked just like it did when I rolled it into a ball and left it there. Hmmm…
Well, I ran with it. The baking paper was placed on the counter and I put two teaspoons of olive oil on it. The dough ball was plopped onto the paper and rolled around into the olive oil, then I grabbed my rolling pin and rolled it out into a 12-inch circle as best I could, doing a horrible job at crimping the edges. No surprise. This isn’t my forte. Anyway, I slid the baking paper with my crust base over to the warm pizza stone and set it on the low rack to begin cooking for about 10 minutes.
GalloLea Gluten-Free Pizza Kit includes a gluten-free pizza crust mix, a sauce pack, and baking paper
When that 10 minutes was up, I pulled it out and did as I was instructed by the kit…I poured the sauce packet on top and spread it out to coat the crust. The sauce, by the way is a simple blend of organic whole peeled tomatoes, organic tomato paste, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic garlic, organic raw sugar, organic basil, organic oregano and more organic spices. It sounded organically awesome, honestly. Pure, natural ingredients. I like it. Then, over the sauce I added all the toppings and a scattering of my Daiya mozzarella shreds. Vegan pizza…is awesome. Trust me. And back into the oven it went for another 10 minute baking session, allowing the crust to cook more, the toppings to warm, the cheese to melt, and that pineapple to caramelize.
When 10 minutes was up…the pizza stone came out and my pizza was done and ready to eat. All of this is around 30 minutes time. Not too bad for a dough you prep by hand. That was, actually, my favorite part of this process. I felt like I was eating something real. Not just a frozen mass of dough already pre-made for my convenience. I like getting my hands into things and making and rolling the dough was a nice step in that direction.
So…here it is…the truth, the whole truth…and nothing but the truth.
GalloLea Gluten-Free Pizza Kit let me down. It just…let me down hard.
I went to slice through the crust and found that it was…very difficult to slice into. My hopes of having this beautifully crisp yet soft pizza crust flew immediately out the window. I was already frustrated with the crust and I hadn’t even tasted it. Once I managed to slice it into fourths and then into smaller pieces for consumption purposes, I took a serving (1/4 of the pizza) to my roommate and served up another serving for myself. I settled in, hoping the taste would make up for the tough to slice through crust.
Nope. This crust turned out to be completely tasteless. It was crunchy and bland…reminding me more of the cardboard flavored gluten-free products of yesterday rather than the amazing flavor, texture, and taste that can come with gluten-free products that are done right. SO frustrating and aggravating. I was let down. The underside of the pizza crust got this amazing crunch to it, but the top, the part that was sauced, turned into a soggy mess. I’m sorry…pizza crust should not be soggy. Ever. It was lackluster, uninspired, bland, and just plain…disgusting. I almost didn’t want to save the other half of the pizza for the following evening. But I did…because I didn’t want to waste money. Ugh. I reheated it the following night in a skillet, hoping it might improve the crust some. Nope. Still a bland, soggy mess of a pizza.
GalloLea…you did everything wrong with this mix. I mean, who says that pizza crust has to be bland and just…not worth the effort to make it. I was so disappointed with the time I spent rolling out this dough and preparing it. The sauce was bitter and didn’t taste good at all. I’d recommend using your own sauce if you happen to have one of these in your pantry. I’m just saying.
As for the nutritional worth of this bland pizza crust…with the sauce included…the serving of 1/4 of a pizza will set you back 170 calories, and that’s without counting the toppings you add to it. There is only 1 gram of fat in the mix and sauce, however, and it does provide 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. This mix is also low on sodium (220 mg) and contains only 3 grams of sugar. It is cholesterol free as well.
Unfortunately…it is also disgusting. And I was so disappointed that once again I was stuck with a less-than-satisfying pre-race pizza. I want a good pizza before a race, dammit. Is that too much to ask?
My recommendation…make your own gluten-free crust. Don’t rely on mixes. And if you are pressed for time, there are plenty of tasty, frozen, pre-made gluten-free pizza crusts out there to throw into the oven with your own sauce and toppings. Don’t waste your time and money on the GalloLea Gluten-Free Pizza Kit. You will regret it. I sure did.
GalloLea Pizza Crust stopped with my amazing toppings. The toppings were the best part. The crust was horrible!
It was October 24, 2011 when I first was able to finally try Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. I remember the day like it was just yesterday instead of almost two years ago. At this point, my gluten-free journey was in the beginning stages. I had tried Udi’s bread…and loved it. But that was basically all I could find in my area…until one day…the gluten-free gods smiled upon me…and one of my local stores started carrying Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts in their freezer section. I was so happy (and hungry) at that moment, I damned my budget, threw a pack of them into my cart and went home to make some gluten-free pizza for dinner.
Almost two years ago.
Sometimes things change over the span of a couple years. Companies toy around with recipes…sometimes because it is needed (Udi’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls…yes…you…and I still am not the biggest fan of those)…and sometimes because they just want to see if they can improve on the awesome product they already have on the market (Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread…your new recipe is awesome!).
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the quality, taste, and sheer awesomeness that comes in each pack of Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. Sure, Udi’s now makes pre-topped frozen pizzas…and those are all fine and good. But sometimes…most of the time…I have my own pizza toppings in mind and I want to get into my kitchen and draw on my inner allergic chef and just…create.
Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts
Most people would think that would mean…make your own gluten-free crust. I have. And sometimes I still do. But when you’re hungry or in a hurry…you work with what is available to you. And what my area happens to have in almost every grocery store now…are Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. And I couldn’t be happier about it.
Recently, I received an amazing box of gluten-free goodness from Udi’s of products, both classic and new…to try for my blog. One of the included items was a pack of their Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. As I run a lot and my favorite pre-race meal is gluten-free pizza…this had me stoked. I already knew I was a huge fan of their pizza crusts…although it had been…probably about a year since I had last had one.
Well, yesterday I ran two 5K races…one in the morning and one in the evening. And that meant…Friday night was gluten-free pizza night. Normally, my roomie and I would just pick a local restaurant that had a respectable, safe gluten-free pizza on the menu. But…we’re on a tight budget this month…and now…I had pizza crusts in my freezer. So…yes…I would make my own.
I got out my pizza stone, put some cornmeal down, then got the pizza crusts out of the freezer. I removed one of them and put the other one away. Once my pizza stone was properly heated and the corn meal beginning to brown, I placed the crust down on the stone and began to top it with what ingredients I had on hand. I made my own version of a gluten-free and vegetarian Hawaiian pizza. A little marinara, some homemade gluten-free and vegan bacon, some red onion, chunks of fresh pineapple, and topped it off with Daiya mozzarella vegan cheese. Oh…my pre-race meal was already making me drool and it still had to bake.
Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (ready for toppings and baking)
Into the oven it went for about 10-12 minutes. It smelled fantastic as it started to bake, the cheese getting melty and gooey…the pineapple beginning to caramelize under the heat of the oven, the crust turning to that perfect golden brown. Oh yes…this was gluten-free pizza that was going to get me through two races in one day. And it was turning into pizza perfection.
And the best part was…I still LOVED it. Every last bite of it. My pizza turned out brilliantly. The crust baked to a crispy, yet still chewy, perfection. It was able to sustain the heavy pineapple chunks among the other toppings. And it tasted so good. SO good. This crust is light and thin, so you don’t feel like a glutton for downing half of the entire crust (which is the serving size, BTW). I am just as in love with these pizza crusts now as I was almost two years ago. Nothing about them has changed. They are amazing. Top them off however you wish. You can’t go wrong when you’re making it your own. And thanks to Udi’s…you can do this on a super busy night…or if you just want to have some time to relax. Pizza doesn’t have to be about making your own crust. Let Udi’s do that for you…because this is a crust worth slicing into and devouring.
Nutritionally speaking, this is also one of the best pre-made gluten-free pizza crusts on the market. The serving size, as I mentioned before, is 1/2 of the pizza. It makes sharing with someone so simple and easy. My roomie gets her half and I get mine. I leave a zone between the halves for easy slicing, as she uses real cheese on hers…whereas I am lactose intolerant and use vegan cheese on mine. It works out beautifully. A serving of the crust alone will only set you back 190 calories and 5 grams of fat. Trust me…this is on the low end of most of the pre-made gluten-free crusts out there. Believe me…I have searched. On top of that, your half of a pizza serves up 4 grams of protein. AWESOME.
These crusts are made from a blend of tapioca starch, brown rice flour, water, canola oil, egg whites, evaporated cane sugar, tapioca syrup, tapioca maltodextrin, salt, xanthan gum, yeast, and cultured corn syrup solids (to prevent mold). Combine it and what you end up with is one of the best gluten-free pizza crusts in your grocer’s freezer section. These have been on the market for quite awhile…but if you are new to the gluten-free lifestyle or just haven’t spent the money to try them out…I encourage you to do so…and do so now. These are fantastic and…make having a pizza party a whole lot less stressful.
Bake up one for yourself and taste the awesomeness of Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. No really. Do so. Pizza waits for no one.
Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Hawaiian Pizza made on Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
This will teach me to allow my roommate to make changes to the original plan. Because, judging by the reviews that I’ve read since just working on this blog, I never would have gone to Pizza Ranch for my night-before-a-big-race gluten-free pizza tradition when a place like Pizza Luce existed within a short drive from my grandpa’s home. Let me tell you…next time I pick the place and we stick to the plan…because when I eat gluten-free pizza…I expect a really amazing gluten-free pizza.
But Pizza Ranch, right off the bat, I could tell wasn’t going to be a place to get something amazing to eat. Too bad. The line was pretty long and we had 10 people in our party as my cousin Molly and her hubby and two kids joined us, as did my cousin Andy and his significant other as well. My friend Heather came over and joined us for dinner as well. Big group…and not everyone quite sure how this place worked.
But my aunt figured it out. We had to either get the buffet (not gluten-free) or go place an order at the front desk. Everything was paid for in advance, and you could have all the pizza you wanted, or a specialty pizza made and brought to your table in its own box. After a little discussion, Heather, Cathy and I decided that the perfect toppings for our pizza that night were best kept mild…so mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions ($12.99). We all got fountain drinks, although I simply got water in mine.
Now, this was not how I wanted to start out Heather when it came to gluten-free foods. We had to wait awhile to actually get our food. Which…is fine. It’s okay when food takes some time to prepare. And yes, it was actually brought to the table in its own box. But by them, my family who had all opted for buffet and my grandpa, who had ordered some 2-piece chicken dinner ($5.49), all had pretty much finished off their meals. So, the pizza got there in time for us to make a show of eating it.
And a show it was. Opening the box it looks like the cracker-crust pizzas I get at every other small chain pizza place that is getting into gluten-free. And that’s fine. If it is done right. At first glance, this one seemed to be, even if a bit charred on the edges. When you’re working with such a thin crust…it happens. However…that being said, Cathy went to snag the first piece from the aluminum sheet it was cooked on, only to find it completely baked onto the disposable pan. I mean…crusted on there good. She managed to get her fork and knife in to hack away at the charred edge that held it in place and finally freed her piece. This made it easier for Heather and I to snag ours, but I was completely mortified. Remember…Heather hasn’t had gluten-free pizza before and this was already scaring me…a patron of the gluten-free pizza scene.
I scraped my piece out of the tray and onto my plate, gave it a little shake of crushed red pepper and sliced off the very tip with my fork. One bite. Instant disappointment. I mean…instant. It wasn’t that the pizza was bad. It wasn’t. It just…wasn’t all that good either. The crust, while crispy and maybe a little too done on the edges, was pale and soft on the inside. It was cooked through, but you couldn’t easily pick up this pizza to eat. It had to be eaten with a fork and knife because the crust was just…mush. Pale, ungolden, uncrispy…mush. And where it was crispy…it was a little too done.
Yeah…I think my disappointment showed. But at that point, you’ve paid for it, everyone else has eaten…so you sort of just eat what you have and be thankful that you’re at least getting your pre-race tradition done. We thought the toppings were fine. The vegetables were fresh. The onions were raw, not caramelized…but…we were at a place called Pizza Ranch. So…such luxuries are not exactly what you should expect. I’m okay with raw onions though. And they tasted fine. It was just too bad that crust ruined the entire pizza experience for me. I was so unimpressed and unhappy with every bite of that pizza. And the fact that the three of us had to literally fight to extract each piece from the tray was only making it worse. My heart was heavy. My pizza was…meh.
And my runner’s spirit was sort of crushed. As was my chance to really show Heather what the food I eat is all about. But…I have a feeling I can fix all of that when we hit up Chicago in October. She just needs to trust me.
Anyway…I had three pieces, Cathy and three, and Heather stuck with two (I don’t blame her). And we all left, discussing how the pizza wasn’t awful it just wasn’t…noteworthy or…good. It was underwhelming. And it honestly made me sad. When you are known for pizza…I don’t care if it is gluten-free…you make a damn good pizza. Even if you are a small, regional chain, only available in nine states…when you make a name off your pizza…make all of your pizza good. Not just the dough you make from scratch. The toppings were really good…the gluten-free crust, however, was not up to my standards. I eat a lot of gluten-free pizzas (because I run a lot)…and this was one of the worst yet.
Thank goodness it wasn’t an omen for race day. And thank goodness we all survived. I don’t think we’ll mosey over to Pizza Ranch again next time I visit Minnesota to run. I think I’ll go where everyone raves about the food and service. Pizza Luce…I’m looking at you. Pizza Ranch…I intend to let you fade from my memory. While I appreciate that you have gluten-free pizza available, we in the gluten-free community prefer to have as good a pizza as those who can dine normally. And, sadly, that wasn’t the case for me.
Pizza Ranch Gluten-Free Pizza with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, onion, and mushrooms
So…if you’re anything like me…you’ve never heard of Pinstripes. That was certainly the case up until my first full day in Minneapolis. I was bustling around town with my roomie and my aunt, having hit up the race expo that morning for my half marathon the next day. So, with that one detail (and the major thing we needed to accomplish) taken care of…we were just hitting up interesting places along the way until we needed to head home for a bit and figure out where to grab gluten-free pizza for race night tradition.
While we were trying to decide on where to grab a quick, and semi-light bite for lunch, my aunt, Jan, mentioned a really cool place she and her friend stopped into for drinks one time. Pinstripes. And we weren’t far from it at all.
I was totally game for that…and…they were listed on Find Me Gluten Free with one positive 5-star review. Granted, it’s only one review, but at least it had one on there, yes? So…we decided that after we stopped by the Apple Store to get some of Jan’s stuff sorted, we would grab something to eat at Pinstripes.
Now…I had no idea what Pinstripes was until I stepped inside. It looks like a great Italian/American bistro, with wine bottles and decor to match. However, throughout this amazing set-up, you see a variety of hand painted bowling balls. Bowling balls? You betcha. And here’s why…this bistro not only houses a 40,000 square foot dining and entertainment area, but also features bowling alleys in the back, a year-round outdoor patio and fire pit, as well as party rooms that can accommodate 20-600 people. A little bit of everything and it still looks and feels upscale and classy. They term this “sophisticated fun” and let me tell you…they have the setting all right. It felt welcoming, engaging, fun, and still upscale all at once. Amazing.
As our menus were being grabbed by our hostess, I asked for a gluten-free one and she was happy to accommodate. We were shown to a booth where we all settled in, opting to stick with water at lunch as we’d already treated ourselves to coffee that morning. I eagerly picked up my little slip of a menu and started to gaze down the items listed.
And found myself…sort of underwhelmed.
Pizzas…pastas…and meat-based large plates are what were listed. I didn’t want pasta when I was going to be having pizza that night, and that fact also negated me getting pizza as well. As tempting as it was to get dessert for lunch (the gluten-free menu does offer gelato, sorbet, a Frangelico chocolate cake or a limoncello creme brulee, I needed some actual sustenance as it was the day before a half marathon. The better I ate, the better my body would be the following morning.
When our waitress arrived with our drink orders, Cathy and Jan knew what they wanted and I knew that the regular menu had salads listed. So, I inquired over the Caprese Salad, which by all intents and purposes should have been gluten-free…and…it was. Salads just didn’t make it over to the gluten-free menu, I suppose. With that information, which, the waitress did go back and double check that everything was safe for me to eat before we ordered, we all placed our orders.
Jan and Cathy both decided to order off the small plates menu. Jan decided on the Italian Meatballs ($11.00), which came wrapped up in a sandwich roll with a side salad as well. Cathy, having a craving, went with the Fried Calamari, which came with a marinara for dipping ($12.00). As for me, with pasta and pizza out of the question, I opted for the Caprese Salad ($13.00). Orders were in and we were left to converse, which we did. After all, it had been close to a year since the last time I had visited.
After a little while, our food arrived at the table. Jan’s small plate definitely looked like a full meal, and after a little bit, she opted to forgo the bread the Italian Meatballs were tucked into and eat the protein alone. She raved about them. Loved them. Cathy was really happy with her calamari, loving that they included tentacles and everything. Creepy…I know. But she loves it and doesn’t get it very often.
My Caprese Salad was a work of art, I think. It was a gorgeous presentation that included slices of red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, capped with thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, adorned with three fresh leave of basil and all lightly drizzled with a balsamic reduction. It not only looked light and refreshing…it was light and refreshing. Just the type of lunch I needed to have. I sliced through the layers of tomato and cheese and took up a bite…and it all just worked. The cheese was creamy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The tomato was ripe, juicy and sweet, the perfect counterpart to the mozzarella cheese. And that balsamic reduction really tied everything together. And it was a light drizzle so that the salad wasn’t swimming in it. It was like an accessory to the main dish. Even better were the bites that included the leaves of basil, which I would pick and choose sparingly. Amazing. A salad is a simple thing, but when done right, it can blow any entree out of the water. This…was salad greatness.
Pinstripes was a fun, upscale, yet family-friendly restaurant that I’d love to try again. Maybe I’d even do my night-before-the-race gluten-free pizza there. Because…honestly…all three of us really enjoyed our food. It was fresh, perfectly seasoned, and and made up to perfection. The little plates were definitely for big appetites regardless, but we had burned off breakfast by then and still had plenty of time before we hit up the pizza location of choice, which we hadn’t decided on quite yet. After we ate, we went to peek in at the people bowling in the lanes in the back. And then went to see the patio and check out the lakefront as well. It was the perfect afternoon…with a perfect meal to tie us over.
If you happen to be near a Pinstripes, I encourage you to check it out sometime for a lunch or dinner. They are a little pricey, but the quality of the food reflects the service, the preparation, and the care they put into each plate. I loved this place. Locations are sort of regional, though, with one location in Minnesota and three in Illinois.
Totally worth the stop though. I’d go back again in a heartbeat.
There has been a common ingredient in my past two CSA bins that have arrived at my doorstep on Friday evenings. For the last two weeks, my bin has had asparagus in it. And I absolutely LOVE asparagus. But I hadn’t even used the previous week’s bunch and here I was with a fresh stock of it as well. I needed to come up with something…and fast. I could always toss it in with pasta…or make up a risotto, both options I have done before. But…I wanted to try something different. Think outside the box.
And thanks to a pin that showed up on my feed on Pinterest, I had to look no further than a simple pizza.
Pizza!
This truly was a simple pizza, made with ricotta cheese, asparagus, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. That’s it.
I figured, why not try it? After all…I had some vegan ricotta cheese lingering in my fridge and now had a recipe to use it in again.
So, last night for dinner, I baked up a gluten-free version of the recipe that was posted on Just A Taste, a blog about exploring life through food. Hmmm…my kind of blog. Anyway, I made the necessary adjustments to make this fit into my gluten-free diet. Below is my version of the original recipe.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza
Gluten-Free Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza
Servings: 2 (half of the pizza)
Time: Prep: 15 minutes; Bake 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Udi’s gluten-free pizza crust, or gluten-free crust of your choosing or making
Cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet/pizza stone
Olive oil
3/4 cups ricotta (I used Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
1 pound asparagus (medium thickness)
Lemon, for garnishing
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
Sprinkle your baking sheet or pizza stone with cornmeal. Place the pizza dough/crust on the baking sheet and brush the top lightly all over with olive oil.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. Season the cheese mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus length-wise into thin ribbons. (There’s no need to remove the tough ends first, as you can use them to more easily grip the asparagus as you peel them. Just make sure not to shave off any of the tougher part.) In a small bowl, toss the ribbons with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
Spread the cheese mixture all over the pizza, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges, then evenly distribute the asparagus ribbons on top of the cheese.
Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it half-way through, until the crust is fully baked and golden brown.
Remove the pizza from the oven to a cutting board, drizzle it with fresh lemon juice.
Slice and serve.
~*~*~
The picture over on the blog I got the original recipe for was much prettier than mine…but my vegetable peeler was not liking the asparagus. It just didn’t want to shave it cleanly. So, I made do with what I could manage. And probably got a little overzealous with the amount I put on the pizza…but…it was a nice change of pace for a pizza.
I loved how even the vegan ricotta cheese melted down to creamy perfection, forming the perfect base layer for this pizza. When roasted in the oven on the pizza, the asparagus took on the texture of a green pepper. It was fantastic. I loved each bite of this pizza. And the crust was golden and crispy and held up to the unwieldy toppings that I tossed on there. Next time…prettier asparagus shavings. But this was good for a first attempt. I would totally make this again. And I might have to try other pizzas with that vegan ricotta base. The creaminess mixed with the crunch of the crust and the crisp, oven-roasted asparagus really made the texture of this pizza perfect.
I encourage you to experiment with some asparagus…and whip it up on a pizza. It was amazing.
Okay…two posts in a row dedicated to Annie May’s Sweet Café in Louisville, Kentucky? Overkill? Never. Why? Because I go here often. And there is a reason I continue to return weekend after weekend after weekend. The food they bake up and cook up is worth the trip over the river. It’s one sweet or savory indulgence…and even if it means I only get it on Saturday morning’s due to living on the Indiana side of the Ohio River…than so be it. One day of treating myself is worth every moment in that cozy little bakery on Frankfort Avenue.
Normally on Saturday mornings, I get my long run or my race in and then my roommate and I hurry over for some amazing breakfast food at Annie May’s Sweet Café. I am truly addicted to their allergen-free donuts and their allergen-free and vegan breakfast sandwich. Seriously. It might be borderline unhealthy obsession…but I constantly am talking about breakfast at Annie May’s before the weekend even hits. I guess that speaks highly of their breakfast service…so if you haven’t been in there for breakfast…get over there this Saturday. I mean it.
But…this past Saturday we opted to do something…different. And it completely threw off Annie May and Kenna at the shop. But, they were more than happy to accommodate the change, of course. We actually arrive shortly after 11 a.m., instead of our usual 9:30 a.m. time. Why? Well, I ran in the Papa John’s 10 Miler that morning and clocked a fantastic time. Afterwards, instead of heading right to Annie May’s for breakfast, we did a little browsing at Half Price Books to kill off some time. The reason? Gluten-free pizza.
Yes, for their lunch portion of the fare offered on Saturday’s at Annie May’s…they cook up individual gluten-free and vegan pizzas. With a variety of offered toppings. As we had grown so accustomed to their baked goods and their breakfasts…Cathy and I chose to hit up the lunch service and see what the pizza was like. Now, I had my usual pre-race fuel of a gluten-free pizza at The Mellow Mushroom the night before…but we were totally getting different toppings and I was quite curious to see what the pizza crust was like here. They actually sell frozen pizza crusts at the shop, by the way.
So, we placed our order for one of the 9-inch gluten-free pizzas with vegan cheese ($9.99), and added tomato and onion for our toppings ($0.50 each). Kenna went ahead to get working on it and Cathy and I took a seat and anticipated our lunch. We were both rather hungry at that point, having eaten breakfast long before my race, and splitting a banana afterwards to just get us through to when we could get to the café and order lunch. For the pizza at Annie May’s…you can get a half (3 slices) or a full 9-inch pizza (6 slices). As we were splitting the pizza, we got the full one as we knew it would be just enough. We were right.
The pizza arrived after a short wait and I set to taking pictures for the blog while Cathy anticipated that first slice. With the photos taken, I dished us each up a slice and we dug in.
First of all…I love that for the onion they used red onion. It is my favorite onion, by far, and it works so well on pizza. The tomatoes were nicely diced and scattered over the top. The tomato sauce was light and flavorful, seasoned very well. And they use Daiya cheese, which I am a huge fan of, when it comes to vegan cheese. It melts to perfection and it totally complimented the rest of the toppings on this pizza. But the true star of any gluten-free pizza is the crust. So often gluten-free pizzas get relegated to that thin, cracker crust. The type that is immediately crunchy coming out of the oven. There is little to it. And it often can’t stand the weight of the toppings. I’ve eaten my fair share of cracker crust gluten-free pizzas. And that crust is okay…but it’s not…the pizza crust I remember.
At Annie May’s Sweet Café, you get an actual pizza crust. I mean, it’s no deep dish…but that’s good. I don’t like deep dish. But you get an actual crust. A fluffy, actual pizza crust that you can slice of bite into and actually feel like you’re eating a real pizza. It was such a nice change of pace from the norm of eating gluten-free pizza out. I was so thrilled. And everything about it just made my lunch that much more satisfying. It was golden brown, baked to perfection. The toppings were warm and the vegan cheese was melty, gooey, good. Cathy and I made very short work out of our 3 slices each.
And we loved, and yes, savored, every bite!
And we split one of their chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Because I love those cookies. So. Much.
This is how gluten-free pizza is done properly. Totally impressed. Maybe when the summer hours kick back in at Annie May’s my pre-race Friday pizza will be enjoyed there more often. So glad we decided to give the pizza a try because I was beyond impressed.
Whether it’s for baked goods, specialty cakes, breakfast, lunch (served throughout the week), or pizza on Saturday…stop in to Annie May’s Sweet Café and treat yourself to some gluten-free and even some allergen-free treats and meals that will blow you away. Anyone who says gluten-free is tasteless obviously has been dining and eating at the wrong place. Annie May’s Sweet Café hits all the right flavor notes and makes everything to perfection. Delicious perfection.
Annie May’s Vegan and Gluten-Free Pizza with Daiya Cheese, Tomato, and Red Onion
For the first time in my life…I was excited to be heading to Disney. Yes…I’m in my thirties. No…I’ve never been to a Disney park. No Disneyland. No Disney World. My family could never afford to go when I was growing up…so that was one thing many of my friends had done that I hadn’t yet achieved. It was certainly on my bucket list, and from what I had been told…I’d enjoy it more now that I was older anyway.
That being the case…the perfect opportunity to go there arose with the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Originally, I was going to run this one in 2012, but I didn’t have the money for it. So, the moment registration opened for the 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon, you better believe I was registered and ready to run. The way I figured it…if I went ahead and registered, I couldn’t talk myself out of it due to financial reasons. No looking back. I signed up the minute registration was opened…and I was locked in.
Disney World.
Trust me…I do not travel without doing some research as to what I might be able to eat. Thankfully, Disney World is pretty much the #1 go-to vacation spot if you have food allergies…especially Celiac or gluten intolerance. Trust me. I was expecting to have to eat many a Go Picnic meal while on vacation, but I only had to break into one of the little packs I brought…and that was at the Atlanta airport on the way home. That definitely speaks very highly of the park and of Disney.
So…here I go with yet another combination blog about my amazing dining experiences while at Disney World. I wanted to be particularly safe in my food choices being that I was there to run a half marathon and being glutenized while on vacation sucks enough…but being glutenized before running 13.1 miles sucks even more.
Safety was key…and I never felt as if I were in any danger of becoming sick at any dining establishment where my roommate and I chose to dine.
I suppose the best place to start…is at the beginning of the trip…
Sanaa – Animal Kingdom Lodge
Restaurant: Sanaa – The Animal Kingdom Lodge
What better way to experience Animal Kingdom, our first park of choice, than by eating at the Animal Kingdom Lodge that night for dinner. What really added to the ambiance of this particular dining attraction was that you could literally gaze out of the window and see exotic animals roaming around the Sunset Savanna as you eat. The cuisine is African-inspired with Indian flavored. Mmmm…I totally dig Indian food.
My roommate and I arrived about 15 minutes ahead of our reservation. As we checked in, the hostess said that she saw that there was one person in the party with a gluten allergy. I nodded and said that it was me. She handed us our little pager thingy and we took a seat to wait for our table. Despite arriving early, we were taken back as soon as something opened up…which was just before our reservation time anyway.
I loved the dimly lit quarters in which diners were seated. All around were decorations from Africa, really adding to the
Hazelnut Rooibos Tea
amazing feel of the restaurant itself. And, once seated, our waiter came over to the table to get our drink order and talk about some specials. I went ahead and ordered a hot tea to go with my dinner, settling on the Hazelnut Rooibos tea ($6.29) with some water.
As he was going over some of the favorites on the menu, he noted that I had the gluten-free menu in front of me and said that a chef would be out to talk to me specifically about the menu, but that if anything on the regular menu looked like it had gluten in it…it was not on mine. Just as he was starting to go over the gluten-free bread option should I want to do the Indian-style bread service, which means I get poppadoms instead of the traditional bread, the chef, Jake, came out to speak to me about the menu.
Chef Jake really did a lot to put my mind to ease. Not only did he promise to watch my ticket carefully as it was prepared, he also went over the poppadoms that I could use for the Indian-style bread service, should I choose to do that. He went over which sauces/chutneys would be okay with that (they were listed on the menu) and said that I could put my mind to ease…as they would take good care of me. I thanked him for his time and he returned to the kitchen, leaving us once again in the capable hands of our server, Chris.
With a little bit of time to decide on what we wanted, my roommate and I placed our orders. Cathy decided on the Chicken Tandoori Pilaf ($17.99). As for me…the Sanaa Vegetarian Sampler ($14.99) sounded awesome. I was able to choose two of the five vegetarian dishes and have them served with basmati rice. I was able to choose between Paneer Tikka; Stewed Lentils; Spicy Peas, Chickpeas, and Potatoes; Mixed Seasonal Greens and Tomatoes; Vindaloo-style Vegetables. I knew for certain I wanted the Vindaloo-style Vegetables, so the difficult part was deciding what the other choice would be. After a little back and forth, I chose the Stewed Lentils as my second option.
Chris went to put in the order and I left my fate in the hands of Chef Jake and his knowledgeable kitchen staff.
Food arrived at our table and I couldn’t wait to try it out. It looked fantastic. Three bowls were placed before me. The middle one held the basmati rice, the one on the left had my tewed lentils, and the one on the right had the vindaloo-style vegetables. It smelled fantastic and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
The basmati rice was perfect with each of these dishes…for one thing. And the rice was cooked to perfection and lightly flavored, so as not to take away from the dishes that accompanied it. I started with the Vindaloo-style Vegetables. This dish included a blend of okra, tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower and onion. It wasn’t packed with flavor…as I was expecting a bit of a spice to accompany it. But, that being said, it wasn’t lacking either. I thought this was going to be the highlight of my sampler…but it was slightly too mild for me and definitely not as full of flavor as I anticipated. That being said, it did taste good. I just was familiar with my last vegetarian vindaloo experience where I had a lot of heat in each bite. This wasn’t at all bad…it just wasn’t as fantastic as I had built it up in my mind.
The stewed lentils, however, are another story. These golden lentils were not only packed with protein (me and my protein!), but also seasoned to perfection. They were creamy and had a hint of spice to them that I enjoyed. I dished some rice into them and it was a perfect combination when mixed together. I loved the texture and taste of these lentils. Nothing grainy…nothing too bland. Perfection. These thrilled me.
Despite being full, Chris talked my roommate and I into dessert. As we were both rather full, we decided to split something. And the dessert menu at Sanaa was not lacking as far as gluten-free options went. As we were splitting, Cathy and I chose to try our waiter’s suggestion, the Banana Kulfi Sundae ($5.49), which he described as a banana split without the banana. Well, I was totally sold!
Sanaa’s Banana Kulfi Sundae
The dessert was brilliant. A cube of banana flavored kulfi (which is sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk that is flavored) is served with a wedge of dried pineapple, warm chocolate sauce, strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and spiced cashews. Kulfi is a bit denser than ice cream and actually takes longer to melt. Pretty awesome. And the dessert…was fantastic. Amazingly tasty. I especially loved the strawberries that came on the side. I tried to mix as many of the components together for a bite and it was magical. I suggest to anyone dining at Sanaa they save room for dessert and give the Banana Kulfi Sundae a try. Trust me…it was worth the extra money and indulgence.
Sanaa was certainly a good way to kick off my week at Disney World. I was put to total ease from the moment I checked in and never felt like I needed to second guess any of the food placed in front of me. Total win.
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant – Downtown Disney
Restaurant: Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant – Downtown Disney
Well, by now, you know how it is when a pub is in the vicinity with my roommate and I. We definitely love our pub grub. She definitely always has more of a selection because being gluten-free at a pub is definitely not easy and being a vegetarian on top of it…even more difficult. But, I still love the atmosphere of Irish pubs and we chose this one specifically because of how it was rated with gluten-free fare. Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant is located in the bustling, busy, crowded Downtown Disney.
Let me preface this by saying that of all the places I ate at Disney World…this one was my least favorite. There were options on the menu for me…many dishes being labeled as having a gluten-free version of it (and yes…this included the fish and chips). So, that was very calming for me as far as menu choices went. The thing was…beyond a salad, there wasn’t too much for a vegetarian to have…aside from the Raglan Risotto…which I almost settled on. The server said I could also enjoy the Portobello Beauty Sandwich without the bread. But…with all that being said…I decided to stick with something I could pretty much guarantee wouldn’t make me sick.
Let it be known, Cathy cannot enter a pub without getting the Fish and Chips ($19.00) which she always gets with a drink, and since they had Magners ($7.00 – and it’s gluten-free) on tap…she was definitely one happy girl.
I decided to stick with water for my beverage and finally settled on one of the salads on the menu that was vegetarian and gluten-free. My choice…the Vroom Salad ($12.00) with a helping of some gluten-free carbs…a side of their fries (or chips as they say in Ireland) ($5.00), which would be prepared gluten-free for me.
Dinner arrived at our table. My roommate loved how her fish and chips were served traditionally…wrapped in paper and poured out onto her plate. She loved the tartar sauce that came with it. She did enjoy the fish, but the chips lacked.
As for me…the Vroom Salad intrigued me right away. The Vroom Salad is made up of gluten-free quinoa grains with cider vinegar marinated
Raglan Road’s Vroom Salad with a side of Chips
beans, sweet and sour carrots, watercress, and served with a honey mustard dressing. It was presented in the center of a plate in a pile, which I totally destroyed with my fork to scatter things about the plate and mix with the dressing.
As far as a salad goes…this one was actually one of the better offerings I have had at a pub. The addition of the quinoa was a fantastic protein-packed addition to the usual greens and vegetables that I get stuck with at such establishments. The flavors from the beans and carrots only heightened the flavor of the salad. I felt they were a little heavy-handed with the watercress, but it added a nice green throughout the salad, once I mixed it up. The watercress was the most unwieldy part of this salad. It was the best part of this meal.
That being said…my roommate and I were more than disappointed with the chips. These fries were mostly soggy and lacking that firm crunch I love on the outside of fries. I don’t get to eat fries out much, so I was looking forward to these. And they were a huge disappointment in the end. I ate more of them than I intended, but as I was paying for them…it seemed like I had to put some effort into it.
Would I go back to Raglan Road on a follow-up visit? Not likely. Which is too bad…because I do love pubs.
No dessert…instead my roommate and I hit up Downtown Disney Babycakes NYC bakery for a gluten-free cookie sandwich. My favorite thing I ate all night. But I’ll get to Downtown Disney’s brach of Babcakes NYC soon enough…
Sunshine Seasons – Epcot
Restaurant: Sunset Seasons – Epcot
With all the food options available at Epcot…there was very little around the park that I could actually eat. Today was the day before the race and I needed to be very sure about the food I consumed. One bit of cross contamination could be disastrous for me and my race that I paid so much to run and trained hard for in the cold weather of Indiana.
My roommate already knew what she was going to consume at the park – Lamb Schwarma Platter ($12.99) from Tangierine Cafe in Morocco. That plate of food came complete with her protein of choice (lamb) as well as a side of hummus, tabouleh and a Tangierine couscous salad with fresh Moroccan bread. We had met up with our friend Indy, who was also running in the race, and she ventured over to Japan for some sushi. This only left me to find food. And while I hoped for some gluten-free vegetarian sushi, I was informed that only the Tariyaki Salmon was gluten-free in Japan. No good. I left feeling down. Looked like it was back to the original plan for me that day…grabbing something at Sunshine Seasons in the food court at Epcot.
I was told they were famous for their soups…but it was hot outside and I wasn’t feeling soup. I checked out some of the grab-and-go options…including the sushi…but not gluten-free. Of course. *sigh* With no other options, it looked like I was having yet another salad. We spoke to the person at the salad bar to find out if the Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad ($7.89) was gluten-free. She wasn’t certain, so she went to check with the chef. He said that as long as there was no cracker served with it…it would be okay for me.
I wasn’t feeling it…but I was hungry. So…that’s what I ordered.
Sunshine Season’s Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad
The salad was rather small, comparatively speaking. It was basically roasted red and yellow beets, served over lightly dressed spring greens. Generous heaps of goat cheese were served with it. And, on top, cinnamon-roasted pecans to add a bit of texture and flavor. The entire salad was dressed with a mild honey-sherry dressing.
It was…okay. I liked the nuts and goat cheese the best. The beets were, actually, a good choice for the day before the race. But there was nothing really great about this meal. Grab-and-go is not my favorite thing as it is…and food courts are…not always the best option as a go-to for me. But…I had to eat. While all the flavors worked together…this just wasn’t what I really wanted that day, so it paled in comparison to anything else I could have sought out. The problem was…this was all there was. So, while the salad was good…it wasn’t amazing. And I probably wouldn’t order it again even if it were the only option once again.
Meh.
Damn you Epcot and your lack of gluten-free, vegetarian ethnic food throughout your showcases.
Riverside Mill Food Court
Restaurant: Riverside Mill Food Court – Port Orleans Riverside
This…was not a planned food stop on this trip. Not at all. But…here’s the thing. I am an athlete through and through and I have my traditions and my superstitious. And here is the thing…before every big or long race I run…I love to have gluten-free pizza. And if pizza is not available, gluten-free pasta will do in a pinch. But it’s that gluten-free pizza that seems to power me through the following morning. And after spending the day at Epcot and only consuming a small salad…I needed something that would give me some energy for the early morning race (the race kicks off at 5:30 a.m.).
Panic mode. None of the restaurants that have gluten-free pizza were in range of the resort. My roomie and I were staying at Port Orleans Riverside. And we had made it back over that way when I said I needed to have my gluten-free pizza/pasta tradition. Honestly…this isn’t something I take lightly. But with nothing close…I wasn’t sure how to accomplish this.
My roommate went to speak to the concierge on duty. His name was Will and he was fantastic. He said he knew how difficult it was to be a Celiac and said he would see what he could do to help. He picked up the phone and called down to the food court in the resort to see if there was something they could help me with. He was told to send us down and have us ask to see as chef. We thanked him for his help and meandered that way.
Chef Will (from Columbus, Ohio) came out to see us and we explained that I was running in the half marathon the next morning and have a tradition of either gluten-free pizza or pasta prior to the race. He said he could prepare either one of them for me. So, my roommate and I each decided to get one of the gluten-free pizzas. She could have actually gotten anything from the food court, but I think she was just trying to keep it simple. Chef Will went to go prepare two gluten-free cheese pizzas for us (individual size) and I was forever grateful and already feeling better about the run in the morning. He went over to the kitchen at Boatwright’s Dining Hall to actually cook the pizzas. Then, after they were ready, he walked them out himself.
Pre-race, individual size, gluten-free cheese pizza ($8.99) made specifically because I had a dietary need…from the Riverside Mill Food Court. I was impressed.
The pizza was…not one of the better ones I’ve had. The usual rice cracker crust with pasta sauce and some cheese…warmed through and put onto plates. Nothing special. Nothing fantastic. Nothing that made it stand out from some of the other places I have dined on gluten-free pizza. But at the moment…nothing could have tasted better. I appreciate the effort that Port Orleans Riverside put forth for me, specifically the help that both Will and Chef Wes gave to me to help me get the food I needed the night before my reason for being in town.
Huge sigh of relief. Mediocre pizza…but man…that night…it tasted oh, so good!
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – Hollywood Studios
Restaurant: Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – Hollywood Studios
Of all the places I ate at Disney World…this one, ironically, was my favorite. Really. I say ironically because it is, after all, an Italian restaurant and for the most part…Italian food is a no-go for the gluten-free diet.
Unless places can accommodate patrons.
And this place was rated high on how they can deal with food allergies…specifically gluten-free dining.
We arrived a little early for our reservation, but they didn’t mind. A short wait and we were still seated ahead of our reservation time. Loved that. Our server, Elizabeth S., came to the table and noted the tag marked “ALLERGY.” She inquired as to what the allergy was and I told her gluten. She said the chef would be out to speak to me about my options.
A few moments later, Chef Michael was coming to the table to talk about the menu. He said that the pastas could be made gluten-free…and he
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
also had gluten-free flatbreads and dinner rolls. And, should there be room for dessert…a gluten-free flourless cake. He asked if I knew what I wanted and I explained that since I was a vegetarian as well, I was really looking at the Spaghetti Marinara ($14.99). He said that he could even throw in some vegetables for me if I would like. I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like…so I told him I was totally game for that and he could have some fun with it. He asked if I was interested in the gluten-free dinner rolls, and I had run 13.1 miles that day…so of course I was.
That being decided he returned to the kitchen and Elizabeth returned to the table. Cathy opted for the Spaghetti with Meatballs and a Four Cheese Sauce ($18.99), which came with complimentary bread.
This would also be a great time to mention that my gluten-free dinner rolls…were also complimentary. No charge. Not at all. And I was given 3 in my basket when they came out to the table…warm and ready to eat. I broke one open and took a bite. Delicious. It tasted like what I remember a honey wheat bread to taste like. But…it was completely gluten-free…warm…amazing…soft…and just plain YUMMY!
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Spaghetti Marinara with Chef Michael’s Vegetable Selection
Entrees arrived at the table and I was taken aback by just how much food was in that bowl. Lots of pasta. Lots and lots of pasta. And my favorite part was the plethora of vegetables that Chef Michael added to my dish. I found carrots, broccoli, peppers, spinach, and mushrooms. It was so much fun seeking out those little morsels and mixing them with the rice noodles and the delicious marinara. I fell in love with this meal. So much. And, sadly, there was a lot of it. I couldn’t finish it. But I at least did the chef justice by eating every last vegetable I could find in that bowl. It was a treasure hunt and I enjoyed every single bite of it.
As I had two dinner rolls remaining, I chose to take those with me to have as lunch while out and about in the parks the following day. We were heading back to Epcot and I knew there was little for me to eat there…so now I had something that could quell any hunger pains before dinner that night.
Now…if you will recall…I mentioned that this was my favorite place I dined while in Disney World. And, for me, that meant…I wanted more. I was so intrigued by this gluten-free flatbread that I asked if, perhaps, on our last day there…if we could go back for dinner. We had a big breakfast planned that morning but nothing else, and I figured we’d want something to eat before heading back to the resort to finish packing and turn in for the night.
The problem was…there was no reservations available for us. We checked with the concierge at Port Orleans Riverside the night before…but nothing. We checked again the following morning…still nothing. So, it seemed we were out of luck. On a whim, however, we decided to at least hop down to Hollywood Studios that evening to see if they might be taking walk ins. That…was a negative. However, the hostess did tell us to check back around 6:30 p.m. if we wanted to wait that long (it was just over an hour wait), because some people never turn up for their reservation, opting to go to the Fantasmic! show instead.
I was starving by this point, mind you, and the thought of waiting that long was daunting. However, hopping the bus back to Port Orleans Riverside to dine on Go Picnic meals on our last night in Disney World was less than exciting. Our other option was Sanaa, but online reservations would have us at 6:50. Might as well wait until 6:30 here at Mama Melrose’s and see if something opened up. If not…we’d figure something out…
Luck was with us that night. We turned back up at 6:30 p.m. as instructed. The hostess radioed back to see if they could take a party of two…and they could. It meant a 20 minute wait, but I had already come this far to eat here again, I wasn’t going to stop now. I think our wait was actually less than 20 minutes…but well worth it. We were seated, and the allergy tag was stuck on the table once again. Our waitress tonight was Rose. She said that we might have to wait a little on the chef tonight, as a party of 14 was seated near us and they had kids with multiple food allergies.
The wait was well worth it. Chef Michael came to our table and welcomed us back, already setting a basket of gluten-free dinner rolls down. He remembered us!! Two nights ago he made me a fantastic Spaghetti Marinara. And we told him that we had returned tonight, since he intrigued us by gluten-free flatbread and flourless chocolate cake.
Cathy and I chose to split the Wild Mushroom Flatbread ($12.99). He said he would get right to work on that and would keep in mind the
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Wild Mushroom Flatbread
flourless chocolate cake. YAY! Rose came over to record the order to put it into the system and let us sit and enjoy our hot dinner rolls. Chef Michael returned with some olive oil and spices to dip our rolls in, as well as some fresh butter to spread over it should we choose. We did both. And both were delicious choices. We actually devoured all of the rolls before the flatbread came to the table.
The Wild Mushroom Flatbread is sort of like a pizza. This one is a gluten-free flatbread crust that is topped with roasted cremini and button mushrooms, a garlic-shallot spread, and then finished off with the most amazing balsamic reduction. This was complete love at first bite. The balsamic reduction was the best touch for this, but all of the components worked together. And the gluten-free flatbread was beyond fantastic. Finally…a “pizza” I could really enjoy on this trip. Amazing. We had no trouble splitting this and polishing it off.
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Brownie à la Mode
As for that flourless chocolate cake though…the chef searched high and low…and couldn’t find one. But here is where the magic of Disney happens. Because he had promised it…he instead sent out a gluten-free brownie topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce…free of charge. The brownie was crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. And the cold ice cream sitting on top of it only enhanced the already amazing chocolate flavor of the brownie. Right here is proof enough that gluten-free doesn’t mean tasteless or hard or dense. This brownie was hot, rich, and packed with fudgy chocolate flavor. It was a truly decadent and sinful treat. But it was our last night there…and I was ready to indulge.
A very nice tip was left for our waitress and lots of praise and thanks were shared with the hostess to pass on to Chef Michael.
And I would dine here over and over again…and next time I’m at Disney…I will do just that.
La Hacienda de San Angel – Epcot
Restaurant: La Hacienda de San Angel – Epcot
Epcot…oh, Epcot. Returning to the land of very little food for me. But this was different. This was dinner. And the one place that my roomie researched when it came to gluten-free options was this beautiful Mexican restaurant in the World Showcase of Epcot. The restaurant – La Hacienda de San Angel.
Now…I love authentic Mexican food. I don’t eat much of it anymore because there are just too many factors that go into the food that could lead to cross contamination. But the reviews about this place were a huge help and brought a sense of comfort with the service and the food that would be served.
In fact, it was stated online that La Hacienda de San Angel makes their own gluten-free corn tortillas in house! This was exciting news. My roommate took the time to print off the vegetarian menu from the Internet prior to leaving, so I had an idea of what I was going to get from that. The Enchaladas de Vegetales actually sounded very appetizing to me as that day I was suffering a little from the banana split I had for dessert the night before (too much dairy!). So, with an off stomach…Mexican food was sounding very daunting…but I wanted to give this a go.
We showed up early to the restaurant. Actually, we thought we were right on time, given that there was a huge line that we went to stand in just to reach the hostess outside of the restaurant. But, after a few minutes of standing there, the entire line cleared up. So we were now a good 40 minutes early for our reservation. The hostess looked up our reservation and sent us through the doors to the restaurant to have a seat and wait. I actually anticipated waiting the entire time, but we were actually shown to our seats soon after that.
Our waiter let us slide into our booth and then he settled a napkin on each of our laps. Ooooh….fancy. I suddenly felt under-dressed now. This happens every time I get a napkin placed on my lap. But, you know…they didn’t seem to care about my jeans and t-shirt at all. So, that fleeting moment of fashionista critic passed in a blink. We were handed menus and asked what we would like to drink. I once again stuck to water.
And here…was where a wave of panic settled in. I started to peruse the menu…and save for the Ensalada de la Hacienda…there wasn’t much for me to eat. Upon the return of our server, we were asked if we knew what we wanted to eat. I explained that I was a gluten-free vegetarian and he said that they could easily whip up their Tacos de Vegetales (Vegetable Tacos) for me on corn tortillas. I decided that would be much preferable to yet another salad and gave a nod of approval and said that sounded fantastic.
While we waited on our food, our server brought out the house made (and gluten-free) corn tortilla chips with two different types of salsa. One red. One green. The red one was robust in tomato flavor and had a nice kick to it. But, surprisingly, it was the salsa verde that I fell in love with. I normally go for that heat kick, but the sweet salsa verde blended so well with the corn tortilla chips. I couldn’t stop dipping into it. But I knew I had tacos on the way, so I kept my pre-meal chip snack to a bare minimum.
Cathy ordered the Tacos de Camarones ($23.95). These were basically flour tortilla tacos that were filled with fried shrimp, cabbage, lime, salsa verde, and a chipotle-lime aioli. It was the chipotle-lime aioli that caught her eye. In fact…she said that the description reminded her a lot of the shrimp tempura tacos that she gets at our local eatery, Dragon King’s Daughter (locations in New Albany, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky). And when they arrived, they actually sort of resembled that too, save for the addition of the cabbage.
My Tacos de Vegetales ($19.95) were a similar story. I was so impressed with these…and that was at first glance when they set them down in
La Hacienda de San Angel’s Tacos de Vegetales on corn tortillas (gluten-free)
front of me. These corn tortillas were stuffed full of grilled vegetables, cabbage, roasted corn, black beans, and topped with a little queso fresco. My tacos were also topped off with a bit of the chipotle-lime aioli as well and…yeah…it was magic. A Mexican fiesta in my mouth for sure. The depth of flavor in these simple tacos was astounding. The black beans were awesome and added a nice protein aspect as well as a richness that the tacos really needed. The cabbage gave it some crunch. And the roasted corn and grilled veggies were delicious. The corn was the star of the tacos though. Roasted to perfection and full of flavor. I devoured all three of the tacos on my plate.
La Hacienda de San Angel’s sides of Mexican Rice and Refried Black Beans
Our meals were served with sides of refried black beans and Mexican rice. The rice was fantastically seasoned and spiced. It had a bit of a kick to it, which I enjoyed and appreciated. But the star of the sides that came with our food was definitely the refried black beans. They were rich and full of this depth of flavor that was astounding. I wanted to eat the entire bowl, but the tacos were very filling, so I had a couple of spoonfuls of both the rice and beans and left it at that.
Dessert was offered, but we chose not to indulge tonight as our meal was quite filling on its own. We left completely full and quite happy with the value of the meal and the quality of the food we experienced. I loved how the staff didn’t even bat an eyelash when I said I was a gluten-free vegetarian, immediately having a dish that they could offer me. I enjoyed how they assured me everything was gluten-free and safe for me to eat. And I enjoyed every…filling…bite.
I would have gone back to this restaurant in a heartbeat as well…but they were booked solid the night we were there and not accepting walk-ins at all…so I bid it adios and was thankful for the dining experience.
1900 Park Fare – Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Restaurant: 1900 Park Fare – Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Let it be said that you should never travel to Disney World and not attend one of the character breakfasts. For real. My roommate did all the planning on this one, deciding on a breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, located inside the Grand Floridian Resort. Now, this resort is rather grand on its own…outside and inside.
But the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast was our character breakfast of choice. This is basically a festive, all-you-care-to-eat breakfast buffet, with Disney character guests that make appearances while you eat. We actually arrived earlier than anticipated because our Disney bus driver dropped us off at the resort instead of having us get off at one of the parks to catch a bus to the resort. Awesome. We appreciated that, but it left us with a bunch of extra time.
So, after wandering around the lobby we noticed a line forming at 1900 Park Fare and decided that we could at least check in with the hostess and maybe get seated earlier instead of with the 8:30 a.m. wave. They were happy to accommodate and noticed that there was a food allergy listed on the reservation. They handed me two tickets for the breakfast, both marked “ALLERGY.” When they opened the doors to seat us, we handed over these tickets and were shown to our table. I was informed by the woman who seated us that a chef would come over to talk to me. While Cathy could have gone and loaded up her plate with breakfast goodies, she opted to wait for me to see the chef.
The chef did arrive a little bit later and asked me to walk with him. What he did was take me through the buffet line, pointing out what foods I could safely eat. They were good about keeping things were there would be no cross-contamination. The fruit was okay, the scrambled eggs were safe, the potatoes were safe…etc. And then he said the words that made me the happiest gluten-free girl in Disney that morning. That he could make me gluten-free waffles. Gluten-free Mickey Mouse waffles. Just. For. Me.
THRILLED! I said that waffles sounded amazing and he said he would get to work on them and bring them to my table…but to go ahead and get anything else from the buffet that he pointed out to me. So, with that said, I joined Cathy at the table and said he was making me some waffles, but we could hit up the buffet now.
From 1900 Park Fare’s Supercalifragilistic Character Breakfast Buffet (Fresh fruit, hash browns, eggs, and strawberry soup)
In the line of the buffet, I went ahead and got a bunch of different fruits…honeydew melon, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, grapes…yummy. In addition, I ladled a little of the strawberry soup into a bowl to try. I decided to give the hash brown potatoes and some of the scrambled eggs a try as they were deemed safe for my consumption. And I was hungry.
As I settled back into my seat and started eating some of the sweet fruit, the chef appeared at my side with a plate of four gluten-free Mickey Mouse waffles. I thanked him and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I moved one over to my plate, sliced off an ear, and gave it a dip in the real maple syrup he brought out with it.
1900 Park Fare’s Gluten-Free Mickey Mouse Waffles
Waffles never tasted so good. They were sweet and light and fluffy and SHAPED LIKE MICKEY MOUSE! I mean…come on!! It doesn’t get much better than that. And honestly, I’ve eaten quite a few gluten-free waffles at places, as well as made my own, and had the frozen kinds…and none come close to equaling these. Perfection. The fact that they weren’t heavy made it a synch to eat all four of them. And I still went back for more fruit, more eggs, and a few more hash browns. WORTH IT.
And, to top it off…our Disney character guests arrived and made their way around the dining room to greet the guests. At the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast, we had the honor of meeting Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and The Mad Hatter. And all of them were so much fun to talk to, get pictures with, and interact with. I don’t care if I’m in my thirties…I loved every moment of this breakfast and meeting the characters. You’re never too old for Disney characters. Mary Poppins sure was charming and I had been wanting to meet her all weekend. So this was AWESOME!
The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast is $21.95 per person and includes the buffet and a non-alcoholic beverage. The food was really delicious. The company was awesome. And the care was above and beyond expectations. I am already wanting to go back and do another character breakfast!
Babycakes NYC – Downtown Disney
Restaurant: Babycakes NYC – Downtown Disney
The one place that I was anticipating indulging in as often as possible was Babycakes NYC in Downtown Disney. The most difficult part, at least the first night we were there seeking it out…was locating the place. For the record, it is located in the same building as Pollo Campero and Bodie’s…right next to LEGO Land. So…now you won’t have to log onto the Web site and look it up. You’re welcome.
Cathy and I were seeking this out at night to have breakfast ready in the room, that way we could get an early start and not have to wait for 9 a.m. to roll around to get breakfast…and then eat…and then head out for the day. This way…we were set and could head out after a quick bite in our room. This was a fantastic arrangement, by the way. And the baked goods were just as good the following morning.
I own a Babycakes NYC cookbook and the vegan & gluten-free foods sounded fantastic. I haven’t made it up to New York City yet…but the fact that they have a branch at Disney World was enough for me to tell Cathy that we were eating there every single morning that it was feasible. And, with the exception of two days…we did exactly that.
Being that we were seeking out breakfast…we stuck to the case with the doughnuts and loaves. We each would pick a doughnut and a loaf to enjoy the following morning. And there was quite a selection to choose from too. All of these were both vegan and gluten-free…meaning I had nothing to worry about when it came to my breakfasts. The most difficult part was choosing what I wanted to eat.
So…it went like this:
Babycakes NYC Gluten-Free Doughnuts and Loaves (Top Right: Day 1; Top Left: Day 2; Bottom Right: Day 3; Bottom Left: Day 4)
Trip #1: Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut ($3.49) and a Blueberry Toastie (Loaf) ($3.49)
Trip #2: Vanilla Glazed Doughnut ($3.49) and a Pumpkin Chip Loaf ($3.49)
Trip #3: Chocolate Dipped Doughnut ($3.49) and a Pumpkin Loaf ($3.49)
Trip #4: Jam Twist Doughnut ($3.49) and Banana Loaf ($3.49)
And that was just breakfast. In addition…Cathy had a few other options as well that I didn’t get for me, but we sampled each other’s choices. Cathy fell in love with the Lemon Poppyseed Loaf ($3.49), the Chocolate Cookie Crunch Doughnut ($3.49), and her favorite…the Cornbread Loaf ($3.49).
Okay…my most favorite of the doughnuts was the Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut…but cinnamon sugar has always been one of my favorite doughnuts to eat (blueberry being my favorite!). But here was the thing…they were so moist, so light and so very delicious. No one would be able to tell that these were vegan and gluten-free just by eating them. I was in sugar-rush heaven. I’m not big on glazed or dipped doughnuts, but these weren’t too bad. I find glazes and dips to be heavy…and these were…but the doughnuts were light and fluffy and flavorful…and when all is said and done…they worked well together. Everything just worked.
And the loafs…OH. MY. GOD. My favorite had to be the Pumpkin Chip Loaf…but they were all very good. They were sweet enough to satisfy that food craving and filling without being too much…even with the doughnuts. I found each one full of flavor. And my roommate will forever rave about that corn bread loaf. It was her favorite thing…and she only was able to get it one night…so thankfully she took a chance on that when she did. I also really liked the Blueberry Toastie…which had tons of fruity flavor and sweetness with the glaze and all. And of course, pumpkin and banana bread…you can’t go wrong with either of them. So moist. Bite-for-bite…even after sitting overnight in a box on the table in the hotel room…these were still moist and tasted like they were fresh from the bakery. Yeah…beyond impressed.
But we also sampled some other choices from Babycakes NYC as well. For dessert one night, we split one of their Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches ($3.49), which was fantastic. The chocolate chip cookies are thin, and crunchy, and sweet. Honestly…gluten-free cookie perfection. Normally I’m a chewy cookie kind of girl…but these were wafer-thin and had that perfect crumbly, sweet texture that works with chocolate chip cookies. And the frosting was vegan and made with cane sugar. It was moist and very sweet…so I was glad Cathy and I were splitting the cookie sandwich. I actually forgot to take a picture of that…but it was delicious.
Babycakes NYC Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
So, on our last night there…we picked up our breakfast doughnuts and loaves…and they had a special on their gluten-free chocolate chip cookies ($1.00). So, we got two of them…one for each of us…because they were each discounted by $0.50…and when you’re on vacation and stocking up on sweets…that’s a good deal. We saved these for our last walk around our resort, and happily chewed away at the crunchy, buttery-flavored, amazing cookies. Yeah…heaven in cookie form. It was the right amount of sweetness and really hit the spot. It was the best way to wrap up our stay at Disney World…enjoying a vegan and gluten-free treat from the place we visited the most – Babycakes NYC.
~*~*~
And there it is…my dining experiences at Disney World. Nothing catastrophic happened. I had my favorite food moments and my favorite food places…and I had meals that amazed me…meals that made me want to go back…meals that made me happy…and only a couple of disappointments. Not bad for this gluten-free vegetarian traveler. I am so thankful that Disney World is trained, prepared, and helpful to people with dietary restrictions. It took a load off my mind…and helped me focus on enjoying myself…and of course…preparing for the half marathon I was there to run.
Which…went so well, despite being high humidity (yes…at 5:30 a.m.)…leading to me shaving 2 minutes off my personal record and setting a new record for myself. I enjoyed the race…I enjoyed Disney World…and I enjoyed eating there and feeling confident in the fact that they truly were looking out for me in those kitchens.
The Celiathlete 