Anytime I am in the South, I have a craving for shrimp and grits. And so, when we knew we were heading to Charleston, I started researching which restaurant had the best shrimp and grits there. Hominy Grill kept coming up, but to my disappointment, the recipe that had been posted online showed that they used flour. Nevertheless, we went there anyway as it came highly rated as a breakfast restaurant. On their menu, they have gluten-free pancakes listed. Once I talked to our waitress, I didn’t feel comfortable ordering them since they used the same flat top for everything else. It also sounded like it was a very small kitchen that happened to be very busy at the time. When I told her that I really wanted the shrimp and grits, she said they could make those gluten-free for me. I am so glad that they did. These were unbelievable. Along with the shrimp, there were scallions, mushrooms and bacon served over cheese grits. Oh god these were good. I don’t think I gave myself a second to breathe as I inhaled the dish in record time. It is very clear that this restaurant has both a local and tourist following, and for good reason. Because of that, try going on a weekday when the crowd is a bit more manageable!
Hominy Grill
1 JunVerde Cocina
10 Aug
While in Portland, we ate at an entirely gluten-free restaurant called Verde Cocina. Described as having “Northwest Farm-to-Fork Ingredients with a Mexican flair”, the dishes on the brunch menu were a bit healthier than your average Mexican brunch. Everything on their menu comes with seasonal veggies. I ordered the Chilaquiles. This had eggs scrambled with pieces of their handmade corn tortillas and was topped with veggies, white bean garbanzo mash and ranchero salsa. I enjoyed it, but I might have put a little hot sauce on it for more oomph.
Brunch at Coast
13 Jan
This morning, we decided to try Coast at the Canary Hotel after seeing that they had GF Banana Nut Bread on their menu. The last time we had been to the Canary Hotel was the night before we got married when we had a welcome dinner on the rooftop, so it holds a special place in my heart. The banana nut bread was served with some mixed berries. I was told the Huevos Rancheros was gluten-free but upon asking questions, I found that they typically fry the tortilla in a contaminated fryer. However, they were able to make mine in a pan to prevent cross-contamination.
This had fried eggs, cotija cheese, salsa rojo, beans, avocado and cilantro served on the crispy tortillas. Everything tasted nice and fresh. After eating we went up to the rooftop to take a look and reminisce. It still has some of the best views of Santa Barbara!
Friday Morning Brunch
13 Jan
I had the day off today so I was able to get brunch, my favorite meal of the day. We went to Scarlett Begonia in Victoria Court. I had the polenta with two poached eggs, cippolini onions, artichokes (that are normally fried but were sauteed to be GF) and prosciutto. I have to admit… it was a weird combination of ingredients. However, I found it to be quite satisfying. My favorite part of the meal though was the homemade GF chocolate toffee we got with the check. Yum.
Cafe Stella
21 Nov
We wanted to try something new for brunch today, so we went to Cafe Stella. I had the fines herbs and gruyére omelette with caramelized onions added in. With the egg dishes, you have your choice of home fries or potato gratin. After confirming that there was no flour used for the potato gratin, I ordered my omelette with that. Well done, me. I will order a side of the potato gratin next time I go here because it was that good and cheesy. The restaurant was pretty large. It felt like a good place to have a rehearsal dinner or special event. They even have a nice outdoor patio if you want to bring your pooch.
gluten-free in sb 
