It is a beautiful day in Santa Barbara, so we wanted to go somewhere for lunch that we could eat outside. We ended up going to Paradise Cafe. I had the special fish tacos which had grilled swordfish, fresh cilantro and corn tortillas. On the side were some beans, pico de gallo and a pesto aioli along with rice and cabbage. These were SO good. To top it off, our waitress was great, letting me know that I could not eat any of my husband’s fries since they were fried in the same oil as the calamari.
Tag Archives: gluten free
Lunch on State Street
1 Dec
Yesterday, we went to Natural Cafe on State Street for lunch. Pictured above is the Natural Caesar Salad without croutons. Big chunks of avocado and fresh tomatoes make this a very tasty salad. I still think that a place that focuses on natural food should be a bit more educated on what is and isn’t GF on their menu. For example, when asking about some chips they serve, the cashier had no idea what the ingredients were. If they were able to mark on their menu whether each item is GF or can be prepared GF, it would become one of my favorite lunch places. Conveniently next door, is the Good Life Market.
This small market has a nice variety of gluten-free items for purchase. If you live in the downtown area, it is the perfect place to pick up some GF pasta or snacks. I picked up the Annie’s Deluxe Cheesy Mac and Cheese.
Houston’s
30 Nov
While we were in NJ, we ate at Houston’s since my grandparents love the veggie burgers there. I personally LOVE their fries. You just need to request them to be made without the seasoning since that is not GF. The staff there is very knowledgeable about what is and isn’t gluten-free. It is so nice to enjoy fries knowing they are in a dedicated fryer!
Piccolo Angolo
27 Nov
Tonight, we went into NYC for dinner. Instead of going to one of the usual GF places, we went to one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Piccolo Angolo. They are incredibly GF friendly in that the owner’s son’s girlfriend has celiac. As long as you alert them, they will take good care of you. I had my favorite dish, the Gamberoni Fra’Diavolo, or shrimp with spicy tomato sauce. Their spicy tomato sauce is so darn good. It has the perfect amount of heat. The dish comes with a heaping side of vegetables.
These were prepared with olive oil and a generous amount of fresh garlic which I appreciated. As we were talking to our waitress, she was explaining that they now have gluten-free pasta available. They happened to be out of it tonight, but she said to just call ahead so that they can make sure to have some available next time we come in. I am already drooling imagining pasta with this Fra’Diavolo sauce. It is really that good.
Quesadilla
26 Nov
I know that this blog is all about eating out, but I have to give a little credit to my Mom. Whenever I am home, she makes the deliciousness you see above. These quesadillas are always perfectly browned. I then top them with the Frontera Chipotle Salsa.
Gluten-Free Thanksgiving
26 Nov
I had to work on actual Thanksgiving, but I really wanted the traditional turkey meal. When I got home on Friday, my mom had made me GF gravy and cornbread along with the traditional turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. It was all very tasty. Thanks mom.
Thankful
24 Nov
The past few months have been pretty crazy, so it is nice to have a day set aside to remind you what is important in life. This year, I am especially grateful for my family who have made me feel loved from up to 5,500 miles away. I am also incredibly grateful that I have moved back to a town that has embraced the gluten-free lifestyle. Lastly, I am thankful for the people that read glutenfreeinsb. I never imagined people other than my friends and family would read this blog, so I have been blown away by the support. Have a Happy Gluten-Free Thanksgiving with those that you are thankful for.
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.
Cocktails and a Concert
19 Nov
Before going to the Santa Barbara Symphony tonight, a friend and I got a couple of drinks at the Marquee. I had their signature drink, the Marquee which included vodka, fresh orange juice, cranberry juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, serrano chili and a sugar-rim garnish. I substituted a potato vodka for their absolut mandarin vodka. This was incredibly tasty. As a celiac, I usually play it safe and order wine, so this was especially exciting as it was delicious and GF! After drinks, we went to see the Santa Barbara Symphony at the Granada Theater.
The theater is absolutely beautiful. Tonight, they were performing Beethoven’s Pastoral and Emperor. The reason I was there was because of Emperor, my favorite classical piece. It was a really nice night in a lovely setting. I will definitely return to the Granada as well as the Marquee for some more delicious beverages!
Pancakes with the Pup
18 Nov
This morning, we took the pup for a walk at the Douglas Preserve. It is a great off-leash area for dogs that has an amazing view of the Santa Barbara coast. After our walk, we decided to go to the back patio of Savoy since it is dog friendly. This was the perfect time to try their gluten-free pancakes. YUM. I don’t know what it is about powdered sugar, but it just makes everything look and taste better. There was also some GF pumpkin bread for purchase but I held off as I was trying a new thing called self-control.
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