I love cheese… I sometimes think that not being able to eat gluten is easy when compared with the idea of not being able to eat cheese. My favorite place in Santa Barbara to stock up on some cheese has always been C’est Cheese. So when I found out that they were expanding to include a cafe, I was so excited. I tried it out for breakfast and it did not disappoint. The pastry chef’s significant other has Celiac Disease which has translated to an awareness of what gluten is and what gluten-free means. That being said, I did have to ask questions when ordering. I ordered the smoked salmon with their own gluten-free bread. Typically they warm the bread in a contaminated toaster. However, they were able to warm it up in an oven for me on some foil. I loved my dish and can’t want to go back to try something else… preferably with one of their signature cheeses!
Nauthóll
27 Aug
One of my favorite lunches while in Iceland was at Nauthóll. Located five minutes from downtown Reykjavik, they were very accommodating once we showed them the GF travel card. I started with the carrot, coconut milk and ginger soup. In the soup, there was greek yogurt, roasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. It was an interesting mix of ingredients, but it was delicious nonetheless. After the soup, I had the Sweet Potato and Red Beet Salad.
This salad was so good. It had spiced red beets, melon, grilled sweet potatoes, goat cheese, caramelized nuts and chicken. I couldn’t manage to finish it since it was huge, but I was thinking about this meal days later. If you have any gluten eaters with you, make sure they order the grilled garlic bread as it got rave reviews.
Hip Vegan Cafe
17 Jul
I know… it has been a looooong time since I have shared a new restaurant on here. There is something about summer that makes time fly by. Today, I had the day off, so we decided to go on the pretty drive to Ojai. There, we tried Hip Vegan Cafe. All gluten-free items are clearly labeled on their menu. Additionally, when I had questions, they were very aware of what was in each dish. I ordered the Avocado Wrap. This had avocado, lettuce, tomato and red onion wrapped in rice paper. I also had a choice of GF dipping sauces. I ended up getting the peanut sauce which was quite delicious. This came with soup or salad. I went with their special Indian Dahl soup of the day.
This was incredibly flavorful. It might have been crazy to have soup since it was in the 90s, but I was glad I did.
Suzanne’s Cuisine
7 Dec
This week, the husband and I escaped to Ojai for lunch. We decided to try Suzanne’s Cuisine as I had heard good things. I started with the Chicken Chili which was the special soup for the day. I then had the Southwest Salad of three rices.
This had wild, brown and jasmine rice, vegetables, smoked turkey, green chilies, corn and feta cheese. I could have just had the salad as it was very filling. I really loved the variety of rices along with the feta. Everything tasted very fresh. I found that our waitress was very informative on what was GF and not. They have a nice outdoor patio there as well which enhanced the meal!
Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant at Machu Picchu, Peru
22 Aug
During our two days at Machu Picchu, we had lunch at the Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant which was located at the Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel at Machu Picchu. As a celiac, when I see the word buffet, I usually run in the other direction. However, at this one, there was a sign greeting me.
After presenting our spanish travel GF cards, a manager showed us what we could and couldn’t have. When we saw that we couldn’t have the salad, he told us that they would prepare fresh ones for us.
I loved the fresh slices of avocado that came with this. I also put together a small plate of items from the buffet that I was able to have.
Bell Street Farm
28 Jul
Today we spent the day in Los Alamos so that we could try Bell Street Farm. Not only did we get to visit this cool market/eatery, but we also lucked out because it was the Los Alamos Chair Faire! You may be asking yourself, what is a Chair Faire? Well, it is exactly what it sounds like… a fair that showcases chairs. From the website,
Benefitting the Olga Reed Elementary School in Los Alamos, the event offered folks a chance to sell their chairs of any kind, whether they be quality antiques, hand-crafted artisan works, unique artist painted chairs, or treasures from the garage, “last-stop-before-the-dump.”
As fun as the fair was (the music was actually great), the highlight of the day was the Bell Street Farm. I ordered the pork belly-wrapped shoulder, sauteed crispy with roasted potatoes and onions and topped with 2 ‘over-easy’ eggs.
This is typically served with bread on the plate, so make sure you communicate that you can’t have it. I really enjoyed this dish. If it were a little later in the day, I may have ordered the Charcuterie and Cheese since I saw that they had Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free crackers available for purchase. How cool is that?
Arch Rock Fish
14 Jan
We worked up quite an appetite looking at overpriced real estate in Santa Barbara. It was time for a break so we went to Arch Rock Fish for a late lunch. I started with the grilled artichoke which was very good. The other people at the table had ordered guacamole and chips as a starter but I didn’t share since the chips were fried in contaminated oil. I then had the grilled fish tacos (I know my orders are starting to get a bit predictable).
These were served with corn tortillas and a nice side of pico. The guacamole and cilantro on top made me very happy. I really liked the feel of the restaurant. The only thing I might change is the napkins. After our meal, we all had tons of lint leftover on our pants.
Paradise Cafe
1 Dec
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.
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.
Arts and Letters Cafe
31 Oct
Today I had the day off, and it was the perfect day to take the pup for a walk. After scaring her sufficiently with all of the costumed-clad kids on State Street, I had worked up an appetite. The front patio at Arts and Letters Cafe allows dogs so I decided to get a salad there for lunch. Pictured above is the Tyler salad without the blue cheese. This salad was fantastic and large enough to eat on its own. It consisted of Jidori chicken, Roots Farm romaine, house made bacon, red onion, avocado, tomato and red wine vinaigrette. YUM.
gluten-free in sb 