Tag Archives: paseo nuevo

PokeCeviche

6 May

IMG_7283.jpgI had to run an errand downtown so I took the opportunity to try PokeCeviche in Paseo Nuevo. The gentleman that was working there found information in the back as to what was GF and not.

IMG_7281.jpgHowever, I got the impression that other than knowing there was this paper, he hadn’t been trained on how to avoid cross contamination. I took my chances and ordered a bowl with quinoa brown rice, tuna, albacore, salmon, pico de gallo, cucumber, corn, red onion, jalapeño, sprouts and their gluten-free vegan sushi sauce. Not even a hour after finishing, I started to feel sick and knew that I had inadvertently consumed gluten. I know that every time I eat out, I put myself at risk. But it had been so long since I had been glutened, that I had almost felt invincible. Lesson learned… I need to be more careful and trust my (now damaged) gut when it seems that a restaurant doesn’t have their act together.

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Pickles & Swiss

16 Jan

img_9595This past weekend I went on a lunch date with my 96-year old grandma. She loves a good sandwich, so we decided to try the new location of Pickles & Swiss at Hollister Village in Goleta. When ordering, I found out that the cashier thought she may have celiac. Not so awesome for her, but awesome for me as I knew that she would ensure my sandwich would remain gluten-free. She had the staff change their gloves and the sandwich was placed on a GF-specified tray before being heated in the toaster. I had the tuna melt which was perfectly gooey and yummy. If you are in downtown Santa Barbara, you can also try their Paseo Nuevo location. I’ve eaten successfully at that location a handful of times as well since I wrote about them 4 years ago.

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PizzaRev

17 May

Margherita PizzaOn Friday we went to see Pitch Perfect 2 at Paseo Nuevo. Right next to the movie theater is the newly opened PizzaRev. I had read about this chain being good about limiting the chance of cross contamination so we decided to give it a try. As soon as I let the gentleman at the counter know that I had celiac, he went straight into a very well rehearsed routine. He changed his gloves and explained to me that he would be seeing my pizza through the entire process rather than passing it down the line like the other pizzas. As I remarked that it was very cool to see them take it seriously, his coworker chimed in to say that it was very important to limit chances of cross contamination. Yay PizzaRev! Rather than use the sauce that they use for the other pizzas, he used a squirt bottle and clean ladle. As he went down the line, I asked about the meats. They are all GF except for the meatballs. Since the GF pizza is put on a tray within the oven, he explained that they put oil on the bottom so it crisps up a bit.

We ordered the Margherita Pizza and the Taco Pizza without the chorizo. I preferred the Margherita which had tons of fresh garlic. The taco pizza was okay. We ordered it as is so that we could try it as it was intended. I think that next time I would add some jalapeño to it for a little punch.

Taco PizzaWe really enjoyed the crusts they used. Upon asking we learned they were from Venice Bakery. They do cook the pizzas in the same oven as the normal pizzas and they do use the same ingredients on the line (like Chipotle) except for the sauce. There is definitely still a risk of cross contamination. However, I felt much more confident eating here than I do at other pizza places in Santa Barbara. It was so refreshing to see staff that had been properly trained how to keep my food safe!

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Napoléon’s Macarons

6 Feb

MacaronsWhile downtown last night, we stopped in to what used to be Ben & Jerry’s at the Paseo Nuevo Mall. It is now Napoléon’s Macarons. As a HUGE fan of Ladurée’s Macarons, I was excited to try these. There was a big sign that greeted us letting us know that they were all gluten-free.

GF MacaronsWe ended up getting a box of different flavors – Passion Fruit, Raspberry, Pistachio, Chocolate and Salted Caramel. The consistency wasn’t quite like the Ladurée macarons. The salted caramel and chocolate flavors actually felt a little chewy but it might have been because it was the end of the day. It was still nice to have a GF snack option downtown!

 

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Hoffmann Brat Haus

28 Apr

Hoffmann BratAs we were walking around downtown Santa Barbara today, we stumbled on Hoffmann Brat Haus. After glancing at their menu I noticed that they have Udi’s GF buns available for a small charge. Sweet! The guy at the register was really helpful in finding someone who had the answers to all of my questions. Some of the brats are off limits, but they have a list behind the register of which ones are gluten-free. I ordered the Hoffman Brat with caramelized onions and hot peppers. They also have Belgian Fries which they assured me were GF as they are they only thing fried in the oil.

Belgian FriesThirsty and of age? They also have a couple of gluten-free beers available on the menu!

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Pickles & Swiss

16 Jan

Chipotle Turkey ClubThere is a new sandwich spot in Paseo Nuevo called Pickles & Swiss that offers gluten-free bread for their sandwiches! They use Our Daily Bread’s GF bread. Upon asking questions, they didn’t really seem too informed about cross contamination so I would say to eat at your own risk. There is one toaster press that they use, so if you do get a sandwich, you have to get it served cold which was fine by me. They were happy to change their gloves to accommodate me. I ordered the Chipotle Turkey Club which had turkey, bacon, tomato, avocado, romaine and a chipotle aioli. The bread was quite crumbly, probably due to the fact that it could not be used on their toaster press. Otherwise it was good. I wonder if they switched to Canyon Bakehouse Bread if it would make a difference with the crumbly issue or of course it would be wonderful if they had a dedicated press in the back for gluten-free bread!

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