Tag Archives: pasta

Due Lune – CLOSED

28 Apr

IMG_4059.jpegTre Lune in Montecito has been a family favorite of ours for the past decade. We’ve enjoyed countless meals there as they have always taken care of our multitude of dietary restrictions while serving up delicious food. Because of that, we were looking forward to trying their new location, Due Lune located at State and Cabrillo. There are great views of the water from both inside and their patio. It was a windy night so we opted for a window seat inside. I started with the Garden Party Salad which had kale, zucchini, beets, tomatoes, goat cheese, pear, cranberries and walnuts. The ingredients were very fresh, however there was too much balsamic on it for my liking. It was also a much larger portion than I had anticipated.

IMG_4062.jpegJust like Tre Lune, they have gluten-free pasta available as a substitute for their pasta dishes. After speaking with our waiter, he confirmed that they would cook the gluten-free pasta in a clean pot and use a clean colander. I ordered their bolognese which similar to the salad, was enough to feed 2 people. Is it just me, or is a huge portion unappealing? Although there was nothing wrong with the dish, I would probably try something else if I were to go back. 

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Smithy – CLOSED

23 Aug

IMG_0081.jpgLast week, we went out to dinner with some good friends. We decided to try Smithy as we hadn’t been there since it had transitioned from Somerset. I just love their outdoor patio. It feels like such a beautiful, serene nook of Santa Barbara. You easily forget that you are steps from State Street. I started things off with a bang when I ordered their “Ortega Undead II: The Resurrection” to drink. It was a yummy, spicy tequila concoction. I was pleased that our waiter was aware of which dishes were not gluten-free due to cross contamination (our table shared the brussels sprouts and the crispy papas which were not GF).  I started with the Grilled Corn. It was served with zucchini, swiss chard, green harissa and queso fresco. Although the dish was simple, the ingredients were so fresh that I found myself wanting to order another one of these. For my main dish, I was tempted by the fact that they had homemade gluten-free pasta available. However, I went with the scallops. IMG_0097.jpgThese were served with an english pea risotto, asparagus and sugar snaps. Once again, the combination of fresh ingredients and a great execution made me incredibly satisfied with my choice. We skipped dessert, but I was almost enticed by their GF chocolate cake that was being served that evening. To be honest, I didn’t find a huge difference between Somerset and Smithy. Regardless, we will definitely be returning both for the food and the ambiance.

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Metropulos

23 May

IMG_7597.jpgOne of the first spots in the Funk Zone when it was more funk than trendy was Metropulos. I had always heard they had great sandwiches, but I had just assumed that they didn’t cater to gluten-free folk like myself. I gave them a call this week to ask if they had GF options and was surprised to find out that they make their own GF bread. The lady I spoke with (who I believe was the owner) explained that for celiacs, they won’t warm it up in the contaminated toaster. After inquiring, she also let me know that their aiois were in squirt bottles rather than a spread to minimize more opportunities for cross contamination. I hustled over so that I could try one of these much-talked about sandwiches. I ordered “This Little Piggy” which had ham, bacon, grilled onions, mixed greens, tomatoes, melted cheddar and chipotle aioli. I added avocado to it. This little piggy devoured every crumb of the sandwich.While exploring the grocery area, I also stumbled on some items that I had to buy. First, I found truffle potato chips. IMG_7589.jpgI love the taste of truffles, so these potato chips were a big hit. They also had some fantastic looking gluten-free pastas that I couldn’t resist buying.

IMG_7590.jpgLook at these beauties! If you’ve been to Italy, you know that their attention to making great GF products is second to none.  I’ve never been so excited to make pasta!

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Caffe Primo

2 Nov

img_8350This past weekend, we took a break from making dinner and headed downtown to Caffe Primo with some friends. The restaurant is right on State Street which allows for some some good people watching, or if you are my toddler, some good trolley sightings. After talking to our waitress, I learned that the tots and fries on the appetizer menu were definitely not GF due to contaminated oil. However, she assured me that I could order the GF pasta as it would be cooked in a clean pot of water and handled with clean tools. I went with the Short Rib Pappardelle with the gluten-free penne. I was exceedingly hungry so I finished my meal quite quickly. I think if I were to return, I’d probably go with something else though as I didn’t find the dish to be memorable. There was definitely a level of comfort with the waitress though as she knew what gluten was and understood cross contamination.

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Presto Pasta

22 Jul

Pasta Putanesca

Last week, we stopped by Presto Pasta after checking out ukuleles at Jenson Guitar and Music Co. The first thing I noticed at the counter was a big display saying that they had tons of GF choices. They use Mariella Gluten-Free Pasta, a corn pasta from Italy. Additionally, they have the GF sauces to choose from marked for ordering ease. After speaking with the employee about cross contamination, she got the manager who assured me that they would “nuke the pasta” so there would be no worries about a shared pot or colander. I suppose that is where they get the “presto” in Presto Pasta. I had the Pasta with Puttanesca sauce as I was told it was pretty spicy. I personally didn’t find it spicy or flavorful for that matter. However, they get points for providing an easy, safe and quick option for GF pasta.

As a reminder, this upcoming Sunday, the 26th, Gluten-Free Santa Barbara will be meeting at Lilac Patisserie for our monthly get together. Find all of the details here!

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The Little Beet Table

13 May

Tender ShrimpWhile in NYC last weekend, we tried the entirely gluten-free The Little Beet Table. Not only is everything gluten-free, but they also are heavy on the veggies so you can feel good about what you are eating. To start, we had the Tender Shrimp which was served with chickpeas, garlic and chili. I would have ordered 5 of these. There was a fight at the table for the chickpeas, garlic and chili. We also shared the Tuna Tataki.

Tuna TatakiThe charred jalapeño vinaigrette gave this dish a subtle heat that was quite good. For the baby, we ordered the Roasted Sweet Potatoes and their Market Beans.

Sweet PotatoesServed in a cast iron skillet, the sweet potatoes were perfect in every way. Due to the yumminess of the smoked sea salt on top and the crispy skin, we took the opportunity to teach our daughter that sharing is caring.

Market BeansShe wasn’t too fired up about the beans which was fine by me as I finished these off with gusto. I ordered the LBT Burger as my entree. This was topped with roasted tomato, potato crunch, special sauce, bacon and NY state cheddar.

LBT BurgerAlthough it was really good, I didn’t really get much crunch from the “potato crunch”. It was served with fingerling potatoes and some extra “special sauce”. The special sauce had a little kick in it that tasted a bit like horseradish. My dad ordered the Rigatoni with onions, garlic, olives, tomatoes and pepperoncini.

RigatoniThe gluten-free pasta was a great consistency so I asked whose they use. Apparently the reason it was so good is that they make it in-house. My husband got the Vegetable Panini served on a multi-grain bread.

Vegetable PaniniThe bread was outstanding. I would use it for all my bread needs if it was available for purchase. The sandwich was so good with the sliced zucchini that we have talked about recreating it at home. It was so nice to be able to go to a restaurant where I could try what everyone had ordered. I am not sure that they appreciated how much I ate of their dishes, but it was definitely a special experience. I can’t wait to get back there so we can try their flatbreads.

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Toma

10 Mar

Grilled RomaineI love when daylight savings arrives and you can eat dinner when it is still light out. To celebrate the extra daylight, we decided to try one of Santa Barbara’s newer waterfront restaurants, Toma. As I usually do when trying a new spot, I made an earlier reservation so that we would have our waiter’s undivided attention when explaining my needs. I started with their grilled romaine salad. This was served with lemon parsley white beans, parmesan and a tomato vinaigrette. I love the texture and taste of grilled lettuce, so I finished this dish with gusto. I noticed on the menu that they had gluten-free pasta available. After asking, I found out that they typically cook the GF pasta in contaminated water. However, the waiter was able to have the kitchen cook the pasta in a clean pot of water and use clean utensils for me.

GF Pasta PomodoroThey had a choice of penne or spaghetti. I had the penne with Italian sausage, fresh ricotta and a pomodoro sauce. It was a very generous portion and was good… however I tend to enjoy pasta dishes with a little more kick to the sauce. Everyone in our group agreed that this was a restaurant worth returning to.

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Rubirosa Ristorante

8 Jan

GF Mozzarella SticksWhile in NY, we tried a place in Soho called Rubirosa Ristorante. They had a gluten-free menu and after asking our waitress a bunch of questions, it was clear that they were aware of what cross contamination was and how to avoid it. We started with the mozzarella sticks. Fried cheese = Perfection. We then split the Classic GF pizza.

GF Cheese PizzaWe really enjoyed the pizza as all of the ingredients involved were tasty. I can’t wait until we get back there so I can try the pasta… and the chicken parmigiano… and the rice balls… and the meatballs.

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Arlington Tavern’s Menu Addition

20 Oct

GF Mac & CheeseOne of the joys of social media includes finding out that places like Arlington Tavern now have GF macaroni and cheese. As soon as I read about it, I dreamed about the time when I would finally get to try this dish. Before going to a show at the bowl on Thursday, we headed over there.  I found out that they cook the GF pasta in a clean pot and use separate, clean utensils when preparing it. They also omit the bread crumbs that typically come with their mac & cheese. The gruyere cheese made this wonderfully gooey. I think this may be my new go-to craving when it eventually gets cold here in Santa Barbara!

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Trattoria La Lanterna

5 Sep

RiomaggioreSteps from the water in Riomaggiore, one of the towns of Cinque Terre, is a restaurant called Trattoria La Lanterna. Our guide for the day had called ahead so that they would be aware of our dietary needs. When we sat down, my brother and I received some gluten-free bread.

GF BreadI had a view of the prep area from where I was sitting, so I could see that the bread had come from a fully sealed package. The dishes here are served family style, so we both got the gluten-free pasta with olive oil, garlic and chilis.

GF pasta with olive oil, garlic and chilisThis dish was very light as far as pastas go. I may have preferred some more of the chilis as there wasn’t too much heat to it. The extra bread we had was very good dipped in the leftover oil and garlic.

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