This morning, I noticed on the Find Me Gluten-Free app that there is a restaurant listed that has GF pancakes. Dawn Patrol was reviewed by a person with celiac who said the pancakes were celiac friendly, so I loaded my youngest into his car seat and headed to lower State Street. After talking to the cashier, I was able to determine that the gluten-free pancakes are made on the same flat top as the regular ones. However, he insisted that they would clean it first. I didn’t feel comfortable with that, so I ended up ordering their Build a Hash which is made on a safe surface. My concoction had russet potatoes, peppers and onions, shredded chicken, spinach, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs and their fire roasted salsa. It also came with an option of corn tortillas (warmed on a GF surface) or bread. The food was hearty enough to split with another person.
It just goes to show that every person with celiac disease has a different level of comfort at restaurants. As always, you are dining at your own risk. That being said, does anyone in SB have a hidden breakfast spot that they love that is GF-friendly?
Although I was bummed to not have gluten-free pizza for lunch, I was glad to have some safe GF options to choose from. I do love that the restaurant is in 
Last night, my husband and I decided to try a new restaurant before heading to the Santa Barbara Bowl to see The National. We ended up at 
Although I enjoyed the butter chicken and the tikka masala sauce it came in, I preferred the coconut curry flavor. I had some papadum on the side so that I could scoop up all of the extra sauce. 
Because they are very clear on the menu about being unable to accommodate sesame allergies, we won’t have this restaurant in our usual rotation as my daughter is severely allergic to sesame and nuts. However, it will definitely be a top pick for date nights.
Last week, we went out to dinner with some good friends. We decided to try 
These 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.
I had my mind set on trying a new restaurant today for lunch, which led us to 
The fries were prepared with white truffle butter, pesto and parmesan cheese. The side patio was the perfect place to enjoy the food while people and dog watching. This is understandably a popular spot on the weekends as it is steps from all of the watering holes that the Funk Zone offers, including two spots within the Waterline.
I miss Arlington Tavern. Even though they closed 3 years ago, I always get nostalgic when driving past their location. They were always so gluten-free friendly without being a “gluten-free restaurant”. When I found out that a restaurant named 
The food was fine. Most importantly, I didn’t get sick. That being said, after speaking to another person, it seems that our waiter was correct in that the owner has trained his staff to tell GF people that nothing there is gluten-free. I totally understand that there is no way to guarantee something will be gluten-free unless the kitchen is entirely GF. I am putting myself at risk when I choose to dine out. But I find that attitude unprofitable for a business, especially when there are multiple items on the menu that are naturally gluten-free or that can be easily adapted with the omission of an item like croutons.
One of the first spots in the Funk Zone when it was more funk than trendy was 
I 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.
Look 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!
I had to run an errand downtown so I took the opportunity to try 
However, 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.
Happy Celiac Awareness Month! Thanks to Gluten-Free in SB reader, Ellen, I got a tip that 
After spending the day downtown to attend the March For Our Lives, I thought it would be nice to support a local business that appeared to be gluten-free friendly by the looks of their menu. We’ve walked by 
The burger featured locally sourced beef on their cheese bread. Since I was unable to have their fries, I had this with the side salad which was another large portion. As much as I enjoyed having the option of eating a burger with a bun, I really want to return to try the Moqueca de Peixe as it is also naturally gluten-free and sounded very good.
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