Tag Archives: santa barbara

Adama – Santa Barbara’s First Entirely GF Restaurant!

28 Jan

Curried Onion RingsAs of last week, Santa Barbara got its first entirely gluten-free restaurant when Adama decided to revamp their menu. How great is it that we can eat out locally and know that we can order every single thing on the menu?! I decided to head over there for lunch the other day to try the new menu out. I started with the Curried Onion Rings which were unbelievably crispy and satisfying. I then had  the Twisted wrap.

TwistedThis had southern fried “chicken” strips that were wrapped in a rice tortilla with ranch, lettuce and tomatoes. Even though I was nervous about it, I liked the consistency of the “chicken” strips. For dessert, I had a chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate Chip CookieLooking for the perfect excuse to try out the new menu at Adama? Come join Gluten-Free Santa Barbara on Tuesday, February 5th at 6:00 PM at Adama for our winter meet-up. If tasty libations, yummy food and gluten-free people aren’t enough of a reason to come (what is wrong with you?!), then I have another reason… Celiac Dietician Melinda Dennis will be there to offer information and guidance. RSVP on the Gluten-Free Santa Barbara Facebook page or send me an email at glutenfreeinsb@gmail.com.

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D’Vine

17 Jan

Sunshine SandwichThere is yet another place for gluten-free sandwiches now! D’Vine which is just steps from State Street now has Udi’s bread that they can substitute for their sandwiches. Once of the employees explained that if you have Celiac, it may not be best to eat there as it is not a dedicated GF facility. However, once I told them that I was Celiac, they took precautions to keep my sandwich safe. I was impressed that a couple of them used the term “Celiac” and seemed to understand what that meant (changed gloves, prepared it on a clean surface, didn’t use the toaster). I had the Sunshine Sandwich which had cucumber, avocado, tomato, red onion, carrots, sprouts, ranch and cream cheese.

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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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Brunch at Coast

13 Jan

GF Banana Nut BreadThis morning, we decided to try Coast at the Canary Hotel after seeing that they had GF Banana Nut Bread on their menu. The last time we had been to the Canary Hotel was the night before we got married when we had a welcome dinner on the rooftop, so it holds a special place in my heart. The banana nut bread was served with some mixed berries. I was told the Huevos Rancheros was gluten-free but upon asking questions, I found that they typically fry the tortilla in a contaminated fryer. However, they were able to make mine in a pan to prevent cross-contamination.

Huevos RancherosThis had fried eggs, cotija cheese, salsa rojo, beans, avocado and cilantro served on the crispy tortillas. Everything tasted nice and fresh. After eating we went up to the rooftop to take a look and reminisce. It still has some of the best views of Santa Barbara!

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Ca Dario Pizzeria

25 Dec

Sunday night we decided to try Ca Dario Pizzeria since I was very excited to see that they were offering gluten-free pizza (for an additional charge of $4). After asking a few questions to make sure that the pizza would be on a uncontaminated surface, it was clear that they did not understand what it meant to be gluten-free. I was even told that one of their gluten-free employees “never gets sick from it”, even though it is placed on the same surface as the normal pizza and cut with the same pizza cutter. I try to avoid focusing on the bad experiences I have because I always thought that there isn’t much good that can come from it. But, in my opinion, if a restaurant offers gluten-free products, they should be responsible for taking that seriously. I wouldn’t care if places would charge $10 extra for gluten-free pizza… as long as with that price comes the responsibility and education to maintain its gluten-free status. It was disheartening that a prominent restaurant in the area was poorly educated on this. I am hopeful that with the new year, we will see local restaurants taking more of a proactive approach to their menus and to the education of their staff.

On a lighter note, if you are celebrating the holiday today, have a very Merry Christmas!

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Trattoria Vittoria

11 Dec

Burrata con Prosciutto e RucolaThis weekend we went to Trattoria Vittoria with some friends of ours. I started with the Burrata con Prosciutto e Rucola. This consisted of mozzarella drizzled with a balsamic reduction and served with prosciutto and cherry tomatoes. This is one of the few Italian places in town that does not offer gluten-free pasta. So, I ordered the pork chop for my main dish.

Braciola di Maiale alla GrigliaThe pork chop was grilled and topped with parma prosciutto and melted mozzarella. It came with sauteed green beans and potatoes. In spite of all the pork consumed, I would like to sincerely wish those of you who are celebrating Hanukkah a very happy holiday.

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Warm Apple Pie

14 Nov

Above is 1 apple pie made by Simply Pies and warmed by me. This picture was taken at 7:48 PM. 4 minutes later…

Is there really anything better than warm apple pie?

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Enterprise Fish Co.

10 Nov

This weekend is my lacrosse alumni weekend. Last night, some college friends and I went to Enterprise Fish Co. When I asked the hostess if they happened to have a gluten-free menu, she informed me that they don’t, but that they do have GF bread available for sandwiches! I ended up ordering the Mesquite Grilled Chicken Sandwich. They served it on an Udi’s hamburger roll. This hit the spot. It had avocado, smoked bacon, and chipotle aioli. The waiter was really informed and had a good understanding of cross contamination and how to prevent it.

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Gluten-Free Cookbook Signing

1 Nov

This Saturday, at favorite spot Savoy Cafe and Deli, Tracy Hill will be signing her new book Delightfully Free from 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes. Stop by to meet Tracy and to grab a GF sandwich and cookie!

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Esau’s Cafe

26 Oct

This morning, the husband and I went to Esau’s for breakfast. It was perfect weather to sit outside on their patio. I ordered the Bacado Omelette. It came with bacon, jack cheese, tomatoes, onions, avocado and sour cream. Instead of toast, I had the option of getting corn tortillas with it! This was perfect, as I made miniature tacos with my dish. I think all breakfast spots should have that option!

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