Auntie M's - Gluten Free Food Truck

 Recently my husband and I were talking about state fairs and it came up, that he'd never been to any state fair, ever. I remember growing up, going with one of the neighbors to see the Wisconsin State fair, and going again with friends after college. As I looked at events at the fair I saw Lindsey Stirling was performing one day so we decided we'd get tickets and get there early to check out the fair. The week leading up to the fair I saw a post on a Milwaukee Celiac group about a gluten free food truck being there. I was shocked to realize this was 'a thing'! I had pumped up my husband on how he'd have to get a cream puff, cause it's just what you do at the Wisconsin state fair. But now I had options for amazing food too, not just whatever we hunted down. 

Once we found parking and found our way into the fair we found an information booth and found where the Auntie M's food truck was parked. which was the exact opposite end of the park. The lady at the information booth was doing her best to talk us into other options, but finally gave up when I told her I only wanted gluten free options, she said this was it. She wasn't 100% correct, we saw other options, although limited as we walked around We also saw a Vegan food truck too. 

After joking I was going to order 1 of everything on the truck, I did get a corndog, cheese curds and went back and got a funnel cake. I mean, I had to! I can't remember the last time I had a funnel cake! 

We walked around, checked out the expo center and mile shops, and saw some of the cows being shown, and of course had to check out the pig races. We were waiting for our concert, and my husband found a brat and eventually I decided to get some roasted corn. We want to know how much corn you have to bring daily to meet the demand of the people getting corn. While waiting in line for our corn, I left my husband there to get water and saw a sign on another booth for Gluten Free Chicken, Hamburger, and "Boneless Wings" with sauce. I was in awe! After the concert we wanted a cold beverage and I decided I needed some wings for the walk back to the car. We had so much fun, enjoyed all the food and beverage options, my husband ask "Why don't they do this every weekend in summer, this is fun!" 

The one drawback was, I never eat fried food. It's so hard to find any safe fried food, other than Five Guys Fries or Chik Fila Fries, so all the fried food made my stomach unhappy, but honestly I didn't care! It was all so good and I was able to handle it to get home and some lower back heat helped a lot! 

 For a fair I give them 4 dragonflies, if you look hard enough there are options, and their website has info if a vendor has listed it in their food listing.  For the food truck I give the same rating. I will say they have a perfect model going on technically 3 items, that as soon as someone orders, you make another, knowing you're just going to have a steady stream of customers for those 3 items. So wait time is minimal, and it's food that is rare for someone who is gluten free. I was disappointed they didn't have cheese or honey for the corndogs, but I know I have some weird tastes for how I spice up my food. I am following Auntie M's to see when they may be back near Milwaukee, or if we're heading to Minnesota, where I might find them! 

Stockholm's Restaurant and Brewery

 We'd had this place on our radar to check out for a while, especially once I saw the extensive gluten free markings on their menu. We stopped at Stockholm's while on our beer passport journey one rainy afternoon. We chatted with the bartender who said it was slower because Swedish days was just wrapping up otherwise the restaurant would be much busier. We learned that the owner makes a special "adult" root beer that if you didn't know it had alcohol in it, you wouldn't realize it. The flavor and taste were just so good.

We opted to try the mussels, which is not something we normally get, but decided to be adventurous. We told the server multiple times "No toast, gluten free". So we were initially annoyed that our plate arrived with toast on top, but the porter, server and bartender all chimed in "It's gluten free bread!" We were so excited that they could do gf toast to go with the meal. 

As of now I'd give them 4 dragonflies, I'd like to go back and try some more options and see how it is. They have good options, and a wide menu. The staff is aware and can tell Gluten Free options from regular and even were able to discuss why items were not safe. But I only had an appetizer and the amazing root beer. This one will require a revisit, but I'm looking forward to it because what I have tried was tasty.

Obscurity Brewing

 Obscurity Brewing and Mead Hall - Came to check out this place as a stop on our beer passport this summer. While we weren't planning to get food while here, we weren't that hungry. But as we sampled Meads, Cider and my husband had beer, food sounded good, so we opted to try the BBQ platter. Chatted it up with our beertender about gluten free options, what was safe, if the sauces were safe, (Which they all are safe) and she put our order in. Sadly she forgot to mark it gluten free, so it came out with a piece of bread in the middle of the plate. 

I will say I'm more and more annoyed with places that just add bread to things, why can't you just add it to the menu listing! Then we could more specifically say "Make sure not to add the bread!!" 

Our server apologized multiple times that it was her fault and had a fresh plate brought out to us. We were wowed. This was honestly some of the best BBQ we've had in a long time. Their Alabama white sauce was tasty and not just peppery. The Ribs fell right off the bones, and the brisket was lean and not fatty at all. We also really like the elote. There was the right amount of spice and flavor. Almost as good as the elote we had that was topped with bacon! 

We actually came back with friends a few weeks later. We planned out a brewery hop for the day to try different things, making note to everyone that this was where we were getting dinner, because it's just that good! They have a rotation of 3-4 ciders or meads from their cider/meadery across the street, and also have cocktails, so it's a well rounded selection of food and adult beverages and great fun atmosphere. I give them 5 dragonflies, because the BBQ was so good and the staff was very understanding.

Blackberry Market - Trendy Cafe

Blackberry Market has 2 locations, one in LaGrange, the other in Glen Ellyn. Both are in cute little shopping districts in the downtown of the town. Their menu is a mix of item with multiple allergy warnings marked, per item. We had stopped in the LaGrange location recently while at the craft fair. Their $1 Ice tea was a nice incentive, and we learned they had multiple gluten free baked goods, from a lemon poppy seed loaf to cookies and a brownie. The lemon poppy seed loaf was sweet, and very moist. 

While looking for some light brunch options we decided to check out the Glen Ellyn location, since it was along our route. We also noticed they had a mural from Matthew Hoffman, who does the "You are Beautiful" Displays. So it was a double win for us to get brunch and snap a photo of a new display. 

This one also had a nice display of gluten free baked goods, each packed in their own wrapper and in the case. I got a raspberry lemon muffin to go with my breakfast stack, which essentially was a breakfast salad! 2 eggs, I got scrambled with bacon over a bed of greens with dressing. All dishes seem to come with a side of potatoes, a mix of red and sweet potatoes. The non-gf options come with a biscuit and blackberry jam. 

While they didn't have a ton of options that were gluten free, they had so many markings on the menu, the glass case and the baked goods on display, it's obvious they know how to handle allergies. Though with limited options, they were interesting and seemed like there were a few options to come back and check out. I would give them 4 dragonflies. I would like to see some items served on bread or toast, having some interesting baked goods, do give a nice option to get some carbs in addition to the fancy sliced potatoes that come with the meals.

Benjeyehuda - Gluten Free Safe.

Benjeyehuda - Funny sounding but safe place to eat for gluten free food! They currently have a handful of locations in and around Chicago. We opted to try it out. They do understand gluten and are really good for safe options. They even have French Fries, which you can get with melted Mekrts cheddar cheese on the side! The other exciting part they have gluten free falafel! Roti does also, but I have run across places without safe Falafel, which makes me sad. The name Benjeyehuda was created by the owners while in Jerusalem one time.

We went all in and got a combo bowl, which comes with both chicken and steak as well as falafel. You get to choose white or brown rice, or lettuce for a bedding. After that you have your variety of veggies, hummus and more. It is a lot of food so go when you're super hungry! It was so good. We had gone at lunch time and honestly didn't eat dinner later that night cause we'd had so much food. It was really tasty too. While I never reheat a Chipotle burrito bowl for a 2nd meal, I am always willing to reheat my combo bowls from here.

The one thing we've realized is eating this late at night makes you feel bloated and huge cause there is a lot of food. I love that there are customization options and you're not limited to 1 item. They are doing wraps now, so it's not 100% gluten free, but they make each meal right in front of you as you order, so you can watch the safety of the prep. I give them 5 Dragonflies cause they give you so many options, and so much food. You can't go wrong with a meal from here. 

 

Water Street Brewing- Wisconsin

Normally when we head up to Eagle, WI area we always head over to David Allen Allen Smokehouse for amazing BBQ. But one of the things we love about them is their outside patio they installed during Covid. It's a nice place to hang and eat with friends. On our recent trip up there it was a misty, rainy day and we were bummed, but thought we'd check Find Me Gluten Free and see what other options might be interesting, and we found Water Street Brewing Co. Now, I know some people have issues with FMGF and the accuracy of the options. But we always read reviews and look at the site before going to a new place. We've yet to be steered wrong, and have found some great places that even our non-gf friends end up frequenting. 

We looked up Water Street and saw they even listed the gluten free menu on their website, so we headed over there. There was a bunch of cute shops right there including Penzy Spices, which I had to stop to get spices from, since they're so gluten free friendly. 

This summer we've been checking out breweries and trying flights where we can, so this fit the bill of what we've been looking for all summer. I was excited at Water Street I could get a fancy grilled cheese with a salad as the side, along with some very tasty cocktails. I'd never thought of a rootbeer Old Fashioned being a thing, and honestly it was super tasty. The server was super knowledgeable and even did a double check on ingredients when I seemed concerned, mostly cause my bread was so large when I saw my sandwich. My husband was excited by the size of his flight and how big the pours were. 

The sandwich was so tasty and while salad is not my preferred side, it was actually a good tasting salad that was fresh and didn't taste processed. We actually ended up here a month later with my brother, who was impressed by the 'foodie' menu they had. Though he says he's not a foodie.... He tried one of the light beers, since we had a lot more stops in our day so he didn't want to get anything too heavy. I got a nicoise salad, I'll be honestly I can't pronounce it, but it was so good. I added beef short rib to it, which was just what it needed. 

Honestly, I'm ready to go back - Everything I've had was so good and the service and the people there are so nice. I give them 5 Dragonflies because the options, the taste and the service are all wonderful! 

 

 

 

American WildBurger - Going Strong

 It's been a hot second or more since I've gone to American WildBurger, but almost 10 years later, they're going strong. We happened in the area a couple times recently and opted to stop in and grab a bite. They have expanded their menu for their gluten free offerings. Now besides burgers and fries, they have wings, fried shrimp, fried chicken, and moved 1 location to their left! 

We were doing a BYOF to go to a brewery, so I was excited to get the fried shrimp and fries. Something so simple was so satisfying. This time they were out of shrimp, (we got there later in the evening) so I got the wings. The options for sauces were pretty nice, it wasn't the same 1-2 options everyone has. So I got the Garlic Parmesan wings. With another side of fries. I wasn't sure if 6 wings would be enough, but they're big enough, they're like Big Birds wings! They were more than plentiful for the serving size. 

They have options for alcoholic beverages as well as regular. There is ample seating if you're there with several people. I haven't had a burger recently so I can't comment on the burger bun, because previously I wasn't a fan of the latest bun they were using for the burgers. Over all I give them 4 dragonflies because while they have some fun side dishes, and salads, but I'd like a good grilled veggie or something fun like that as a side. 

 

Prairie Street Brewing Company

Prairie St Brewing Company - We’ve now been here a few times, not a huge place, definitely has more seating in the summer when you can sit on the patio and watch the water flowing of the Rock River. The menu is a bit hip for a brewery, they are definitely trying to compete with the Chicago microbreweries for Nuevo style foods. We saw one of the appetizers was a cheese board, with tortilla chips. It was a unique style idea. The cheeses were dip/spreadable cheeses. Such a simple idea, and so good. My loving Non GF Hubby kept raving about the Pimento cheese that I actually had to find a recipe and make it at home. Other cheeses included Buffalo cheese and jalapeno cream cheese. All super tasty. I honestly could come here and just eat this. Their beers are not gluten free, (though a review on Findmeglutenfree says they are, they’re not) but they offer several canned ciders. One being Schilling’s Pineapple Mango Cider. Super tasty and unique. I actually hit up Binny’s Beverage Depot and got a case. When I told the server I need to be gluten free, she even told me she’d confirm the cider was gluten free before bringing it out. Really awesome!

Look at this cheese board? Isn't it gorgeous??? 

I got the Taquito salad the first time we came. It was tasty and unique, but I think it was a bit too much Kimchi for my stomach. I didn’t have a gluten reaction, but it definitely left me hitting the bathroom a few times after eating it.

Second visit the menu with the daily specials caught my attention. I’m not a big meatloaf person, but it sounded so good! The ribs sounded good, but a bit to eccentric for me, so I was glad the Non-GF hubby got them so I could try a little but not make such a commitment to the meal. We totally filled up on the cheese board and tortillas, so we had left overs. The food was really good, the portions are hearty, but service is a bit sparse. Our server kept wandering off and we kept having to flag someone down to get what we needed.

  The meatloaf really hit the spot, there wasn't too much sauce and the potatoes were very rich. I love that so much of their food is farm to table and unique. 

I give them 5 Dragonflies for their unique but plentiful menu options and even having GF markings for the daily specials. 

 

We're working on finding another day to take some more friends back to check out what is on the new seasonal menu and hopefully get to sit out on the outside patio and take in some summer sun and beautiful weather.

Awesome Breakfast Egg Harbor Cafe

Some how, I've managed to not mention Egg Harbor Cafe, and I don't know how I've missed this post! This has got to be one of top 3 favorite places for breakfast, my motivation is the Sweet Ali's Cinnamon Roll. But really you can't go wrong with anything you order here. Our biggest joke is when we went to Door County, WI and were in Egg Harbor, there is no Egg Harbor Cafe! But being around the burbs of Chicago, there are several locations in popular parts of towns. 

They have a separate gluten free menu that is quite extensive. They do lunch options too, but to be honest, I have only ordered breakfast food with them, cause their eggs and harbor potatoes are super tasty, and their bacon is made just the way I like it. Their skillets are pretty tasty too. They have gotten in to some of the fancy coffee and tea drinks too, but a carafe of coffee at the table feels like in an older movie at the all day breakfast shop. 

I give Egg Harbor 5 Dragonflies (6 if it was an option), for quality, quantity of items of the menu and super attentive staff. 

Alchemy at Aldeen - Rockford

Alchemy at Aldeen – We found on accident, well with the help of Find Me Gluten Free. We were planning on hitting up Prairie Street Brewing, one of our favorite places in Rockford, but noticed the parking lot was beyond packed and nearby vacant lots and street parking were full also. Seeing that Prairie Street is also an event venue, we assumed something was going on, but decided the meal would be slow, long and may not even get a table for some time, but we were hungry and on our way to Wisconsin for the weekend. 

We found Alchemy and headed that direction, it wasn’t far, and happened to be at one of the local golf courses as the country club. The inside of the restaurant was super charming and cute, I felt a bit under dressed, but I don’t think it really mattered. Most people were chilling on the patio or at the bar.

The Gluten Free options on the menu were impressive and plentiful. Most things it felt like could be made gluten free. Their format for the winter months is to operate like a super club and have a fancy cocktail menu to match it.

My husband went with the 52 day barrel aged Old Fashioned and I got a daiquiri. His Old Fashioned was pretty tasty, not strong or harsh and went down smoothly. My Daiquiri was a bit like a margarita and super satisfying. 

For dinner I got the pasta bosco it was super interesting as it had chunks of beef, mushrooms and was in a broth style sauce. I have to try making this at home as it was so good and didn’t give me heartburn since it wasn’t a tomato sauce! The servers were very conscious to call out gluten free when repeating the order and bringing out the food. Which was good, cause the pasta was so good I honestly questioned if it was gluten free. 

The server told us they’d be starting their summer menu soon with handhelds and lighter far for enjoying on the patio. Hopefully that continues to be gluten free plentiful.

I give them 5 dragonflies – The food and drink were both amazing, the staff was attentive, and the ambiance was great. I would go here for a date night any time!

 

Arby’s Eating Dirty

While doing a roadtrip halfway across the country  during covid to visit my Sister-In-Law on the East coast, we got to talking about places to drive thru for options, and trying to find something different, as we got away from our Urban options who would have things like Chik-Fila, Jimmy Johns, Jersey Mikes…. And I questioned “Would an Arby’s beef sandwich be gluten free if served not on a bun?” My husband asked “Would you eat it like that, or on your own bun?” 

So we set off to the grocery store, found some BFree Pita’s and went to Arby’s and ordered a Double Beef and Cheddar in a bowl. We found a cute spot to park near a river by a park and pulled out our car trays and proceeded to have lunch. I built my beef and cheddar into the pita pocket while we laughed and had one of the best ‘dirty food’ meals I’d had in a long time. At the time they still did a side salad as an option so that and my beef and cheddar hit the spot and we cracked up that it took us 10 years to think of this as an idea! At the time Arby's still had a side salad option, which made a nice touch to the meal. Now they no longer have the salad sadly, but I'll survive.

Since than we've stopped at Arbys on more than a few occasions, for something different to eat.  I always make sure to have a bread option with me, or we just take it home to eat. It's such a simple concept, that is quite tasty too.

Elmhurst Brewing Company

I think I’ve spoiled myself by always going places with good defined gluten free menus. That when I go somewhere that just throws stuff together I have to try really hard not to roll my eyes at the menu. I’ve looked at Elmhurst Brewing Companies menu a few times the last year or so that we’ve had our Friday “Brew Crew”, and the menu does rotate seasonally and so do the gluten free options. It seems that they are becoming less and less. Which was a bit shocking since most cases I feel I eat better at most breweries than I do most sit down establishments. This one was a bit different. 

They had 1 flatbread option and 2 salads marked on the menu. I questioned a couple other items including their pimento dip, (Which seems to be a brewery staple, as that’s where I always seem to get it.).

1^st things first, they had cider from Right Bee, and an Old-Fashioned option. Their Old-Fashioned was ok. You had to stir the ice to melt it some to bring off the harsh edge on the drink. The Cider was great! I want to go do a tasting at Right Bee one of these days cause I think I’ll like the options. 

 

Not gluten free, but thought their taster paddle was cool.

I got the pimento cheese dip, they determined they could do cucumbers and celery instead of crackers and the beet and goat cheese salad. Had the wings been an option, I would have gone with them, my husband did, and said they were amazing! Our friend who got the Schintzel said it was better than the German restaurant we went to! 

The goat cheese salad had these cute little ‘goat balls’ as my husband called them rolled in pepper and placed sparsely on the salad. Their green goddess dressing was good. Overall the salad was OK, nothing I’d rave about, but it didn’t upset my stomach. The pimento dip tasted processed and fake. We joked that they ran across the street and got a container from the grocery store and plopped it on the plate. Not amazing, at all!

Overall, I’d give them 2 Dragonflies, while they nicely marked 3 items on the menu gluten free, it felt like they did so out of obligation, that they really wanted to make or serve anything gluten free. The ambiance was nice and if you eat gluten the food sounds like it’s good… Just not, the gluten free aspect.

 

Balanced Rock Winery

Just outside the exit to Devil's Lake state park, is a cute winery on a bit of a hill, Balanced Rock Winery. One thing that cracks me up, is that they have a driving range on their property. So if you like golf, you're set! Plus they are dog friendly with a large patio with live music to really take some time to chill for the day while getting some good food and drink.

There were a few options for wine. Do a tasting at the bar, or a flight or a glass could be take to a table, as well as you can order food to go with your wine. We opted to each get a flight and share (there were exactly 6 sweeter wine and a flight was 3 wines, so we were set!). We each ordered a different nacho plate, I don't know if we were that hungry or the food was that good. Once our food arrived, we totally forgot about the wine and went into heffer mode, just chowing down on our food. The salsa was nice and thick and not too spicy, plus I was excited they had black olives on the nachos. You don't see that too often most places. So I stole the olives off my husbands plate. Really the food was great, the wine was tasty, and the ambiance was lively and not too serious, but still a nice setting. 

I give them 5 dragonflies. For a winery to have such a good food display was rare and very inviting. The inside it super cute and makes a great stand alone option to hang out, but in nice weather, the back and side patio, totally pump it up a notch on cuteness. Plus the scenery was so nice and in the fall would be even prettier. 

Elgin Food Hall Birdettes

I had seen on Find Me Gluten Free a listing for Birdette's in Elgin, it mentioned they had gluten free fried chicken! I got super excited, as that is the main thing I really crave. So I asked around to a few other people if they'd heard of it or knew anything, they said no, but was worth checking out. A little more digging I found out they're in a food hall. While thinking that was a bit odd for Elgin, still was intrigued to find a reason to be out that way to check it out. We've visited food halls other places we've traveled and they were super cute and worth visiting again. 

While at a loss for a late lunch we wandered over to the Dream Hall food hall to give it a go. It was rather confusing to figure out where all the food options were and what they were since it looked to have multiple floors, and only 3 spots to order food on the 1st floor. Eventually we figured out the left you got coffee, the middle was all the food options and the right was the bar. We walked around and checked out the space, and opted to order our food.

I had to go with the fried chicken. I did the drumettes, and a mozzarella & tomato salad with my chicken. My husband did a curry bowl. We were slightly confused at the menu but realized all the food options were listed in one spot. My wings were good, the creamy buffalo was not very spicy at all which was good, it didn't distract from the chicken which was pretty awesome. They asked if I wanted blue cheese on the side, and I said sure. Sadly the blue cheese was Ken's dressing, which is GF safe, but I find their dressings lack flavor of any level. I enjoyed my caprese salad, though the tomatoes were very tough like they were hot house raised. My husband was underwhelmed with his curry dish having little to no spice and not being very curry like. He wished he'd gone with the nutella pancakes instead. He also got a iced coffee drink from the coffee stand, that was really good.

I'll give them 4 dragonflies because they have multiple GF options and very clear labeling. When I mentioned gluten free they seemed very knowledgeable on it. But the lack of being able to figure out what was going on with the space and where to go was a bit odd. Plus most of the options could have had more flavor. I hope the succeed, since they don't seem in a high foot traffic area like most food halls. 

Tumbled Rock Brewing

Not far outside Starved Rock in Baraboo WI is a tasty brewery - Tumbled Rock Brewing. We found them on a previous trip to go hiking and really enjoyed the food we got. I had gotten the steak tip appetizer (Sans the crostini) and the elote salad. I was expecting a 'normal'serving size for the elote and was shocked at the large portion. I couldn't finish it even with help from my husband, who had gotten a pizza because they have a giant pizza oven, and seems to be their specialty item.

As we were heading back up this way after doing a few hikes, I suggested we stop there for a late lunch get a beverage and some appetizers. We opted to get a few appetizers to share. One thing to note on their menu is anything that is marked GF that is fried, IS in a Shared fryer. Which annoys me when places do this, but I knew to ignore these items. Our server was very engaged an able to punch in 'allergy' & 'gluten free' notes on the items we ordered and she went back and talk to the kitchen to make sure they saw the note. Since the steak tips should have crostini, the server offered to bring us a plate of tortilla chips to go with our food instead. My husband loved the tortilla chips and we took the extras with us to munch on later.

Our meal was fabulous and the rain held off so we had a nice meal on their patio. I give them 4 dragonflies because they have a bunch of options that are GF, and they are tasty. Do keep note that they have a shared fryer for GF items that are fried. So keep that in mind when ordering off the menu. I wish they wouldn't mark those items, as it can be confusing when ordering, to know what really are safe options. Otherwise they seem knowledgeable and diligent with the food on all orders. 

Church Street Brewing

My husband found Church St. Brewery several years back. Riding the Metra he would see their large sign that faces the back yard (which they were not using at the time) but made us aware of them, and then one of his favorite food trucks started going there. 

Originally they had a tiny taproom where you sat at wine barrels for tables, very speak easy like. As they've grown, they've expanded a couple times, making the tap room larger, and getting formal seating options. As well as expanding the back yard and making it a nice beer garden. During Covid they put up a tent and added some umbrellas to tables so you had some shade coverage. This year they've installed pergolas in the back. They also set up for live music in the back as well as inside.

They've also grown their options of what they serve. They experimented with a gluten reduced beer. They also joined in on the hard seltzer game. The one thing that severely irks me about their hard seltzers. They are Gluten Reduced, NOT GLUTEN FREE! I hate that seltzers are not a clear cut gluten free option. When going anywhere new if an establishment has a hard seltzer brand I don't know, I always ask if it's gluten free, which draws a lot of eye roll reactions. I always bring up Church St, that their seltzers are not gluten free. 

Several other breweries around us have started making their own vodka and whiskey, which has made Church St. start serving cocktails and even wine from Lynfred down the road. Which meant options that were safer for me. We also loved that they would have a rotation of food trucks, or we brought our own food. One day we were shocked to show up and see they had a food menu. When we were told going forward we couldn't bring our own food, I questioned them on Gluten free options and they said "Yes we do!" and brought us a menu. 

We've since had a couple of their dips, a salad, (Cause they ran out of Cauliflower crusts) and their pizza on Cauliflower crust. The last time we ere there they said they have a customer show up weekly to get their GF pizza saying it was worth the trip. I agree! It is squishy and tasty, I have to always ask and confirm they brought the right pizza out.It's not your typical crusty had gluten free pizza. With their expansion in the liquor they have options like margarita flights for Cinco De Mayo, and Mint Juleps for the Kentucky Derby. So it's a nice rotation of options for me on drinks, and a place with a great place to casually hang out, and being a brewery it doesn't feel like I have to eat, we can just enjoy some drinks and chill. 

I give them 4 dragonflies, cause I'd love to see a GF beer option, not gluten reduced... Even if it was from another brewery like Alt or Lakefront. But they have wine, and spirits to choose from, and that pizza, (The meat-za, and the pear one they had last summer). Everyone is super nice and not pretentious when explaining the need for gluten free, they have other regulars who also explained to them, so it's a very comfortable environment.

8,000 Miles - Chinese food

I will admit, we're pretty lucky that we have a Chinese restaurant near us that has gluten free food options. It isn't a huge menu, but for me, the best part is they have fried rice. If you can make a good gluten free fried rice, everything is A-OK. Now if they had egg rolls, that would be amazing, but I know I can't have everything. 

8,000 Miles is right by our house, and truth be told, we've never had a bad meal with them. The owners have a second location TL's Four Seasons, near by. We have not been there, but heard it's just as good. Luckily what we like about 8,000 is their Crispy Sesame Chicken, and Crunch Garlic Shrimp are both super tasty and filling. Usually we get some GF fried rice to go with it, and I'm happy as can be. 

We ordered online for pick up from them during covid, and they are one of the few places, I've never felt I need to check the food before leaving the restaurant, because they have great labeling, and will call you if they're concerned on an order. My husband wanted crab Rangoon (He's not GF) - and ordered that with our GF meals, (We got 2 GF entrees, so we could share), and they called to make sure we knew the crab Rangoons were not safe. 

The only reason I'd give them lower than 5 dragonflies would be selection, a beef dish would be nice, if they can do beef fried rice, why not a beef and broccoli dish? I have never asked for something not on the gluten free menu, but am considering it, since it is pretty tasty! 

Bit of a Rant On Eating Out

To quote Einstein - Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

 

Having a food allergy or intolerance can seem daunting, because you can never let down your guard. We are very cautious on where we eat out and pick places that have better handling and knowledge of things. But that doesn’t always mean that it works that nicely.

 

We have a great local place that we love, but we are now on strike 3 of getting a meal that we trust, when we get takeout. Dining in is fine, but any to go meal there is an issue.  I got asked, “why do you go back” – We’ll it’s hard to find good options of different foods, so where do you compromise?

 

Doing take out during Covid, and poor service from restaurants has made us extra meticulous at checking our order before we leave. Every Single Time! Because nothing irks me even more than getting home and not having food that I can eat!

 

Our last visit, to a place we love, we checked the food, and noticed my husband’s plate wasn’t what he wanted, but he said it was fine, it was something he liked. My meal looked fine; our shared plate looked fine. When we got to our destination, and I took a bite of our shared plate I could tell right away, it wasn’t what we ordered. My heart sank, and panic set in. How could we be duped for the 3^rd time. After spitting out my food and trying to not cry, my husband walked up and asked what was wrong. I showed him and he started to fume. Some back and forth we decided to hold off either of us eating anymore and stop at the restaurant on the way home to show them the issue and ask for a refund.  

 

Upon walking in and telling them, they assured me the meal was gluten free, but they could see I was still not happy. They did make a new plate for us and had their co-owner who is also Celiac come out and talk to us. She kept saying it wasn’t their fault, their vendor who makes the gluten free items, makes only gluten free items one day of the week. So while the filling in the product was wrong, it was still gluten free. I kept emphasizing to her how this is still an issue, cause it causes concern if we got the wrong order, (Has happen there before, or it's the Non-GF version). On a previous trip we were confused because we ordered different flavors of items, but my husband ended up being given the same flavors as me, but Not Gluten free. Again, we started to freakout how to tell the difference and make sure I got the right food.

 

We chatted on how hard it is to get good help that is able to make sure they’re doing a consistently good job. How awful is that, that people handling food, just don’t care! I'd be less annoyed if they didn't have a sign hanging by the register how all meals are checked by a food safety manager trained in allergies. Yet I'm annoyed, trust broken, and telling myself I'm OK cause my instincts were right stop eating when something was wrong, but still annoyed we had such a hassle and extra drama to deal with. We've called about issues in the past, and been refunded, as they were closing and couldn't get replacement meal in time. Knowing that they have had issues in the past, you'd think as someone with Celiac owning the place, they would work to be better, over all. But It may be too much to ask for these days.

 

Rant over for now. But I'm sure there will be a follow rant on the same topic soon, sadly.

Riccardo's - Italian Stop

I will randomly just scroll thru Find Me Gluten Free, just to see if something new, different, or interesting gets posted. I get excited when something different pops up, just cause it's nice to go somewhere new, try something else, and not eat the same things. Riccardo's popped up recently, and I realize I go to the grocery store right across the street once a week! 

We decided to take the family and check it out. It's set back and not the easiest to find if you're not looking for it. The inside reminded me of a family run dinner style from the early 1990's. The gluten free menu is not huge by any means, but they have some great options like ravioli, mostaccioli, and different chicken dishes. My favorite part is they serve the Udi's rolls as an option for gluten free! It's $1 a roll and they will ask how many rolls you want. 

They have 1 soup option that is safe, the minestrone soup. What kills me is they only have the house vinegar dressing for the salad option. Which I just don't understand 75% if not more of dressings bought in store are safe, but the moment you eat out, NONE are an option! Ugh! Though they do have a couple gluten free dessert options which is awesome. I still get hung up on the salad dressing, like how hard is it to have a safe dressing that doesn't taste like it would be a cleaning solution!

Their lack of a good tasting dressing makes me rate them down to 4 dragonflies, they have options, if you're in the mood for them, the GF menu is much smaller than the regular menu, but it's a good option to meet up for a special event or a group dinner that's not too pricey.