1. My latest obsession with putting everything bagel seasoning on everything- well mostly zucchini and on top of cucumber slices with vegan cream cheese. You can find this in the seasoning isle at Trader Joe’s.
2. I am all about the latest charcuterie board craze! I just love throwing pepperoni, cucumber slices, olives, salami, marcona almonds, sun dried tomatoes, blueberries, caper berries on my large wooden cutting board and pouring myself a nice glass of wine. A great snack and easy clean up. (careful when trying other charcuteries there is the potential for cross contamination on these boards- the Board Grazer instagram account is gorgeous but I cringe at the thought of all that gluten touching the fruit and meat).
3. One of my photo reposts on instagram from one of the few dedicated gluten-free restaurants in town Foo Dog Curry Traders.
4. Chicken Salad Salad from Beach Diner Ponte Vedra. Turns into two meals!
5. Chicken and bacon kebabs with cauliflower rice. One of the amazing meals my husband made for me this year. He has really turned into such a great gluten-free cook. So thankful that both of us love to cook.
6. I love finding new gluten-free goodies. Thanks to Trader Joe’s they keep me on my toes to always be on the lookout because they are always taking things away and bringing in new things. These crackers are delicious and hearty. Great with hummus, cheese, or olive tapenade.
7. My discovery of the gluten-free bakery section at The Fresh Market. Where have I been?
8. Best gluten-free beer hands down that I have found EVER! The blonde lager is my favorite! Glutenberg Brewery was founded by a guy with celiac disease in Canada who wanted beer that tasted like real beer. Best beer I have tried yet that is gluten-free.
9. Visiting Lucy’s Sweet Shop in Jacksonville Beach with my mom. While that milkshake is not gluten-free the owners are awesome and they do make gluten-free items but they are not celiac safe. I had a cup of black coffee and a wonderful time with my mom.
When I was first diagnosed with Celiac disease I thought anything that said “gluten-free” was safe for me. I quickly learned that just because a restaurant has a gluten-free menu it does not always mean that they took steps to avoid cross contamination.
A few months ago I found out about the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness GREAT Kitchens: Gluten-Free Training. GREAT Kitchens is a gluten-free training to food service professionals working in a variety of settings. This $100 training teaches skills and techniques to meet gluten-free needs and serve gluten-free meals safely and confidently.
As Jacksonville becomes more gluten-friendly I would love to see more restaurants taking steps to train their kitchen staff and servers on gluten. I would especially love to encourage local restaurants. I find that it is the chain restaurants who provide most of the training for their staff because of a need in a larger market. It is the local restaurants I find that a majority of the time have not educated their staff on food allergies.
1. They don’t know what gluten is.
2. They think I can’t have ANY carbs.
3. They think items that have been fried in the same oil as breaded items are gluten-free.
4. They aren’t aware that sauces like soy sauce carry hidden gluten.
5. They don’t write down that I have celiac disease on the ticket so the kitchen staff has no idea that they should take extra steps to avoid cross contamination.
6. They don’t write anything down and try to memorize my order as well as the order for the 8 other people at the table.
As of March 1st, 2014 there are no restaurants in Jacksonville that are certified as a GREAT Kitchen. I would love to see this change and I would love to update our gluten-free restaurant listing with a list of GREAT Kitchen certified restaurants.
What are some of the issues you have when dining out? Do you avoid dining out altogether because it is so hard?
Thank you for a great 2013, I am so excited about 2014. More new restaurants, more new gluten-free foods and the new gluten-free labeling standards starting in August 2014.
As we enter 2014 I thought I would share some of the greatest hits of 2014. Some are oldies some are goodies.
While it is nice to look back every once in a while, it is time to charge forward to 2014. Here is to a year filled with healthy and nutritious foods. What are you looking forward to in 2014?
A few weeks ago I received the September version of the Jacksonville Magazine Food Lover’s Guide. While flipping through I noticed that in addition to mentioning the best restaurants in Jacksonville, they have a little section on restaurants that have vegetarian options.
1. Can we do something to highlight the gluten-free restaurants in Jacksonville in the next issue of Jacksonville Magazine’s Food Lover’s Guide?
2. Could we add a GF to the Guide to the Guide legend in the Jacksonville Magazine’s Food Lover’s Guide.
3. Could Folio Weekly add “Best Gluten Free Restaurant” (or best gluten-free blog- haha) to their Folio Weekly Best of Jax voting ballot?
P.S. Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Check out The Wedding Crashers Party, hosted by JacksonvilleScene.com and benefiting the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America Saturday September 28th at 8:00pm.
Question: I happened upon your blog when looking for GF restaurants in Jacksonville, where I will be for a week the end of the month. I will be attending a conference for work at the Hyatt Regency downtown. Can you offer any suggestions close to the Hyatt as I will not have a car? But other suggestions for dinner would also be welcomed or anything else I shouldn’t pass up!
Koja Sushi at the Landing (walking distance)- open for lunch or dinner. No gluten-free soy sauce but sushi is pretty good.
Mellow Mushroom (coming soon) (cab): gluten free pizza and beer!
Sweet Theory Bakery (cab)- they close every night at 6 but it is worth it, there is nothing like it in Jacksonville. They are gluten-free and dairy free.
Chocolate Chip Cookie sandwich with vanilla frosting in the middle from Sweet Theory Baking Co.
Grassroots Natural Market (cab)- plenty of gluten-free snacks, prepared foods, smoothies, etc. Convenient to center of 5 points.