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September 24, 2014

Family Style And Gluten Free? Welcome To Carmine’s!

A couple of years ago, pre-gluten free, my husband and I first dined at Carmine’s in New York City, Times Square. We’d heard fantastic things from family and friends who had visited there in the past, so we were definitely excited to experience the Carmine’s deliciousness ourselves. And that we did, we left there full and satisfied, even planning our grand return in the future. We never did get back there to have our pick of the menu but we have triumphantly returned thanks to their massive gluten free selection taken right off of their regular menu with only a few adjustments.

Carmine’s has only a few locations, two of which we’ve visited in the gluten free phase of life. Just recently, we decided to take little one to the National Zoo in Washington D.C., which also meant a trip to Carmine’s too! While I’m always excited for a trip to the zoo with my family, it’s equally as exciting to go to Carmine’s again. We don’t get to go too often since we aren’t right around the corner, but whenever we’re in the area of one we’re sure to take advantage. We just love the family style serving theme of their delicious Italian food, not to mention the family and friend vibe that we always get dining here. After a couple of weeks in anticipation of the Carmine’s/D.C. day it had finally arrived and we were headed out for a little road trip. Even though it was early September, the weather lent itself more to a hot, summery day which was more than welcomed seeing as the weather forecast predicted rain instead of the sun that appeared. With a long drive behind us, we were raring to go to explore the gorgeous National Zoo. This zoo is phenomenal, home to all kinds of different animals, but perfectly set into nature with hilly paths and trees all around. If you haven’t been and are in the metro area, you absolutely must go and enjoy this day’s worth of adventure. Our little one surely loved it, even took to exploring a lot of the zoo on foot. Some of our favorites were the seals who made our little girl burst out in belly laughs when they starting talking to each other, the elephants, which she now calls by name and imitates all of the time, and the cheetahs, who she greeted with a growl! It was a great day in D.C. and made our little one’s weekend for sure.

A little tired and a lot hungry, we were ready to drop our stuff off at our hotel and head over to our dinner destination. While the food at Carmine’s is always a huge perk for me, I was also super excited this time to share our family style dinner with one of my good friends Sara, who lives in the metro area now. So after a quick drive to our hotel, we dropped our stuff off and headed out to catch the metro. A short ride later and we had finally arrived at our Gallery Place stop. As we made our way to the familiar red awning, I could just smell the gluten free Carmine’s Salad, Vodka Rigatoni, and Titanic soon to be coming our way.

Inside, our party of four was escorted to our table and we were set up with a gluten free menu, while the regular menu was displayed in their signature fashion, largely on the wall. Whenever we go to Carmine’s, my husband is always on board to partake in my gluten free choice since the portions are intended for an entire family, but always, per my encouragement, is sure to get a dish of his choice too though, gluten free or not. For dinner that night, Sara was more than happy to enjoy the gluten free Carmine experience with me, along with anything else Dan might choose.

On our menu that evening, we decided to go with the gluten free Carmine’s Salad and Scarpariello Chicken Wings to start, the gluten free Vodka Rigatoni and non-gluten free Chicken Parmesan for our entrees, and for dessert, the gluten free Tugboat, a miniature version of the Titanic, their signature dessert. Within just moments of placing our order, a basket filled with all types of non-gluten free breads were placed on the table. Some focaccia pieces were just seasoned while others seemed to be topped with a tomato sauce of sorts, I hate to say it but they looked incredible, but a no go for us gluten free folk. A great start to the meal though for my little girl, especially since she was chomping at the bit for some dinner.

Not long after though, the gluten free Carmine’s Salad had arrived and should have really come with a trumpet fanfare too, that’s how fantastic this opening dish is. The salad unfortunately did not survive for a picture (sorry) but no worries I was able to capture pictures of each of the other gluten free dishes before they were disturbed. Before we get there though, I have to tell you how delicious their salad is. I know I’ve mentioned it to you before when I made my own Carmine’s Salad at home, but it’s just so good. When the waiter placed down the masterpiece of salad in front of us the table fell silent in amazement. Their signature salad is a huge plate with a mountain of mixed greens, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, cucumbers, onions, roasted red peppers, celery, radishes, olives and assorted meats and cheese mixed throughout, including provolone, mortadella, salami, all slathered with their house vinaigrette. This salad is by far the best salad that I’ve ever had and is a meal in itself!

Now, our second appetizer were the Chicken Scarpariello wings, courtesy of my husband. These wings are one of Dan’s favorite Carmine’s dishes and actually happen to be gluten free without any changes. With their arrival, Dan’s face lit up and you could just see his excitement as he glanced over the heaping plate, piled high with beautifully glazed, crispy wings. The wings are cooked to perfection, with a crispy outside and juicy inside. On the flavor side of things, these wings are seasoned with a variety of herbs, most potent though is rosemary, making them incredibly tasty with a little zip on the end. These are amazingly flavorful wings I have to say but a little too zippy for me, but we all know I find a hint of pepper to be spicy so don’t use me as a judge of spiciness. My husband LOVES these wings which is absolutely fine with me, more Carmine’s salad on my plate and my little girl’s too who seemed to be a big fan like her Mommy!

And, after much anticipation, Carmine’s family sized portion of Gluten Free Vodka Penne had arrived, made gluten free only with a substitution of the normal rigatoni with gluten free penne. I just love their vodka sauce, creamy with prosciutto bits mixed throughout, complementing the perfectly cooked gluten free pasta, amazingly. While this plate was placed down at my end of the table, the huge plate of massive Chicken Parmesan was placed at the gluten eaters end. I didn’t take a picture of this dish since it’s not gluten free but it was very drool worthy, as pretty much everything at Carmine’s is. Don’t worry though, at Carmine’s the deliciousness of their gluten free dishes more than makes up for the absences of those that you can’t eat.

Carmine's Gluten Free Vodka Penne, my favorite! — Carmine’s Gluten Free Vodka Penne, my favorite!

While the chicken parmesan was plated, I couldn’t help but snag the first taste of the vodka penne. It was PHENOMENAL! Gluten free pasta cooked perfectly al dente and the sauce, one of the best vodka sauces I’ve ever had; mind you, vodka rigatoni was and still is one of my favorite pasta dishes, so I’ve had a lot to compare it to in my gluten and gluten free days. After my sneaky bite, I went on to ladle some pasta and cut up some chicken for our little Carmine’s diner to enjoy, and that she did. She gobbled up every last bite of both and even had a little bit of seconds of Mommy’s gluten free favorite.

Carmine's Gluten Free Vodka Penne — Carmine’s Gluten Free Vodka Penne

A little while later, the aftermath of our meal fit for royalty was a sight to be seen. Some stuffed bellies all around with satisfied grins on all of our faces. It was an amazing meal shared with even more fantastic company. It’s been awhile since we’d been to D.C. and since my little girl had seen her honorary Aunt Sara, so a reunion was definitely in order. And for us what better place to reunite with a friend, who might as well be family, than at this family oriented, family style Italian restaurant. Carmine’s gave each of us a meal to remember and even some leftovers too!

While we chatted some more and little one colored, played with her souvenir bucket of animals, and was chatting and making animal sounds, the waiter had rejoined us and inquired about dessert. Okay, so you’ll by no means really have room for dessert when you dine here, but with the temptation of a gluten free behemoth of a dessert dangling in front of you like a carrot, you’ll more than likely need to try it. You’ll have trust me on this one, I highly recommend that you make a little room for it! Carmine’s offers a dessert called the Titanic, a mountainous sundae built to feed about 10 people, as are most of Carmine’s dishes, that can be slightly altered to be gluten free. Dan and I have both enjoyed this in the past and couldn’t let our little one and Sara get away without seeing and tasting this concoction. So for our smaller group of 4 the waiter recommended the miniature version called the Tugboat, made to feed half the number of people and for the half the cost too. We were sold, and soon enough little one and Sara would meet the miniature version of the Titanic dessert for the first time.

Carmine's Gluten Free Tugboat Dessert, a miniature version of their Titanic — Carmine’s Gluten Free Tugboat Dessert, a miniature version of their Titanic

This dessert is enormous! It’s hard to picture what a family style ice cream and brownie sundae may look like but trust me, it is huge, and this is just the tugboat so picture a doubled version of this one for the Titanic. Okay, so what’s in this sweet treat exactly? Well you start off with a flourless chocolate torte on the bottom (great gluten free start, yay!), then some scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice cream are placed on top of the brownie, tons of fresh whipped cream are next, sliced bananas and strawberries decorate the sundae throughout, roasted cinnamon pineapples are placed on it’s sides, and chocolate syrup and chopped hazelnuts dress the top, and all of this is 100% gluten free! The only adjustment that is needed to make the regular version from here is to add those chocolate swirl cookie sticks to the top for the smoke stacks, which are not gluten free, but believe me they are not missed at all with all of the sweetness going on.

Carmine's Titanic Miniature Dessert, The Tugboat — Carmine’s Titanic Miniature Dessert, The Tugboat

After the photographer was finished, this perfectly artful creation was demolished, divided onto four plates, and the first taster, who was the smallest one at the table, was busy taking the first bite. With her signature “mmm” in approval and plea for “more please mommy” we took it that our little girl was a huge fan of Carmine’s monstrous dessert, while the rest of us adults agreed completely with her praise. The gluten free torte was divine, but with the additions of the fruit and ice cream, this is what really stole the show! It was a delicious finish to a meal that couldn’t have been better in the gluten free department.

Years ago, when I experienced Carmine’s the regular way I thought then that it was amazing, but now, with gluten free glasses on, I’ve realized just how fantastic they truly are. Their gluten free selection is above and beyond what many other Italian restaurants are able to do. They offer countless gluten free options that are flavorful and just as delicious as their regular counterparts, which in my opinion is how gluten free restaurant dishes should be; their gluten free dishes never make you miss a gluten filled dish adjacent to you at the table but rather allowing you to enjoy your very own gluten free version just as much, hold the sickness.

If you’re local or visiting any of Carmine’s locations, two in New York City and one in Washington D.C., Atlantic City N.J., Las Vegas, or Atlantis in the Bahamas, you absolutely must try them out. Embrace their family style dining and go with your whole family or invite some friends along too! If it’s just you and your own little family, do as we do and don’t be afraid to treat yourselves, you’ll just have lots of leftovers later on, there are worse things. Do keep in mind their menus are priced for dishes that can feed a large number of people and everything is meant to be shared among your group. And even more good news, I’ve already mentioned that they offer a huge list of options on their gluten free menu, and I do mean huge so take a look, but they also cater to countless other food allergies, making them even better in my book!

So, we had yet another fantastic Carmine’s experience, to top off our little weekend away. You can’t get much better than a gluten free meal fit for your dreams and your little girl giggling and laughing with family all around. While I don’t know when we’ll be back to Carmine’s, I do know that we’ll always make it a point to get there when we’re in the neighborhood. I also know that Carmine’s has surely won a few more fans with that meal who will definitely be lifelong guests from here on. All of this reminiscing about that meal is tough but certainly gives me something to look forward to in the future, which makes our meals at Carmine’s that much more special. But until we return, it’s homemade Carmine’s salad for us and back to dreaming of those massively tasty plates of gluten free food.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

August 28, 2014

We Did It! We Survived A Day In Hollywood Studios!

So after one of our favorite dinners on our summer Disney vacation, you know the gluten free fried chicken that captured my heart, it was time for our day in Hollywood Studios. We finally survived a full day in this park after a few others in the past that didn’t quite go as planned. Check out my guest post on Sarah’s Gluten Free & Dairy Free WDW blog to hear all about our day, from the Frozen Summer event to our first lunch at Studio Catering Co.!

Sincerely,

Lindsay

August 22, 2014

Deliciously Gluten Free Lunch For Just Us Three at Epcot’s Tutto Gusto

As the second day of our vacation rolled around so did our time at Epcot. We love our days and nights at Epcot, with the amazing food and drinks, the feeling of all of the different cultures around you, and some fantastic rides scattered in there too. We had big plans for this day in Epcot, an early start at Soarin’, then meeting Mickey and his friends at the Character Spot, then hopping on Test Track, and finally heading over to start the World Showcase, all summed up with a ride on Nemo and a walk through the aquarium in the afternoon before dinner.

Mommy, Daddy, and Little Snow White too!

The highlight by far, as always, was meeting everyone at the Character Spot. My little girl just loves Mickey and his friends. With a running start, she charges over to each of them and embraces them in a huge hug, then quickly about faces and sits down on their lap for a picture. Nothing beats watching her hug each of them so warmly like they’re her best friends and then bid them an equally warm farewell wave. It’s moments like that that make me want to go back to Disney over and over just to let my little girl see her friends again.

By the time we had completed our morning rides, our little girl had drifted off to sleep, so instead of squeezing in the Mexico and Norway rides we took our time meandering around the countries and their stores. By the time we had reached Italy, we decided to have an early lunch at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. We happen to really love Tutto Gusto, although it isn’t on the dining plan, it’s a nice alternative for lunch in Epcot. Literally, the moment we pulled the stroller up to the restaurant our little one was in the midst of waking up from her nap, it’s amazing how they have such good timing.

We were given a great table right in the middle of the wine cellar where we could admire the wall of wine bottles behind us along with the gorgeous authentic Italian touches everywhere, all while enjoying the wonderfully cool and dark environment that was so welcomed after baking in the Orlando heat and humidity all morning. Our server quickly met us at our table along with the chef to go over my gluten free options. They have gluten free pasta which allows for any of the pasta options on the menu, however everything on their tasting menu, meats, cheeses, etc. are gluten free too. Much to my dismay though, the chef informed me that all of these other options are kept in a communal case where their paninis and such are stored too, so there is a chance of cross contamination there. I was warned that if I was very sensitive that the case contents were pretty off limits, even though that’s a bit disappointing I was completely okay with skipping out on the gluten exposure. I decided to go with my favorite dish, the gluten free pasta pomodoro with burrata cheese, that they really do so well there.

While we waited for our dishes, the server dropped off our recommended wines, I went with a sweet, bubbly Moscato along with a bonus plate of gluten free breads. There was a raisin bread and two other plain breads. They were all quite good but my favorite was the raisin bread, of which I really only had a bite or two since I didn’t want to ruin my lunch. Meanwhile, our little girl couldn’t get enough of the delicious looking, non-gluten free focaccia bread and crunchy breadsticks that were placed in front of her and my husband. She loved every bit of that bread plate and would’ve taken it all home with us if we could.

Gluten Free Pasta Pomodoro at Epcot's Tutto Gusto — Gluten Free Pasta Pomodoro at Epcot’s Tutto Gusto

Soon enough, our lunches arrived, my husband’s Tuscan pork ribs and my gluten free pasta pomodoro that would be split with my little bread monster. When we had visited Tutto Gusto before on our last trip, unbeknownst to me, the chef made me a dinner sized portion of the pasta which was way too much food and too expensive for lunch too, This time just confirmed my suspicions from before, as my tasting plate of gluten free pasta arrived and was just the right size (and price) for lunch and even to be shared with a little toddler. It was just as delicious as I remembered with whole roasted tomatoes scattered throughout, fresh basil, and creamy burrata cheese on top. Not to mention the pasta was phenomenal! It was cooked perfectly al dente and embraced all of the flavors of the sauce and cheese. Such a fantastic lunch option when you’re in Epcot, just gives you a little break from the fries, burgers, and sandwiches.

Okay, so what Disney meal is complete without a dessert? Our lunch at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar was no different. My gluten free choice was the chocolate panna cotta with cherries on top. It was so soft and creamy, just how a panna cotta should be, and matched perfectly with the cherries. Needless to say, this dessert didn’t stand a chance in my group, even though I shared it with little one (who also happen to snag a few bites from Daddy’s dessert too), I’m sure the dish wouldn’t have been empty anyway if it had been left up to just me.

As our meal was coming to a close, I couldn’t help but look around and truly appreciate just how wonderful our vacations are together. Sure my little girl has her moments when her toddler age and impatience shows through but then there are plenty of those other moments too, where she’s all smiles and laughs, making Mommy and Daddy smile too. She’s a precious little gem our little girl and we couldn’t be more happy to share all of these exciting moments with her as she grows up.

So all in all, I can’t recommend Epcot’s Tutto Gusto highly enough. They offer delicious gluten free menu options, and non-gluten free ones too, that are sure to please everyone. The only downside that I did have was that I couldn’t get my hands on their recipes. Sadly, they weren’t really keen on sharing those which was really disappointing for me, seeing as Disney isn’t necessarily in my backyard and on my regular list of Friday night take out options. Even though I can’t recreate these exact dishes at home though, it just makes it that much more exciting and tastier when we get to go back!

Our little Snow White giving her favorite princess some love!

After lunch, we were all refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of Epcot. We headed straight over to Germany to meet my daughter’s favorite princess, Snow White. The meet and greet went just how we expected, a huge hug, followed by being held for bit, and finally a goodbye hug and wave that made the line behind us aww in unison. After her meeting, we took our little Snow White through the rest of the countries and finally to the Nemo ride, which she LOVES! The ride itself is great, but the aquarium afterwards is a great experience that we all love. By the time we finished Nemo, it was time to head over to Hollywood Studios for dinner. Stay tuned for my most exciting gluten free news from our summer Disney vacation! I’ll give you a hint, it has to do with fried chicken!

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay

August 1, 2014

Good Morning Gluten Free World! How About A Gluten Free Breakfast Wrap!

Ever since I made those delicious Gluten Free Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheese Quesadillas I’ve been obsessed with Udi’s tortillas. I can’t get over just how perfect their texture and taste is despite their gluten status. I mean it’s pretty hard to believe that after years of searching high and low never being able to find a delicious gluten free tortilla that Udi’s now has seemed to accomplish the impossible and make a beautifully soft flour tortilla sans gluten that tastes and feels just like the regular version! Congratulations Udi’s! (more…)

July 30, 2014

Did You Know That Perdue Offers Gluten Free Shortcuts? Grab Some Today, Save A Little Time And Save A Little Money Too!

In case you haven’t guessed it by now I am a huge fan of Perdue’s chicken products. It’s a tough world out there following a gluten free diet, so any brand that makes our lives a little bit easier makes me smile. Not only do I buy Perdue’s chicken breasts and tenders for all of my from scratch cooking but I’m also very pleased with their gluten free line of breaded chicken tenders as well as select shortcuts. They are perfect when you’re crunched for time and match with so many of my go to, quick dinner recipes. I’d also like to mention that I think these products were among my favorite dinner items during my pregnancy. They saved me from touching the forbidden raw chicken and an hour or so of prep time. Interested in trying some of these out? Make sure you print this Perdue Shortcut Coupon today to save on your next purchase! May I recommend the honey or grilled varieties that you can try in my Pesto, Chicken, and Tomato Pizza, Crispy Chicken Cobb Wrap, or my latest and favorite recipe Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheese Quesadilla.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

July 28, 2014

A Gluten Free Guide To Navigating Disney’s Hollywood Studios

During our last few Disney vacations, our Hollywood Studios’ days have typically been cut very short. Usually, we only designate one day and maybe one or two dinners of our trip to Hollywood Studios. While my husband loves the thrill rides, as a family we typically enjoy the Toy Story ride, Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast show, Studio Backlot Tour, and a few other attractions. Sadly we’ve barely touched the iceberg of Hollywood Studios it seems the past few years, thanks to my pregnancy sciatica flareup and little girl’s ear infections on our last trip.

Coming up very soon, we’ll be revisiting Disney for our entire family vacation. I for one am crossing my fingers that this trip is uneventful in the health department and that we get to enjoy an entire day in Hollywood Studios. My little one would just love to see the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast shows again, not to mention the spectacular Frozen attractions going on this summer.

As far as our dining plans at Hollywood Studios are considered, well that’s where my guide will definitely come in handy. Using lots of reviews and past experiences, we pre-planned our dinners as always, but now we’re left with the ever so intimidating meals and snacks on the go. I for one am a planner, so even though lunch reservations aren’t made, I still like to have an idea ahead of time of what locations are best able to cater to the gluten free diet. This guide, as well as some reviews online, will help me to pick the best locations for us that offer my favorite gluten free products.

Gluten Free Guide To Disney's Hollywood Studios. Click to enlarge. — Gluten Free Guide To Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Click to enlarge.

After a long morning of Hollywood Studios fun, it’s time to refuel and find the best lunch spot. In the past, I’ve tasted some amazingly good gluten free chicken strips at the Backlot Express, which according to the guide are offered in a couple of other spots too. They were so crispy and delicious, not to mention the legendary Disney fries that accompany them. Not the healthiest lunch I know, but we’re on vacation and how often can you order some crispy chicken strips at a restaurant at home? For me, never. So why not enjoy Disney’s unbelievable abilities to pamper the dietary restricted guest.

While the chicken strips are pretty darn good, I’ve read some great reviews on gluten free dining at the Studio Catering Co.. According to my research online, it appears that they offer some gluten free salad and sandwich options, a welcomed departure from your typical theme park food. Using Udi’s gluten free bread, as stated on the guide, they should pretty much be able to put together any of the items on their menu, sans some ingredients that may have gluten lurking in them. I for one am very excited to give this one a try for lunch on our upcoming trip!

When it comes to dinners though, there’s no denying one of our favorite dining locations is 50s Prime Time Cafe. From gluten free milkshakes and a scrumptious ice cream brownie dessert to gluten free fried chicken, this restaurant straight from a 50s kitchen had a stellar track record for gluten free diners that was undeniable. Sadly, if you didn’t catch my review from our previous trip, we were sorely disappointed in the entire dining experience resulting in a sad salad and even sadder mommy whose belly was not filled with crispy and delicious fried chicken. Since our encounter a few months back, I’ve heard from some of my readers that many have still successfully enjoyed the gluten free fried chicken at 50s Prime Time Cafe, so it appears that your success depends greatly on which chef is present that night in the kitchen. Despite our last experience, we’ve decided to give it another shot on our next trip, making sure to give ample advance notice, and hopefully the right chef is there that night too because this mommy needs a gluten free fried chicken fix.

While you can tell which places are some of my favorites, just wondering which are yours? We’ve tossed around dining at the Hollywood Brown Derby and Hollywood & Vine, anyone have gluten free success there?

Hollywood Studios offers so many great spots to grab your favorite eats and treats, so make sure you scope out some possibilities ahead of time and pin or print this guide too for on the go choices.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

July 22, 2014

Gluten Free Guide To Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Lots of animals, good food, great shows, and some rides mixed in (along with lots of shade!) makes for a great day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for our little girl. She LOVES animals, laughing at everything they do, pointing and talking to them, and always saying hi and bye when we see each of them. Animal Kingdom for us is a great, relaxing day of our vacation where we can wander through the park on shady paths spotting different animals throughout and even experience some entertaining shows and a few rides along the way. Let’s not forget that in that schedule somewhere though we manage to squeeze in some great food too!

Animal Kingdom is home to so many unique dining experiences, but one of my favorites is Flame Tree Barbecue. Here you can get barbecue of all kinds, from ribs, to pulled pork, to chicken, each as delicious as the other and gluten free! I usually prefer the pulled pork sandwich with Disney’s fantastic fries along with the OMG cookie as a dessert and let me just say it is a perfect lunch. We just love lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue, where you can hide away from Florida’s hot sun at a table nestled in the shady grove right by the river. All in all, it’s safe to say that it’s our favorite place to have lunch and thankfully offers so many gluten free and allergy free menu options along with some of my favorite gluten free products like the OMG cookie. But Flame Tree Barbecue isn’t the only location where you can grab OMG snacks, Enjoy Life Cookies, Silk Soymilk, or even BabyCakes treats. Check out my Animal Kingdom Gluten Free Guide to see where you can grab your favorite gluten free products.

Animal Kingdom Gluten Free Products. Click to enlarge.

Along with lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue, we’ve found another great gluten free dining spot offering fantastic snack and quick breakfast options. Animal Kingdom’s Garden Kiosk, located right by Flame Tree Barbecue, is a Garden of Eden if you will for the allergy folk. As you can tell on my guide, they offer everything from sweets and salty snacks to fresh produce and even gluten free alcoholic beverages. One of my personal favorite snack/breakfast options at this stand is the BabyCakes chocolate donut, it’s divine. Take a peak at my review to catch a glimpse of this amazing breakfast treat, along with my go to lunch at Animal Kingdom.

The addition of the Garden Kiosk to Disney’s Animal Kingdom was a fantastic decision on Disney’s part and I’m hoping that they follow suit and add a similar stand to all of the other parks as well. It’s just nice to have a stand that’s made just for you and has a menu filled with all gluten free products. Fingers crossed!

So next time you’re headed to Animal Kingdom print or pin this guide so you know exactly where you need to go to grab your favorite gluten free snacks, rolls, drinks, and even a quick breakfast. But don’t forget that this list only tells you what gluten free brands they offer in Animal Kingdom, not necessarily the menu options that are available, which are many many more.

TIP: If you’re planning on dining at Flame Tree Barbecue for lunch get there a little before opening time. The lines can be very long and when you’re ordering gluten free and requiring a manager’s help the wait can be pretty painful. We arrived at about 10:40 and stood in the shade while our little one napped. At 11:00 the counters opened and we were first at our register to place an order. Getting there early was a must for us, especially since the lines can get pretty tight and partially in the sun.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

July 15, 2014

Gluten Free Guide To Navigating Disney’s Epcot

Personally my little family loves dining in Epcot. We always enjoy meandering around the World Showcase and ending a few of our vacation days with a dinner in one of the countries. While my husband would certainly love to hop between the different cuisines, we usually make our dining decisions based on the gluten free offerings at each restaurant. Although we haven’t dined at nearly all of them, out of those that we have, some are certainly better than others at putting together a tasty and diverse gluten free menu.

A day in Epcot for us usually starts bright and early and begins with ride hopping through Future World. My little girl’s favorite is Nemo and Friends and the amazing aquarium that surrounds the ride, not to mention her meet and greet with Mickey, Minnie, and some of their pals at the Character spot. After a full morning of meeting friends and riding rides, we either grab some lunch in Future World or head straight over to the World Showcase and grab something to eat later on our walk.

Lunch for me is always our hardest meal, mostly because dinners are organized and planned months in advance but lunch is on the go and we’re stopping in to restaurants that haven’t been notified ahead of time of my gluten intolerance. No fear though, Disney has made things so simple for allergy diners these days that all you really have to do is request to speak with a manager at any dining location that you choose and review your options with them. Also, thanks to Disney I put together a Gluten Free Guide To Epcot Dining that shows you what gluten free products they offer in the park and where they can be found.

Epcot Gluten Free Products. Click to enlarge.

As far as gluten free dinners go, with our advance dining reservations we’ve enjoyed a couple of meals, that you can check out my reviews on by clicking the restaurant names, at Rose and Crown Restaurant in United Kingdom and La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico. Each was delicious in their own way and we definitely plan on returning to both in our future vacations. While these dinner’s were fantastic, it makes me wish that I could place advanced notice for quick service locations too. However, even though lunches are more spontaneous, after scouting out great places ahead of time, I’ve never had an issue finding something good and safe to eat in any of Disney’s parks, hence where my guide comes in handy.

For a midday meal, this guide will certainly be even more valuable to the gluten free diner. You can spot where your favorite rolls and sandwich bread, as well as desserts are located in both Future World and the World Showcase. When we traveled to Disney pre-baby, actually baby was in Mommy’s belly at the time, we had our little food allergy nephew with us at the time. We decided to have lunch at Sunshine Seasons in Future World on our Epcot day and I just remember how excited he was to find out that they had his favorite Enjoy Life Chocolate Bar (one of the only sweets this little boy can enjoy). Using this guide, you’ll know exactly where you can snag your favorite gluten free drinks, treats, pastas, breads, and chicken fingers (Note: a lot of these are free of many other allergens as too).

A newer dining location that wasn’t indicated on this guide, but can absolutely accommodate a gluten free diner, is Italy’s Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. They’re open for lunch and dinner without dining reservations, so anyone can just stop in and get an authentic Italian dish along with a wonderful glass of wine off of their a humongous wine list. Check out my gluten free lunch at Tutto Gusto from our most recent Disney trip! It was a such a refreshing sit down lunch experience, a little different from your standard quick service, and I for one fully intend on stopping in again for a lunch or dinner on our next trip coming up later this summer.

So make sure you pin or print this guide for your next Disney vacation so you’re armed and ready to tackle Disney dining in Epcot. There are so many dining locations to choose from in Epcot, but with a little homework of reading restaurant reviews online and this handy guide by your side you’ll be good to go. My recommendations, go for a quick service lunch at Sunshine Seasons and maybe a dinner at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Lindsay

July 11, 2014

Gluten Free Guide To Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park

Today marks the beginning of a series of posts that I’ll be doing highlighting some truly fantastic information that I received from Disney. Thanks to the power of the internet, traveling with any kind of dietary restriction is much less overwhelming than it once used to be. When traveling to Disney World though, guests can be reassured of safe dining in their upcoming travels by not only Disney’s fantastic reputation but also by the countless allergy free dining reviews that are scattered online. I for one scour the internet before choosing my Disney dining reservations and tend to choose restaurants that other gluten free diners have had overwhelming success at. While reviews are incredibly helpful, not to mention reassuring of Disney’s impressive abilities to accommodate all of its diners, it’s always nice to have a list of some sort to guide you through the parks to your favorite gluten free products. I for one know that after a morning of trekking through the parks, it would be so great if I could easily get my hands on my favorite brand of gluten free chicken fingers, pizza, rolls, and the best one yet cookies or a brownie. Disney has shared their go to allergy free brands and where you can find these products throughout the parks. I’ve condensed all of this info into park or resort specific guides that you can print or pin so they’re on hand at all times.

Magic Kingdom Park Gluten Free Products, Click to enlarge.

Check out my first guide of Magic Kingdom’s go to gluten free products! As you look through the table, remember this isn’t necessarily a menu but rather a list of only the specific gluten free brands of items that they carry at these table service and quick service locations; this list does not include menu items that are inherently gluten free or that can be made to be gluten free, i.e. a hamburger, hot dog, turkey sandwich, salad, and drink. Thanks to this list, now I know where I can grab a sandwich on my favorite Udi’s bread or rolls, at either Be Our Guest in Fantasyland or Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland, and my favorite gluten free brownie or chocolate chip cookie by OMG, also at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland or Pinocchio Village Haus in Fantasyland. Now with this guide, just pick out your favorite gluten free eats and you can easily navigate through dining in Magic Kingdom to find them. Enjoy! Note: The products listed in this post and future posts in this series consist of items that may be available at these specific dining locations. Disney does state that product offerings are subject to change at any time without notice, so that being said some products may not be available at the location that is suggested on this table. For a dinner reservation, you’ll always want to note your allergy ahead of time in your reservation, but also you can ask to speak with the restaurant directly, see if a specific product is available, and if not, maybe put in a request. As far as lunch, just ask at the counter before ordering just to make sure that they have your favorite products on hand. From personal experience, I do know that while I’ve enjoyed a sandwich at some locations on one type of roll on one trip, the next one I may enjoy it on another type of roll that is listed, it all depends on availability I suppose. Nevertheless, start your dining search using this guide to navigate you through Magic Kingdom Park and pick out some great dining locations. Sincerely, Lindsay

July 9, 2014

Pacific Organic Gluten Free Soups

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In the gluten free world it’s quite difficult to find a good and safe bowl of soup. A major brand that reminds probably each one of us of a warm childhood memory is Campbell’s Soup. Unfortunately Campbell’s Soups, as similar to many soups in restaurants and at your local grocery store, contain wheat and are thus off limits to those that are gluten free. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to nice warm bowls of chicken noodle and tomato soup on those cold winter days until I came upon Pacific Soups. Pacific is a huge brand of organic products ranging from drinks to soups to broths of all kinds. One of my favorite products though is their Creamy Tomato soup which is deliciously gluten free. More than just the Creamy Tomato soup is gluten free though, they offer so many gluten free soups and other products so be sure to check out Pacific’s gluten free products. See something that you want to try? Maybe that fantastic Creamy Tomato soup, which has by the way turned into my daughter’s new favorite lunch? Print out this coupon here and save a little on your purchase!

Sincerely,

Lindsay

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