Thursday, June 29, 2017

Gluten Free in Chicago

Last weekend, we stayed two nights at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel.  We loved the location, and would stay there again, even though we had some issues with our room the first night.  Somehow, we were assigned to a room with one king and no sofa bed for four people, and we discovered this when we arrived at 11:00 at night.  We ended up receiving a discount on our stay, and spent the night in a beautiful club level room with incredible views the second night.  My daughters have decided we need to get club level rooms from now on....yikes!


I spent some time researching gluten free options in Chicago on other blogs, and asked my blog readers for advice.  One place that was consistently recommended was Do-Rite Donuts, which has several locations in Chicago.  I pre-ordered my donuts online a couple of days ahead of time, and my husband walked to their Randolph Street location to pick them up when we woke up.


Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The Mara - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

We have eaten at The Mara, a quick service restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, several times in the past year, because we have stayed at the resort twice.  Even if you are staying at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village instead of Jambo House, it is a short walk to The Mara, which features African and American cuisine.


Two weeks ago, we had dinner at The Mara the night we arrived at Disney World.  The chef I spoke to seemed willing to make me almost anything on the regular menu, but I chose to modify a dish on the allergy-friendly menu.  Be sure to ask about the soups, because the carrot and the butternut squash soups were both gluten free our first night at Jambo House.  I have eaten both soups at neighboring Boma, and they are delicious.  I am also a fan of the African Potjie, which used to be called African Stew.  You can read about it in my previous review of The Mara here.


Terra Treats - Disney's Animal Kingdom

The allergy kiosk has undergone many changes since it first opened at Disney's Animal Kingdom three years ago.  The location has moved, and the name has changed several times, and now Terra Treats is no longer an allergy kiosk, though it does still offer gluten free snacks and drinks.



When we stopped by last week, the cast member I spoke to told me that everything offered at Terra Treats is still gluten free, including the buffalo chicken wings, hummus with vegetables, and the fresh fruit cup.


Yak & Yeti Restaurant - Disney's Animal Kingdom

Last week, my daughters and I had lunch at Yak & Yeti Restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom.  Yak & Yeti, which serves Pan-Asian cuisine,  is a Landry's table service restaurant, just like Rainforest CafeT-Rex and Bubba Gump.



Because they are not Disney owned and operated, Yak & Yeti does not have an allergy-friendly menu, but very quickly, a chef came out to our table to speak to me.  On our previous visit, which you can read about here, I was impressed by all the gluten free options the chef offered me, and I loved the chicken tikka masala I ordered.  This dish is still on the menu, but I did not ask the chef I spoke to last week whether it was gluten free, because I wanted to try something new.


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory - Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter

My daughters and I visited Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter three times on our recent trip to Disney World.  Next summer, we plan on staying there, so we have easier access to one of our favorite quick service restaurants at Disney.


I love the Mardi Gras theming at Sassagoula, though it has been a bit toned down since its renovation last year.  My favorite part is the colorful glass beads and bottles hanging from the ceiling.  The space is open and bright, and I especially like the bamboo bowls they are using instead of paper plates.


Monday, June 19, 2017

Sanaa Dinner - Kidani Village at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas

On our recent trip to Disney World, my daughters and I had dinner twice at Sanaa, a table service restaurant at Kidani Village at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas.  Sanaa features African cooking with Indian flavors, and is one of our favorite restaurants at Disney.



The first time we dined at Sanaa, we met Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy Free at WDW.  You can read her dinner review here.  Sanaa's allergy-friendly menu has plenty of gluten free options to choose from, and I always suggest looking at their regular menu too, because most of their dishes are gluten free, or can be modified to be gluten free.


Friday, June 16, 2017

Trattoria al Forno Dinner - Disney's BoardWalk

Last week, my daughters and I had dinner at Trattoria al Forno on Disney's BoardWalk, which is a short walk from the back entrance of Epcot.



Trattoria al Forno has been one of our favorite Disney restaurants for breakfast and dinner since it opened,  I am excited to try their new Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast when we return in November.  You can read a guest review on my blog here.


Thursday, June 15, 2017

Tiffins - Disney's Animal Kingdom

Last week, we had dinner at Tiffins, a signature dining restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom.  Tiffins is located right outside the entrance to Pandora - The World of Avatar.


The theme of Tiffins is travel, and it features a globetrotting menu of international cuisine.


Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Trattoria al Forno Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast - Disney's BoardWalk

Earlier this year, the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast with characters from Tangled and The Little Mermaid was introduced at Trattoria al Forno, a table service restaurant on Disney's BoardWalk.



The Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast includes a plate of pastries for everyone to share, a choice of one starter, and a choice of one entree.  Typically, Disney will substitute Udi's muffins or Kinnikinnick donuts for gluten-filled pastries, but Trattoria al Forno has fresh baked muffins and scones that look incredible.


Maple Popcorn - Disney's Magic Kingdom

Update - Maple popcorn is no longer available at the Magic Kingdom, but you can find it in Epcot at the Canada Pavilion. You can read my review here

I keep a list of foods and restaurants that I want to try or dine at again at Disney World, and the maple popcorn in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom was near the top of my list for our most recent trip.


You can find the cart that sells the maple popcorn near the walkway that leads to Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain.  If you are interested, it is available in a refillable souvenir bucket.


Saturday, June 10, 2017

The Garden Grill Breakfast - Epcot

This morning, my daughters and I had breakfast at The Garden Grill in The Land Pavilion at Epcot.


Four years ago, we had dinner at The Garden Grill, but did not enjoy it enough to return.  You can read my dinner review here.


Friday, June 9, 2017

Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen - Magic Kingdom

Yesterday, my daughters and I had lunch at Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen, the Jungle Cruise themed restaurant in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom.



Skipper Canteen, which is staffed by the crew of the fun loving Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd., features Asian, South American, and African cuisine.  The chefs at Skipper Canteen have put together an impressive allergy-friendly menu.  It lists options for people with gluten/wheat, milk, egg, soy, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.  If gluten/wheat is listed under a dish on the menu, it is safe to eat.  On a previous visit, a chef told me that they only use gluten free tamari soy sauce in the restaurant, which shows Disney's commitment to serving people with special diets.


Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Satu'li Canteen - Disney's Animal Kingdom

We arrived in Orlando last night, and our first stop today was Pandora - The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom.


We managed to get to the park when it opened at 8:00, and headed straight to Satu'li Canteen, Pandora's fast casual restaurant, for breakfast.  The theming is that long ago it was an RDA mess hall, but now Na'vi art and cultural items adorn this dining facility.  There were only a few other diners in Satu'li Canteen when it opened, because everyone else was rushing to wait in line for Avatar Flight of Passage or Na'vi River Journey.  We did ride Na'vi River Journey after breakfast, and only had to wait about an hour, but Avatar Flight of Passage had over a three hour wait when we checked, so that will have to wait for another day.


Sunday, June 4, 2017

Zuvii Pancake and Waffle Mix

This morning, we made banana pancakes with Zuvii Pancake and Waffle Mix.  The mix contains organic white rice flour, Zuvii organic banana flour, organic potato starch, organic cane sugar, baking powder (potato starch, cream of tartar, sodium bicarbonate), sea salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, and organic cinnamon.  It is packaged in a facility that processes soy, tree nuts, and dairy.


We made a double recipe, whisking together 2 cups of Zuvii mix, 2 1/2 cups of lowfat milk, 2 large eggs, and 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil.  We had a lot of pancakes left over, but froze them for future meals.


Thursday, June 1, 2017

Gluten Free in San Francisco

Since moving to California last July, we have been to San Francisco four times.  It is an hour and a half from where we live, so it makes for a fun day trip.


We always eat breakfast at Mariposa's San Francisco Ferry Building Bakeshop, which you can read about here.  Last weekend, my husband and I split a Pain au Chocolat and an apple turnover, my new favorite pastry at Mariposa.  When we lived in Orlando, I used to order the Pain au Chocolat online.  Mariposa does ship a selection of their baked goods, but they are best fresh from one of their bakeshops.