YoDish App

I recently wrote a review of the Find Me Gluten Free App, a free app that I use frequently when I travel, or even when we are driving around Orlando.  Well, there is a new free app on the scene that you need to check out.  My friend Sarah from Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW has teamed up with Justin Cunningham, the founder of YoDish, an app for people with dietary restrictions.  You can read more about Sarah's involvement with YoDish here.

YoDish is a great way to quickly access restaurant reviews on your iPhone while you are at Disney.  I have also downloaded the app on my iPad.  It is currently not available for Android.  

Sarah has over 200 reviews available on YoDish.  Each review is brief, but contains a link to the full review on her website, Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW.  I currently have 65 reviews on YoDish, also with links to full reviews on my blog.  I am still in the process of adding all my Disney and Orlando dining reviews, but I hope to have everything complete in the next week or two. 

I had to take a screenshot that included one of my favorite gluten free options at Disney -- gluten free beignets!  

If you eat an allergy friendly meal at Disney, definitely consider submitted a review.  Right now, only Sarah and I have reviews for Disney on YoDish, but it would be great to see more people submitting reviews in the future.  

When you click on a review, you will see a picture of the dish, the address of the restaurant, the dietary restrictions of the diner, a rating of loved it, ate it, or hated it, and a short review.  

When you set your dietary profile, the app shows you meals closest to your location that fit your diet.

In addition to a large number of Disney reviews, I added some dining reviews from local restaurants in Orlando.  

There are so many great gluten free dining options in Winter Park.  After eating dinner there, I always have to head to Le Macaron for dessert!  

I have also added some gluten free reviews of California Pizza Kitchen, my new favorite chain for gluten free dining.

Please consider posting reviews of your dining experiences at Disney or in the Orlando area.  It's a great way to "pay it forward" and help people with similar dietary restrictions.  YoDish is a relatively new resource, so depending on your geographic location and dietary profile, you may or may not see many dishes in your area.  The more reviews you add where you live and travel, the faster the community will grow.

YoDish was created for people with gluten intolerance and food allergies, as well as vegetarians and vegans.  Users can post their reviews in the YoDish app, as well as to Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare.  YoDish uses FourSquare's global locations database to provide its users with an instant list of the restaurants near their current location.  You can learn more about YoDish and find a link to download the app on their website http://yodish.com/.  

Columbia Harbour House - Magic Kingdom

My review of Columbia Harbour House was hidden away in my blog post about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.   It's one of my favorite quick service restaurants at Disney World, so it deserved its own blog post.  This dining experience took place in October.

Columbia Harbour House has a special diets menu.  The wheat/gluten free selections include Amy's Macaroni & Cheese, allergy chicken tenders, grilled salmon, garden harvest salad with chicken, French fries, steamed fresh broccoli, OMG It's Gluten Free brownies & chocolate chip cookies, and Enjoy Life cookies. I hope in the future that all Disney restaurants will have menus like this! 

When I go to Columbia Harbour House, I have to order the gluten free chicken tenders.  I have been enjoying this meal at the Magic Kingdom for the last 5 1/2 years.  I remember when they used to bake them for me, and it took about 20 minutes to prepare.  Now, they are made in a dedicated fryer and only take an extra 5 minutes.  The chicken tenders and fries are also dairy, soy, and egg free.  They are the same price as the adult chicken nuggets we ordered for our daughters.  My girls had 8 nuggets compared to my 5 chicken tenders, but my gluten free chicken tenders were bigger.  I also ordered an OMG...It's Gluten Free Fudge Brownie.  

The chicken tenders and fries at Columbia Harbour House are always cooked perfectly.  They are available at many Disney restaurants, but my two favorite places to eat them are Columbia Harbour House at the Magic Kingdom and Restaurantosaurus at the Animal Kingdom.  My friend Sarah from Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW has a list of restaurants at Disney World that serve the allergy chicken tenders on her blog.  You can view it here.  

OMG...It's Gluten Free Fudge Brownies are so good!  They are served at many dining locations throughout Disney World, but if you are sensitive to maltitol like I am, make sure you don't accidentally end up with the sugar free brownie they sell also.

Soy free selections at Columbia Harbour House include the allergy chicken tenders, garden harvest salad with chicken (with an olive oil vinegar), steamed fresh broccoli, and Enjoy Life cookies.

Dairy free selections include the allergy chicken tenders, grilled salmon, garden harvest salad with chicken, French fries, steamed fresh broccoli, and Enjoy Life cookies.

Egg free selections include Amy's Rice Macaroni & Cheese, allergy chicken tenders, grilled salmon, garden harvest salad with chicken, French fries, steamed fresh broccoli, and Enjoy Life cookies.

Always inform the cashier of your allergy and ask for the Special Dietary Needs Menu.  A manager will be called out to speak with you, and they will prepare your food.

November 2, 2014 Update

Yesterday, we had lunch at Columbia Harbour House.  I decided to order the grilled salmon with steamed broccoli, because I knew we were going to have a big dinner at the Crystal Palace, so I wanted a light lunch. 

The salmon was really good!  It was cooked perfectly, but I had to add some salt, because it was a little underseasoned for my taste.  Same thing with the broccoli - it was cooked perfectly, but needed some salt.  I would definitely order this dish again, but I think I would ask for some french fries to replace the gluten-filled couscous, instead of getting a double portion of broccoli.

You can read more about Columbia Harbour House, and view their hours and menu on Disney's website here.

What are your favorite gluten free options at Columbia Harbour House?  

Chicken, Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Potatoes

I had never thought about making stuffed potatoes for dinner until we visited Hot Spud in San Francisco last summer.  We liked it so much, we went back twice.  At Hot Spud, almost the entire menu is gluten free, including desserts.  

This is a picture of the first spud I ordered at Hot Spud.  It was topped with butter, cheese, salt, chicken, bacon, and peas.  I love peas, but the second time around, I left them off.  

At home, I have been making stuffed potatoes with butter, kosher salt, cheese, chicken, and bacon.  If you are looking for stuffed potato ideas, check out 50 Stuffed Potatoes on the Food Network's website here.

Chicken, Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients

4 large organic russet potatoes
Canola oil to coat -- I use Spectrum Organic
Kosher salt
2 chicken breasts -- cooked and cut into bite size pieces
8 pieces of bacon -- cooked and cut into small pieces
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
Grated cheese -- I use Organic Valley Mexican Blend

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash and scrub the potatoes well.  Dry them off, then poke each one with a fork 8 times.  Put them in a bowl and lightly coat them with canola oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt.  Place them directly on a rack in the middle of the oven.  Place a large piece of aluminum foil on a shelf beneath them to catch any drippings.  Bake for one hour, until the skin is crispy and the potatoes are easy to pierce with a knife.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and add 1 tablespoon of butter to each side.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and cheese, then mash the potato until these ingredients are melted and well combined.  Garnish with chicken and bacon.

Recipe Notes

I keep my stuffed potatoes super easy by using the chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken.  

Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken from Costco is free of preservatives, msg, gluten, artificial flavors & colors, and has no added hormones or steroids.  

Another way I keep this dinner simple is by buying Organic Valley Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend.  It's a blend of sharp cheddar, colby & Monterey Jack cheeses. 

Hormel Microwave Bacon is another way I keep this recipe easy, and there is no messy clean up.   

I started buying organic potatoes after reading that the huge majority of conventionally grown potatoes, even after being washed and peeled, contain pesticides.  You can read more about it here and here.

What do you like to put in your stuffed potatoes?

Backlot Express - Hollywood Studios

On Sunday, we had lunch at the Backlot Express, a quick service restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  

I was surprised when the manager told me that almost everything on the adult menu could be modified to be gluten free except the onion straws on the burger and the chili on the hot dog.  

When we first moved to Orlando, we ate at the Backlot Express almost every time we went to Hollywood Studios, because the Southwest Salad with Chicken was gluten free, and I enjoyed it.  The salad contains mixed greens, crisp corn tortilla strips, black bean relish, avocado, and cilantro vinaigrette.  Sometimes this salad is inconsistent, because it is overdressed or the avocado tastes a little strange.  

Other gluten free options on the menu include the the 1/3 lb Angus Onion Straw Bacon Cheeseburger (minus the onion straws and with a gluten free bun), the Angus Bacon Cheeseburger with a gluten free bun, gluten free chicken tenders and fries instead of the chicken breast nuggets, a hot dog with a gluten free bun, the Cantaloupe and Cucumber Salad, and the Grilled Turkey & Cheese or the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich on gluten free bread.  I was also told that they had OMG...It's Gluten Free Brownies and gluten free cookies.  I think the manager said they were Enjoy Life Chocolate Chip Cookies.   

The gluten free chicken tenders and French fries in the picture are from another restaurant, but they are definitely what I will be ordering when I visit the Backlot Express in the future.  As I watched my daughters eat the regular chicken nuggets, all I could think about was the gluten free chicken strips.  They are amazing!  At Hollywood Studios, I have eaten them at the ABC Commissary on previous visits.  My favorite restaurants to order them at are Restaurantosaurus at the Animal Kingdom and Columbia Harbour House at the Magic Kingdom.  My friend Sarah has a list of where you can order the gluten free chicken tenders on her blog, Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW.   You can view the list here.  The allergy chicken tenders are also free of soy, dairy, and egg.  

What are your favorite gluten free options at the Backlot Express?  

Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie - Epcot

After having lunch at Spice Road Table on Saturday, we headed to Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie at the France Pavilion in Epcot for dessert. 

You have to walk to the very back of the France Pavilion to find it.  

The space is huge compared to the previous bakery in France, and includes some indoor seating.  

The lines were long, as expected on a holiday weekend, but they moved pretty quickly.  

Les Halles has a nice selection of gluten free desserts, including the creme brulee.  I am a huge fan of creme brulee, and this one never disappoints.  

Another favorite of mine is the parfait aux fruits, a yogurt mousse with berries.  I was initially hesitant to try it, because I can be fussy about the taste of yogurt, but it doesn't taste like yogurt at all to me.  

The only dessert that has ever disappointed me at Les Halles is the macarons collection.  I usually love macarons, and eat them frequently at Le Macaron in Winter Park.  

I thought it was odd that my box had five macaron and an empty space.  I ate three in their entirety, and took a bite of the last two.  The chocolate, pistachio, and what appeared to be raspberry were good, but not great.  The lemon and strawberry did not appeal to me at all.

March 24, 2014 Update - When I visited Les Halles yesterday, I was told that the macarons collection is not gluten free.  I ask about gluten free options on every visit to make sure the gluten free selection has not changed.  

I have not tried the mousse au chocolat, which needs to be ordered without the white beads on top (white chocolate?), but my husband and daughters have eaten it, and assured me it is a great chocolate mousse.  You can view the recipe here.  

On Saturday, I sampled this lovely macaron, a newer menu item, for the first time.  It's much larger than the macarons in the macaron collection, and was filled with fresh raspberries, and what seemed to be dollops of a lemon cream or mousse.  I'll check on the specifics of the filling the next time I visit.  I loved everything about this macaron.  It was the perfect size, and it was perfectly delicious!  It was not overly sweet, and I loved the flavor combination of raspberry and lemon.  I will definitely be ordering this dessert again on my next visit. 

Here's a closer look.

What are your favorite gluten free treats at Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie?  

Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction -- Hollywood Studios

I was so excited to see that Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction was open on Sunday at Hollywood Studios.  It tends to be closed at slower times of the year, but on this busy holiday weekend, Gertie was open for business.  

You can read the inside story on the big green dinosaur on the Disney Food Blog here.  

A couple of years ago I learned that Dinosaur Gertie's serves gluten free soft serve ice cream.  

I double checked the gluten free status of the soft serve with the cast member working at Dinosaur Gertie's. She pulled out the allergy binder for me and showed me that the Dreyer's vanilla and chocolate soft serve were free of gluten.  The cone had to be skipped of course.  

I enjoy this soft serve even more than Dairy Queen's, maybe because I am eating it at Disney and it's served from a big green dinosaur.  :-)

Not all the soft serve at Disney World is gluten free.  It's important to always check with a cast member.

In the Magic Kingdom, I have had gluten free chocolate and vanilla soft serve at Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies in Tomorrowland.



Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom has gluten free vanilla, orange, and pineapple Dole Whip.

'Ohana Dinner - Disney's Polynesian Resort

Initially, our Valentine's Day dinner plans were to eat at Rose & Crown at Epcot, but then my brother and his family managed to book some last minute advance dining reservations at 'Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort.  Thankfully, yesterday morning, we were also able to make reservations for one of our family's favorite Disney restaurants.  'Ohana's all-you-can-eat Polynesian specialties are pretty incredible.  Because this is such a popular restaurant, I suggest you make advance dining reservations as soon as possible.  ADRs can be made up to 180 days in advance.  

For starters, 'Ohana serves bread and salad.  The online menu describes it as a mixed greens salad with a honey-lime dressing.  I think it had papaya and some kind of orange citrus fruit in it.  Whatever it was, it was really delicious.  

The GNI gluten free rolls were heated perfectly and soft all the way through, which is often not the case at Disney restaurants.  I only had a few small bites because I wanted to save room for what was to come.  

My special plate from the chef included chicken wings, rice, pork, vegetables, and sweet & sour and teriyaki sauces.  I really enjoyed my rice, pork, and chicken wings with the teriyaki sauce.   The vegetables were very good too.  The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the sweet & sour sauce.  

Last time we dined at 'Ohana, all of my meat came from the back, but this time, I got to enjoy the grilled chicken, marinated sirloin steak, and spicy grilled peel-n-eat shrimp that is brought to the table on huge skewers.  Of the four meats served on skewers, only the pork loin was not gluten free.  The chicken was so tender and flavorful, and was my favorite of the three.  I also really enjoyed the shrimp, but the marinated sirloin steak was a little tough.  

Chef Jessy promised that she would make me something really special for dessert, something that would make everyone else jealous.  Wow, did she deliver!  While my family ate bread pudding, I didn't feel like I was missing out at all.  I started with the beautiful and delicious chocolate covered strawberry.  Next up were the Mickey ears, which I ended up sharing with my daughters because I couldn't wait to dig into the warm brownie with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries on top.  

I asked Chef Jessy if the brownie was an OMG...It's Gluten Free Fudge Brownie, and she said it was.  I absolutely adore these brownies, but I avoid the sugar free version that is available in some Disney restaurants.  

My nephew and my brother always seem to have crazy food challenges at all-you-can-eat restaurants at Disney.  Logan ate 50 shrimp!  When he was done, I heard him tell my brother that he might not be eating shrimp again anytime soon.  :-)

I got some great photos of my husband sporting my nieces' new Disney headbands.  

My family loved the food at 'Ohana, and had a great time with my brother's family, who was visiting from South Carolina.  

March 22, 2015 Update

Friday night, we had dinner at 'Ohana with my parents.  Over the past year, I have read about many menu changes at 'Ohana.  For a while, I was hearing that the salad was gone, but we were served a mixed greens salad with Lilikoi dressing.  We all agreed that it was one of the best salads we have ever had in a restaurant.   It was a little different than our last visit because of the addition of edamame, and it did not contain any fruit, but I loved the slightly sweet dressing.   I was also served GNI rolls that were heated well, and tasted pretty good.

Chef Juan brought me my own plate of wings, rice, and vegetables with teriyaki sauce.  I loved everything on this plate, especially the wings, which were so good dipped in the teriyaki sauce.

The pork has been eliminated from 'Ohana, and I was told that the chicken, steak, and shrimp are all gluten free, so I was served directly from the skewers like everyone else.  I asked to be served first once I noticed that our server was getting the skewers way too close to my familys' plates, which contained food with gluten.  I enjoyed the sweet-n-sour chicken, but it has a different sauce than it used to, and is now dark meat instead of white meat.

Again, the szechuan sirloin steak was my least favorite of the three, because I didn't particularly enjoy the seasoning on it, though it was much more tender than on our last visit.

We all agreed that the spicy grilled peel-n-eat shrimp was our favorite, and I enjoyed it dipped in my teriyaki sauce.  The sweet-n-sour sauce served at 'Ohana is also gluten free, but the peanut sauce is not.  

My daughters do not like the bread pudding served at 'Ohana, so Chef Juan brought them each an adorable dessert put together with Enjoy Life cookies, ice cream and fruit.

He brought me my favorite Kilauea torte chocolate cake from Kona Cafe next door, and served it with ice cream and fruit.  

Overall, we all really enjoyed our meals, and look forward to dining at 'Ohana again.  You can view my breakfast review of 'Ohana here.  

You can read more about 'Ohana and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.  

If you are gluten free and dairy free, or gluten free and vegan, you definitely need to check out my friend Sarah's review of 'Ohana on her blog Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW.  

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at 'Ohana?