Best hotel breakfast yet

This past weekend I was in King of Prussia PA at the mall for Christmas shopping.
We stayed at the Fairfield Inn next to the mall and they had a free breakfast in the mornings.
I knew there would be eggs at least and that is great. And maybe I could ask for gluten free items.
What I couldn’t be prepared for was this...

Right out on the breakfast buffet, for anyone to take were Udi’s plain bagels and Udi’s blueberry muffins. What a treat!! Not only are they two of my favorite things but I didn’t have to ask for them and they weren’t frozen - as happens in many other hotels.

Now of course many other people took these items too even though they were definitely not all gluten free but I was lucky I always got what I wanted each morning.

Thank you to Fairfield Inn for this unexpected treat. Keep up the good work.

Sorelle and Company - Toronto Ontario Canada

Run, don’t walk, to get to this bakery. It is on the first floor of Saks Fifth Avenue on Yonge Street and it is in the middle of the Pusateri’s. It may be a little confusing to find but once you find it you may never want to leave.

Not only is it gorgeous and the packaging out of this world pretty but the baked goods are incredible.

I got

Mango cupcake
Red Velvet Cupcake
Chocolate Cupcake

Chocolate Maple Donut

Chocolate Brownie

Blueberry Scone

Banana Muffin

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

YUM YUM YUM

I won’t even write up each one as they were all amazing. Not even kidding, AMAZING!

Kelly’s Landing Takes 2 and 3 - Toronto Ontario Canada

So I was so intrigued with Kelly’s Landing gluten free menu options that I returned two more times since my last post.

Saturday I went back to try the Landing Carbonara. Just a few years ago I NEVER would have tried this but thankfully my taste buds and mind have evolved and I am a bit more adventurous on my food.

Reading the write up for this made me wonder who sat around and said “hey, let’s through all these things together and see what happens.”

I can tell you the answer.
You get an amazing meal. Truly, I am not sure I have the words to describe just how delicious this meal was and how all those odd (at least to me) items combined together with no conflicts.

The gluten free penne was perfectly cooked. The chicken was moist and had the most delicious Smokey flavor. The pork belly was small pieces so it didn’t overwhelm and it added a sweet, salty taste. The fried egg on top truly added to all the flavors. I really could believe it. And then there was the gluten free Alfredo-like sauce that was like gravy and sauce all at once.

Sorry for the sideways picture. Technology doesn’t want to cooperate today.

I highly recommend this menu item at Kelly’s Landing!!

===============

Take 3

I went back today, Sunday, to try the Scallops with Pork Belly.

It was very good but I think the price was quite high for 3 scallops and 1 piece of pork belly. It was under appetizers and I did think before ordering it that the price was already high for an appetizer but I really wanted to try it.

Another sideways picture, Sorry.

The plate smelled fishy when it was dropped off so I was worried but overall the scallops were tasty if not just a slight bit chewier than I like and the pork belly was a nice offset to the scallop. 

So this meal was very good but out of the three meals I have had there, hands down, the Landing Carbonara is the meal to get.

I might go back one more time for the Maple Cider Chicken but time will tell.

Kelly’s Landing - Toronto Ontario Canada

Kelly’s Landing.

I found this place on the Find Me Gluten Free app and was impressed with the options on their menu from the website. It was a three minute walk from my hotel so off I went in the rain.

It was well worth it. Although a little expensive after adding cheese and the tip for one person, I am considering going there again while here to try some other menu items.

I started with the Turkey Burger on a gluten free bun adding cheddar cheese, removing the chipotle aioli and choosing fries. I also had their homemade lemonade. It was bitter but refreshing.

My burger arrived after a little longer than expected but nothing to complain about, just noticed. And it looked excellent.

But after one bite, the bun completely fell apart. This did not make me happy as I really wanted to eat a burger but I had to resort to a knife and fork....and fingers. Luckily it was delicious and if I had it again I might just forgo the bun but it added a sweetness that offset the tanginess of the burger and slaw. The fries were like carnival fries, greasy but tasty.

Since I wasn’t over full from my burger I ordered the marscapone cheesecake with gluten free graham cracker crust. Three different people from the restaurant commented that this was their favorite dessert so I was very excited.

Out came this huge piece of cheesecake, as big as my burger. And while it was not bad at all, I don’t think I would rave about it. It was the third different kind of cheesecake I have eaten in the past 3 months. I didn’t know there were so many variations. I would also add that it was too much. Sharing it would have been ok but for one person it was just too big... not that I didn’t finish it all on my own :)

Overall I am thinking of going back while I am here but I will definitely try other menu options and hope they are as good or better.

Panago Pizza - Toronto Ontario Canada

I needed dinner tonight and was craving pizza (and leftovers). It was a hard search to find a gluten friendly place that was close by to my hotel. I luckily used google maps for what was near and clicked on Panago Pizza. The website has tons of info on their gluten sensitive crust. It is NOT a gluten free facility at all but I was lucky to watch him make my pizza. 

The crusts are maintained in a separate area and are not placed on the flour covered area. They are placed on separate trays and then put in the slide through oven. On the other side it is cut with a separate knife and placed in the box. I even saw the worker wash his hands between everything having to do with my pizza. 

Came back to my hotel room and dug in. 

Absolutely delicious. 

The crust was perfectly baked and the sauce and cheese was a perfect amount. I had grilled chicken added and accidentally extra tomatoes but I’m glad I did, they were delicious. It was the perfect temperature too and I have a good feeling this will be wonderful as left over pizza and good cold too. 

I recommend Panago Pizza if you don’t have Celiac. It was also a good price and size (medium only - 8 slices). 

Franz Gluten Free - Mountain White Bread

While in Forks Washington for my annual trip, I picked up Franz Mountain White Gluten Free bread at Forks Outfitters. I had never heard or it nor seen it before. Now... I am trying to buy more of it online.

Soft, good sized slices, oh so slightly sweet, toasts perfectly and just a little mushy if you just eat it from the package, doesn’t fall apart and I loved it.

I forgot to take a photo of the bread and packaging, so I have pictures from the website.

There is a deal of buying four products, get free shipping. Order placed! 

David’s Gluten Free - brownie

BEST.BROWNIE.EVER!

Hands down

Gluten free or gluten filled

Oh my goodness

Soft, moist, slightly crunchy top, chocolate chips, perfect chocolate taste, absolutely delicious.

Warm or cold, excellent brownie!

I can’t recommend these enough.

Perfection

Canyon Bakehouse Focaccia

I never ate Focaccia before going gluten free so I can not comment on if it is the same or not

I can comment on the fact that this is delicious Foccacia.

It is tasty, light and dense at all once, chewy and a new favorite of mine.

I don’t really like garlic bread so this can easily replace that whenever I am craving a tasty bread.

I haven’t seen this in my stores in PA so I bought it online with a coupon I had from their newsletter.

I have tried many of the Canyon Bakehouse offerings and I have yet to find something I do not like.

Pod Baranem - Krakow Poland

If you are ever in Krakow Poland, you MUST eat at Pod Baranem.

Not only do they have an extensive gluten free menu, their food is incredible.
I highly recommend making a reservation as it is a popular local dining establishment.
It is family run and I can not recommend it enough.

I had been dreaming about their gluten free pierogi since I found out about this restaurant a few weeks before our trip. And now I am dreaming about them after having them. Homemade, perfect and delicious.

This is the first time having gluten free pierogi that either came in a frozen bag or that I had to make from hand. They were worth the wait and I would definitely return when I am in Krakow again.

They even have a great gluten free dessert menu. I asked what was local and they said cheesecake. I was surprised but it is definitely not like the cheesecake I know from the US.

It is light, airy, like cake with cheese, not the dense New York style cheesecake I am used to. This is going to make it hard to have that kind of cheesecake from now on.

I will admit I cried when I received my pierogi and then when I tasted them. It was such a joy to have traditional Polish food that I could eat and that were so perfectly delicious.

I will also add that the owners and workers of the restaurant were all super nice and helpful. They held a table for us since I emailed them to let them know I wasn’t sure we could make our time due to being with a tour group. They made sure to provide an English speaking server and he was attentive and a great help with our dessert choices. I can not say enough good things about Pod Baranem.

Please visit them whenever you are in Krakow Poland.

Poland

So tomorrow I will start my Poland adventure. I will be spending a week traveling Warsaw, Zakopane and Krakow.

I was worried at first about what I might be able to eat in Poland but luckily they have a very good Celiac Group and I found Gluten Free and Me on Facebook and in use with Find Me Gluten Free app I shouldn’t have any issues at all. In fact I am looking forward to gluten free pierogie in Krakow at Pod Baranem.

I look forward to trying the places I found before going and any new ones I might come across while in Poland. If you have any suggestions, please post them in the comments.

Breakfast Republic - San Diego

Run, don’t walk and get to a Breakfast Republic. There are a few of them in the San Diego area and they are worth any miles you need to go to get there.

Different and delicious is the best I can say. We even ate there twice because there was more to try and I guarantee that we will go back any time we are near one. There is still more on the menu to be eaten.

First morning I tried the mashed potato omelette. Yes, I said mashed potato!! My favorite food in the entire world. This did not disappoint. So savory and tasty.  On the side was multi grain gluten free bread and plain breakfast potatoes, yes more potatoes :) Add in fresh squeezed orange juice and I could eat this every day. Yum

My friend had the gluten free shrimp and grits which she raved about even before we arrived. I don’t eat shrimp but I did try the grits and oh my so yummy. The butter.... soooo good.

The second morning I tried the gluten free cinnamon raisin French toast with banana. I am not crazy about cinnamon raisin bread and somehow I was lucky and hardly had any raisins in my toast. The mix of the toast and the banana and the real maple syrup was beyond delicious.

I can not recommend this place enough. And the prices were very resonable.

Cup 4 Cup Chocolate Brownie Mix

Where to start?

First thank you to my friend for recommending this mix to me.

Second if I were served these without being told they were gluten free, I would never know AND I would guarantee the server that they were gluten filled.

Third exactly how I remember brownies pre-gluten free life.

Last worth every penny! EVERY PENNY!

Simple and easy to make. I used butter and not the oil in the mix but I did oil the pan.

The worst part....

Waiting for them to cool before cutting and eating them!!!!!

Run now and get these!! Enjoy!!

Made Good

I first tried these at the Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo.

Then they were the snack on my plane ride to Atlanta.

And now I have found them at CVS.

Not only are they delicious BUT they are also a single serving of vegetables!!

Yes I said vegetables!! I have no idea how they did it but I do not notice any vegetable taste at all. 

These are sweet, tasty and filling.

I highly recommend these. They are worth every penny in my opinion.

Flatbread Gluten Free Pizza

I know I have had this pizza before and I wasn’t impressed that time.

So I am not sure if this time I had it, it was actually better or if I was just hungry or what it was.
But this time I really liked the pizza. It was a little chewy but I loved the flavor of the pizza.
It was very enjoyable. I wish there were a little more cheese on it but it still tasted good.

I mainly got it because I wanted pizza and it was on sale. I am not sure I would spend regular price on it but on sale I would try it again.

It is thin crust and where it was crunchy it was even better. I am not sure if the chewy was due to me, the oven or the pizza BUT the taste still overcame the chewy. I really liked the sauce, the cheese, the crust and I don’t usually care about basil but all together this was very flavorful. I would love to use this as an appetizer sometime because I think it would be really good as small pieces of pizza.

Try it and let me know your thoughts... and if you have any suggestions for eliminating the chewiness, please let me know.

Shelton's Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs

Shelton's gluten free turkey meatballs

Yummmmmy

They are quite dense but they taste really good and they definitely do not fall apart.

They would be excellent any way that you want to use meatballs.
Looking at the packaging I am thinking with gravy would be best but I had them as spaghetti and meatballs and they were just fine.

I love that all I had to do was heat them up. No muss, no fuss.

I would definitely buy them again and I am highly grateful that they are turkey (as I can not eat beef) in addition to gluten free.

They are not inexpensive but I think they are worth it if only because it saved me a ton of time making meatballs. I would like to keep a box in my freezer and make them as I want them.

Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo - take 3

Here are a few more of my favorite things from the expo:

 Wildflower Cafe - bagel was delicious and hubby really enjoyed the schooner.

 CakePops - mint chocolate cookie was divine. Perfect amount of sweet and mint.

And the butterfly cookie took me back to childhood, I am convinced it is not gluten free, soooo delicious.

Bonus with this one - each pack is a serving of vegetables. Yes, I said vegetables. And they are really tasty too. Highly recommend.

Must get from Kendra’s - banana roll!!!

I have lots and lots of rolls on my belly now from all this yumminess!

Thank you to all the sponsors and vendors who made this Gluten Free Expo so amazing. 

Can’t wait for next year.

Watch out gluten free funnel cake... I am coming for you!!