Vancouver - Gluten-Free Restaurants!

I always thought Toronto (my hometown) was the gluten-free capital of Canada.

That is, until my recent visit to Vancouver.  I checked out a few websites online that list gluten-free options and I enlisted the help of Robyn and Andrea from Gluten Free Vancouver to steer me toward some of their favourite places to eat and favourite bakeries as well.  I also put out a call on my Facebook Page for your suggestions of places I couldn't miss out on.

I was in Vancouver with my mom for 5 nights and got to visit with my brother who lives there.  In that time I got to check out a number of great restaurants!

_____

White Spot
Multiple Locations

After a 5+ hour flight, we were hungry.  The pamphlet at the Vancouver Airport indicated White Spot as having gluten-free options. We headed on our way to grab some lunch.

To my surprise they had a separate menu listing gluten-free options!  Sadly, the only options that were vegetarian were some salads and two choices of pasta.

I went for the Caesar salad and Alfredo pasta.  Yum!  Very large portions meant that I couldn't finish both, despite being really hungry.

Flash forward to Saturday evening... after a failed attempt at checking out a different restaurant, I found myself back at White Spot (different location... this time Granville Street).  I ordered the pasta with Marinara Sauce.  Quite good, though not my favourite and not really anything too special.  Still nice to have the assurance of ordering from a separate gluten-free menu.

White Spot is a fairly cheap and casual chain restaurant in the Vancouver area.  While the food was pretty good and I was thankful to have this option around for those times where I was really hungry, I likely wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.

_____

Havana
1212 Commercial Drive, Vancouver ("The Drive")

My brother had a gift certificate for this place so it was an easy decision to visit on my first evening in Vancouver.  Looking over the menu online and seeing the "mazina tortillas" (tortillas made of wheat and corn flour) I thought I was in for a dinner of plain ol' salad.  Boy, was I wrong!  They had an entire gluten-free menu!

Unfortunately this menu is not available online.  Most of the menu items involved meat in some fashion so I decided on the 7 layer dip, which was served with tostones (fried plantain, cut lengthwise).

I really enjoyed the layer dip and would likely order the same dish again if I returned.

This restaurant is also where I got my first taste of the beer that is available in Vancouver!  (I will have an upcoming blog post featuring all of the gluten-free beer I saw in Vancouver.)

First up in Vancouver was Estrella Damm Daura gluten-free beer.  Not bad!  My brother (not Celiac) also took a sip and said this beer tasted like regular beer, which, as many of you know, is quite the compliment!

_____

The Naam
2724 West 4h Avenue, Vancouver (Kitsilano)

This vegetarian restaurant is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It is located in Kitsilano, which is a great shopping area and also very close to the beach.  When I inquired about gluten-free options, the server informed me that the tortillas and tortilla chips were just made with corn, plus they have gluten-free bread so there were plenty of options I could choose from.  This was a real treat!  I am so used to skimming over a menu and immediately cutting out 50-80% of the options because they contain meat and here I was looking at a menu that was completely vegetarian, with many gluten-free options.

Amazing selection of food!  Huge portions!  I can't say enough about this restaurant.  We ordered the Chilaquiles Enchilada and Tuscan Nachos.

There was no way the two of us were going to finish all of the food.  It was actually fun to watch and see what other people were ordering at tables around us.  Everything looked amazing! I would have loved to come back to this restaurant but I didn't end up having time to visit Kitsilano again.

While service here was a little slow, the large portion sizes made up for the lack of service.

_____

Milestones
(Multiple Locations)

This chain restaurant is also in Ontario and they offer a gluten-free menu at all locations.  I have always enjoyed the gluten-free spaghettini from a Toronto location.  I was still full from my lunch earlier in the day so I decided on a light dinner and ordered the California Spring Salad.

Yup, I'm one of those strange people who enjoys eating salad ;) especially if there's strawberries in it!

_____

Sandbar
1535 Johnston Street, Creekhouse #102, Granville Island, Vancouver

Located on Granville Island, I visited Sandbar on the Friday of my visit, a really wet and rainy day.  I think the only vegetarian and gluten-free option was this pizza.  Granted, I couldn't really ask for anything more since this WAS a fish restaurant.  Heck, they even had a whole fish menu indicating which fish was available that day!

Anyway, back to the pizza.  The toppings were very fresh and tasty but I felt like the crust was a little bit "old school" gluten-free.  It tasted very ricey to me and was not crispy enough.

They do offer gluten-free pasta as well but I didn't have a chance to try that out.

_____

Nuba
(Multiple locations)

I was quite disappointed with my visit to Nuba.  First of all, I showed up at the Yaletown location at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and stood around for over 10 minutes waiting for the girl inside to open the door.  She finally came over and informed me (through the door) that they open at 12.  When I told her the website said they open at 11:30 she repeated that they open at 12 and walked away.  Whoa.  So... I walked around the block to see what else was around and returned to Nuba at 12. (They have since updated the website, thankfully.)

I knew before I arrived that I was ordering the falafel plate.  I have a soft spot for falafel and will take every opportunity to test out falafel in a restaurant if it is gluten-free.

Everything looked amazing!  The falafel balls were really good but that's about where my satisfaction ended.  The rice was very hard and needed 5-10 more minutes of cooking, the salad was DRIPPING with oil and I'm pretty sure they gave me the stalks of lettuce to dip in the hummus. Well, one bad meal in 5 days isn't so bad...

Moving on...

_____

Chipotle
818 Howe Street, Vancouver

On my last full day in Vancouver, I remembered that I had seen a sign for Chipotle while walking around downtown.  I had previously been to Chipotle in Buffalo and loved the food.  I visited a location in Toronto (Yonge and Dundas) but didn't enjoy my meal there.  The quality of the food at this location in Vancouver has restored my faith in the chain!

Your order is made in an assembly line to speed the process and you can tell them exactly which ingredients you want.  The good thing about Chipotle is that ALL of the ingredients used are gluten-free, except the flour tortillas (used for burritos).  I ordered the vegetarian tacos, which includes 3 tacos for 8.95.

I'm sorry that the above picture does not capture how yummy the tacos actually are!  It's really difficult to photograph tacos like this.  Fantastic tacos!  I plan to give Chipotle in Toronto another shot and hopefully will be pleasantly surprised.

_____

Cravings
8808 Osler Avenue (behind the Coast Hotel), Vancouver

I had been in contact with Cravings over twitter before visiting Vancouver.  I knew this restaurant would be a gem so I added it to my "must visit" list.  I saved the best for last!  On my way to the airport, my mom and I met up with my brother one last time for lunch.

I felt like I needed something a little healthier this day after eating a lot of not-so-healthy meals earlier in my trip.  I settled on the Caesar salad and stir fry.  The manager/owner(?) came out from the back and asked if I eat eggs.  I said yes and she informed me she would be making croutons from their own gluten-free bread (which contains eggs).  Wow, what a treat!  Fresh croutons!  (Pre-Celiac, I enjoyed snacking on croutons on their own, that's how much I love them!)  Yummy!


I can't remember the last time I got to enjoy a Caesar salad with croutons.  The stir fry was also very fresh. This colourful and healthy kick was just what I needed to end my trip!

I really enjoyed flipping through an official menu listing the gluten-free options!  Plenty of yummy and healthy options to choose from :)

_____

It seemed like everywhere I turned there were gluten-free options!  And if there weren't options, the wait staff and other employees at least understood what gluten-free meant.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with the gluten-free offerings in Vancouver.  Pair that with the mountains, fresh air, ocean views and friendly streets, Vancouver is a great place for anyone looking to explore other areas of Canada.

Milestones Gluten-Free (Take 2)

I first want to apologize for being a little MIA on this blog... I was taking a little breather. But I am back and we're good to go ;)

Back to the matter at hand... I love when restaurants offer gluten-free options.  I appreciate the effort to accommodate us so I really don't like complaining.  Sometimes it's necessary.  Here goes...

On Saturday, I visited Milestones in Toronto.  My dinner date (who is also gluten-free, what are the chances?!) ordered this burger with a gluten-free bun.

The burger looked great.  (Yeah, a vegetarian just said that.)  I should point out that I had heard some negative comments regarding the bun but figured it couldn't be that bad.  Oh, but it was.  It crumbled.  There was no holding this burger together.  I ate a small piece of the bun and wasn't too impressed.  Dinner date actually tossed the bottom half of the bun because it turned into a soggy mess.  He is familiar with gluten-free breads so it wasn't just a matter of not liking gluten-free food.

Come to think of it, I had emailed Milestones a few months ago after reading numerous complaints about the buns online, asking which brand they use and offered to make some suggestions for a more palatable bun (like, I dunno, say Kinnikinnick's new line of soft buns?).  They sent sort of automated response [and called me Mr. Wilkinson... I'm pretty sure I am not a dude] and said my comments were appreciated and would be passed on to the appropriate people.  I never heard any more and they are still using the same buns apparently.

Maybe they were offended by my email. Maybe they don't really care about customer's feedback.  Maybe someone from Milestones is reading this blog post right now.  Maybe they wish to contact me..?  (Contact Jax - please don't call me Mr)

Anyway, I ordered the spaghettini and really enjoyed it.  Yes, this is the same thing I ordered last time... there's a lack of vegetarian gluten-free options there.  It was this or salad.

When the plate first arrived, I noticed the bread touching the pasta and had a mild freakout. Bread?!  On my gluten-free pasta plate?!  No worries... turns out, it was gluten-free and tasted pretty good.  The pasta was delicious, as it was the previous visit.

And dessert...

I was full from dinner but decided I had to get dessert after remembering how good it was.  Yum!  I suggest you get the Ganache torte on your next visit to Milestones.

VILLA Restaurant does not disappoint!

I've never been disappointed with my food at VILLA Restaurant.  (Examples one, two and three.)  I visited again last night and of course had to document my meal.

Get ready to drool...

Gluten-free and vegan chocolate cake

Surprisingly, this cake contained no gluten, eggs or dairy.  While I found it to be a little on the dry side, it was packed with chocolate and was a great way to end a meal... whether on your own or shared.

Primavera with gluten-free noodles

I strayed from my usual Alfredo pasta and went for this Pasta Primavera.  Yum! Spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, olive oil - cooked to perfection!

Pizza Pollo with gluten-free crust

I didn't eat the Pizza Pollo... I'm a veggie.  But I was told it was really good!

Visit VILLA Restaurant if you're looking for great Italian food in Toronto!

Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna (Dairy-Free and Soy-Free!)

You may have noticed (but probably not) that I have decided to go off dairy... for a short while.  I love cheese and I especially love ricotta cheese and all the cheesy goodness that comes with lasagna.  Sadly, I think my body is slowing telling me to cut out more and more foods.  We'll see where this dairy-free thing takes me...

If you're looking for a vegetarian lasagna (i.e you're okay with dairy/cheese) please check out my Vegetarian Lasagna recipe, which I have perfected.  It is amazing.

If you're looking for a meat lasagna... umm sorry.  I can't help you there.  I've never cooked meat in my life.  (I went vegetarian at age 12.)

So anyway... this is how I prepared my vegan lasagna... it turned out surprisingly well for my first attempt.  As it was in the oven, I was just hoping it was at least edible (so I didn't just waste all those ingredients) and it exceeded my expectations.

I like to use the Rizopia oven-ready lasagna noodles.  I had tried another brand in the past that needed to be precooked and ran into a number of problems... mainly, they ripped apart and made for a messy lasagna.

I will tell you the things I would consider changing for next time but I'm not entirely sure how those changes would turn out yet :)

Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna

Sauce
Splash of olive oil
A bunch of sliced mushrooms
1 green pepper
1 small red pepper
1 small yellow pepper
2 medium zucchini
Jar of pasta sauce
Jar of salsa
Italian Seasoning

Herbamare Original Seasoning

"Ricotta Cheese" Mixture
1 head of Cauliflower
1/3 cup Daiya Mozzarella

Other
About 10 oven-ready lasagna noodles

1 bag Daiya (Mozzarella and/or Cheddar, total 1 bag)

Directions
 

Cut veggies (except one zucchini) into bite size pieces.

Heat large pot with oil.  Add the veggies and saute until soft but not completely cooked.

Add pasta sauce and salsa to pot and simmer for about three minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat.  Add seasonings to taste.

Steam (or boil) cauliflower.  Put in food processor (or Magic Bullet) until smooth.  Put into a bowl and mix with 1/3 cup of Daiya "cheese".

Use vegetable peeler to create strips of one zucchini.

In a medium-large sized lasagna pan, assemble in the following layers:

(starting at the bottom)
1/3 cup sauce
Half lasagna noodles
1/2 "cheese" mixture
1/2 remaining sauce

Zucchini strips
1/2 shredded Daiya
Half lasagna noodles
1/2 "cheese" mixture
Remaining sauce
Remaining shredded Daiya
(top of lasagna)

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350*F for about 45 minutes.  

Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. 

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-10.

Alright, time for my thoughts on changes for future attempts... although I'm really hoping to add cheese back in soon.

• I think I would try a tofu based "ricotta cheese" mixture since that seems to be prevalent in a lot of recipes online.  I just happened to have cauliflower and wanted to see what it was like.  There was nothing wrong with it, I just want to try switching it up to see which works best.
• I might add some nutritional yeast - again, because it seems to be prevalent in a lot of recipes.
• I would add another layer of lasagna noodles so that it would make a taller lasagna. (Only do this if the depth of your pan allows it.)
• I might switch up some veggies, just for fun.  Broccoli, spinach, eggplants... the possibilities are endless here.

So there ya have it... it's definitely possible to make a vegan, gluten-free lasagna.  It may not be your traditional lasagna but will satisfy that lasagna craving when it hits.

Oh, PS... Wilton baking pans are great. I got a set on sale at Canadian Tire for like $20.

Event - VILLA Restaurant - February 2012

On Wednesday February 22, Gluten-Free Ontario had its first ever event.

The event took place at VILLA Restaurant on Bloor West Village (between Runnymede and Jane) and the total attendance was 20 people.  Not bad, for a first event. I had met some people in person before, others I had been in contact with online and there were some who I had never talked to before.

When I arrived, there was a pretty Prix Fixe menu with my logo on it!  I had chosen the menu a few days prior but I had no idea the menu would be tailored so perfectly for the event... take a look!

We had the choice between soup and salad to start and then an entree of either pasta or pizza.

Prix Fixe Menu

Mixed Greens Salad

Mushroom Leek Soup

Fusilli Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

Fusilli Primavera

Wild Mushroom Pizza

Special thanks to my friend Lat from The Experimental Cupcake for taking the above pictures!!

The last of the four entree choices was Margherita Pizza but I don't recall seeing anyone with that one.  I ordered the Primavera since I had never tried it before but the Margherita Pizza was second choice in my mind.

Conversation just seemed to flow between tables, discussing Celiac-related topics and beyond.  I tried my best to spread my time between tables, making sure I got a chance to meet everyone.

I would be lying if I said the planning of this event was a piece of cake.  There were hiccups along the way.  First, I had a guest list of 38 people, which suddenly dwindled to 30 just a couple days before the dinner and then only 23 people arrived.... and 20 people stayed for dinner.  I wish everyone who had RSVP'd had made it to the dinner but I know sometimes things pop up last minute.

Feedback from the event has been extremely positive!  Everyone seems to be asking for monthly events (what are they trying to do... make me crazy?!)  Give me a few weeks and I'll see what I can do.

I would also like to send a special thank you to PatsyPie for sending yummy cookies, biscotti and pie crusts to me to hand out as door prizes at the end of the dinner.  I can't wait to see what kinds of pies you guys come up with!!

PatsyPie goodies

 I know I mentioned this before but I will say it again...

If you would like to plan an event in your city, please set up a Facebook event with all of the details (you will be responsible for confirming details and reservations with the restaurant)

and I will be happy to repost the event to help spread the word.

NEW! Astoria Mills Review, Pictures and Giveaway!

As many of you know by now I really like food.

And I don't think being gluten-free should stop me from enjoying all of life's yummy pleasures.

Just recently, I had a fun-filled day baking tons of gluten-free creations, including crackers, croissants, chocolate croissants, bread, pasta, pizza and donuts - wow!  How, you ask?  Well, let me tell you...

I feel priveleged.  Trina of Astoria Mills came to MY kitchen for a whole day of baking!  
(Okay, it was my parents' kitchen... mine is too small.)

Trina has created a fantastic baking system, comprised of 6 mixes that can make just about anything your heart desires. Don't believe me?  Check out the new Astoria Mills website to see what each mix makes, plus you can order online, too.

Astoria Mills Set of Mixes

The mixes are free from the following:

• gluten
• wheat
• milk, lactose and casein
• soy
• bean and pea
• sesame
• tree nuts
• peanuts
• sulphites. 

The mixes do contain corn, which is non-GMO.  They do process soy, but chances of contamination are low with the pharmaceutical grade blending process.

The manufacturing facility is dedicated gluten-free.  Astoria Mills mixes are tested regularly and certified to contain less than 5ppm of gluten, which is the lowest detectable amount. Bonus - the mixes are also fortified and contain lots of nutrients to keep you in good health!

I got to meet Trina when I was in Buffalo back in September for Gluten Freedom Day and we have formed a friendship and kept in touch since.

Trina (left) and Jax at Buffalo Gluten Freedom Day

I was really excited to get started... and immediately asked if we could make croissants and donuts, two of the gluteny items that I have missed and just haven't found suitable substitutes for yet.  Trina told me yes, when you purchase the mixes you get a free online e-cookbook with hundreds of recipes that use the baking system, including my coveted croissants and donuts!

mmm so let's get started!

Gluten-Free Baking Day with 

Trina from Astoria Mills

So much baking in one day!  I'm not sure how she does it!

Whisking eggs

Dough rising

Cutting out the crackers

Healthy crackers

Rolling dough and adding butter

Trina mixing

Mixing dough

Cutting croissants

Croissant

Yum, flaky croissant!

Pizza

Trina (left) and Jax

Frying donuts

Donuts - like Tim Bits!

Crusty bread

Making REAL pasta!

Bow tie pasta

Everything turned out amazing and it was really easy to follow the instructions in the e-cookbook.

________

Contest!

Tell me about your gluten-free journey.

(How long have you been gluten-free, how did you discover you couldn't eat gluten, what are your favourite meals or products... and anything else that make YOU and your story unique!)

• Post your entry in a comment below before 11:59 EST on Sunday, February 19, 2012 and you will be entered to win a set of six Astoria Mills (as shown in the picture at the top of thos blog post)
• Please include your name (as it appears on Facebook) or your Twitter handle in your comment so I am able to contact you when/if you win!  If you do not have Facebook or Twitter, please ensure I have a way to contact you.
• If you enter more than once (please don't) only your first comment will be considered.

This contest is open to Ontario residents only! (This is Gluten-Free Ontario, after all) The winner will be chosen by Trina of Astoria Mills and I will post the winner's name by Wednesday, February 22, 2012 on Facebook, Twitter and on this page.

Comments on this blog require approval - please only post once and I will approve them at a later time.

WINNER: Sam Melsom