Farro: It is *not* gluten-free

Today, while eating at one of my favorite places for lunch, I had an very unfortunate experience.

I go to this place because their menu changes daily and they use fresh ingredients.  Best of all, they clearly mark what items are gluten-free, which is usually a majority of them.  Score!  I have been going here for years, and I trust them when they say something is gluten-free.  It is so comforting to have a place like this.

And because of these reasons above is why today's experience was so disappointing to me.

I noticed on their daily menu that one item contained farro, and it was listed as gluten-free.  I figured I would tell them about the mistake before someone got sick.  The response I received was surprising.  The server assured me they had done research and farro was safe, and the least gluten of all the wheat grains.  I probably had to pull my jaw up from the floor at this point, as I just didn't have words, and of course did not order that lunch item.  The server, who I can only assume does not have celiac himself, was telling me it was gluten-free!

My own crisis was averted when I ordered something not containing any grains, gluten-free or otherwise.

Later, I emailed the owner to let him know about this mistake and that just because something is "low gluten", it is not free of gluten, and should not be listed as so.  This is a place, I and many others have come to trust, and if all the sudden they are marking items gluten-free, when they should not be gluten-free, how can I continue to trust it?

Imagine, if a friend, or a co-worker were to pick up lunch there for you, and since it is labeled as "gluten-free", it is assumed to be safe.  And then you eat it, because you also assume it must be safe.  Only to be sick later.

Farro is an ancient variety of wheat grown in Italy.  It *is* wheat, folks!  It contains gluten!!  And while it may contain less gluten than other commercially grown wheat, it is not free of gluten.  Those with celiac should not eat farro, period.

When I hear back from the owner, I will update here.  Until then, have you ever had a similar experience?  Have you lost trust in a restaurant or company that you felt was a trusted source when labeling their items gluten-free?

Uncle Maddio's Pizza

I recently discovered Uncle Madio's Pizza when my daughter wanted to go out for pizza her birthday.  Well, I wanted pizza too! Yes, I guess I am that selfish, that I actually want to eat pizza along with my family and not have to sit there drinking my drink, waiting until I can go home and eat.  Crazy, I know!

We have a lovely pizza place in our cozy neighborhood, that is walking distance, has a gorgeous patio and is the place to hang out and see friendly faces and socialize, but unfortunately, the only thing I have when I go there is wine. Well, maybe that is not so unfortaunte, but seriously, I get to sit next to everyone else and smell their pizza, while I sip my wine.

So, when I went to the Twitter community and asked for suggestions for gluten-free pizza places that were kid-friendly, Uncle Maddio's was mentioned.

I was thrilled, it has a Chipotle-style format, so you go through a line, and decide on what topping you want for your personal pizza.  They were very helpful in telling me how they prepare the gluten-free pizzas and that it is on a separate dish than the gluten-filled crusts.  It is quick, it is clean and it is yummy.  And honestly, I think my crust looked tastier than the gluten-filled alternative, but then...what do I know?

Uncle Maddio's put out a PR release today with a quote from me, announcing kid-sized gluten-free pizzas.  Check it out.

I look forward to going back soon.

Yeah! Burger: Where's the bun??

**update 7/25/11**

I heard back from Yeah! Burger's marketing person today, after following up on the new bun. She had said the other week that she would bring this up at the next management meeting. She responded saying that they owners decided to stick with Rudi's for now.

I found this really disappointing, as 1) it is not local; and 2) frankly, I just don't like it. the bun does absolutely nothing for me. The Pure Knead bun made the whole burger taste fabulous, but the Rudi's bun tastes like a burger on a once frozen, dry bun. Blech. It was great while it lasted though.

If I go back I will definitely go bunless. Though I think it is time to check out Farm Burger where they still use Pure Knead.

C'est dommage :(

-------------------------------------

Most locals in Atlanta have heard of Yeah! Burger, and if not, they should. This is the place that basically transformed me back into a meat eater. The first time I had one of their burgers I was giddy. I forgot how good a hamburger could be. And the best part...they serve gluten-free buns, French fries and onion rings!!! They are very conscious about the gluten-free diet, super friendly and love to show them my support. I can't say enough about them.

This month their special is a lamb burger, so I had to go and try it, and I know I shouldn't, especially being a previous non-meat eater, but it was so good! However, what totally caught me by surprise is that their tasty gluten-free bun, has been switched to something not nearly as good. What happened?? Where was the good gluten-free bun, I had come to love, which was baked by local gluten-free bakery Pure Knead?? Unfortunately, I wasn't crazy about the fries this time either..they were thicker, which I did like, but tasted really bland compared to previous times, like someone forgot to season them.

I asked them what happened, and it seems they have switched to Rudi's multigrain buns. I am extremely disappointed to say the least. The Rudi's bun was tough and just tasted blah. Ema Carr, Yeah! Burger's marketing and communications manager said that the owners thought the Rudi's bun tasted more "authentic". I am not sure what this means, but I just don't like it. And for a place that is very into sourcing local foods, Rudi's is definitely not local. Others may think it's great, but I definitely miss my Pure Knead bun. And I am definitely not going to pay an extra $1.25 for the pleasure of the Rudi's bun next time.

I have heard lots of great things about Farm Burger in Decatur, which is probably even closer to me. But for some reason I haven't gone there yet because I know they don't offer GF fries, but really...do I need fries, when I heard they have boiled peanuts! And, they do carry Pure Knead buns. I think I may have to give in, and finally give them a try!

I don't mean to diss Yeah! Burger...my daughter and I really do heart them, but without loving the entire burger package, I am just not craving it like I used to.

Fellow Atlantans...who do you prefer...Yeah! Burger or Farm Burger, and why?

Pure Taqueria now has gluten-free chips!

I love all of the taquerias in Atlanta, and how easy it is to eat gluten-free at them...except for the chips. It seems that many of them fry their chips with something else wheat-based. In these cases, I usually end up bringing my own chips and try to be all sly about it, because I don't want to feel like an outcast sitting there with my "special" chips. And then of course I need my own salsa, so others at the table don't dip their gluten-filled chips into the same bowl of salsa, contaminating me in the end.

Pure Taqueria has always had gluten-free chips...but they are not the ones that get passed to the tables for free, they were chips you had to order (and pay) separately.

Lucky for us, Pure Taqueria's chips, which were once fried with wheat-containing products are now gluten-free and fried at the beginning of the day before anything else is fried and therefore uncontaminated. I was a bit skeptical, but I am super sensitive and inhaled a basked on my own and felt great afterwards....other than a bit full with my basket of chips and dinner.

And, psst.......they have a coupon on Scoutmob now, so you can go enjoy 50% off you meal!

Hooray for Willy's!!

One of my favorite places in Atlanta to grab a quick and cheap meal was Willy's. Before moving here in August, I last lived in Atlanta 10 years ago, and back then I had no clue what gluten was and ate it all the time. Once I returned to Atlanta, I kept hearing that it wasn't safe to eat gluten-free at Willy's.

I thought I would find out myself, and emailed Willy's this summer, only to get this in response:

Willy’s prepares all food items in the restaurant. Provided below is a list of items to avoid

Rice, Black Beans, and Pinto Beans are made with a vegetable base that contains:

Ingredients: Vegetables (celery, onions, and carrots) hydrolyzed corn protein, salt, sugar, onion powder, autolyzed yeast extract, natural flavorings, corn starch, corn syrup solids, carrot powder, modified food starch, tomato paste, garlic powder, spices. turmeric

Tortillas and Chips: are not made in the restaurant

Ingredients: Corn Tortillas: ground corn, calcium propionate and carboxymethyl cellulose Flour Tortillas: wheat flour,( Enriched, bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid),water, margarine, (liquid soybean oil partially hydrogenated soybean oil water, salt, vegetable mono and diglyocrides, soy lecithin, potassium sorbateand citric acid (as preservatives), artificial flavor, beta carotene (color), vitamin A palmitate added) shortening (fully refined palm oil and BHT, BHA, and TBHO (to preserve freshness) contains less then 2%of salt, baking powder (sodium bicarbonate, corn phosphate) rice flour, guar gum, dextrose, cellulose gum, , potato starch, mono diglycrides, fumaric acid, calcium propionate (to maintain freshness), and sodium metab sulfite (dough conditioner).

Avoid fried food: oils may contain hydrolyzed plant or vegetable protein chips, and tofu are fried at Willy’s

Salsa and canned goods: Willy’s uses canned product in most of the salsas.

Canned Items: Salsa tomatoes, tomatillo, black olive, pickled jalapeño, roasted red pepper, and chipotle peppers. Avoid Chili d‘Arbo

Willy’s marinades: our marinades are made with fresh ingredients orange juice and pine nuts. Avoid the Adobe or spicy marinade is made with a chili powder.

As you can see this is totally confusing..it says on the top what to avoid, but then lists items that would seem safe....this really needs to be reworded. I was determined to get to the bottom of it, so after several back and forth communications with their marketing coordinator, I received this final word on what is safe and what is not at Willy's

Hi Anne,

I apologize once again for making this such a confusing issue. Since there were some conflicting opinions within Willy’s, we went to the manufacturers to verify. We do have an issue with our chili d’arbol sauce because the spices are made with a wheat based thickener. We are now working to have that switched to a non gluten spice and hope to have it rolled out within the next 1-2 months.

For now, the following items are not gluten free:

Chili d’Arbol sauce

Habanero salsa

Chipotle salsa

Cheese Dip

Flour tortillas

The other items listed have chili d sauce in them too. Once we are able to make this change, we will be completely gluten free except for flour tortillas. I will be glad to let you know or check back with us to confirm.

With this new confirmation, I went right out and had my first Willy's in 10 years and it was super yummy. I enjoyed a burrito bowl with tofu, and chips. I was bummed that I could not have the salsas (except for the tomatillo salsa) and cheese dip, but I will follow up to see when they change the wheat-based thickener to a gluten-free one.

Now, if only I could find out it is safe to eat at La Fonda....another one of my Atlanta favorites! If any of you successfully eat at La Fonda, please let me know.

Bust a move

It is time to make a confession, the reason I have been so absent from my blog is because we are moving. I haven't wanted to talk about it too much in case I jinxed things, and of course that could still happen. But at the same time, I am feeling so guilty about not keeping up with my blog, I decided it was time to give a reason why. We are leaving Chicago for the durty South, we are headed to Atlanta. I will so miss the amazing city of Chicago, the people, the architecture, the neighborhoods, the food, the walkability and Lake Michigan, but we are ready for this change, and going to embrace it.

We spent the last 3 1/2 weeks in Atlanta looking for a place to live, and wow that was not an easy feat. We have lived in our house for almost 4 years, so apparently I didn't remember what it was like to look for a new living space. Not only did we have to find a place that we enjoy, but we also had to find a place in the right school zone for our daughter, which was never a factor before. But after looking at over 40 places in the sweltering heat and dragging Z from place to place, we finally found a place we love. Here is a glimpse of our amazing new backyard:

We will be living intown in a wonderful neighborhood full of gorgeous old houses and tall trees, with lots of bike paths and trails right out our door. It is hard to believe it is in the middle of the city. And the best part, there are lots of restaurants close by that I can easily eat gluten-free.

The last several weeks we ate out a lot, I think more than we have the last 2 years put together. I guess that is what happens when you don't have your kitchen. And in those 3 1/2 weeks, I ate out successfully every time without getting glutened...Chinese, Mexican, Italian, even Waffle House! Unfortunately, I did get glutened once and that happened on the 4th of July from chips and salsa that I bought from Whole Foods. The chips looked safe enough, the same ingredients of all other corn tortilla chips I buy, and I bought some of the Whole Foods pineapple mango salsa, which also looked pretty innocent...all I know is one of them was the guilty culprit, but I have no idea which one. It didn't seem like a risky snack, but I guess I was wrong. And let me tell you, having a gluten attack while waiting in traffic for the fireworks traffic to move is excruciating!

I have a lot of catching up to do, and a list of posts and articles to write that I hope to get done before the actual move, in a month. I did have a chance to review a couple of restaurants that you can check out here: Fuego Mundo, FIGO pasta and Jason's Deli, with lots more to come.

Asparagus & lemon linguine @ Noodles & Co.

I love, love, love asparagus, so when I saw Noodles & Co. had a new asparagus dish, I was all on that (after I confirmed it would be gluten-free if served with rice noodles).

First, I walked in my local Noodles & Co, and didn't recognize anyone. Usually I see the same people working there and know they understand the whole "gluten thing", but it made me nervous when it took the person taking my order 5 minutes to figure out how to put an 'allergen aware' order in. But, in the end, it worked out and I enjoyed my pasta. It was meh. The asparagus wasn't very flavorful, but I did really enjoy the sugar snap peas. Maybe it is because I had them 86 the 'shrooms and it was missing something.

It was nice to have a different dish, but I will stick with my regular, the pasta fresca with feta with broccoli added into it.

If you get a chance to try it let me know your thoughts.

I love asparagus season....it is best grilled!

Interview with stage manager Jolly Roger and living gluten-free

Recently I had the opportunity to speak with the extremely well-traveled and talented stage manager Jolly Roger, who has toured with everyone from KISS to Ministry. Not only is he a very busy at his career, but he also has celiac and must follow a strict gluten-free diet. He was able to spend some time with me and tell me a little bit about how he discovered he has celiac, and how it impacts his busy lifestyle.

How did you get into the music industry?

I always loved music, I can remember being 16, living in New York City, and reading about The Beatles’ first trip to America, in Parade magazine, so I waited at the airport for them to arrive and then when I saw them I thought they were punks with their short hair, and didn’t listen to them until the White Album. I was more into the Rolling Stones, I was going to see the Stones play when there were only seven guys on tour with them.

I always wanted to be in rock ‘n roll and in 1972 I got into the business full-time in NYC. Later I moved to Madison, WI and my first big tour was with Cheap Trick for three years and about 1,000 shows.

Since then I have worked with Cheap Trick, Kansas, Styx, Ozzy Osbourne, The Cure, Pixies, KMFDM, Ministry, Los Lobos, The BoDeans, The Smithereens, and many more that I know I am forgetting.

What do you do now?

I have worked with Jam Productions for 30 years. I have worked as crew, head electrician, rigger and lighting design. I have designed the lights at the Metro, the Vic, Park West, and the Riviera.

I have an electronic background from Vietnam, then I became really interested in lighting design and just learned as I went along, lighting is very subjective.

When did you first realize you had a problem with gluten?

My symptoms first started seven years ago at the age 55. I believe it affected me a long, long time, but I didn’t realize I was feeling different than I was supposed to be. I would drink lots of beer and eat lots of bread. I would do things in excess, clean up, do things in excess again. Someone once gave me a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, I ate the whole thing and I was sick for days.

Working with Cheap Trick from 2002-2004, I thought I had colon cancer, or something really bad, my brother told me he was lactose intolerant, and as I was drinking milk and eating cheese daily, I cut out dairy and felt better. But in 2-3 weeks I started feeling bad again. A friend told me about celiac disease, so I quit eating gluten, and now it is all good.

I bought The Gluten-Free Bible when I came across it at Whole Foods, and learned that lactose intolerance can be brought on by gluten-intolerance. So now I continue to stay away from dairy. I dropped 175 pounds after I cut out gluten and dairy.

My daughter Val Capone (her roller derby name), on the Manic Attackers with the Windy City Rollers, also has celiac, in addition to her Crohn’s disease. My other daughter Justine, who just received her PhD in chemistry from Northwestern, has so signs of the disease.

How did you handle it, before realizing you had celiac, when you didn’t feel well?

I would only eat graham crackers for a while, which I later discovered fed it all. Then I went on a pure meat diet, which helped.

Have you been diagnosed by a doctor?

No, because I know what makes me feel better, plus I am not big on doctors. In the rock ‘n roll business, you have eight months of the year where you can afford to pay premiums for insurance and have money coming in, but for the other four months it is not always possible. Some bands provide healthcare if you start and stay with them for a while, but most music people don’t have healthcare.

What do you miss most about being able to eat gluten?

I miss White Castle, but if I eat it, it will bother me for days.

Do you feel caterers, on tour, are more aware these days with the gluten-free diet?

Caterers are becoming more aware, some are better than others.

What do you do when you travel internationally?

I stopped touring internationally before I was diagnosed, so I am lucky that way. When I did tour, I traveled to 49 states and 38 countries. My favorite countries are Australia and Canada.

What snacks do you make sure you have on hand during your busy work days?

I like Glutino apple and blueberry bars and Stonyfield O’Soy yogurt. I also like Vienna beef hotdogs and Wellshire hot dogs with corn tortillas and Dinty Moore beef stew.

What do you drink when you want a real drink?

I drink red wine, whiskey and Red Bridge beer.

Where do you like to eat out in Chicago?

Cy’s Crab House, Da Luciano, Sushi Luxe, Coobah, and Gage. I order meat with no garnish and plain baked potatoes. I also get pizza delivered from Marcello’s.

What do you do at formal dinners or family gatherings?

If at a function with a buffet, I will bring my own food, because even if I see something I like that seems safe and have a small bit, I will get sick. Or I will say I am not hungry and say ‘thanks anyway’.

At family gatherings, I will spend time in the kitchen with my gluten-free beer.

And last question, how did you get the name Jolly Roger?

I was given the name Jolly in the 9^th grade for being tall like the Jolly Green Giant, I am 6’8”. While touring with KISS in 1976 Gene Simmons told me I needed a second name, he told me that I was a nice fella, but not cool enough to carry one name, so he gave me the second name, Roger, and since then I have been going by Jolly Roger.

Jolly can currently be seen working gigs at venues around Chicago, and recently worked Air, Stone Temple Pilots, Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Matt Kearney and will be working this weekend’s much anticipated Atoms for Peace (Radiohead’s Thome Yorke’s side project).

Gluten-free dining at Chicago's Glen Prairie

Enjoying a meal that is not presented in a plastic basket is an amazing treat, but going out these days has become few and far between because of a combination of details, including finding a babysitter. Fortunately, everything seemed to fall into place last week, and we were able to enjoy a lovely meal at Glen Prairie, voted one of Chicago Magazine’s ‘Best New Restaurants of 2009’. Glen Prairie is located just outside the city in the western suburb of Glen Ellyn.

Having celiac and needing to eat gluten-free, I did a little reading on Glen Prairie beforehand. It is a huge relief when I saw they actually have a gluten-free menu. Many times going to a restaurant requires asking many questions to the server and sometimes the chef before I can feel comfortable with a meal, but knowing that they are knowledgeable on gluten-free eating put my mind at ease before we even walked through the door.

In addition to the gluten-free menu, I was impressed with the fact that Glen Prairie’s Executive Chef Daniel Ovanin focuses on contemporary American cuisine and sources many of their ingredients locally, as well as having a wine list that includes organic and sustainably-farmed wines. In addition to providing “green-farmed foods”, they used environmentally friendly products in creating the restaurant down to their recycled paper menus.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I must admit, I was bit taken aback that it is attached to a Crowne Plaza hotel chain, but decided that with all of the excellent reviews I had read on various reviewer-run web sites, I would put my snobbery aside and location did not matter. The exterior of the restaurant had a prairie-style feel, which I love, and made me quickly forget it was located next to a hotel.

As soon as we walked inside it was immediately warm and inviting. The décor was beautifully minimal, with dark warm woods and colors. The staff was instantly welcoming.

I was given a gluten-free menu as I took my seat, which made me particularly happy and comfortable. I ordered a mojito and examined my choices. Our server was extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable and really made our evening. I asked him many questions from how they prepare their gluten-free dishes in the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination to what types of juices they use for their signature drinks. I was assured that the kitchen was trained and extremely careful in preparing gluten-free dishes and that the juices they use in their signature drinks are all 100% juice.

One thing, that left me slightly disappointed in the beginning of our experience was that I was eyeing, with envy, the neighboring tables as they enjoyed their warm homemade bread with butter while awaiting their meal. I had hoped since Glen Prairie caters so well to the gluten-free community that they would also serve gluten-free bread, but sadly this is not the case. In the end, I was grateful because I would not have been able to have room for all of the delicious food that was to follow. My husband was my partner for the night, and also ordered from the gluten-free menu.

I started my meal with the heirloom beet salad served with baby greens, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and a balsamic truffle vinaigrette ($7). My husband ordered the farmers garden salad with was served with baby greens, shaved winter vegetables and a champagne-cider vinaigrette ($6). The beets were delicious and a great combination with the goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. My husband’s salad was equally enjoyable, especially the shaved parsnips, which I have never had in a salad, but quite enjoyed. I must say that I was a bit unimpressed with the dressing on the beet salad as it tasted a little too creamy, and much more favored the champagne-cider vinaigrette on my husband’s salad.

For our main course I once again, fell off the vegetarian wagon, and ordered the Iowa-farmed filet mignon, served with herb whipped potatoes and green beans ($32). I rarely eat meat, but came to the conclusion that if I am going to eat meat, this is the kind place where I want to eat it. My husband ordered the Atlantic salmon with whole grain mustard, fennel and blood orange salad served with fingerling potatoes ($19).

I took one bite of my filet and I was in love and couldn’t remember why I had stopped eating meat in the first place, it melted in my mouth. The herb whipped potatoes were the perfect consistency and flavor and the green beans were cooked flawlessly with just enough crunch. The flavors blended really well with each other, and I wanted to savor each forkful. My husband’s salmon was also cooked to perfection, and worked incredibly well with the combination of the shaved fennel and blood orange. The roasted fingerling potatoes were also just the right amount of flavorful, and the perfect accompaniment to the salmon. I couldn’t decide which meal I liked better and kept stealing bites from the salmon dish.


During our main course we enjoyed a glass of Monterra Merlot, from California, which was very rich and smooth, and a great pairing for the meal ($8 a glass). I wanted to take the bottle home with me. I am not even much of a wine drinker, more of a liquor girl, so this means something!

When we thought we could eat no more, we saw the dessert menu and had to indulge, especially when there was more for a gluten-free eater than just ice cream. We ordered two desserts to share, and decided on the vanilla bean crème brulee served with raspberries ($6) and the fallen chocolate soufflé with gelato ($6). The crème brulee was perfectly crispy and richly flavored. But I think the fallen chocolate soufflé was the star of the dessert show at our table. The soufflé is served in a large mug, warm from the oven, next to a shot glass-sized helping of gelato. The server immediately placed the gelato into the soufflé to create an amazing combination of textures and temperatures. It was such a rich and fabulous dessert and was difficult to imagine it was gluten-free.


As we concluded our evening out, I felt extremely satisfied and for that meal, I forgot I was someone who had to eat “differently” from the average diner. I was able to enjoy my food, stress-free like everyone else in the restaurant. It is such a great feeling to know that restaurants are becoming more aware of gluten-free eating and offering us to the opportunity to eat in an environment where the staff is knowledgeable and we can feel comfortable. I realize that anytime we eat in a facility that also handles gluten, there is possibility, even if small, of cross-contamination, but I can say when I left here I felt great, and I will definitely be coming back. Chef Ovanin has given the gluten-free community a great gift.

This is definitely a place to go on nice occasions as the average main course is about $22, however, they do offer a prix fixe menu that includes 3 courses of an appetizer, main course and dessert for $20, which makes it much more affordable in these tough times.

Glen Prairie is located at 1250 Roosevelt Road in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Reservations are encouraged; you may call them at 630.613.1250. In addition to their dining room, they also have a lounge area, with plenty of seating, adjacent to the bar, and a private dining area that can seat up to 40 people.

Chicago dinner and a gig, GF-style

Sometimes the thought of eating out and being able to actually eat something in a restaurant can become daunting, and in the end many just stay home to eat. But with the diversity of restaurants in Chicago it is more common than one might think to find a satisfying meal, and what better way than to go out for a dinner and a music show, just like all of the gluten-eaters. This has always been one of my favorite ways to spend an evening, and I am determined not to let having to eat gluten-free get in my way.

Fortunately, there are many great venues in the city to catch a good indie band and many of these venues have dining options just next door that can accommodate the gluten-free eater.

Bite Café, next-door to one of my favorite venues, the Empty Bottle, at 1035 N. Western Avenue on the edge of Wicker Park, is literally next door and owned by the venue, and has a varied selection of gluten-free items. Their dishes are unique, reasonably priced and healthy, and offer many vegetarian items as well. They also suggest that you could let hem know ahead of time and the can prepare something that isn’t normally so to be gluten-free, but it is not necessary and there will be food available to eat. Some of the upcoming shows at the Empty Bottle, include Prefuse 73 1/24, DJ Krush 1/27 and Four Tet 2/19.

The Double Door, in the heart of Wicker Park at 1572 N. Milwaukee, North and Damen has a few gluten-free choices in the immediate area. Directly next-door is Francesca’s Forno, a local chain, which actually has its own separate gluten-free menu. For something a bit quicker and more casual, you can walk a couple of blocks west on North Avenue and hit Sultan’s Market at 2057 North Avenue. They have delicious homemade falafel, veggie combos and lentil soup, as well as several meat dishes. Continue west on North Avenue and you can go to Handlebar at 2311 North Avenue. They also have several gluten-free items to choose from, such as my favorite catfish tacos, ground nut stew and unique salads among other choices. Some up and coming shows to catch at the Double Door include Chicago’s own Blah Blah Blah 1/26, Nick Oliveri 2/1, Polysics 2/10, Evan Dando 2/19, Mission of Burma 4/10 and The Wedding Present 4/16.

In Logan Square, Lula Cafe is located next-door to the Logan Square Auditorium at 2537 North Kedzie. Lula Cafe has several organic and gluten-free options such as the maki rolls and salads on their cafe menu. Their dinner menu includes specials that can be made gluten-free and their brunch includes many egg dishes that are safe as well as potatoes that are cooked in a designated area. The current manager, Sara, of Lula is the former manager of Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery and Café in Evanston and is extremely knowledgeable in cross-contamination issues as well as their kitchen staff. Upcoming shows at the Logan Square Auditorium include The Residents 2/15 and the Black Lips 4/1.

Harmony Grill is located next-door and owned by Scubas at 3159 N. Southport in Lakeview. You can actually go from one to the other without stepping foot outside. They have several gluten-free options including their chili, salads and sandwiches served without the bread, among other items. For another eating choice there is FlatTop Grill, a local chain, directly across the corner at 3200 N. Southport, that offers gluten-free sauces for their stir-fry. Their web site also thoroughly lists what choices are safe for many different allergies and intolerances. Upcoming shows at Schubas include Band of Heathens 1/27, Movits! 1/31 and Wild Beasts 2/18-19.