Garden Grill at the Utica Radisson – Again

Posted on May 14, 2011 by admin

My goal with restaurant reviews is to check out the food, do a review and move on to the next place.  However, I’m really feeling this place.  It’s all Chef Sam’s fault.

After my first visit and rave review, the hubby wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  You know he didn’t have to twist my arm to get me back there.  My beloved, however, has concerns about revisiting places where we’ve had great experiences; he says “you can’t go back.”  He believes future visits can never measure up to the first one.  My aim was to prove him wrong.

I thought the beautiful view on the drive out would get him in a good mood.

Isn’t that blue fantastic?  Okay, that’s actually from the window tint at the top of the windshield.

Here’s what it really looked like:

It was a beautiful day for a long drive.  And then we arrived.

Welcome!

As you can see from the folks wearing baseball hats at left, this isn’t a frou frou place.  The food makes it seem like it is, though.

After I asked about gluten free options for this night’s dinner, the hostess was excited to tell me about their recently updated menu.  So many gluten free options!  Chef Sam later told me the revisions were a result of the multiple requests and comments they’ve had about gluten free choices.  (This shows that businesses do listen to customers, so we need to keep asking!)

Here’s the new menu:

and the second page:

See all the gluten free options?  Yay!

If you don’t wish to order à la carte, there is an extensive buffet.  This is where I have to apologize.  Ahem.  I seem to have photographed only the dessert sections of the buffet.  I left out the vast salad bar, which includes greens & vegetables, various toppings, seafood salads, pasta salads, etc.  I also left out pictures of the soups, main dishes, side dishes, carving station, pasta stations, etc.  I’m sorry.  Just for you, I’m going to go back again and take pix of the savory parts of the buffet.  Because you’re worth it.  Now on to the desserts.

Ice cream station:

And the dessert station:

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that the entire buffet is NOT gluten free.  MOST of the buffet is NOT gluten free.  I include pictures of gluten-containing items because you may want to use them as an enticement to encourage your gluten-eating companions to accompany you.  That said, I promise you will have more gluten free choices than you can imagine.  And I can’t make promises for the kitchen, but they have been extremely accommodating, even preparing gluten free versions of dishes from scratch in cases when a buffet item contained gluten.

As always when eating out, if you have Celiac, you should speak to a chef before making any choices.  And if you speak very nicely to the chef, and explain that you really appreciate the extra work he does to keep you healthy and safe, he might just respond with something like this:

Yes, that is a normal sized soup spoon, not a miniature one.  Yes, that is a colossally huge gluten free triple berry mousse.  Yes, it was incredible.  No, it’s not on the regular menu; it’s special to keep a Celiac safe.  Thank you, Chef Sam!

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Garlic Roast Chicken Recipe

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

(sorry there’s no pic… I’m working on it)

Garlic Roast Chicken

  • 6 lb whole chicken
  • 1 T olive oil or butter
  • 1 t garlic powder
  • 1/2 t onion powder
  • 1/2 t thyme
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t black pepper
  • 1/4 t cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 t paprika

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove packaging and giblets from chicken.  Rinse chicken with cold water, pat to partially dry and place in roasting pan breast side up. 

Spray or rub chicken with olive oil or rub chicken with butter.  Combine seasonings in small bowl, then sprinkle over chicken.  The oil or butter will help the seasonings adhere to and bake into the chicken.

Bake at 350° for 2 hours or until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165° and juices run clear.  (If your chicken is not 6 lbs., cook for 20 minutes per pound or until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165° and juices run clear.)

To have your oven do double duty, at about an hour left of the chicken’s cooking time, throw in some sweet or white potatoes that you’ve scrubbed and pricked.  You could also add in other cleaned and chopped vegetables of your choice.  The cooking time would depend on the vegetables.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.  Nom.

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Abbott’s Custard – Vero Beach, FL

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

Abbott’s Custard — how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways…

Abbott’s Custard is a Rochester, NY based custard shop.  I think of frozen custard as ice cream, but Abbott’s explains that it’s different.  Since it starts with a custard base and is mixed much more slowly than ice cream, it contains much less air.  This makes it creamier and richer-tasting than ice cream. 

The custard is very rich and thick, and is produced very slowly.  Sadly, on this day I was not very hungry, and didn’t get any custard myself.  (This is, perhaps, the only time in my life that I refused this.) 

The menu is creative and appealing, and makes it difficult to choose one item.  It includes drinks, cones, dishes, many sundaes, cakes and pies. 

If you are in New York, Massachusetts, Colorado or Florida, check out their website.  I grew up on ice cream, but after tasting Abbott’s frozen custard, ice cream is a distant second.

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Disney’s Vero Beach Resort: Shutters

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

Shutters at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is yummy.  It’s a casual dining restaurant at the resort, the sibling of a poolside snack bar and Sonya’s, a fine dining restaurant. 

As a Disney restaurant, Shutters meets Disney’s high standards in accommodating those with Celiac Disease and food allergies.  In those cases, the usual Disney practice of sending a chef to the table is followed.  (We had a fun chef who had originally lived in our state, who then introduced us to another chef who hailed from our town.  Disney puts hometowns on castmember nametags, so this is a great conversation starter.)

I believe they don’t have a specific gluten free menu, but that’s not a problem.  They truly work hard to accommodate you.  In this case, the chef asked me what I would like for breakfast, and she also made several suggestions.  I ended up deciding on a bacon, scrambled egg and cheese sandwich with home fried potatoes.  This may seem boring, but it’s something I haven’t had since my Celiac diagnosis.  The chef used Ener-G tapioca rolls.  Since they’re small, the chef gave me two.  I’m a pretty big breakfast eater, but this was so filling I could only eat one.  The other one was great reheated the next morning.  Delicious! 

Unfortunately, the picture wasn’t usable, so there’s no visual evidence.  Just picture two breakfast sandwiches with perfect home fries.  Yum!

Next time, I’m definitely going to try the gluten free pancakes made with applesauce.  They have pretty amazing toppings, too, such as coconut, pineapple, brown sugar, etc.  It sounds like there are some Hawaiian pancakes in my future.

Of course, you never forget you’re at a Disney property:

Shutters is a delicious, fun and friendly restaurant with yummy food.  Did I mention that they’re accommodating?  You should go there.  Right now.  What are you waiting for?

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Disney’s Vero Beach Resort: Deluxe Inn Room

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

We’re home!

Okay, not really, but they do say “welcome home” when you arrive at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.  That’s because it’s a “vacation club” membership resort, Disney’s version of a time share.  (I’m not affiliated with them in any way, and I’m not trying to sell you a vacation club membership, but if you do ever want to buy in, it would be so lovely of you to contact me first so I can refer you.  I would definitely get some kind of benefit from that, and that would be cool.  :)  )

The resort has several buildings with accommodations of varying sizes.  The main building is called the “Inn”, and it includes the front desk, restaurants, a lounge, a store and sitting areas.  We have a “Deluxe Inn room”.  Here’s the nickel tour of our room:

the bathroom vanity area (sorry the towels are messed up; I always forget to take pictures first)

the kitchenette

the entryway and TV areas

 And while it’s on the coast, it’s still Disney, so there has to be a Disney welcome:

An ocean view is stunning, and if this is available, you should definitely choose it.  Unfortunately, only a “garden” view was available for our trip.  I think I disagree with their idea of a garden:

Here’s a link to Disney’s 360º view of the resort rooms.  After clicking on the link, select the room type you wish to view on the left.

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Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

Disclaimer:  This is my favorite place on earth.

When I see this building, my heart rate slows and I instantly relax.  Actually, that happens as soon as we take exit 156 of I-95, because I know we’ll be there very soon.

How can you be stressed or tense after seeing this?

Isn’t this the most welcoming car port you’ve ever seen?  (Remember, I warned you that this was my favorite place on earth.)

Step from the car port onto the front porch:

then into the lobby…

then straight through the lobby to the back door…

then out the back door to the porch

to this view…

mmmmmmmm… instant drop in blood pressure

Once you’ve lowered your bp to where you want it, take a walk around.

I’m sure you’ll spend as much time in the gym as I do

maybe spend a little time at the pool

check out a beach house

In the meantime, your driver (aka beloved) will be taking the car from the car port to the underground garage on the left side of the building

and then take the elevator back up to the lobby to meet you

and get your vacation started.

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On our way…

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

We’re heading out on vacation from the snow to Florida.  First two days at Vero Beach on the Atlantic coast, then to “the World”  (aka Walt Disney World) in Orlando.

 I’m always a bit concerned when I travel due to the need to eat meals prepared by others.  Don’t get me wrong – I love to eat out.  However, there’s always the issue of illness due to accidental gluten consumption.  I don’t have that concern at Disney properties, because they do a fantastic job handling issues like Celiac Disease and food allergies.  I do have to be hypervigilant anywhere else we go, though.

For instance, Southwest offers free snacks on their flights.  On various flights, I’ve seen “plane” crackers, pretzels, honey roasted peanuts and plain peanuts.

plane crackers – not gluten free, but not surprising

honey roasted peanuts – surprisingly, not gluten free

 I just happened to flip the bag of honey roasted peanuts over.  I expected it to be gluten free, and I was very surprised to find that it isn’t.

 This is a friendly reminder to always check foods before you eat them if you have Celiac Disease.  Thank you for your attention, and please enjoy the flight.

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Yummy Steel Cut Oats Recipe to Warm the Belly

Posted on February 20, 2011 by admin

Who doesn’t like a happy, full, warm belly?  I like it, and it’s my blog, so that’s what really matters.  (Just kidding, please don’t go.)

One of my favorite belly-warming bowls is steel cuts oats with fruit.  Since this blog is really all about you, and not me, you get to pick the fruit!  Since you didn’t tell me what your favorite is, we’ll just use pears as a stand-in for now.  Here’s the pear fruit of your choice all washed and ready to be diced to whatever size you prefer.  (Again, it’s all about you.)

Let’s all dice our fruit at the same time.  Ready?  Dice.

Next, we’ll add three cups of water to a medium-sized pot, and heat it to boiling.  If your doctor wouldn’t object, add in 1/4 t of salt (t is for teaspoon — don’t be trying to scam by adding 1/4 T, which is for tablespoon.  Is there even a 1/4 T measuring spoon?  I haven’t seen one.  No, I don’t think I’m easily distracted.  Why do you ask?). 

Add one cup of steel cut oats and give the pot a stir.  When the water returns to boiling, reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 10 – 20 minutes (depending on how chewy you like your oats).  Stir occasionally; reduce the heat again if the pot is in danger of bubbling over.  Remove from heat and let the oats stand for two minutes.

I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats because {drumroll} they’re gluten free.  (All oats are generally believed to be naturally gluten free.  However, they are sometimes grown near or alternated with fields of wheat, which causes the oats to become contaminated with gluten.  This is why it’s good to choose oats specifically labeled gluten free if you need to avoid gluten.)

You, of course, should use whatever steel cut oats strike your fancy.  Here’s what they look like close up:

Where did we leave off?  Oh, that’s right.  So, your oats have finished cooking and are sitting.  Pick your favorite bowl, and add in a scoop of the cooked oats.  Top it with your diced fruit.  If you’re feeling a little wild, add a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Prepare for your belly to be warm, comfy and full.

Yum!

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For Clementine

Posted on February 17, 2011 by admin

We all realize that life is experienced in stages.  We start as helpless infants, relying on the people around us to fulfill our basic needs.  It’s all about me.  Me me me.  We move on to become toddlers, exploring our physical environments and the limitations of our parents’ patience.  Then young children, developing relationships with those of our own age, perhaps for the first time interacting with people who are not focused on us and our happiness.  We continue to be comforted in the knowledge that our parents know everything about everything, though.

We grow into tween- and teenhood (back to testing our parents’ patience).  We develop strong opinions and stand staunch behind them, even when we may not necessarily have the life experience to support them.  We have so many influences.  Until this point, our parents have much control over these influences.  Our parents have been so deeply involved in our lives that our thought processes are usually very similar to theirs.  (Then we discover that our parents are so clueless!)

Now look at it from a parents’ perspective.  Our baby, just born a few years ago (it seems), is now an adult.  When did that happen?  When did my little girl become a capable, brilliant, gorgeous adult person?  With incredibly creative ideas, a fantastic sense of humor, great style and a beautiful heart — when, I ask you?

And I’m supposed to let go?  I’m supposed to let her be an adult?  Just because she’s smart and capable and ready and an adult?  I know she’s ready, but nobody asked if I was ready.  What about me?

What do you mean it’s not about me?  Fine, I’ll learn to deal with it.  (Meanwhile, I’ll long for the day when you return to thinking I’m smart.  Your grandmother promises me it’ll happen.)

I look forward to watching you continue to grow.  With a few words, you make me laugh, cry, wonder (in a good way!), ponder, smile, sigh or cheer.  And that was just today.  I hope you’re blissfully happy, and remember that we’re always here for you.  I love you, Clementine.

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El Loco Mexican Restaurant – Albany, NY

Posted on February 17, 2011 by admin

Sometimes you just gotta have Mexican food.  A week or so ago, we struck out at Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant in Colonie, NY.  It wasn’t that we had a bad experience, it was that we didn’t get to have any experience, because they have no gluten free menu.  That means I’ve been carrying this craving around for awhile, and it was pretty heavy.

I succumbed today with my beguiling blue-eyed beloved at El Loco Mexican Restaurant on Madison Avenue. 

We had been there before, prior to my Celiac diagnosis, at the recommendation of friends.  Their decor is what we would typically associate with a Mexican restaurant. 

No, I wasn’t drinking at lunch — why do you ask?

The food, I have to admit, is not the type of Mexican I usually hanker for.  I like greasy, ooey, gooey, cheesy, heavy, deep fried Mexican.  El Loco is fresh, green, light (but filling) and healthy.  After a visit with my nutritionist this morning, it’s pretty clear that I should be steering more towards El Loco-type food, though.

They have a great gluten free menu with lots of options.  We started with the Green Mountain Gringo tortilla strips and the salsa verde — good start.

They’re very careful about cross-contamination.  Their “regular” chips are not gluten free.  I’m not sure if it’s because the chips contain gluten, or because they’re fried in a fryer with gluten-containing items.  Either way, they’re unsafe for me.  The Green Mountain Gringo chips are actually brought to your table in an unopened bag, along with an empty basket and the salsa(s) of your choice.

For entrees, they offered a daily specials menu which my beloved found appealing.  He is not a gluten free eater, and selected beef flautas with rice and beans.

There weren’t any gluten free items on the daily specials menu, but they adjusted a special to be gluten free for me.  It was the portabello and cheese quesadillas with chimichurri sauce, which came with a green salad.

Very filling and very delicious.  I really felt that I was eating healthy food.  At least that’s what I told myself as I looked out the window and across the street at the Scratch Bakery, which offers gluten free baked goods.

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