Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness Review and Giveaway!

This beautiful warm weather brings on cravings for sweet cool treats. Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness http://www.ritasice.com/with five locations around the Triangle offers a variety of Gluten Free options to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Rita's has ice cream, custards, Italian ices, shakes, and coffee drinks. You can check out their allergen information at http://www.ritasice.com/uploads/documents/Allergen_Chart_12.30.08.pdf

Obviously, we avoid the flavors with mixed in dough, all the cones, and most of the toppings.

My daughter likes to pick the brightest colored Italian ices... but Rita's has plenty of choices for those who don't base their food decisions on a particular shade of pink!

If you live in Apex and received the free Apex Monthly mailer for March, look on page 13 for two coupons for the Rita's located at Beaver Creek Commons.

Also, each year for the last sixteen years, Rita's has given away a regular size Italian Ice to every customer on the first day of spring.

Celebrate Spring at Rita's in :

First Day of Spring, March 20

FREE Regular Italian Ice to every customer
from noon until 10pm!

http://www.ritasice.com/events-and-promotions/first-day-of-spring.aspx

Locations:
APEX
Beaver Creek Commons Shopping Center 1011 Beaver Creek Commons Unit 304 by Office Max

CARY
8204 Tryon Woods Drive suite 112

MORRISVILLE
McCrimmon Corners Shopping Center 4141 Davis Drive

RALEIGH
The Shoppes at Oberlin Court 1028 Oberlin Road Suite 228

DURHAM
1125 W. NC Highway 54 & Highway 401

PEEPS

More and more manufacturers are indicating Gluten Free on their labels.  I find it so reassuring to see those ten little letters!

Yesterday at the super Target in Apex, we walked by a HUGE display of technicolor PEEPS ( http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/) on sale .  My daughter flipped one of the packages over and announced:

"It says Gluten Free, so we have to buy it for me!"

Enjoy the very sweet marshmellow spring-time treat.  I am always happy for my daughter to be able to enjoy a "normal" treat that other kids eat.

Restaurant Review: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

If you have never been to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, get there as soon as possible. The first Five Guys restaurant opened in the Washington, DC area where I grew up. When Five Guys started showing up here in NC, I teased my parents by telling them that I didn’t “need” to come home anymore because I could get Five Guys here! They didn’t think that was very funny!

Five Guys burgers are perfectly juicy and the fries are outstanding. They only use 100% beef and their fries are 100% potatoes fried in peanut oil. Just order NO BUN and your choice of free toppings. You will receive your burger wrapped in foil and a brown paper bag of hot fries. Delicious!

When ordering, keep in mind that a Little Hamburger or Little Cheeseburger is one beef patty and a Hamburger or Cheeseburger is two beef patties.

The front page of their website, http://www.fiveguys.com/index.aspx , proclaims:

Zero Gluten, except for our buns.

I always appreciate any restaurant that makes it clear what does and what does not contain gluten. Plus, it helps get the word out about gluten!

Currently, there are 300 Five Guys locations in 25 states. We are lucky enough to have 5 of them in our area:

• Cary at Stone Creek Village 1856 Boulderstone Way
• Cary at the Barnes &Noble Plaza across from Towne Centre Mall 712 SE Maynard Rd
• Durham at The Streets At Southpoint Mall 6910 Fayetteville Rd.
• Raleigh at North Hills 4120 Main At North Hills St
• Raleigh at Brennan Station 8107 Creedmoor Road
  

Five Guys is always a hit with our family. The laid back atmosphere and the bulk peanuts to snack on while you wait for your burger makes for a fun dining out experience.

The staff at the two Cary locations and the Durham location were very accommodating and did not think it was "odd" to order a bunless burger! (I have not been to the Raleigh locations).

*Five Guys realizes that some people are extremely allergic to peanuts and has signage to warn patrons about the peanuts available in the shells in bulk in all their stores as well as their use of peanut oil.

Restaurant Review: On The Border Mexican Grill

We can always rely on a safe place to eat at On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina. They have a location in Cary at 1102 Walnut Street and a location at Plantation Point in Raleigh at 3351 Cypress Plantation Train. (In addition, they have locations in 37 states and even Egypt, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.)

Talk with your server and they will bring you the Gluten Free menu which is also available at http://www.brinker.com/gr/allergens/otb%20allergen.pdf

Concerns about cross-contamination are addressed in the list of suggested beverage and menu options:

We have prepared this suggested list of beverage and menu options based on the most current ingredient information from our food suppliers and their stated absence of wheat/gluten within these items. Please be aware that during normal kitchen operations involving shared cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil, the possibility exists for food items to come in contact with other food products. Due to these circumstances, we are unable to guarantee that any menu entrée can be completely free of allergens, including tortilla chips and enchiladas.*

Over the past few years, we have noticed that the servers are more and more familiar with Gluten Free. It used to be a struggle to explain what we needed for our daughter and ordering usually took a significant amount of time. However, it is much easier now.

Special thanks to Jason Helms from the kitchen at the Cary location for always taking the time to talk with us about our daughter's needs when eating out. He never made my daughter feel uncomfortable about being different; he has always made our daughter feel special and important! He is one of the reasons that we keep going back to On the Border.

Typically, we create a meal from side items and the kids menu for our daughter. However, the salads and fajitas are flavorable and filing for adults and older children.

As a related note, you can also get allergen information about egg, fish, dairy, peanut, shellfish, soy, and tree nut from the website.

Accidental GLUTEN

Well it happened... my daughter accidentally ate something at a birthday party that contained gluten.  The result was upset tummy, fatigue, and a few pretty bad days. Afterwards, she got every cold that she came in contact with... So, it has been a rough few weeks.  Sorry for the lack of posting lately...but, now we are back to healthy.

Do you have similar symtpoms when you accidentally eat something with gluten?

GF Blueberry Muffins at Harris Teeter

What a lovely surprise to find Gluten Free Blueberry Mini Muffins at Harris Teeter this week. They are made with Eragrostis Teff flour--something that I was not familiar with.  A little online research taught me that Teff is a tiny grain sometimes called "lovegrass" that is very important in Ethiopia.  It is high in fiber and protein. 

 

The muffins were moist and delicious.  My daughter has had them with breakfast every morning this week.  

At the Apex Harris Teeter on Hwy 55, the Gluten Free Blueberry Mini Muffins by eragrain are available in the bakery section.  Look for the small green Gluten Free tag on the shelf.

Grocery Review: Cary Trader Joe's - Part 1

I love the funky feel of Trader Joe’s in Cary at 1393 Kildaire Farm Road.  I also love the prices—some pretty great deals throughout the store!  They have an extensive list of “No Gluten Ingredients Used” (it is seven pages long). The list is available online at http://www.traderjoes.com/Attachments/NoGluten.pdf or you can ask for one at the store.

You will find this information at the top of the list:

"Our dedication to you as a valued Trader Joe’s customer is to provide you with helpful information to make informed buying decisions because we know that you have specific dietary concerns. We have made every effort to be accurate and cannot be held responsible for individual reactions to any product (Private Label or Branded). Please use this guide at your own risk. Unless a brand name is specified, it is Trader Joe’s Private Label.

Please Note - this guide is a sampling of many of the products we carry in which No Gluten Ingredients are used, but it is not a comprehensive list. We do our best to keep the information as up to date and as accurate as possible, but we do introduce and discontinue products all the time, and some products may be available based on season or region, so keep your eyes open and always read product labels. To contact us with product inquiries visit the Trader Joe’s website at www.traderjoes.com.

A set of universal dietary guidelines for Celiac Disease does not exist. The Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) uses criteria based on the latest scientific research and advice from its’ Medical Board of Advisors. For information about Celiac Disease please contact the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) at (818) 990-2354, via email at cdf@celiac.org or on the web at www.celiac.org.

• Our suppliers follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s) to segregate ingredients on shared equipment and/or in the facility.
• Always read the label - ingredients and suppliers may change.
• Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and their derivatives such as malt or spelt.
• As a general rule of thumb, dairy, juice, meat and produce do not contain gluten or any gluten derivatives.
• Under Trader Joe’s Brands, ingredients listed as “natural flavors” or “spices” do not contain gluten or gluten derivatives.
• Use common sense and remember the motto: When in doubt, leave it out.

I like the last bullet point: “When in doubt, leave it out.” 
I think that will replace my regular response to my daughter: “I’m just not 100% sure about this…”  

Today, I just ran in to get some supplies for our Valentine’s Day Dinner and dessert.  I do want to point out that the Flourless Chocolate Cake which appears on the No Gluten Ingredients Used list has the following note on the package:

"Made on equipment shared with wheat and tree nuts." 

I didn’t notice this until I got home and am wondering about the rest of the items on the list.  I will go back on a fact-finding mission to report on the rest of the items.

 

Happy Gluten Free Valentine’s Day to everyone!

Gluten Free Pizza Update - ZPizza

I have previously written about a pizza place called Z Pizza which was rolling out Gluten Free Pizza choices. I have spent the past few weeks working with the franchisee of the ZPizza locations in Raleigh and Cary to further discuss their GF Pizza offerings. I met with the owner recently and was walked through the entire process of making a GF Pizza and would like to share the details with all of you. After reading this, I hope you'll feel safe about eating at ZPizza. They have taken some extra steps to get it right that some other local places have not yet taken. Let's hope ZPizza can be an inspiration to them and a safe place for us.

ZPizza is a California based franchise with over 100 locations in the US. They have been in the Raleigh market for about 3 years.

Ordering
From the time you order at the counter until the time you are delivered your GF Pizza, meticulous attention is paid by the staff at ZPizza. Their Point of Sale computer system has a special marking for Gluten Free which causes your order ticket to be printed with a Gluten Free label. The cashier then goes to the kitchen staff area and highlights the Gluten Free label on the ticket to make it stand out further. They then notify the manager (or owner if he is present) about the Gluten Free order. The manager/owner will either make your pizza or directly supervise the entire process.

Gluten Free Crusts
Gluten Free crusts are pre-made using all GF ingredients (including Damato Living Flour) and are sent to the store and kept frozen on site. No GF dough is mixed or made at ZPizza. In addition, to reduce cross-contamination issues when regular wheat pizza is prepared, all wheat flour in the restaurant has been replaced with rice flour. When wheat pizzas are pressed/tossed and prepared, it is using rice flour. This eliminates wheat flour from entering the air and eventually landing on your GF pizza and making you sick. Also, the dough for the wheat pizzas is not made on site further reducing the risks. Wheat flour was replaced with rice flour for about a month before any GF Pizzas were made in the restaurants. The kitchens were also thoroughly cleaned after the switch.

Preparation
Cooks are instructed to wash their hands and put on brand new latex gloves before beginning the preparation. Then a special sealed box is retrieved from the cooler which contains all the necessary tools for making the GF Pizza. It contains pizza pans, cutters, tongs, GF Cheese and GF tomato sauce (along with some other ingredients). Next, your GF crust is taken from the freezer and placed into the GF pan. GF Ingredients are added (they have many choices for pizza - not just cheese!) and the pan is placed in the oven in a dedicated area to the side. A separate paddle is used to place and remove the pizza from the oven. All kitchen staff are notified when a GF pizza is placed in the oven so they do not place wheat pizzas near it. When cooking is finished, the pan is removed and the pizza served.

Ingredients
ZPizza Corporate has thoroughly analyzed all their ingredients and know which are GF and which are not. Any veggies you would like on your pizza are kept in the cooler area and not pulled from the main area where wheat pizzas are topped. ZPizza has a large list of GF ingredients/toppings at the store so please ask when you arrive. Toppings include pepperoni, sausage, cheese and numerous veggies. They also can offer tomato sauce, pesto sauce or chipotle pesto sauce. They are currently working on developing a GF Menu which will be available both online and in the store.

Other items of note
The GF pizzas only come in 10" sizes at this time and cost about $3 more than their wheat pizza counterparts. ZPizza is also looking to add other GF items to their choices including salads, desserts from the Whole Foods Bakehouse and Gluten Free Beer like RedBridge. Please provide feedback to the staff when you visit about what other options you would like to see offered.

My experience
During my tour of ZPizza, the owner made me the following pizzas - Pepperoni with Peppers and Mushrooms, Chipotle Pesto Sauce with tomatoes, corn and roasted red peppers and finally a pesto sauce and cheese pizza. All 3 pizzas were excellent. ZPizza uses high quality ingredients which taste great. For the GF crust, it was very thin and crispy but had a nice flaky, buttery taste to it. Overall, it was a great pizza and I would dine at ZPizza again.

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness - GREAT program
Please see my earlier post about the NFCA's GREAT program here. ZPizza as a franchise has gone through the GREAT training program and has been verified by the NFCA. Look for the window decal when entering the store. See my previous post for all that is included in this verification/certification process.

ZPizza Information
Web site - http://www.zpizzatriangle.com/

Raleigh location
9630 Fall of the Neuse Road
Falls Pointe Shopping Center
(Next to Starbucks)
Phone - 919.844.0065

Cary location
96 Cornerstone Drive
Stone Creek Village
(Corner Davis and High House)
Phone - 919.465.9009

Bella Monica Flatbread Company Update - Whole Foods Cary

Exciting news for Bella Monica Flatbread Company and their fans... I have just received word that their Gluten Free Pizzas are now available in the Cary Whole Foods location on Waverly Place in Cary! This is good news that they are expanding and will become more widely available to Raleigh area consumers. This is a sign of a successful product! Looks like they will also be moving into the other Raleigh area locations very soon - Stay tuned for those release dates!

See my previous posts about their GF Pizzas here.

Grocery Store Review: Whole Foods, Cary

We do most of our GF shopping at Whole Foods in Cary located in the Waverly Shopping Center at the corner of Tryon and Kildaire Farm Road.

Whole Foods has a green label on the shelves for items that are advertised as Gluten Free. They often have gluten free information right at the entrance. Their brand, 365 Everyday Value, has many gluten free offerings (including our favorite bread machine mix).

 Terrific selection of GF items are easy to find in the Freezer section, Cereal and Chips aisles, Baking aisle, Cookies and Pasta aisles, and Meat and Produce.

 An entire freezer of baked goods: sandwich breads, corn bread, cakes, pies, biscuits, and muffins is located on an end cap in the freezer section.  Some of our favorites are the corn bread and the pies. In addition to these items, gluten free pizzas, waffles, chicken nuggets, and fish sticks are available in the freezer aisle. 

In the cereal aisle, we stock up on Panda Puffs and other EnviroKidz products.  They are reasonably priced (much cheapter than Glutino) and they also have a wide selection of cereal bars (berry rice, peanut butter rice, peanut butter and chocolate rice).  These bars are great to have as snacks or to put in lunches.  Many cereals are clearly labeled gluten free and the selection is pretty extensive.

We often indulge in Glutino pretzels. They are relatively expensive but they taste great and even friends and family who do not require GF foods like them!

The baking aisle has lots of Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking mixes and flours.  They also have a variety of brands of bread machine mixes, cakes, frosting, and cookie mixes.  The only problem is that the selection goes fast. 

Did you know about buying by the case at Whole Foods? If you buy things by the case, you get a discount. Check out the label on the shelf. For instance, if you see 8/16oz, it means a case is 8 of the 16 oz packages. Just be sure to get 8 of the exact same item.  I believe this is why it is sometimes hard to find a large selection of the baking mixes—people buy a case at a time (I know we do!). 

 In the cookie aisle, we can choose from Nana’s Cookie Bars (banana, chocolate, berry), Glutino’s chocolate and vanilla cookies, and a range of GF animal crackers, pecan cookies, and macaroons. 

The pasta selection has grown in the past few years.  Our favorite brand is Tinkyada PastaJoy Ready.  Great taste, texture, and variety.  They even have “fun” shapes for kids, which is unusual to find!

And of course, a beautiful meat selection and an extensive produce and cheese section lets us do all our shopping here.  Although some items at Whole Foods can be expensive, often prices are comparable or even cheaper than other grocery stories. Look for signs that compare prices to let you know you are getting a good deal.

Also, be sure to check out: the whole deal newsletter that can be found at the entrance of the store.  The recent issue (January-March) highlights the 365 Everyday Value Gluten Free Pancake Mix.  In addition,  you can get coupons for:

$1 off EnviroKidz Products

$0.50 off Nut-Thins

The best thing about Whole Foods is that the employees know what Gluten Free means. No one looks at you like you are speaking a foreign language. They will help you find items and even look for items in the back to complete a “case.”

Restaurant Review: Qdoba

Qdoba Mexican Grill is a fast food restaurant located at 2222 Walnut Street in Cary and in Beaver Creek Commons in Apex. In addition to a very complete listing of common allergen information (including Wheat and Other Glutens) http://www.qdoba.com/Allergens.aspx, they provide a comprehensive list of ingredients (even indicating that maltodextrin is from corn) http://www.qdoba.com/Documents/allergen.pdf .

From their website:

At Qdoba, we care about giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about eating. Food intolerances make these decisions even more important. Ingredients like wheat, soy, milk, eggs, nuts and fish are found in certain food items served at Qdoba.

We have found that the employees (and especially the manager) at the Apex Qdoba truly live up to their statement on their website. When we order, we inform them that our daughter cannot have gluten. The employees will change gloves and accommodate our special needs. We typically get a cheese quesadilla made with a Soft White Corn Tortilla and Black Beans. They have a wide selection of salads, meats, and salsas.

GFRB Health Network Welcomes Personalized Nutrition

Allow me to welcome Personalized Nutrition to the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog (GFRB) Health Network.

Personalized Nutrition, Inc. is located in Apex, NC and offers individual, couple and family counseling for weight management, food allergies, intolerances, wellness, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cholesterol, eating disorders and sports nutrition. Their clients range from premature infants to toddlers to retired adults. Your treatment plan is personalized and created together with your registered licensed dietitian. Their staff has and is currently counseling numerous Celiac Disease patients and/or folks living the Gluten Free lifestyle.

Click here for their packages and rates.

Click here for their staff. Shelly Wegman will most likely be your contact when dealing with Celiac Disease.

For more information, please contact Personalized Nutrition using the following information.
Personalized Nutrition
307 South Salem Street, Suite #302, Apex, NC 27502
Web site
Email Owner Cathie Ostrowski
Email Shelly Wegman
Phone: 919.367.0677

Useful Resources: Bread machine and bread mix

We have found that our Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker creates delicious sandwich breads. We have been through three other bread makers and none of them really worked well with gluten free recipes. The Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker has a gluten free setting with specialized kneading, rising, and baking time to accommodate the gluten free batter.

After many experiments with recipes, our own attempts at recipes, and boxed bread machine mixes, we think that Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value Gluten Free Sandwich Bread Mix makes the best bread. It holds together well and has a pleasing texture and taste. It smells great—and so does our house when it is cooking!

Typically, my husband will make a loaf of bread, slice it, and freeze it. The bread makes great sandwiches, toast, and French toast.

We got our Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker at Bed, Bath, and Beyond at Crossroads. You can also go to the Cuisinart website.

From the recipe booklet included with the Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker:

“Gluten-free – One in approximately 100 people has an allergy or sensitivity to gluten. Since gluten is found in most flours used in traditional bread baking, the ingredients to create gluten-free breads are unique. While they are “yeast breads,” the doughs are generally wetter and more like a batter. It is also important not to over-mix or over-knead gluten-free doughs. There is only one rise, and due to the high moisture content, baking time is increased. Our exclusive gluten-free setting makes it easy to get the right results. Mix-ins must be added at the very beginning of the cycle with other basic ingredients.”

Grocery Store Review: The Fresh Market, Cary

The Fresh Market in Cary (3655 SW Cary Parkway) is a "fine neighborhood specialty grocery store" and, to be honest, I just love the atmosphere. However, on my shopping trip yesterday, I asked three employees about a gluten free list (like Trader Joe’s list). One out of the three had no idea what I was talking about until I showed him the Gluten Free label on the vegetable broth that I was buying. The other two employees said they did not have a gluten free list and the gluten free items were not organized into a specific section.

Although Fresh Market does have a beautiful selection of produce, meats, cheeses, chocolates, and wines (all gluten free, of course), it is not ideal for a regular shopping trip for gluten free products because their selection is extremely limited. In addition, the gluten free items they do have are mixed in with the rest without any tags on the shelves to indicate GF foods.

However, if you are looking for something “different” or “unusual” and you don’t mind spending time reading labels (I guess we are all used to that!) you can find some interesting gluten free items like red pepper eggplant spread, or hot pepper peach preserves, or risotto garlic primavera.

The following warning from the Bakery appears on The Fresh Market website: "Gluten is a protein found in wheat rye, oats and barley. Obviously, many of our whole grain offerings and bakery items do contain gluten. Because we prepare a large amount of scratch bakery products with flour, we are unable to guarantee that our products are 100% gluten-free. We encourage you to visit our grocery department for a selection of gluten-free products."

Also on the Fresh Market website, you can find some gluten free items by doing a (very complicated) search:

-Enter gluten free in the search box at the top right.
-Select Advanced Search
-Enter gluten free
-Select Exact Words
-Select By Category: ONLINE MARKET

Click here for The Fresh Market Cary website.

Also, two Raleigh locations: 400 Woodburn Road and 6325 Falls of Neuse Road

Cary/Apex first post

"That must be AWFUL! I can't imagine not eating ANY wheat!" 

This is the response I get from friends, family, and strangers when I explain why my daughter cannot eat something.  Occasionally I clarify that it is not just wheat, but actually gluten… at other times I just nod my head.  

However, the truth is that helping my daughter live gluten free is not awful. 
Frustrating? Yes: Did we run out of the "safe" snacks that we keep in the car?
Stressful? Sometimes: Did the waiter really understand that she can NOT eat anything with gluten? 
Complicated? Frequently: I thought they would have some fruit or "safe" ice cream for dessert here.

Even though my daughter's dietary needs can be an obstacle, we never want to limit her life because she has to limit what she can eat.  We love to eat out, enjoy different foods, experiment with recipes, and benefit from all that the Cary and Apex area has to offer families—we just have to do a little research beforehand. 

In this part of the blog, you'll find GF information specific to Cary and Apex.  My goal is to help expand on Zach's incredible collection of GF resourses. 

New Guest Cary Blogger - Sarah Egan Warren

Allow me to introduce Sarah Egan Warren who will become a guest blogger for Gluten Free Cary.

See my post over at Gluten Free Raleigh about Sarah.

More to come from Sarah and her Cary/Apex experiences very soon!

Stay tuned.

Lucky 32 - Gluten Free Menu Update

I heard from the General Manager of Lucky 32 in Cary recently. I had previously written about their GF notations on their regular menu and gave the warning that this in fact means "Guilt Free" and NOT Gluten Free.

Lucky 32 does indeed have a Gluten Free menu available upon request and I have placed portions of it below. The menu may have items on it that are actually no longer available but they indicated they do attempt to keep it up to date.

CHILDREN’S MENU:
-Lucky’s Lunch
Turkey, havarti cheese, carrot sticks, and fresh fruit.

-Grilled Chicken
5 oz. of chicken served with creamy mashed potatoes, fresh fruit

-Grilled Salmon
4 oz. of salmon served with creamy mashed potatoes, fresh fruit

SALADS:
-Fresh Roasted Turkey Salad
Slices of both dark and light moist roast turkey meat from all natural free-range birds raised locally for us, sit atop a bed of crisp mixed greens. Bacon, red onions, toasted pecans and Granny Smith apples add brightness and diversity of flavors. The salad is finished with four slices of avocado, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing.
(NO CRACKERS, BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES OR BLUE CHEESE DRESSING)

-Citrus Chicken Salad
Bright and complimentary flavors are the hallmark of this delicious salad. Chicken breasts (7 ounce) have been marinated overnight in a mixture of lemon peel, garlic, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar and herbs. The chicken is grilled, sliced and placed over a bed of mixed greens. Four wedges of fresh pear, green onions and toasted walnut breadcrumbs garnish the plate. Please ask your guest for choice of dressing.
(NO BREAD CRUMBS OR CRACKERS)

-Grilled Salmon Salad
A 4 ounce portion of salmon is placed on top of salad base and served with carrot sticks, a roasted roma half, red onions, capers, a hard boiled egg. Expo garnish is a ramekin of lemon-mustard vinaigrette and a lemon wedge.
(NO CRACKERS)

-Weaver Tuna Salad
Albacore tuna is tossed with diced cucumbers and combined with lemon- mustard vinaigrette. This mixture is served over a bed of salad base and placed in a chilled pasta bowl and served with toasted flat bread, two slices of tomato, carrot match sticks, and a serving of lemon-mustard vinaigrette.
(NO CRACKERS) base is vinegar if a Celiac

-Mixed Green Salad
Our salad base is made with a combination of romaine lettuce and spinach. The salad base is with a tomato wedge, topped with carrot matchsticks, sunflower seeds, and is served with a Parmesan cracker and a choice of dressing.
(NO CRACKERS)

SALAD DRESSINGS:
All of our salad dressings are made at Lucky 32.

-Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette-mayonnaise and sour cream based, flavored with Balsamic vinegar, roasted garlic, Parmesan cheese and herbs

-Buttermilk Herb- similar to a ranch dressing made with sour cream and savory herbs.

-Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette-a tart and flavorful blend of stone ground and spicy brown mustards, red wine vinegar, and fresh lemon juice

-Honey Mustard-a sweet blend of honey, mayonnaise, spicy brown mustard and yellow mustard

-Balsamic Vinegar and Virgin Olive Oil

-Warm Bacon Vinaigrette-This vinaigrette is made with sautéed shallots, Old Smokehouse Bacon, mustard, balsamic vinegar olive oil, a touch of honey, brown sugar and salt and pepper.

CHICKEN & BEEF:
-Roast Half Chicken
An entire half chicken is slow roasted then finished in the bake oven to crisp up the crust. It is served on a large round plate with creamy mashed potatoes and fresh vegetable.

-Russian River Chicken
A breast of springer mountain free farmed chicken is marinated in oil, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil and sage. Topped with goat lady Chevre crumbles and olive oil. With fried spinach on Top. Served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetable.
(NO FRIED SPINACH)

-Grilled Ribeye
A 10-oz. Niman RanchÒ Beef Ribeye (14 oz at dinner) is seasoned and grilled to temperature. The Ribeye is served with fries at lunch and creamy mashed potatoes at dinner. It is served on a large round plate with a steak knife on right side of plate. A mixed green salad is served at dinner.
NO FRIES DUE TO OIL BEING FRIED WITH GLUTEN

SEAFOOD:
Grilled Salmon
-A salmon fillet (6 oz at lunch/8 oz at dinner) is seasoned with salt and pepper and then grilled to order. We offer a choice of toppings that include; lemon caper butter, corn relish, herbed cucumber sauce, Creole mayonnaise, bourbon butter and any special toppings from the special menu. The salmon is served with fresh vegetable and creamy grits and garnished with a lemon wedge at expo. A mixed green salad is served at dinner.

-Salmon and Chef’s Selection Toppings and Optional Cooking Methods:
Bourbon Butter-butter, bourbon and green onions
Corn Relish- Our Corn Relish is a mixture of sweet corn, jalapeno peppers, roasted tomatoes, red onion, fresh garlic, lime juice, fresh cilantro, ground cumin and olive oil marinated overnight before served.
Lemon Caper Butter-butter, capers and lemon juice
Herbed Cucumber Sauce-yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, mint and kosher salt
Cajun Grilled-seasoned with Cajun spices and cooked on our wood fired grill
Blackened- brushed with oil, seasoned with Cajun spices and cooked on a cast iron grill top

SIDE ORDERS:
-Fresh Vegetables
4-oz. of steamed vegetables (seasonal), tossed with butter, salt and pepper.

-Roasted Vegetables
4-oz. of vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, red onions, & cremini mushrooms) tossed with salt, pepper, oregano leaves, garlic, and dry rosemary, then roasted.

-Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Skin-on Idaho potatoes are baked and mashed until creamy with butter, whole milk and salt.

BRUNCH:
-Cure 81 Ham and Cheddar Omelet
Sauté a three-egg omelet with 3-oz. of diced Cure 81 ham and 1-1/2 oz. of cheddar cheese. The omelet is served with hash browns. Expo places seasonal fruit garnish.

-Vegetarian Omelet
Sauté a three-egg omelet with diced green bell pepper, red onions, tomatoes, avocado, and cheddar cheese. . The omelet is served with hash browns. Topped with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

-Old Smokehouse Bacon and Cheddar Omelet
Sauté A three-egg omelet with 3-oz. of diced cooked bacon and 1-1/2 oz of cheddar cheese. The omelet is served with hash browns.

-Crustless Quiche
Bake 6-oz. of egg mixture in a casserole dish with Swiss, cheddar cheese, spinach leaves, onions and baked until golden. It’s served with hash browns and brunch garnish.

-Steak and Eggs
Grill An 8 oz sirloin is grilled to order. It is served with two scrambled eggs, hash browns and brunch garnish.

BRUNCH SIDES:
-Old Smokehouse Bacon
Four slices of crispy bacon. BRUNCH ONLY

-Hash browns
¾ cup mixture of potatoes, butter, salt and black pepper. BRUNCH ONLY

I will be following up with Lucky 32 as some of their items (which I have excluded here) had Blue Cheese.

ENJOY!