Tuesday, April 29, 2014

More Gluten-Free Eating at Uno's Chicago Grill

Revisiting Gluten-Free Menus

How often do you check in on restaurants and their gluten-free menus? Do the gluten-free menus evolve?

I don't explicitly go looking for menu updates, but in the normal course of going out, I do try to pay attention.

With the growing awareness of gluten-free dining needs, there really is an evolution in the menus.

I am seeing more and more gluten-free sections included on the main menus. This is a vast improvement over a secondary, special menu listing only the gluten-free items.

Often, those separate, special menus don't include drinks or side dishes or even prices! In these cases, I have to ask for both menus. Usually I am only given the special menu. Um, thanks, but if I don't know what drinks are offered and you didn't list them in the special menu, am I supposed to assume that none of your drinks are gluten-free???

Really? No, of course not.

Then, please, restaurants, please list the drinks and the prices and sides and salad dressings on the special menu! Please!

Or better yet, as seems to be the increasing trend, is including everything on one menu. Normal offerings and special offerings. And drinks and side dishes and prices. All together. Happy, happy, happy.

Bonus points if you offer a gluten-free dessert! It's not hard, really. Fresh fruit is always gluten-free, when prepared in a clean, unglutenated area. And if the perishability of fresh fruit is a concern, there's ice cream. Most single-flavor ice creams are gluten-free. Not all, but most.

Good vanilla bean ice cream is a great option. It's not hard. Really.

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Uno's Chicago Grill

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Schär Chocolate-Dipped Cookies

Elegant, Dignified Cookies

You've seen them before. Fancy cookies. Elegant cookies. Sophisticated cookies.

Not sandwich cookies. Not animal crackers. None of those cookies that scream of dipping in milk, licking out the insides, or licking of fingers.

I'm talking about dignified cookies.

The regular, glutenated store shelves have them. And they are promoted on commercials full of suave, well-appointed adults carrying wine glasses and nibbling on these dignified cookies with their pinkies in the air.

Okay, I don't know about the pinkies in the air, but I think you get the idea.

You probably know where they are located in your standard grocery store.

Are there any gluten-free cookies as elegant? As dignified?

Are there any tasteful, delectable gluten-free cookies you should be serving with wine to your chic guests? Do they exist? Such cookies. Do such cookies exist?

Yes, yes they do.

Schär Gluten-Free Chocolate-Dipped Cookies