The Blog is Moving!

This morning my blog will be moving to The Times Union's blog page. I was contacted by the Albany, NY newspaper a few weeks ago about joining their growing blog project. I thought it would be a great opportunity to reach out to more readers and expand the network of gluten-free people helping each other adapt to their challenging lifestyles. Please join me there and spread the word to other GF folks! The blog homepage is http://blogs.timesunion.com/ and my blog address is http://blogs.timesunion.com/glutenfree/

Nunzio's PIZZA

I can't believe that there has been gluten-free pizza practically under my nose for nearly a year! Nunzio's (formerly the Pink Store) at 119 Clinton Street in Saratoga Springs will make gluten free pizza to order. It is by far the best gluten-free pizza I have had. The owner is the only one who makes the pizza so he needs to be there. If he's not there when you order, they can usually track him down and he'll return to the shop to make your pizza! The crust is wonderful, even chewy! All the toppings except the eggplant and meatballs are gluten-free. I was also told that they are working on making some gluten-free entrees such as chicken parm and eggplant parm. They also have a small grocery section with some gluten-free products available. The phone # is 518-584-3840 and they are open daily.

Hattie's

We recently dined at Hattie's Restaurant on Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. You may know of Hattie's from the Bobby Flay "Fried Chicken Throwdown". It was my first visit to Hattie's since I went gluten-free. After speaking with our waitress, she headed back to the kitchen with my list of questions...namely were the ribs and/or jambalaya safe for me to eat. I already knew the spectacular fried chicken was a no-no. Before she approached the kitchen, she returned with our drinks and told us about the specials...one was soft shell crabs...an absolute favorite of mine! I told her to forget about asking about the other items and just see if they would saute the crabs in cornmeal only. The answer was YES!!!! I was extremely pleased to be able to order one of my favorite things, something I don't eat very often and was pretty sure I would never enjoy in a restaurant again. What a treat! Many thanks to owner/chef Jasper Alexander for taking the time to adjust the dish to my needs. It was the first Friday of the racing season and an extremely busy night for the kitchen. One of my friends snapped the photo (above) of Jasper in the kitchen as we were walking down the alley next to Hattie's after dinner. I thanked him for creating the special adapted dish for me. I got a thumbs up and a "Glad you enjoyed it!" http://www.hattiesrestaurant.com/

Gaffney's

Last night I attended a Chamber of Commerce Mixer on Gaffney's Patio. This has always been one of my favorite Chamber events. Last year's mixer was just two days after I began my gluten free lifestyle. It was my first restaurant visit so it's where my "question-asking" began. They serve great chicken wings (dedicated fryer). Last year there was no gluten-free beer available. Now of course there is but it has never been available at Gaffney's. I was an early arrival to the mixer so I introduced myself to the owner John Baker. I let him know that I attempted to order a beer they didn't carry. I explained Red Bridge Beer to him. He was interested to hear about it and said he'd order a case with his next order. He then picked up his cell phone and said he'd better order it before he forgot. As I stood next to him he placed the call to his distributor, ordering three cases. It will be available beginning tonight! You can bet I will be there enjoying their patio and a Red Bridge! Thank You, John!
Gaffney's is located at 16 Caroline Street on the corner of Putnam. Music on the patio Thursday thru Sunday nights. Enjoy!

Welcome Times Union Blog readers!

Thanks to Albany Times Union staff writer Christen Deming, glutenfreesaratoga received a mention in the Saratoga Seen blog today! Check it out. I enjoy the variety of posts there...http://blogs.timesunion.com/saratogaseen/ .

The very best pasta!

After suffering(!) with rice pasta for nearly a year I finally tasted corn pasta. I was not a fan of rice pasta at all. Corn pasta is fabulous!!!! It actually cooks up with some "bite" to it and the color is like real pasta. Previously I have only found corn pasta at Wegmans (in Western NY) or Whole Foods (way too far away). I tripped over it recently in Roma Foods. They have long carried rice pasta on a separate wooden rack. In a weak moment I was perusing the "normal pasta", I guess longing for the real thing. There I spotted the coveted corn pasta! I grabbed four packages, ran by the deli counter to thank the owner and checked out. I was so excited I went home and cooked some on my lunch hour! The owner tells me that people like the taste and texture and that "regular people" buy it. It is quite expensive but definitely worth it for me. A one pound package of spaghetti is around $7.50 and and 8 ounce package of penne will set you back $4.50. My family loves the taste of it but obviously I keep it hidden as it is a luxury item for me and they will eat Barilla that can be bought for 88 cents per pound.

Wings...and what to Drink?

I wish I had some fabulous news to report. Unfortunately chicken wings seem to be the way to go for a quickie meal. If only all the better "wing-serving" restaurants in town served gluten-free beer. Peabody's Sports Bar on Phila Street has my favorite wings but they have not been willing to get Redbridge beer. I also like The Stadium's wings (Broadway and also Congess Street). It seems a margarita is the best drink choice at those two restaurants. I went to the City Tavern (corner of Maple and Caroline) last weekend...good wings but no Redbridge. The bartender did say they had had a tasting last week and he said he'd order it! On a side note, they do have Tanqueray Rangpur Gin. Great stuff!!!
Now, I'm off to the new Garden Buffet at the Racino. More later.