New Gluten-free Mexican Food on the Jersey Shore

Starting this summer, visitors to the Ocean City, N.J., Boardwalk will have a new gluten-free option for meals. Pure Tacos is a new Mexican-fusion fast-casual restaurant – and one that provides diverse menu options for gluten-restricted diets.



Located at 1138 Boardwalk in Ocean City, Pure Tacos' menu features premium tacos and nachos, and offers more authentic Mexican options, as well as new takes on classic favorites. Achiote grilled steak and tomato-chipotle salsa are just a couple of the authentic ingredients incorporated into Pure Tacos’ dishes.

As someone with celiac disease, owner Ted Schroeder understands very well the challenges those on a restricted diet face when they travel: "Pure Tacos in Ocean City was born partly from the fact that I had very little I could eat on the Boardwalk. I follow a gluten-free diet, and pizza doesn't work for me. Our whole menu is geared to provide Ocean City with flavors and foods that are not currently offered, and as an added bonus, everything on the menu is naturally gluten-free."

Pure Tacos offers a Mexican-inspired menu that uses fresh, simple ingredients in fusion fashion. The menu's foundation is authentic Mexican cuisine and street food flavors. From homemade chorizo tacos to fusion-inspired cheeseburger tacos and chicken, bacon and ranch nachos, Pure Tacos’ menu should be accessible to anyone gluten-free since nothing on the menu is off-limits. Schroeder notes, "Our gluten-free customers can rest assured that their needs will be met, and their expectations surpassed.”

Something else that's sure to appeal to the gluten-free customer: Pure Tacos also aims to be economically accessible; its founders believe that quality doesn't need to be cost-prohibitive. Schroeder explains, "Because of the economy, people don't want to pay $25 for a great meal anymore. Pure Tacos gives the flavors and textures of that type of meal, but at a much more approachable cost."

The restaurant offers a breakfast menu, including a bacon and egg taco or a sausage and egg taco, until 11:00 a.m.; the full menu is available for the rest of the day. Nachos run from $6 for a regular plate to $9 for a large order, while tacos are priced at $6 for two to $9 for three. Freshly made tortilla chips accompany all taco orders.

Pure Tacos opens May 15, and will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. until Labor Day. For more information, including the full menu, visit www.puretacos.com.

Guest Blog: An IHOP Surprise

B recently took a trip to Anaheim, and had a pleasant surprise when visiting a local IHOP. He shares his experience here.

Greetings from a roving/raving reporter just back from this year's Natural Products Expo West. Tons of new gluten- and assorted allergen-free items were on display, and I'll be providing a brief update on some of the highlights in the coming days. For the moment, I'll just say that gf options are about to get a lot more varied over the next few months.

First, though, I wanted to share an experience at dinner on the last night of the show. After a very long day strolling the expo floor, I just didn't feel like dealing with show crowds at the finer restaurants around, and not having any food allergies or intolerances, I settled on a quick dinner at IHOP, a place L and I never visit, simply because we presume it has little on the menu for both of us.

I go in, am seated and place my order, after which the waitress asks, "Do you have any food allergies that I should let the kitchen know about?"

I was more than a little taken aback. In all the years of dining out -- with and without L, this was something of a first, at least as far as I recall. (L, feel free to correct me, if I've forgotten.) It certainly hasn't happened much.

As IHOP was fairly busy (apparently a few other NPEW attendees had the same idea as I), I waited until checking out before pursuing the topic with the server. However, I did notice that she wasn't the only server asking the question after taking an order. A gentleman server likewise asked it of every table in his section.

As I was checking out, I asked the waitress more on the topic. She noted they have seen a sizable increase in gluten-free diners in recent years, to the point that this IHOP at least has a separate kitchen dedicated to allergen-friendly preparation -- complete with its own line tables, prep areas and even fryers. Brilliant!

She then made a comment that might well be welcome news for allergic diners: "Hey, we would rather you have a positive experience and come back to see us."

Such a radically simple yet relatively unique notion. I asked if this separate-kitchen policy was IHOP-wide, and she wasn't sure. I would be surprised if so. Still, it is nice to know that the awareness is spreading to such a degree. Also, I can't say how many truly gluten-free items were on the menu, though some could easily be modified to omit possible contaminants.

Now, I must note that this is the IHOP at the corner of Harbor and Katella in Anaheim -- essentially across the street from Disneyland, a company well known for its support of allergic consumers. Rumor has it that Disney properties go to great lengths to provide options for all of its guests. It would appear that such a mentality may be spreading.

Positive, if fairly shocking news. To be honest, I had thought my final booth visit at the show (our friends at Andrew & Everett) would be the last I would hear on the topic before I returned home. I'm glad to know that I couldn't have been more wrong.

Gluten-free Italian Restaurant

Tonight after work, I stopped by Da Luciano's. It's a largely gluten-free restaurant located in River Grove, Ill. that offers both in-house service as well as take-out options. The restaurant has an extensive gluten-free menu, and can accommodate dairy-free palates, too. With celiac disease in their family, the proprietors completely understand the concerns of those on a gluten-free diet.

The restaurant has the most extensive gluten-free menu that I've seen yet. With everything from fried calamari and bruschetta, to pasta arrabiata and chicken cacciatore, to homemade cannoli, Italian food is once again a possibility for the gluten-free. And, gasp of delight, if you call a couple days ahead of time, they can do gnocchi, too. The frozen food to go menu includes items like sauces, breads, desserts and more.

I wasn't planning on dining in, so I bought a couple sauces to try, a tomato and a meat sauce, as well as a few different types of pasta. Da Luciano's sells Zazzeri Pienza pasta, a gf corn-based dry pasta from Italy. I got anellini and ditalini, both of which I'm looking forward to using in soups, and maccheroni, which I'll try with the meat sauce.

Be sure to check them out: www.dalucianos.com. I can't wait to go back soon and dine in!

Gumbo, at Last

I tried my hand at gumbo last night for the first time in years.

I had learned how to make gumbo about 10 years ago, long before going gluten-free, from a friend who was a New Orleans native. I'd gone to Mardi Gras a couple times with her and a group of our friends. While we did consume our share of Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's, we did Mardi Gras the way the locals do, with a circuit of parties and parades, and I fell in love with the food and culture of the Big Easy. I soon learned how to make fried okra and crawfish etouffee, gumbo and pralines, and so on. (I took a pass on grits -- biscuits were more to my liking.)

Fast forward several years, and I find myself in love with a Southern boy, who originally hails from Mobile, Al. Mobile has its own respected (and actually some older) Mardi Gras traditions, one of which is Joe Cain Day, a celebration that falls the Sunday before Fat Tuesday. So, in honor of Joe Cain Day and Mardi Gras, even though we are in the snow-laden North, I decided it was high time to resurrect some of those dishes and make them gluten-free. And, quite frankly, I have been hungry for gumbo with some good andouille sausage; we finally found one I could have.

I had roasted a chicken the night before, so we conserved the remaining meat and shredded it to put into the gumbo. (As an aside, I strongly believe in good pantry management, particularly when allergen-free groceries can be so cost-prohibitive. Thinking ahead and effective menu-planning really can help manage costs and cut down on waste.) B. had picked up some Wellshire Farms' andouille sausage, which is gluten-, dairy- and soy-free, and available at Whole Foods. He chopped up the sausage and the veggies Saturday night, so come Sunday afternoon, all I need to do was assemble the ingredients and make the roux.

The roux is what put me off to making gumbo for so long. It's the base of flavor and color for gumbo, and I mistakenly believed for a long time that I couldn't make a good one that was gluten-free. But I did some research, and all it takes is oil, rice flour and, as with any roux, patient attention. It couldn't be easier. The roux ready, into the pot went the veggies, then the chicken, andouille and stock, all which simmered away while I prepared the rice and cornbread.

I've had a taste for cornbread for weeks, and I thought it would make a nice accompaniment to the gumbo. I found a couple non-gluten-free recipes that looked good and modified them to my needs. I was pleased with the results. The cornbread came out flavorful with a nice consistency and good texture. Not too bad for the first try. And I have been informed in no uncertain terms that both the gumbo and cornbread recipes need to be repeated with no modifications to them; I'll take that as a success.

Here's hoping that the red beans and rice I'll be making later this week turn out as well. Now if I could just figure out how to do beignets like they do at Cafe Du Monde.

Changes

There have been a couple notable changes lately that I thought deserved a mention.

I'm sad to report that Ina's has suspended its dinner service -- including the gluten-free fried chicken nights -- indefinitely. We truly enjoyed that special evening every month, and while I do understand that the economy has everyone rethinking how to best approach business, I certainly hope that Ina'a chooses to reinstate the gluten-free evening very, very soon. It will be missed.

Also I recently found out that Townhouse Cafe, my favorite lunch spot, has changed its soup base; the new stock is not gluten-free, and so the wonderful soups served there that I mentioned in an earlier entry are no longer suitable for those on a gluten-restricted diet.

On a positive note, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ruled that Air Canada must supply a safe buffer zone for passengers with peanut and nut allergies. People seated within this zone would be asked to refrain from eating peanuts, nuts and any derivative products. The airline is to file a plan on how to implement the mandate, including a proposal for how large the buffer zone should be and how far in advance allergic passengers should give notice. While the buffer zone doesn't apply to other allergens, the fact that the decision was made at all is an indication that allergy awareness is growing, and I commend the CTA for recognizing the issue and doing something about it. It's a start.

Great Bakery

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays, and has a wonderful New Year! We have just returned from our holiday trip out west. I was fortunate to have two holiday trips in 2009 – one south for Thanksgiving, one west for Christmas – and I’m still unpacking and processing. 2010 is off to a good start; I’m very much looking forward to this year and all it will bring, including new discoveries.

One recent discovery is the Twisted Bakery, a gluten-free operation located in Dickinson, N.D. A family friend first made us aware of it and sent us some items. Are we glad she did!



I’ve sampled a couple of the bakery’s products now and wholeheartedly recommend it. The Gluten Free White Bread & Bun Mix literally is the best of any I have tried to date. The mix is easy to use, and the resulting bread not only has a good flavor and texture, it doesn’t need to be toasted. At all. I finally have enjoyed a good sandwich again.

Also, for those who are gluten-free and have missed family favorites like dumplings, wait no longer: The bakery offers a Gluten Free Noodle/Dumpling Mix. We used the mix to make dumplings for soup – they were excellent. When eating the soup, it was as if I had returned to my childhood.

There are a number of its other products I’m planning to try as well. The Twisted Bakery does ship, and also is stocked in some retailers. Be sure to check out its website for additional information.

Upcoming Meeting

The Gluten Intolerance Group of Greater Chicago will be holding a meeting at The Free From Market in Orland Park, Ill., Monday, Dec. 14 at 6:00 p.m. A baking demo and a tour of the shop are planned; the discussion topic for the evening: Christmas for the gluten-free family.

Everyone is welcome. Visit www.chicagoglutenfree.com for more information.