CLOSED: Restaurant Review: qba: a cuban kitchen (Montclair, NJ)

I went last night with my Spanish club to qba (128 Watchung Ave, Montclair, NJ).  I had checked out their menu online first and it looked like there were some safe options.  The cuisine is Cuban and since I can usually navigate Latin American cuisine I wasn't too worried.

Chicken Mojito with Maduras and Guacamole at qba

When I got there I confirmed with the staff what was and wasn't gluten free and dairy free.  They were much more confident on the gluten free items but double checked with the chef for the dairy free items.  (In their defense, they've only been open about a month and a willingness to ask and make sure is better than you get in most established restaurants!)  It turned out that most of the gluten free items were also dairy free.  (Note: the chips are made from wheat which is sadly common in Latin America - one night in Peru I asked at a dozen restaurants before giving up on having chips made from corn that night.)

The restaurant is quick serve in the style of a Chipotle so you get to watch everything assembled in front of you.  They aren't a chain yet but hopefully they'll be expanding soon as it is always nice to have more dining options.  I had a bowl with rice, black beans, and pieces of steak in a citrus-garlic marinade.  I also had an order of maduros (sweet plantains) for dessert!

When I was leaving I noticed a sign on the front door that noted that their entire menu was gluten free with the exception of the wraps, chips, sandwiches and Empanadas.

I really can't wait to go back!


Update 4/27/12 - unfortunately qba has closed.

If you are looking for other options try NJ Gluten Free Restaurants and/or GF Fast Food and Chains.

Traveling Gluten Free / Dairy Free in Buenos Aires, Argentina

I just got back from a week long Spanish immersion class in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Although I encountered very little specifically laid out for those following a gluten free and/or dairy free diet, I did get by ok.  Most restaurants / waitstaff understood my concerns, however, please keep in mind that I speak passable Spanish and only have severe reactions to dairy cross contamination (I wasn't sick at all).  Also, like the U.S., quite a bit of their food is breaded and fried, and dairy features in their cuisine as well so you do have to be careful.

I did visit two 'dieteticas' (argentinian for 'health food store') and also found gluten free cookies easily in most supermarkets.  Unfortunately, a lot of gluten free options there contained dairy, including all of the bread products!  I had cookies in normal flavors: vanilla, chocolate, as well as an interesting thumb print cookie with something called Quince.  I saw but did not purchase gluten free / dairy free Jamon (ham) flavored cookies and Pizza flavored cookies!

Bread products "con Gluten" or "with Gluten" in English!

I also had a lot of false starts in the supermarkets.  Here in the U.S., when you see the word 'Gluten' on a product it is usually followed by the word 'Free'.  There however, quite a few bread products said "con Gluten" on them which translates as with Gluten.  I have no idea why they felt a need to point out their bread product contained gluten (just like all the others!)  Perhaps, they add extra gluten?!?!?

The only eatery where I saw gluten free prominently displayed was at an ice cream shop in a mall. (They had two dairy free options lemon and strawberry.)  Overall, I just stuck to simple meals - grilled meat/chicken/fish mostly.

If you are going to Buenos Aires, I would recommend checking out these articles and sites as well:

Gluten-Free Guidebook - Gluten Free Buenos Aires

Gluten-Free Guidebook - Buenos Aires Restaurants

Gluten Free Buenos Aires

You may also want to review these tips for traveling with dietary concerns: Traveling Dairy Free / Gluten Free

Updated - 5/24/11

Argh, Laura from Gluten Free Traveller did a much better job of finding all the best GF options in B.A. than I did.  You can check out all of her Buenos Aires posts here: http://glutenfreetraveller.com/tag/buenos-aires/ or if you're going farther afield her South America posts: http://glutenfreetraveller.com/tag/south-america/  I only wish I had started following her blog sooner!

Politics, Religions and Which is the Best Gluten Free Pasta

They say that one should never discuss politics or religion in polite company.  If you are gluten free then you should probably add pasta to that list!  It seems everyone has their favorite and some people are quite passionate about their likes and dislikes when it comes to pasta.

Best overall: Schär - Overall,  I think Schär makes the best pasta.  It holds up best when cooked and has a texture closest to regular pasta.  A lot of supermarkets are carrying the Schär line now so it should be easy to find.  I've seen it at ShopRite, Kings, Foodtown and Stop & Shop.  If you can't find it locally, it can be ordered by the individual box at the Gluten Free Mall by clicking here: Schär Gluten-Free Pasta
 
Everyday use: Goldbaums - For everyday use I usually go with Goldbaums pasta.  It is one of the least expensive gluten free pastas available and it comes in a 16oz package.  I usually bring left overs for lunch at work and making a pound of pasta provides me with three meals.  I've seen Goldbaums at Kings and Fairway.  If you can't find it locally, it can be ordered in bulk on amazon.com by clicking here: Goldbaums Brown Rice Pasta

Stuffed Shells: Tinkyada - Overall, I'm not a big fan of Tinkyada pasta.  I don't think it holds up well during cooking and I find the texture to be softer than regular pasta.  I've also found their cooking times to be excessive.  Anytime I've cooked their pasta for as long as recommended I've had mush.  They do however make more shapes of pasta than any other company.  The only shape I use is their large shell if I want to make Gluten Free / Dairy Free Stuffed Shells.  I've seen Tinkyada pasta almost everywhere, but have only ever seen their large shells at Nature's Pavilion (on rt23 in Pompton Plains) and Fairway.  They can also be ordered in bulk on amazon.com by clicking here: - Tinkyada Brown Rice Shells

Lasagna: DeBoles - DeBoles also makes a number of pasta shapes (but be careful as they also make gluten containing pasta).  The only one I use is their No Boil Lasagna noodles when making Gluten Free / Dairy Free Lasagna.  I've seen DeBoles in a number of supermarkets in the area.  They also can be ordered in bulk on amazon.com here: De Boles Rice Lasagna

Fresh: RP's - RP's makes four shapes: Fettuccine, Fussili, Spinach Fettuccine and Linguini.  You can read my full review here: RP's Fresh Gluten Free Pasta and if you can't find it locally (they're sold nationwide at Whole Foods) you can order them online from the Gluten Free Mall here: RP's Pasta Company Gluten-Free Pasta


Other Brands:  I've tried a couple of other brands as well.  They're reviewed below:

Bionaturae - Overall this pasta is good, but a little soft texturewise.  [Not mushy, just soft.]  It comes in a 12oz bag and is a blend of rice, potato, and soy.  Shoprite has this brand as do a number of other stores (but be careful, Bionaturae makes gluten containing pasta as well).  Amazon.com has them in bulk: Bionaturae Gluten Free Pasta

Le Veneziane - This corn pasta is also quite good and a number of my friends rave about it. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find (the only store I've seen it in is Corrado's) and comes in an 8-9oz bag/box. Amazon.com has it by the individual package here: Le Veneziane Italian Gluten Free Pasta

Ancient Harvest - A blend of Corn and Quinoa, it is probably one of the most nutritious gluten free pastas around.  It comes in an 8oz box and holds up very well when cooked.  I usually pick it up at Whole Foods if I'm going to get it.  The Gluten Free Mall has it as well: Ancient Harvest Quinoa Gluten-Free Pasta

Restaurant Review: Uno Chicago Grill (6 locations in NJ)

I stopped for dinner at an Uno Chicago Grill Saturday night after a basketball game (for those interested, Seton Hall lost).  Whenever I go out with my brothers they are always sure to pick somewhere I can eat so we usually hit Unos a couple of times a season.  

Steak Tips, Brown Rice and Craisins, Steamed Brocoli,
all prepared Gluten and Dairy Free at Uno Chicago Grill

Since Unos has a touch screen computer kiosk in their lobby that links to their nutrition information, it is easy for me to eat there. This online resource not only lists the eight major allergens (the same ones required on groceries) but each entry also contains a link to a full listing of every ingredient in a menu item. That's right, no need to rely on asking what is in a certain sauce or side dish, you can easily look it up! 

The Brown Rice and Craisins is GF/DF, as is the steamed broccoli.  The Steak Tips used to be on the GF menu but aren't anymore.  They don't contain any gluten ingredients (only Soy is listed as an allergen), so I asked my server (and the manager who he brought over).  They confirmed they didn't have any gluten ingredients and said they could prepare it gluten free. 

As always it was a good meal and it was nice to feel safe in a chain restaurant.  Now I just wish they would get Daiya cheese so I can try their gluten free pizza too!

One final thought - the chain has reported some financial concerns so I wouldn't wait to long to visit them.

Other chain restaurant reviews you may be interested in:

Gluten Free Buns and Fries at Cheeseburger in Paradise

Eating Dairy and Gluten Free at Bonefish Grill

Don't forget to check out the full NJ Restaurants with a Gluten Free Menu List as well as the Nationwide Chains with a Gluten Free Menu List.

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Products I'm Still Searching For

I seem to have a knack for finding Gluten Free and/or Dairy Free products. You see, I have a bit of a Supermarket addiction. After reviewing my credit card receipts, I noticed that on average, I make 12 grocery trips a month! (Yes, that's three a week.) And I don't go to the same store 12 times, but depending on where I am or what product I want, I'd say I visit 5-6 different stores per month (2 different ShopRites, Kings, Whole Foods, Fairway, and the occasional Stop & Shop, A&P, Trader Joes, or Nature's Pavilion).

In visiting so many different stores, when someone is missing something, I usually know exactly where they can find it. Sadly there are still some things I am missing. Specifically:

Gluten free/dairy free ravioli - I used to eat Soyboy, but they don't do gluten free (if you're just dairy free you can buy them at Whole Foods).

Gluten free/pork free pot stickers - Don't remember the brand but Shoprite had chicken ones in their freezer section, sadly, also not gluten free.

Gluten free/dairy free/pork free Pigs-in-a-blanket - I used to eat Cohen's Beef Franks in Puff Pastry (kosher makes them Pork and Dairy free!) Lots of supermarkets carry these if you're just dairy free.

Jelly Donuts - Like I used to eat as a kid at Dunkin Donuts.

If you know where I can find these in the NJ area, please post in the comments below! (I'll settle for links to recipes on where I can make my own, but I'd really rather just pop into a store and buy them!)

Is Peter Wong's in Montvale, NJ Closed?

A friend of mine informed me last week that Peter Wong's in Montvale was closed.  She wasn't sure if this was permanent or if they were just moving.  I checked around and yes, they are closed permanently and concentrating on their ice cream business instead.  If he ever opens another restaurant (and has a gluten free menu), I will be sure to update this entry.

An Energy Kitchen has moved into the same strip mall.  Read my Energy Kitchen Restaurant Review for more info.

And as always, see this list of New Jersey Restaurants with Gluten Free Menus for other nearby options as well.

Restaurant Review: Gluten Free Cart at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ

My brothers and I are season ticket holders for Seton Hall Men's Basketball, one of the three teams to play at the Prudential Center ("The Rock") in Newark, NJ (both the Nets and the Devils play there as well).  I was amazed to find this season that they have an entire cart dedicated to Gluten Free eating! 

The cart sells a variety of drinks, hot dogs, sausages, and snacks.  The hot dogs and sausages are cooked on a rolling grill (like you'd see in a convenience store for example).  The hot dogs are Nathans (who within the last year or two removed the gluten they were adding to their hot dogs) and the sausages are Premio.  They also have Glutino GF Pretzels. 

While the hot dog buns are gluten free (they're made by Ener-G), the sausage rolls are The Grainless Baker and contain dairy.  There are mustard packets available at the cart and I recommended to them that they offer relish packets as well.  (Both relish and sauerkraut are available from the regular condiments stations but they are open and quite susceptible to cross contamination.)

Oh, and the best part?  The Gluten Free Hot Dogs are the exact same price as their gluten containing brethren at the regular concessions. (Yes, still over priced, but it's nice to not have to pay even more!)

Updated - 4/25/11

Now that Udi's is making a hot dog bun, I wonder if they'll switch?