NJ Gluten Free / Dairy Free / Allergy Event List Created

I've created a page that lists all of the GF/DF/allergy events I'm aware of in NJ.  I've also included some big events over the border in NY.  If I've missed any, just comment in the comments on the list page:  NJ Gluten Free / Dairy Free / Allergy Event List

News Alert: Udi's Launching Gluten Free / Dairy Free Hot Dog Buns

Udi's New Gluten Free / Dairy Free Hot Dog Buns

I knew that Udi's was coming out with Hamburger Buns, but I just found out last night that they are also coming out with Hot Dog Buns as well (both products are Gluten Free and Dairy Free).  I haven't seen them in a store yet, but I will be heading to Whole Foods this weekend to check!
 

I'll be sure to post a review of them as soon as I can find them locally.

If you can't wait or can't find them locally, you can get them online at the Gluten Free Mall: Udi's Gluten-Free Hot Dog Buns (and Udi's new hamburger buns as well: Udi's Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns).

If you've seen them in NJ, let me know where in the comments below.

Updated 6/4/11

I found them and tried them out!  My review is here: Udi's Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns are Amazing!

New Vending Machines Allows Users to Preview Ingredients

A just saw this in the May issue of Popular Science.  A vending machine with a touch screen display instead of a window.  I didn't really think much of it until I read that you can use the display to read the ingredients.  That means no more searching for the product online to check what's in it before buying.  We'll be able to see from the screen what the ingredient are.

Samsung Announces Diji-Touch Touchscreen Vending Machines

Are French Fries Gluten Free?

Are French Fries Gluten Free?  Well, maybe.  Yes, potatoes themselves are gluten free but it depends how they are seasoned and just as importantly where they are fried.

For example, the battering on the French Fries at Popeyes contains wheat, while the coating on the Burger King fries do not.  Unfortunately, at most non-chain restaurants the staff usually doesn't know for sure what's in the coating or even if they use one. 

Even if the french fries aren't coated in wheat you still need to determine how they are fried.  Most restaurant use the same fryer for multiple items.  So your french fries could very well be fried with chicken tenders, onion rings, and any number of other gluten foods.  Those crumbs come off in the oil and . . .

So where can you get gluten free fries?  Basically, anywhere there is a dedicated french fryer and they don't batter their fries in wheat.  The list below includes local NJ restaurants, nation wide casual chains and even a few fast food chains with gluten free french fries.  Please keep in mind that formulas change and procedures aren’t always followed so make sure you inquire directly with each restaurant location to be sure. (All of the restaurants listed below are listed on my Gluten Free NJ Restaurant list or Gluten Free Fast Food / Chain list.)

In New Jersey:

6 Brothers Diner in Little Falls, NJ – they have a dedicated fryer for gluten free fries (and gluten free chicken fingers)!

Alumni Grill in Wildwood, NJ – has gluten free fries and gluten free sweet potato fries!

Biddy O'Malley's in Northvale, NJ – last I was here they were looking into installing a dedicated fryer. No word on if that is done yet.

The Cozy End in Upper Montclair, NJ – they have a dedicated gluten free fryer for lots more than just gluten free French fries! These are some of the best fries I’ve ever had.

Double S Diner in Sussex, NJ - before they burned down the offered pan fried gluten free steak fries.  No word yet on the menu at the rebuilt diner (should be open in late May 2012).

Janice A Bistro in Hohokus, NJ - Janice's has a dedicated french fryer.  This was the first safe non-chain I found of in NJ.(Restaurant Review: Janice A Bistro)

Kind Burgers in Sea Bright, NJ – offers gf fries.

Little Shanty in Warren, NJ (more coming soon) – has multiple fryers and offers gluten free french fries and gluten free onion rings. Warning: their sweet potato fries are NOT gluten free.

Opa Greek Cuisine in Wayne, NJ – has a dedicated fryer for their gluten free greek fries. (review coming soon)

Pop Shop in Collingswood, NJ - recently installed a dedicated fryer for gluten free fries and gluten free chicken fingers.

Rutherford Pancake House in Rutherford, NJ - they also have gluten free fries. (Restaurant Review: Rutherford Pancake House)

Your Way Cafe in Westwood, NJ – they have a dedicated fryer for gluten free French fries and gluten free chicken fingers. (review coming soon)

NY Restaurants:

97lake in West Harrison, NY – they have gluten free onion rings and gluten free fries. As a matter of fact their kitchen is mainly gluten free, they just bring in gluten containing bread for other diners! (Restaurant Review: 97lake)

Mama’s Italian Restaurant in Oakdale, NY (Long Island) – has a dedicated fryer for gluten free fries and a multitude of other gluten free fried items. (Review coming soon.)

Market Cafe (NYC, NY) – has a dedicated fryer for their gluten free seasoned fries. (Review coming soon.)

Perfecto Mundo in Commack, NY (Long Island) – they have a dedicated fryer for all of their gluten free options (potato frites, sweet potato frites, yuca frites, chips for salsa and guacamole, etc.) (Review coming soon.)


Nationwide Casual Dining / Fast Food:

Applebee's - they list their french fries on their gluten free menu but they are fried in a common fryer and therefore contaminated. I would (and do) avoid them here.

Burger21 (mostly in FL, but expanding) - they offer gluten free french fries and gluten free sweet potato fries!

Burger King - ingredient-wise Burger King fries do not contain wheat (they are coated with rice flour).  They are also supposed to be fried in their own fryer (there is a separate fryer for the onion rings and others for the chicken/fish products).  However, in most Burger Kings I've visited, the fries and onion rings are kept under the same heat lamps in a large metal trough with a divider between them.  Sadly, it's not uncommon for an onion ring to escape to the other side!

Cheeseburger in Paradise - has a dedicated fryer for their gluten free fries. (Restaurant Review: Cheeseburger in Paradise)

Chick-fil-A - according to their corporate website they only fry french fries in their french fryer, everything else is fried in another device.  Since they also offer breaded chicken products, you should double check with the local staff.  (Restaurant Review: Chick-fil-A)

Elevation Burger - their gluten free shoestring fries are fried in olive oil in a dedicated fryer. (Restaurant Review: Elevation Burger)

Energy Kitchen - they bake their fries so no worries about a gluten contaminated fryer! (Restaurant Review: Energy Kitchen)

Five Guys Burger and Fries - the only thing fried at Five Guys are their fries. [WARNING: Five Guys uses peanut oil and serves peanuts in their restaurant.  If you have a peanut allergies, do not eat here!] (Restaurant Review: Five Guys Burger and Fries)

Glory Days (no NJ locations) – has a dedicated fryer. (review coming soon)

In-N-Out Burger (no NJ locations) - the only fried item on their menu are their french fries.

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurants – offers a dedicated fryer for gluten free fries!

Joe's American Grill - at least in the one by me, they will pan fry fries in fresh oil to make them gluten free. (Restaurant Review: Joe's American Grill)

Joe's Crab Shack - they used to list french fries on their gluten free menu but have removed them. I've eaten here and the boiled potatoes that come with their steam pots are gluten free but we all know potatoes were meant to be fried not boiled!

McDonald's - Are McDonalds Fries Gluten Free?  Unknown.  The fries at McDonald's are flavored with both wheat and dairy flavorings.  McDonald's claims these are protein free and therefore shouldn't cause a reaction.  They are almost always fried in a dedicated fryer so if you decide to risk it, make sure that is the case.

Mon Ami Gabi (no NJ locations) – they have gluten free French fries at this French Bistro.

Red Robin – some locations now have a dedicated fryer.

Shake Shack (no NJ locations) - they fry their gluten free fries in a dedicated fryer but warn that their oil recycling efforts may lead to cross contamination.

Ted’s Montana Grill (no NJ locations) – has gluten free fresh cut fries! (review coming soon)

Wendy's - states on their website that their fries are likely cooked in the same fryer as breaded items.  However, this isn't always the case so you'll have to check with the individual location.

White Chocolate Grill (no NJ locations) - they have gluten free shoestring fries. I ate at their AZ location years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit.


What if you don't have a reaction?  If you are avoiding gluten for medical reasons, just because you don't have a reaction doesn't mean you aren't damaging your intestines.  In the end the decision is yours (with advice from your doctor) but I would rather be safe than sorry.

If you know anywhere else in NJ that serves GF french fries, please let me know using the contact me form at the left and I'll update this list.

Updated 5/10/12

I've consolidated all of the restaurants I know of serving gluten free fries into this one list.  I will continue to update it as I find more.


If you are looking for other places to eat, check out my list of Gluten Free Chain Restaurants and Fast Food Options.

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