More Restaurant Reviews
From "Harriet B, a frequent visitor to SD"
4/22/08

Rancho Valencia (24/26/21, $56 in Zagat), Rancho Santa Fe - once again, Open Table is great - before receiving menus (but after ordering wine), waiter brought an amuse, and mine was explicitly GF (and unlike others', was not on a piece of bread) - I hadn't even self-identified yet.  Waiter said all entrees except the chicken (coq au vin style) were available gluten free.
 
George's Ocean Terrace (24/24/23, $42 in Zagat), La Jolla - we actually ate on the bar level (it was a hot day!).  Waitress was friendly, wasn't super GF aware but did pick up quickly & checked on everything.  Their famous soup, "Smoked Chicken, Broccoli and Black Bean Soup" *is* GF (she brought me the recipe, which they often hand out - it uses corn starch as a thickener).  It does have Worcestershire Sauce in it - I did double check, and it is Lea & Perrins made in US (eg gluten free - apparently L&P made in Canada is not, go figure!). Despite a sandwich-heavy lunch menu, there are plenty of GF choices (way beyond just 'holding the bread' on the sandwich).  Tip - you can request the full wine list from the fancy dining room (George's California Modern).

Went to Cafe Chloe (East Village) again, the 'savory custard' of the day was GF (sans toast, of course) - the waitress said "oh, gluten free - I'm not good at that one" but I think that may have just been self-deprecating, she did happily check my two choices with the kitchen (after a mini-education from me).


As I mentioned, this was mostly a food & wine festival visit (did the reserve tasting Friday of Red, White & Blues and the Taste of the Nation fundraiser on Sunday), here are the restaurants that stood out as being aware - but I haven't had a whole meal at any of them!

Urban Solace, new in North Park - chef was very familiar with GF diet, and the dish he was serving was indeed GF.

Jade Theater, newish Downtown - chef  was very familiar with GF diet, they *do* have wheat-free soy sauce & he said he could make most items on menu GF - however the dish they were serving was not GF (husband said it was tasty).

US Grant Grill, Downtown - chef does not use wheat in sauces (even has a no-flour lobster bisque once in a while as a special), has worked with two celiac sous chefs so very aware, says virtually anything on the menu can be GF, dish he was serving was GF.

Mistral (at Loews Coronado Bay Resort) - chef picked out just-steamed mussels for me (regular presentation had a brodo or broth-with-bread poured over them) and said kitchen is very aware of food restrictions, there is a family with a son who has an extreme peanut allergy who visits each year for 3 weeks so they have gone through training, understand cc, etc.

J Six (at Hotel Solamar, Downtown) - chef was GF aware and said they make almost everything in-house, including sausage, meaning they know *exactly* what is in their food.  Dish was GF.

Have I mentioned how addictive the tortilla chips from El Indio are?

And yes I did get a GF meal on Continental, however we were in first class.  And not sure why Eden Soy "original" soy milk carton was on my breakfast tray, as there was malt something in it.  But I did get a full meal, and I did not get glutened, hooray!  They did not offer a GF dessert at dinner (but breakfast came with a GF macaroon).

-Harriet
aka "Harriet B, a frequent visitor to SD"