Best Gluten Free Food in Astoria

Not sure if you've heard, but May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, which means that we recognize folks who live a gluten free lifestyle.  A serious genetic condition that triggers a prohibitive reaction in the small intestine, Celiac disease is an issue for about 1% of the population.

Luckily I don't have this disease, but I'm sensitive to the folks that do and take note of gluten free food in the neighborhood.  I've even tried a gluten free diet to see how it would impact my lifestyle, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many restaurants in Astoria are conducive to it.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Ovelia - Probably the place with the widest selection of gluten free items on their menu, you can find things such as kafteri (hot peppers with feta), clams bouboristi, grilled calamari, baked lima beans in tomato sauce, grilled coffee steak and more.  All gluten free menu items are marked with a circle on their menu.  34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.721.7217

Watawa - Sushi is a great choice when it comes to Gluten Free items, and I always enjoy Watawas's renditions such as a simple yellowtail scallion roll, a spicy tuna or an eel avocado.  Their specialty rolls are also intriguing such as the Pauline Roll with shrimp tempura and spicy crabmeat, the Ocean Tiger roll with lobster salad, avocado and more.  33-10 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.545.9596

Mojave - Going out for Mexican food is also a safe bet when eating gluten free - just make sure you get the corn tortillas vs. the flour.  I've recently tried their grilled fish tacos and the steak and enchilada combo, which was especially delicious.  22-36 31st Street, Astoria. 718.545.4100

Bareburger - Loving the gluten free options at this organic burger joint, you can get any burger on a gluten free tapioca bun.  I've enjoyed my burger in this way on many occasions,  and it's sometimes hard to tell the difference between this and a regular flour bun.  There's several other gluten free items on the menu and they are all clearly indicated, which makes things easy.  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.7011. 23-01 31st Street, Astoria. 718.204.7167

Parrot Coffee Market - I always enjoy visiting this specialty foods store that boasts tons of gluten free foods such as their extensive olive bar, various dried fruits and nuts, as well as an rich selection of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free products.  The latter is especially great for making homemade gluten free pancakes (pictured above), pizza, corn bread and other goodies.  31-12 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.718.545.7920

Gluten Free Eats in Astoria

My recent gluten free diet has actually opened up my world to new, delicious eats, and even though I have to be more careful about what I consume, it's a lot of fun discovering places around Astoria that help cater to my special diet.  Here are a few of my faves, so if you're also a gluten free individual, here's where you can get your fix:

Astor Bake Shop - Just take a look at these beautiful cupcakes - it's hard to believe they're gluten free.  Chef George has created these with special care, as they're made up of flourless chocolate cake and a super dark chocolate frosting on top.  I love how elegant and luxurious they look!  12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria.  718.606.8439

Ovelia - My gluten free eating friends love to frequent Ovelia, and now so much more so because they've added lots of gluten free items onto their menu.  Some of the GF highlights include spicy kafteri spread (feta with spicy peppers), creamy skordalia, their signature loukaniko sausage and so much more.  Check out the full dinner menu here.  34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.721.7217

The Strand Smokehouse - Dan and I had an awesome time at this meat lovers' paradise today, and I got pretty full without even thinking about about a morsel of bread.  The spicy chorizo sausage, the homemade beef jerky and the maple glazed pork belly were among my favorites.  The brisket was pretty solid as well, and don't miss dressing it with their signature BBQ sauce.  25-27 Broadway, Astoria.  718.440.3231

Parrot Coffee Market - I popped into this specialty market on Ditmars yesterday and found plenty of Gluten Free options.  In the mood for a nice breakfast today, I invested in a package of Bob's Red Mill pancake mix, which totally did the trick.  Dressing it up with bananas, which I placed into the batter, as well as on top of the pancakes, it was a big hit with hubby.  31-12 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.545.7920

Friday is National Eat Outside Day - For Real!

Recently learning about this random yet fun little food holiday through Mojave's newsletter, I was only too happy to start thinking about some of my favorite places in Astoria with the best outdoor spots.  Mojave of course tops the list, but here are a few others.  For the record, National Eat Outside Day is this Friday, August 31st.  Happy dining!

Mojave - My We Heart Astoria colleague, Meg recently shouted them out as having a beautiful outdoor space, and she has some pretty neat pictures up on the site.  I couldn't agree more and think Mojave is a great respite after a long grueling day in the city.  My favorites to get are their frozen margaritas (especially the mango), the plantain empanadas appetizer, Motherroad Roadhouse Chili (yes...even during the summer!) and any of their fajitas.  22-36 31st Street, Astoria.  718.545.4100

Ovelia - Being around for a few years now, Ovelia has always had fabulous sidewalk seating that snakes around the side of the restaurant.  It's also great when they open up their "garage door" window, which makes you feel like you're sitting outside even if you're technically inside.  There's so many awesome yummies you can grab here including their fried feta cubes, coated in black sesame seeds; fried-to-perfection zucchini croquettes; the spicy kafteri feta dip and more!  34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.721.7217

5 Napkin Burger - Even though you normally may not think of this place as a choice for outdoor dining, their sidewalk seating is enormous, and it's right in the middle of the 35th Avenue action.  I love this place a lot because their food really accommodates any kind of diet restrictions, as both carnivores and vegetarians can chow down without compromise.  Although I'm far from a vegetarian, I often get their veggie burger, since it's so darn exceptional and filling.  Don't forget to get a side of sweet potato fries along with it.  35-01 36th Street, Astoria.  718.433.2727

Winegasm - Recently coming here with Mackenzi, we sat outside and enjoyed a really pleasant evening.  While the outdoor seating isn't as extensive as some of the other places I mention here, it's really nice and generally provides a private atmosphere.  If you're just stopping in for a quick snack, I urge you to try the mushroom crostini, which contains generous amounts of truffle oil and gooey fontina cheese.  31-86 37th Street, Astoria.  718.932.3331

At Home! - While we enjoy eating out as a special treat, there's nothing like cooking your own homemade meal and eating it on the porch, in the backyard, on the front stoop, front yard or what have you.  Some delicious resources that will surely keep you stocked with interesting foods include: Mediterranean Foods, Artopolis Bakery (just next door to Med Foods), Titan Foods, Parrot Coffee Market, Rosario's and more.  

Happy Eat Outside Day!

Recipe for Bacon...JUST BACON

 

  

I realize that this post might seem a little ridiculous, but I think that the subject matter is pretty fantastic.  Those of you who know me personally can vouch for how much I love the amazing pork product we call bacon.  I think that everything tastes so much better with it, be it sweet, savory - whatever. 

In addition to my love of bacon, I'm lucky enough to be friends with people who not only share my views but are totally into indulging and engaging in total, utter bacon gluttony - when the opportunity arises.  And sure enough, that opportunity came up last weekend on our cabin trip to Arlington, Vermont.  We cooked up one of the best breakfasts we ever had - gargantuan stuffed pancakes with homemade hash browns and beautiful, ultra thick bacon.

You're probably wondering where we got this gorgeous slab of pork.  Through the excellent recommendation of Meg, Dan got this beauty in Astoria's European grocery store, Parrot Coffee Market.  Needless to say, they don't only sell coffee, but have a plethora of wonderful international foods such as dates, nuts, frozen goods, bread and of course this bacon.  It's a bit pricey at $8.99 for the package, but considering how many mouths that will feed and how satisfied everyone will be, it's worth it.

So without further ado, here's how we prepared the world's greatest bacon:

The Greateast Ultra-Thick Bacon (serves 6)

Ingredients:
Ultra-thick bacon that I reference above.  You can get this at a specialty foods store or a European market in your neighborhood.
Maple syrup (optional but recommended)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice bacon into very thick slices (about 1/2 inch) and place on a prepared baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  If you have one, place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet instead and put the bacon on top - that way when it's in the oven, the grease drips down on the lined baking sheet and the bacon remains crispy.

Brush bacon slices with maple syrup.  Place prepared bacon in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the bacon starts bubbling.  Turn your oven up to broil, and continue cooking for about 5-10 minutes more.  Take a peek half-way through to make sure that you don't burn the bacon. 

Take bacon out of the oven and let rest for a few minutes.  Serve with your favorite breakfast dish and let your tastebuds do the rest of the work.