Rosa Mexicano In Miami Florida

My husband and I took a trip to Miami Florida on July 14th-17th of 2016. 

This was the first time ever seeing the ocean up close and personal and let me tell you, was that the most exciting experience ever. 

I felt the warm southern sand between my toes and felt the warm waves crash against me. 

But that wasn't the only highlight of our trip! 

While searching for a gluten free restaurant, I stumbled upon a little restaurant called 

Rosa Mexicano

Mary Brickle Village 

900 South Miami Avenue 

Miami, FL 33130 

At first I wasn't sure if they would fully understand what GLUTEN FREE means and if this place would even be able to cater to my strict rules when it comes to preparing my meal correctly, but I am pleased to say that they exceeded my expectations. Right as we sat down at one of their tables, they greeted us with a bowl of their homemade salsa and fresh (warm to the touch) crispy chips. The salsa had the perfect amount of seasoning and tasted fresh, the chips were salted perfectly.  The gluten free menu was pretty large, the waiter reassured me that majority of everything they cook at this restaurant is gluten free and they understand the need for gluten free food & special preparations. 

 We decided since we were celebrating our 9th year wedding anniversary, we might as well splurge a little and ordered their famous guacamole. The guacamole was like heaven in your mouth.

It was smooth and creamy, the ingredients were fresh, and taste of the tomatoes and cilantro just filled your mouth with every bite. When I think back on that night, I seriously hope I wasn't loudly moaning at the pleasure my taste buds were experiencing. 

(We got sucked into how amazing the guacamole tasted and forgot to take a photo of it.)

Before I ordered my main dish, I went ahead and ordered a coke.

Keep in mind, I am used to standard Cocoa cola, which at times can be pretty strong in the fizziness/carbonation department, but this coke had all the cokes I've ever drank in my life beat. It was still strong in carbonation, but more sweet in flavor. It really didn't have the bitter after taste that I have become accustomed to. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by this soda. 

I think it may have been Mexican Coke?. 

What ever the case, if you go here, order their coke, it is AMAZING! 

I decided to order gluten free Budin de pollo, which is braised chicken tinga layered with soft corn tortillas, chihuahua cheese, roasted Mexican peppers and grilled corn. With pablano cream sauce. 

This dish is on the spicy side but totally worth it. You can definitely taste the home made corn tortillas  and Mexican peppers. The chicken is moist and the corn was delicious. The sauce was creamy but once again spicy. My favorite had to be the cheese though, there was so much cheese on here, I was in cheese heaven. This is a dish I totally recommend trying. 

My husband ordered Tampiqueña de Carne Asada, (from the regular menu)  

which is a grilled skirt steak marinated in quajillo chile and tequila with rajas con crema, guacamole and a chihuahua cheese enchilada topped with a roasted tomato sauce. 

My husband said this meal was delicious. 

We were dining outside and this was our beautiful view. I love to see the city life. 

There is something about the glowing lights and the tall buildings that just brings joy to me. 

You add that with great gluten free food and the ocean, makes for a great little get away.

                          Thank you to my wonderful groom for bringing me to Miami Florida! 

Overall, I give this restaurant a 5 out of 5 star rating, because it's THAT GOOD! 

 

Rosa Mexicano's Gluten Free Lunch Menu

Lunch Menu 

Rosa Mexicano's Gluten Free Dinner Menu

Dinner Menu  

 

Culvers

On the 14th of this month, I was informed by my sister in laws friend that her husband eats at CULVERS all of the time and he himself has Celiacs Disease and has had no adverse reactions from eating there. Even through the news was both exciting and promising, I was nervous and hesitant to give them a try (do you blame me?). We pulled up to the Culvers in Rochester Minnesota and it was then that  I decided to give this restaurant a try. I  was told to inform the person behind the register that this is for a Gluten Allergy, even though you and I know Celiacs is more than just an allergy. I told them I needed a gluten free bun and I would also like to include the mashed potatoes and green beans (as their fries are apparently not gluten free). The person behind the register totally understood everything I had to say, even went as far as to ask me how severe the allergy was to gluten, giving me the opportunity/chance to tell her I have Celiacs and that it is very serious. She told me that she would be careful basically. I had to assemble my  burger which I was totally okay with and honestly, it gave me more peace (in the cross contamination area). The burger was amazing and so was the mashed potatoes and green beans. I can safely say, I never got sick and I was happy to go again the very next day.

The next day was a little more challenging, I had a different lady this time and I don't think she understood the term (Gluten free) since after explaining to her that my order has to be gluten free, she asked me if I wanted a gluten free bun?. After I appeared a little annoyed, she quickly said sorry, because I think she realized why I was getting annoyed. If one wants to order a gluten free meal, one would assume that they want a gluten free bun. I really would not understand it, if someone said gluten allergy and then said they'd like a regular bun which as we all know contains GLUTEN. It would defeat the purpose. What ever the case, I ate at Culvers for the second time and once again, NEVER GOT SICK. I was able to speak with the manager at this specific Culvers and thank her for the ability to eat with my family again safely. I am so happy that Culvers has an option for us and I think I will be going to a Culvers again in the near future

Has anyone else tried their gluten free/gluten allergy menu and tried their buns (which I believe are UDI'S BUNS ) ?. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you.

The Fresh & Natural Foods

I was in search of a store that carried a certain gluten free product and stumbled upon this store. 

I was so beyond amazed at the HUGE selection of gluten free products they had there. 
They had anything from, bread, donuts, pretzels, soy sauce, to gluten free medication. 
Folks, this is like a gluten free super store or gluten free heaven. 

Let me just give you a little glimpse into this amazing store. 

In this picture way up on the top of the shelf you see some writing, if you look close enough you will notice that it is a sign saying that all the red tags mean that the store has already searched and made sure the product is indeed gluten free. So when on the price tags at the edge of the shelf, if you see a red tag, that means it is gluten free for sure. This helps us celiacs out big time. Now you can shop this store with ease. 
Just look for a product you'd like to try and see if it has a red tag, if it does, you are good to go. 
How neat is that, they did all the work for us, so we don't need to stand in front of the isle for 10 to 15 minuets searching on our phone trying to figure out if the product is indeed gluten free. 
In this photo you can already see the huge selection of gluten free cereal they have. 

When it comes to gluten free noodles, they have you covered as well. 

From spaghetti noodles, to elbow noodles, they have pretty much everything. 

Once again as you see in this picture, they have the red tags identifying them to be gluten free. 

I definitely recommend the Quinoa brand because that is really the closest you'll get to gluten noodles in taste and texture. 

We all have those times where we need a snack, Fresh and natural foods has this covered. 

With a pretty good selection of snack items like Bakery on Maine granola, WOW cookies and Udi's Granola, you're sure to find something that peaks your interested in these isles. 

They have a HUGE selection of Bob's Red Mill baking supplies. From flour to pie mix, they have pretty much everything your little baking heart desires. 

Now I was super amazed at the selection of food in just their freezer alone. 

In their freezers they have: donuts, pastries, bread, rolls, pie, soft pretzels, pizza, prepared meals, egg rolls, fish, breaded calamari.....the list goes on. Take a look and tell me this does not look just AMAZING. 

There is to many goodies in this store to list here, so you are just going to have to go check it out for yourself. Let me tell you first though, make sure you do not go in hungry and make sure you have a large budget or a large amount of money you are willing to put out because honestly this place will temp you into buying EVERYTHING. 

Need gluten free food? 

LOOK NO FURTHER! 

Have you been to this store before?. 

Tell me what you think by commenting below. 

Chick Fil A

My husband and I will periodically go to Chick Fil A in Coon Rapids Minnesota because we find their food to be amazing.

I love how they have a list of food that is considered gluten free. As you can see in the above picture,
my meal was the little mini grilled chicken nuggets. They are packed with flavor. When you bite into those little beauties the first thing you taste is the fact that it has been grilled, you then taste salt, pepper and then the moist fall apart in your mouth chicken. The waffle fries are a perfect combination of stiffness/crispy and yet soft. Their dipping sauce "Chick Fil A sauce" Is also gluten free and tastes SUPER AMAZING with the chicken and fries.

*Please note that the disclaimer on their website states that some of the spices and ingredients may not be gluten free and obviously not made in a dedicated gluten free area. Please make sure to notify the staff of your need for everything to be in it's own pan, new gloves, the counter cleaned off, made in a separate fryer as well as being cautious to not allow your food to touch any other gluten food.*


I have to give a shout out to Chick Fil A for having a gluten free menu and for making such delicious food.


Click on the link below to see Chick Fil A's gluten free menu & a store locator.

Chick Fil A's Gluten Free Menu

Restaurant Locator

I give this restaurant a 5 out of 5 star rating. 

Been here before?. 

I'd love to hear from you, please comment below. 

Costco

As you've probably read multiple times, my husband and I love to shop at Costco.
Having a family of 6 it is almost a no brainer.  
They are getting more and more gluten free items and I am loving it. 

Check this link out below for a list of gluten free items Costco currently sells. 
*Keep in mind that every Costco is different, one may carry a certain item and the other one does not. If need be you can always call ahead to see if they have that product at the Costco nearest you.*

Costco's Gluten Free Food List

Costco Store Locator

Attention readers

This page is currently under construction.
I have removed all photos on posts and will be little by little adding new very soon.
I am sorry for this inconvenience but I appreciate your patience.

-Gluten free momma

Chipotle In Blaine Minnesota

Chipotle Mexican Grill

10450 Baltimore St NE Blaine, MN 55449

My kids and I were in Blaine Minnesota yesterday as my daughter had a allergy appointment.
We didn't get out of the appointment till after lunch time and we were all super hungry.
Being I have Celiacs Disease, it makes getting a quick meal (or a safe meal in general) REALLY DIFFICULT.  I knew there was a Chipotle by the clinic, so I called them to see if they could accommodate my special order.

I spoke with the manager there at this Chipotle and explained my situation. Making sure to mention that I need to have a special bowl made from all fresh ingredients from the back so there was no risk of cross contamination. He told me he would be willing to do that for me, so I drove on over there.

The manager was beyond helpful & understanding and by the looks of it made the bowl himself.
It took a little longer then usual but that's what happens when you have to make a special order.
Honestly, I was willing to wait because this meant I was eliminating the risk of cross contamination & sickness afterwards.

The manager gave me updates as he made my meal, so I would know where it was at.

When he was done, he handed it to me in a bag and told me to have a nice day. I told him that I still needed to pay for this,  in which he said, "It's on me". In total shock I asked him again if I needed to pay for it and he shook his head (No) and told me that he hopes I enjoy my meal.

So not only did this manager at this specific Chipotle go out of his way to make a special meal for me, but he paid for it too. I feel so honored & special. 

Guys, if you need a place that will accommodate your special diet, LOOK NO FURTHER.

This place has great customer service, great management, superior understanding & just all around amazing.

Let's give this Chipotle our business because they deserve it.

I give this Chipotle a 5 out of 5 star rating. 

*SPECIAL NOTE: A big Thank you once again goes out to the Manager, you really blessed me.