Restaurant Review: EVOS

EVOS in Eastgate Shopping Center next to Trader Joe’s offers a healthier type of fast food. The burgers are without the usual extra hormones and antibiotics. The French fries called “Airfries” are gluten free because they are baked in an oven instead of fried in a fryer.

You can go here to see the complete EVOS menu. EVOS does not currently have a gluten free menu. The allergen menu on their website does not work yet because they are updating it. However, when you walk into EVOS there is a sign that reads, “Lower carb? Gluten free? Ask a team member.” The team member I talked to was very helpful and had all the knowledge involving gluten free options.

Before you walk up to the counter to order you'll see a display of healthy snacks you can purchase. I was surprised to see Kind bars, Think Thin bars, and other foods labeled as gluten free.

I decided to get a steak burger (minus bun, of course) with Airfries and a chocolate milkshake. I believe the Mesquite sauce was the only sauce that was not gluten free, but still make sure to ask. Though I was surprised that the food portions were smaller than normal I shouldn't have been because EVOS is a restaurant that helps people eat healthier.

When you visit EVOS you’ll see that their business concept revolves around social responsibility and being kind to the environment. The EVOS in Chapel Hill is the only one in North Carolina and there are not very many locations in other states. EVOS seems to be a little ahead of its time, but I hope that the concept of healthier, organic fast food continues to catch on even more.


View Larger Map

Gluten Free Bake Sale TODAY

There are flyers posted around the campus at UNC detailing a bake sale that is going on today. I apologize for the late notice. I just found out about it.

Here is the information I got from the flyer:

UNC SILS Special Libraries Association
Bake Sale - including vegan and gluten free
Today, Monday, April 20
11-4 pm
Outside Manning Hall

I contacted Brendan, who is in charge of the bake sale (brthomps@email.unc.edu) and he said that he was not sure which baked goods would be gluten free but there would probably be cookies. EDIT @ 1:50 pm - I was told that there are delicious gluten free brownies.

Here is a map showing where Manning Hall is located.

Here is the webpage from Visitor Services showing parking information.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to check out the bake sale today. If you get a chance to go, please let me know!

Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop

I frequently enjoy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that I purchase from the grocery store. I recently remembered that Ben & Jerry’s has a scoop shop at 102 West Franklin Street and wanted to see what that particular location had to say about gluten free options. I e-mailed Ben & Jerry’s and received an e-mail from Antonio, the catering coordinator at the shop in Chapel Hill.

The following is a list of gluten free options that you can get in a cup:

Ice Cream
Butter Pecan
Cherry Garcia
Chocolate Fair Trade
Chocolate Macadamia
Chunky Monkey
Coffee Fair Trade
Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz
Mint Chocolate Chunk
New York Super Fudge Chunk
Orange & Cream
Phish Food
Strawberry
Triple Caramel Chunk
Vanilla Fair Trade
Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch

Yogurt
Black Raspberry Swirl LF Yogurt
Strawberry Banana LF Yogurt
Vanilla LF Yogurt

Sorbet
Berry Berry Extraordinary
Lemonade
Mango Mango
Strawberry Kiwi

No Sugar Added (NSA)
NSA Vanilla Fudge Chip

The bottom of the e-mail says that you should let your ice cream scooper know if you have food allergies so that he or she can take any extra precautions to ensure your safety. Also, according to the website the hot fudge, caramel, and butterscotch sauces that the scoop shops serve are completely gluten free.

You can go here to read Ben & Jerry’s allergen statement concerning their ice cream that can be bought in grocery stores.

Ben & Jerry’s also has locations in Raleigh and Durham.

Twins Kitchen Update: Local Farmer's Markets

Twins Kitchen/Twin Cakes Bakery recently announced the upcoming 2009 Farmer's Market schedule and which markets they will be participating in. Stop in to any of the markets below in Raleigh, Chapel Hill or Hillsborough to try out their awesome Gluten Free products if you have never tried them. They will be offering a wide range of products at the market this year and of course everything offered is gluten/wheat free and vegan.

Mid-Town Farmer's Market (formally North Hills Farmer's Market)
8 AM - 12 PM every Saturday beginning April 11, 2009
Located by the movie theater at North Hills

Carrboro/Chapel Hill Farmer's Market (a.k.a. Southern Village Farmer's Market)
3:30 PM - 6:30 PM every Thursday beginning May 7, 2009
Located at Southern Village on Market Street

Hillsborough Farmer's Market
4 Pm - 7 PM every Wednesday beginning April 8, 2009
Located in the Home Depot parking lot on NC86 and I-85

If you have any special request or want to make a pre-order to pick up at the market please call the Twins at 919-306-5304.

Also, stay tuned for some more exciting news from Twin Cakes Bakery - they will soon have a brand new Web site up and running which will focus solely on their bakery products. They also will be offering dry mixes for you to take home and bake yourself. Stay tuned!

Honey Nut Chex Cereal Now at the Harris Teeter in Meadowmont

General Mills has recently announced that they will be reformulating a number of their cereals to be gluten free. You can read Zach’s post over at Gluten Free Raleigh for more details. I recently went to the Harris Teeter at Meadowmont and was very happy to find that the gluten free Honey Nut Chex is already on the shelves. I actually was not buying cereal, but the huge writing on the box caught my eye. The word is that the other cereals will be available by June 1.

Restaurant Review: Chill Bubble Tea

Chill Bubble Tea located at 145 E. Franklin Street offers a different type of drink. So, what exactly is bubble tea? I found the following on their website:

“Bubble Tea is a delicious combination of fruits or teas, blended together into a smoothie and poured over tapioca pearls. Tapioca pearls are small chewy pieces of tapioca which are made fresh at every Chill Bubble Tea store.”

I’ve been to Chill once before and got the almond flavor. It was delicious. They offer a variety of classic teas that include: avocado, cantaloupe, cherry, coconut, french vanilla, green tea latte, honeydew, lychee, milk tea, taro, and watermelon. The fresh fruit bubble teas include: strawberry, kiwi, banana, mango, and pineapple. I see on the homepage that there is a mocha bean bubble tea that I can’t wait to try!

If bubble tea isn’t your thing, they also have loose leaf teas. A list of flavors can be found here.

I contacted Chill yesterday to get the most up-to-date gluten free information. After calling corporate, I received this email:

To answer your questions, we do not use any wheat or gluten in any of our products. The only exception may be some of the toppings for the Chill Swirl frozen yogurts, such as the cereal toppings. As far as our bubble teas, loose leaf teas and our actual frozen yogurt, they are wheat and gluten free.

Please feel free to contact me with any other questions. Have a Chill day!

Samuel

samchae@chillbubbletea.com

As you can see above, the options are plenty with the exception of some of the creations toppings and cereal toppings.

Enjoy!

Petition to the Raleigh City Council - Food Allergen Poster

Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking about new ways to improve the lives of those with Celiac Disease and/or another food allergies. Dining out in restaurants is a big issue for the estimated 12 million Americans with a food allergy. For those of us on a Gluten Free Diet, we are well aware of the dangers of eating out.

About this same time, I saw an interesting article about something the City Council of New York City did. The NYC City Council actually passed a law which requires restaurants to display a food allergy education poster and will fine locations $100 for non-compliance. I thought this was a great idea and would be a good starting point in the education of food service workers in the food allergy arena. Of course this does not guarantee that food allergy sufferers can have a safe meal, but it is a start down that path. Food service workers need to know what the allergies are and how to prevent cross-contamination.

So, I decided to email the Raleigh City Council about the issue and my proposal. I offered up my services on the creation of the poster and anything else they would need. I have not heard back as of yet. In the meantime, I created an online petition to gain a little more ammunition. Please take just a few minutes to read the petition and to sign it. The more signatures, the more the City Council will take this issue seriously. Thanks for your time and support!

Click here to sign the Food Allergy Education Poster Petition to the City Council of Raleigh, North Carolina.

15,900

15,900 - That's my estimate on the number of Celiac's in Triangle area.

15,423 - If you go by the NFCA's estimate that 97% of Celiacs are undiagnosed, this is my estimate of undiagnosed Celiac cases in the Triangle.

So here we are, 477 of us - with more coming each day thanks to increasing awareness and better diagnosis. From the statistics kept on visitors to this blog and the number of RSS subscribers, I would estimate that about 120-140 of the 477 are reading this blog each day.

I didn't just make these numbers up of course, new information was released today (see this article from the N&O) about Triangle population estimates. The Raleigh-Cary area now tops the nation in growth.

The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area, which includes Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties, grew by 4.3 percent from July 2007 to July 2008, and is now home to close to 1.1 million people. It well outpaced its closest rival, the Austin, Texas, area, which grew by 3.8 percent, to become the national leader.

The national growth average was just under 1 percent.

The Triangle has been near the top of the nation's growth chart for more than a decade, as newcomers poured into the area to take jobs in technology, tourism and academia. The resulting building boom, and the jobs that came with it, drew hundreds of thousands of new residents.

The Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area, which includes Durham, Orange, Chatham and Person counties, didn't make the Top 10, but its population continued to swell at a steady 2.5 percent, up slightly from the year before. Just fewer than 490,000 people live in that area.

So there are 1.59 million Triangle residents. Some estimates say that 1% of the population in the US has Celiac. So what does this mean to all of us? The Triangle has a formidable number of Celiacs and this information should help drive the market for Gluten Free products. I hope to see more and more restaurants, grocery stores, etc... catering to us in the future. With almost 16,000 of the most loyal customers ever created, how could they not?

Restaurant Review: Spanky’s

Spanky’s Restaurant and Bar located at 101 E. Franklin Street is a place I often visit. I decided to call Spanky’s before going tonight so that I could have the most up-to-date gluten free info. The hostess who answered the phone was very knowledgeable. She told me that the ribs, barbeque plate, and hamburger without bun were all gluten free. I was told that customers often ask about gluten free options and I know from experience that servers are always very helpful. The hostess told me that any dish could be modified to be gluten free if I asked. Also, she offered to let me speak to the chef if I had a question about a certain dish. Tonight, as usual, I got the Carolina BBQ Plate with coleslaw. Just make sure to order fresh fruit instead of cornbread.

Spanky’s is open for lunch from 11 am to 4 pm seven days a week. The dinner hours are from 4 pm to 9:30 pm Sunday to Wednesday and 4 pm to 11 pm Thursday to Saturday.


View Larger Map

Restaurant Review: Hardee's

Hardee’s has two locations in Chapel Hill: 1800 Fordham Blvd and 6116 Farrington Rd. The Farrington Rd. location is off of Highway 54 at the light right before you merge onto I-40 East at Exit 273. I remembered I heard that Hardee’s had a 1/3 Low Carb Thickburger, so I thought it was time I tried it. The low carb burger is made from 100% Black Angus beef and has everything that a “regular” burger does minus the bun.

I had not tried fast-food except for a few times since I was diagnosed with celiac disease almost three years ago. I could not believe how good the Low Carb Thickburger was! One burger is around $3.50 which is more than most fast-food burgers but is definitely worth it.

You can view the PDF concerning allergen information here. It was updated January 26, 2009.

I did not think to see if the French fries were cooked in a dedicated fryer, but I will have to ask next time I go. After I got home I realized that the allergen menu indicates that the ice cream minus cookie dough and cookies and cream is gluten free. That’s another thing I will have to look into soon. If you happen to gain any insight into either of those things, let me know!

The 1/3 Low Carb Thickburger is a great alternative to the usually pricey gluten free food!

Restaurant Review: Carmine's - Valentine's Day

Carmine's Ristorante and Pizzeria is located at 1800 E. Franklin Street in Eastgate Plaza to the right of Stein Mart. I saw on their website that they can accommodate gluten free diets, so I went to check it out. It says to ask about vegetarian and vegan diets as well. I decided to go to Carmine's at lunch today because I knew they'd be less busy and I wanted to make sure they'd have all the time I needed to talk about gluten free options.

The waiter was very informative and told me that I was able to choose from gluten free ziti and spaghetti. If you ask, the waiter can also advise you on what chicken dishes to order. I was told that several of the dishes are dusted with flour before they're cooked, but that I could request no flour. I was told that Redbridge beer is also available. I decided to order the baked ziti without meat sauce and a glass of water. I was impressed that bread wasn't mentioned and that the waiter didn't bring any wheat bread to our table. Usually, in a restaurant if I ask for gluten free they'll still bring a basket of bread. The waiter apologized that my order took a little longer, but I didn't mind because I know it was because my meal needed more attention. I was just glad that gluten free pasta was an option!

When I got my receipt, I looked twice because it indicated that I was charged an extra dollar for whole grain pasta. The waiter assured me that the marker was only a substitute because there isn't a gluten free button on the register. Only one more dollar for gluten free pasta is a great deal! Two gluten free entrees and two glasses of water was only $30 including tip!


View Larger Map

Restaurant Review: Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill located at 301 W. Franklin St. has a variety of gluten free options. They also provide a list that indicates how to avoid any of the top eight allergens. You can view the menu here:

http://www.chipotle.com/Chipotle_Allergen_Card.pdf

Everything is gluten free except for the obvious wheat burrito tortillas and soft wheat taco tortillas.

In addition, under the FAQ section there is information on how Chipotle can help accommodate a vegan or vegetarian diet.

From their website (www.chipotle.com):

I am a vegan. What can I eat?
You should avoid our pinto beans (they are cooked with a small amount of bacon), meats (duh, I know), cheese, sour cream, and chipotle-honey vinaigrette.

I am a vegetarian. What can I eat?
You should avoid our pinto beans (they are cooked with a small amount of bacon) and our meats. Our cheese is made with a vegetable-based rennet, and our sour cream is 100% cultured cream. If your own personal vegetarian guidelines therefore allow you to eat these dairy items, then that's terrific. If not, then you should avoid them. Please note this information is different for those who choose a vegan diet.

The gluten free options include crispy tacos, salads, and bowls. To go with those three options you can pick from chicken, steak, barbacoa, rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, black beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, guacamole, four types of salsa, etc. The plain tortilla chips are also gluten free.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Chipotle and ordered the crispy chicken tacos with pinto beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream along with chips and fresh tomato salsa. I didn’t have any problems. Chipotle advises that you ask the employees to change gloves when preparing your meal to be sure that you avoid any cross-contamination.

I decided to use Chipotle’s online ordering system the first time I went so I would have all the time I needed to look at the gluten free options. Just make sure that you call the restaurant after placing your order online as indicated on the website.

I will definitely be going back to Chipotle again soon!

View Larger Map

New Guest Chapel Hill Blogger - Lauren Rouse

Allow me to introduce Lauren Rouse who will become a guest blogger for Gluten Free Chapel Hill.

See my post over at Gluten Free Raleigh about Lauren.

More to come from Lauren and her Chapel Hill experiences very soon!

Stay tuned.

Chapel Hill, NC Bloggers Needed

Live in Chapel Hill, NC?

Live the Gluten Free Lifestyle?

Interested in helping others in your city?

If you have any questions or interest writing about Chapel Hill, NC please email me.