Union Pig & Chicken

Union Pig & Chicken

The inside of Union Pig & Chicken is reminiscent of a family reunion picnic.  The tables are large picnic table like tables that encourage large groups and communal dining.  I'm not a big fan of eating at a table with strangers, and I must admit, the first time I came here I was a bit turned off by the whole concept.  It stays true to the theme - southern hometown BBQ. 

The waitress was very pleasant and knowledgable about the menu.  Anything she couldn't answer, she promptly asked the kitchen and returned with an answer.  The menu is concise.  Everything on it sticks to the BBQ theme.

I always order the BBQ chicken because its gluten free.  It comes in different sizes - quarter, half, and whole chicken.  I like to order the whole chicken so I have lunch the next day.  The perfect portion size for me is a half chicken.

The BBQ chicken is the moistest chicken I've ever had.  It's skin is slightly crispy with a but of spicy heat from the dry rub. It has a smoky flavor that will keep you coming back for more.  It's even great cold the next day, provided you like cold chicken, which I do.  Or you can heat it up.

For the side, I ordered the braised red cabbage.  The waitress was nice enough to check with the kitchen to see what it was braised in.  She told me spices and apple cider vinegar which were all gluten free.  So I tried it.  It was like a mild sauerkraut.  It wasn't nearly as good as the brussels sprouts with bacon I had the time before.  I was a bit disappointed that they told me brussels sprouts were a seasonal item and it was no longer in season.  Union Pig & Chicken made brussels spouts and bacon taste so good, I bought brussel sprouts and made a similar version at home.  

On the non gluten free side of things, Union Pig & Chicken has incredible ribs and pork.  Even though I can't eat them, my companions loved both the ribs and the pork.  I hear the cornbread is also very good, although I can't eat it.  

Other sides that are gluten free are the grits and the greens.  Maybe next time I'll work up the nerve to try them.  I'm not a fan of either, but I wasn't a fan of brussel sprouts until these guys cooked them in bacon! Bacon makes everything better.

220 N Highland Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206
http://www.unionpgh.com/

Andy's Sushi Bar at Wholey's

Lunch time at wholey's on a Friday in Lent is a mad house.  The line for the fried fish sandwich wraps around the store.  Even though I obviously can't have this delicious treat, my companions can.  And it's huge.  This fried fish sandwich is the truth!

The line for Andy's Sushi was much smaller... and that's what I came for.  While waiting for Andy to make the orders in front of me, he offered me a slice of a fresh roll.  I love free samples, but I saw him douse it with a sauce.  I quickly asked if it was gluten free.  He said no and cut another slice, sprinkled on a different sauce, and handed it to me saying, "Gluten free."

It was mildly spicy.  I like fresh rolls, but it was hard to compare it to others I've had because of the sauce.

I ordered a California Roll and a Mango Salmon Roll Special.  He used real crab meat in my California Roll and both rolls were stuffed with fresh ingredients.  Andy was careful not to use soy sauce or other gluten containing ingredients.

First, I tried the Mango Salmon Roll.  The sauce was a tangy and sweet mango flavor.  Inside was salmon, avocado, asparagus, basil, cucumber, and mango.  The rice was wrapped  around the outside of the seaweed.  It was delicious.

Then I tried the California Roll.  The crab meat was canned, which was better than fake crab sticks because they have wheat starch in them, but not as good as actually using snow crab leg sections like I do when I make them.  It had the typical crab, cucumber, and avocado, but also had asparagus in it as well.  I welcomed this addition to my California Roll. 

For the price, I thought I should save half to get two meals out of it. I didn't think I'd be able to eat everything in my container, but I couldn't stop eating it.   This sushi is a bit pricey, but well worth it.  Yum.  I didn't get sick & I'll be back! 

http://www.wholey.com/
1711 Penn Ave in the strip district

BD's Mongolian Grill

Although I'm not a big supporter of franchise restaurants, BD's Mongolian Grill is an interesting take on stir-fry.  You get a bowl.  You take the bowl to the buffet of raw meats and vegetables and stuff as much in the bowl as you can.  Then you pick a sauce or two and take it to the grill.  They ask you if you have any food allergies.  If you do, they block off your portion of the grill with something that looks like an over sized door stopper.  After it's cooked, they put it in a different bowl and you proceed to your seat to eat it.

Only a few sauces are gluten free and it's up to your discretion to pick gluten free items from the buffet.  With good choices and communication, this place is a win for being gluten free friendly.

I doubled up on my sauce choice.  I found that when using the gluten free buffalo sauce, it's best to use it as a dipping sauce because if you have the cooks add it to your order, everything tastes like buffalo sauce and you can't taste the difference between anything in your bowl.  I chose to use the gluten free lemon sauce on the grill.

I stuffed my bowl with beef, chicken, scallops, broccoli, green onions, squash, and mushrooms.  Some of the items on the buffet don't always look too fresh.  Sometimes the meats are still frozen or the vegetables are a little wilted.  You have to really look at what you're choosing.  Also, its good to take notice of what items are next to non gluten free items.  Sometimes things can get mixed with gluten items on the buffet.

The cook blocked the grill off, cooked my bowl, and handed it back to me.  I picked a pretty good bowl of food.  I probably wouldn't use the lemon sauce again.  I think I prefer to just have my meat and vegetable cooked plain and dip them in buffalo sauce while I'm eating.

BD's Mongolian Grill is located at 428 South 27th Street in the Southside. 

http://www.gomongo.com/

Tamari

Tamari

It's hard to find great restaurants that offer gluten free options.  For me, it's not a choice, but a necessity.  If a restaurant cross contaminates my food with gluten, I may have an unpleasantly upset stomach and a lethargic attitude for a week.   So I have to find restaurants that either offer a gluten free menu, that make everything to order and can modify my meal on demand, or I have to cook my meal myself. Last night I dined at Tamari in Lawrenceville. Their website says Tamari means "to do everything with passion" and I can get down with that sentiment.   

Tamari is a charming little spot in trendy Lawrenceville, located at 3519 Butler St.  A cute gated patio is at the enterence and would be a wonderful spot when the weather gets warmer.  Inside, the lighting is dim, but cozy.  There's not many tables in the place; I counted about ten tables that were mainly two tops.  I'm told they have more dining upstairs, but on a week night, they contain their seating to the main dining area.  There was plenty of seats at the bar slash open kitchen, but none were empty.  A reservation is recommended.  

I looked over the menu. It was mainly tapas Asian fusion creations and sushi.   I was greated by a friendly server and I asked if they had a gluten free menu or if he could help me find some gluten free options on the menu.  He told me there wasn't a gluten free menu but he would help me with my selection after I ordered a drink. I ordered a glass of Sofia Mini champaign.

I drink a lot of champaign. It's always gluten free and I don't have to worry. And I like the taste. The champaign arrived in a mini can. This was odd, but I ordered it and would obviously drink it.  

The server poured the sparkling beverage into a fluke with a lemon twist in it. It made the whole drink taste lemony.  I think they were trying to make it more fancy.  If given the opportunity, I'd drink it again regardless of the can.

The server pointed out a few gluten free items and a few obviously not gluten free items on the menu and I sent him to double check on the mushroom sauté.  Upon his return, he relayed that the mushrooms are gluten free. I asked if the crab in the California rolls was real, but to my disappointment, it was fake which has gluten in it.  So I chose the mussel perpetration of the day, the mushroom sauté, and the Asian tamales. I was excited to find out what Asian tamales would be like.

After a reasonalable amount of time, the mushroom sauté and mussels arrived at the table.  The mussels were a bit small, but not chewy. They were prepared in a tomato basil sauce that was chunky like marinara on the top and a thin sauce that had drained to the bottom.  The sauce was heavy on the basil, which was alright with me because I like basil far more than I like tomatoes.  It scarred me a little that toast came on the side.  It was, however, on a separate plate.

The mushrooms were a mix of shiitake, hon shimeji, quinoa, watercress, mojo, and chili oil. The mix of soft mushrooms and little crunchy bits was a pleasant texture in my mouth, but I thought they had too much of a peppery kick.  On the side of the plate was orange sauce swirls.  The passion was in the presentation.

I was a bit afraid that these swirls wouldn't be gluten free, so I steered clear of them, eating around them. I've been burnt by sauces and dressings before. It's better to be safe than sorry. 

The server came back to tell me he was sorry the Asian tamales were not gluten free.  This was okay with me; I'd rather have the kitchen catch a non gluten free item and tell me I can't order it than have them serve me something that will make me sick. So I picked the Scottish salmon and beef tenderloin with the teriyaki sauce (not gluten free) on the side from the robata grill section.  I was told everything from the robata grill could be made gluten free.

Both skewers were small. I mean really small. The salmon was one bit of delicious fish, but left me wanting something more.  The beef tenderloin was almost the perfect amount of rare in the middle, yet still very tasty.  I saw less passion in the robata grilled items, as they were very plain, but maybe that was because they were careful making them gluten free.

I was still hungry. I ordered a ahi tuna sushi roll. I was told there was no ahi tonight and it was substituted with another high grade tuna, one of which I didn't recognize.

While waiting, a different server reset the table with new plates, chopsticks, soy sauce dishes, and soy sauce in a little pitcher.  Soy sauce is not gluten free and I know this, while tamari is a gluten free soy sauce. I found it odd that a place named Tamari didn't have any Tamari for their sushi or sauces. 

The tuna roll arrived and satisfied my hunger.  The roll was cut into six slices and they were a normal proportion compared to most sushi rolls.  the seaweed wrapper was crisp, but not flaky and easy to chew.  Ginger and wasabi garnished the place.  Then the meal was complete.  

The server offered dessert. The creme brûlée flavor was chocolate mint. I passed due to the possibility of barley powder in the chocolate.  

I would know if I've been glutened within a few hours. I think it's safe to say, Tamari can successfully cater to people who have gluten free needs.  Thanks Tamari, I'll return!

http://www.tamaripgh.com/