Sirena Taco Joint & Bar

Sirena Taco Joint & Bar

If you dont need to eat gluten free, you definately need to try this place.  However, if you do need to eat gluten free, Remember to double check your stuff!

The first thing I ordered was a sauvignon blanc.  When the waitress returned she handed me a glass of red wine.  I said, "Is this a Sauvignon blanc?" because I thought maybe there was a red variety I didn't know existed, but no she looked at it and headed back to the bar.  She returned shortly with a nice dry Sauvignon blanc.  

Mexican restaurants are usually not on my list of approved places to eat because I can't have gluten or bell peppers, but since this place is more like a Mexican fusion restaurant and I was told they could make most things gluten free, I decided to give it a try.

I looked over the menu and immediately zeroed in on the soft shell crab taco.  This was right up my alley as soft shell crab is one of my favorites.  I asked the waitress to check with the kitchen if they could do it gluten free.  She returned and said they could not make it because it went through the fryer.

I definitely don't want something that goes through the fryer with all the other gluteny stuff because it would no longer be gluten free.  If they really wanted to accommodate a gluten free diner, they would just saute it in a pan like most places would for me.  As long as they don't bread it, sauteing things that would normally go through the fryer is a wonderful option.  In fact, I like the soft shell crab taco idea so much, I think I'll go home and make one myself, since I couldn't get one here!

I asked the waitress for some suggestions and she offered about six different tacos that she said could be made gluten free. One of which was the BBQ shrimp taco without the BBQ sauce.

I like grilled shrimp enough to get a grilled shrimp taco.  I asked about the sweet potato fries.  She said she'd check with them on the fries and they would omit them if they was a gluten problem.

My open faced shrimp tacos arrived.  They looked awesome.  The presentation was nice.  My companions saw the sweet potato fries and mentioned that they looked like they went through the fryer.  I agreed, and before I took a bite, I asked the waitress to check to see if they went through the fryer.  She returned and cheerfully asked me to hand her my plate. 

She said she would have them remake the entire thing & not just pick the fries off.  I would sure hope so.  If they didn't, I'd still get sick just from cross contamination contact.  Not only that, they were mixed in so well, they might not get them all.

My second set of tacos arrived.  These ones were much more plain.  Only grilled shrimp, cilantro, and a small drizzle of guacamole.  You would think if they were eliminating so many things from the taco, they would add more of the things I can have, or at least not skimp on the guacamole.  At this point, I've taken apart the taco so much, that it's not really worth paying $12 for it.  If I could have it the way the chef intended, I truly believe it would be worth the price. 

I think I might have to give this place another try in order to really review it well because this taco was a completely different taco than the chef intended after I requested that it suit my dietary restrictions.  I get the feeling that there is very little on the menu that a gluten free diner can have without modifying it.  I know there is nothing on the menu I can have without modifying it. 

https://www.facebook.com/sirenatacojointandbar

Mitchell's FIsh Market in the Galleria

Mitchell's Fish Market

Mitchell's in the Galleria has a large bar & dining area.  The decor is somewhat like a Applebees.  The first thing I noticed when we were shown to our booth was the smell.  It was awful.  I'm not going to try to guess what the smell was, but I was glad I walked past it & it didn't linger at our booth.

They actually had a gluten free menu.  Of course, like most gluten free menus, you had to use the regular menu to see the price of the items.  That is kind of annoying.  But anyways, you could pick from a few appitizers, salads, and entrees and the amount of gluten free items were acceptable.
 
I was offered gluten free bread, which I accepted.  When it was delivered, I was told it was the last piece, which scares me a little.  Where has it been?  Why is it the last one?   Why isn't there more?  Is it frozen or fresh? 

Anyways, it was pretty good for gluten free bread.  The whipped butter helped.  Whipped butter could probably make anything taste good, but I think it was a reasonably good piece of gluten free bread.
  

I ordered the grilled shrimp & scallops with seasonal vegetables.   It came with smashed potatoes.  The potatoes were unevenly smashed.  I found a very large chunk of potato in the middle.  The taste wasn't anything special. 

The vegetables were crisp and steamed.  I didn't care much for the carrots, as they were a little dry, but the broccoli and green beans were pretty good.  They had a nice snap when you bit into them.

I guess I'm just spoiled with frequenting downtown restaurants and ordering their scallops.  These were ok.  They were a nice size.  

Scallops should be seared on the outside & medium rare on the inside.  The key to perfect scallops is to get the pan really hot before putting the scallops in the pan or on the grill.  They weren't seared on the outside, but at least they weren't rubbery.

The shrimp were nothing special.  They were sprinkled with paprika and covered in a butter sauce. They were a little small, but still a decent size and they were just so-so as far as shrimp goes.

http://www.mitchellsfishmarket.com/
1500 Washington Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15228

NOLA on the Square

NOLA's grand reopening

NOLA has a New Orleans inspired theme.  Jazz figures and picture adorn the walls. The lights are dim and intimate. They added additional seating on the patio for the grand reopening.  I've been here a few times and have always had a pleasant experience.  I opted to sit on the patio.  The chairs were surprisingly comfortable.

The frog legs are the best skinless chicken wings you'll ever taste. The meat is tender and moist.  The sauce is light, lemony, and buttery with a hefty amount of bacon. And I love the micro greens sprinkled on top. I ate them, too.

I ordered the Herb grilled chicken. They substituted the dirty rice for whipped potatoes because of the peppers in the rice, although it is gluten free.  They were smooth and peppery with a hint of fresh lemon juice squeezed over them.  The asparagus was crispy and peppery.  It snapped when you bit into it. 

The herb grilled chicken was amazing.  The skin tasted like it had been fried, but wasn't greasy.  It must have been cooked at a extremely high temperature for a short amount of time because the outside was so crunchy and the inside was moist and juicy.  

They really make an effort to accommodate clients with dietary restrictions.  The waitress asked if there were any allergies before we even ordered.  If the kitchen catches something the server didn't, they offer you more options.  I will definitely be back.

Just in case you wanted to see the quail. It wasn't gluten free, though, because of the oyster stuffing.

They changed the menu slightly from the last time I was here, but most of the same items were back on the menu.

 

http://www.nolaonthesquare.com/

24 Market Square

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

The Dive Bar And Grill in Lawrenceville

Dive Bar & Grill in Lawrenceville

Not very accommodating to customers with dietary restrictions.

Why do I feel like they cooked my food with peppers?  Maybe because three quarters of the way through this meal I started to feel dizzy and nauseated.  I had really bad indigestion and my chest tightened up.  I had to go lay down for a few hours after this meal.  I almost threw up, but didn't.  This is what happens when something is cooked with peppers.  I specifically told the server that I was allergic to peppers.  And when I said that, I meant it.  Not like the people who tell you that because they don't like things, but really.

First I asked the server to ask the kitchen if they could do the citrus glazed salmon on risotto without gluten or peppers.  She came back with a yes.  After ordering about 10 to 15 minutes ago, she came back and told me that the citrus glaze has red pepper flakes in it and asked if that was okay.  I told her no, just to be safe.  Red pepper flakes are usually made from a variety of ancho, bell, cayenne, and other dried red peppers with a high quantity of seeds to intensify the heat.

She looked at me with a blank look and asked what I wanted to do without offering any options.  I said just skip it, although I'd rather have them make something similar or put lemon on it or something.  But it seemed like there were no chefs in the kitchen, only cooks who are heating up pre-made sauces with no creativity of their own.  First they say no peppers can be done, then they wait until they are making it to realize that there was peppers in the sauce.  Great!  I wonder what they don't know is in the risotto that they didn't make.  

The salmon was cooked perfectly.  It looked nice on the plate.  I was a little skeptical of the rice.  It had chicken broth in it, which may contain gluten and the carrots and zucchini looked like peppers.  Green onions garnished the plate.  I happen to love green onions in small quantities.  

The green & reddish orange bits in the rice seemed to be carrots & zucchini.  But when I started to not feel so well, I got the feeling that they picked the peppers out, added the glaze to the salmon & then wiped it off, or just plan old cross contaminated my food with peppers. 

Although everything was tasty, the feeling it gave me to eat here will cause me to not come back.  I didn't feel like they could accommodate people with dietary restrictions very well. 

5147 Butler St Pittsburgh, PA 15201

http://www.divebarandgrille.com/

The Elbow Room

Looking over the menu at first glance made me want to leave. Everything looked like bar food, pasta and sandwiches which all contained gluten. Only one appetizer looked like something I could eat and thought I'd inquire about its gluten content. It was the asparagus and fresh mozzarella wrapped prosciutto with a balsamic glaze. When I asked the server, she said she was sure it would be fine because she has a regular with Celiac disease that orders it all the time but would check with the kitchen for peace of mind.  That's exactly what I love to hear at a restaurant. She'll go the extra mile for me.

It was delicious, although I felt it may have been misrepresented in the menu.  This was not what I think of when you say prosciutto.  This was a thick sliced ham wrapped around melted fresh mozzarella and perfectly cooked asparagus.  It was garnished with a balsamic glaze and micro greens.  It was really tasty.  I thought about ordering more because it just didn't seem like enough, but instead I decided to ask the server what else on the menu her client orders, because I was having trouble finding enough gluten free options to keep me coming back.

As it turns out, they offer gluten free bread for the sandwiches and gluten free penne & spaghetti for the pastas.  I was impressed.  The menu should have said something about this option.  And on further review, the menu did mention gluten free bread upon request.  Maybe that should have been highlighted.  Maybe they should mention the pasta, too!

I ordered the gluten free penne with chicken pesto.  The chicken was grilled to perfection.  The portion size of the pasta was overwhelming.  The sauce was... pesto.  Although it was nothing special, eating gluten free pasta at a restaurant was something special.  I must admit, the pasta wasn't the best gluten free pasta I've ever had, but I didn't have to cook it myself and that counts for something.  I believe the pasta was a corn pasta because of it's rubbery texture.  This is a common texture for corn based gluten free pasta.  It's not bad, but it's not as good as quinoa based pastas.  I can see why a restaurant would choose corn or brown rice pastas over quinoa.  Quinoa pasta is a lot more expensive.  I really didn't have an issue with this pasta.  It's just not my favorite.

Overall, this is a great place to find gluten free meals.

5533 Walnut St

Pittsburgh, PA 15232

http://www.elbowroompittsburgh.com/