Oreo Came Out With Gluten Free Oreo's

 Oreo Came Out With Gluten Free Oreo's

I'm pretty excited for gluten free Oreo Cookies.  I haven't had an Oreo is about ten years.  Since I was afraid that I wouldn't find them on the shelves, I preordered three packages.  They all shipped separately.  That made me even more nervous about their availability.  After they showed up, I did find them on the shelf at Walmart, so I grabbed another package just in case.  Yeah, they were that good.

I've tried the knock off gluten free Oreos in the past.  They never could get the chocolate flavor right.  But since these were made by Oreo, they do have an authentic Oreo taste. 

The first package I opened were the Double Stuff.  Upon looking at them, I thought this must be a mistake.  They look nothing like the picture.  And if they were actually the Double Stuff, the regular ones must be pretty sad.  And honestly, the regular ones were.  

 

Double Stuff on Left Regular on Right

The Double Stuff Oreos I remember from back in the day had a lot more filling.  So really, if I were you, I'd skip the regular & just buy the Double Stuff, because it's so much more worth it.

Another great part about the gluten free Oreos is that they cost about the same price as original Oreos.  Usually gluten free stuff is so much more expensive.

Unfortunate, most of my Oreos had cracks in them.  This may have been caused by shipping.  This may be caused by being gluten free.  They taste great either way.  I've already ripped through a package and a half.

Thanks Oreo's.  Job well done.

These Are Not The Macarons I am Looking For

Have you tried the macarons at Aldi? These were not the macarons I was expecting.  I previously bought the ones that were in raspberry, vanilla, pistachio, salted caramel, lemon, and chocolate.  The box said may contain wheat.  It was a risk I was willing to take because none of the ingredients were actually wheat.  Usually, this means they are processed in a facility or possibly shared equipment.  I've had several boxes of these.  They didn't seems to have any negative effects on me.  And just so we're clear, macarons are supposed to be gluten free.

One day at Sam's club, I saw macaron's in the freezer section.  I picked up the box & started reading.  I was disappointed that they listed wheat as an ingredient pretty high up.  Put them back immediately.

Aldi has always amazed me.  Things that don't say gluten free, but are a lot of times don't bother me, like the potato skins.  But the gluten free flour, I can't stomach, if you know what I mean.  It tastes fine, but it is not gluten free in my book.  Don't cheap out.  Get Bob's Red Mill.  They have a dedicated plant & know what they are doing.  So... Back to the macarons.

When I opened the box to snap a few photos, I noticed that these were definitely a different color than I was expecting.    I looked at the box & saw the flavors - Coconut, lemon curd, lime, raspberry, blackcurrant, and apricot.  Huh?  Where was salted caramel and chocolate?  Eh. I'll eat some while I'm shooting photos.  Big mistake.

After feeling mildly uncomfortable and not knowing why, I sat down to write this blog post.  I looked at the ingredients & saw the glucose syrup was made from wheat.  This is a common thing.  You have to watch out for glucose syrups.  But this time it was clearly labeled on the box & because the other flavors seemed fine, I didn't bother to read this one's box.  The other flavors were too delicious to care if I have a mild irritation. I don't think I did, though. Maybe it was worth it. 

My mild irritation with these ones are not bad. Really, it's more like a mild cross contamination, but I still must warn you against these treats. And they are not as good as the other flavors. Just not worth the risk. 

I'm pretty sure the other flavors were not labeled as such or I wouldn't have even bought hem in the first place.  Well, coconut isn't a big enough temptation to me to risk feeling sick.  I guess I'll have to gift the remaining macarons to a friend.  Good thing I didn't eat too many. 

Maybe I'll make my own.

Gluuteny Pizza Crust Mix

Gluuteny Pizza Crust Mix

For my birthday this year, a couple of the guys at work bought me some gluten free items.  One was Gluuteny's Pizza Crust mix.  I finally got a chance to try it.

First I must mention that not only is it gluten free, but it is dairy & egg free also.  The pizza crust I make from scratch usually has both.

The package says the only thing you need is 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water.  Sounds simple.

The instructions say to beat all the ingredients together, roll it on a pizza pan, add the toppings and bake.  That's not usually how I make my crusts.  I like doughy crusts.  I don't like flat cardboard or flatbread crusts that gluten free pizzas are usually associated with.

To make a doughy crust, I usually proof my yeast, let my dough rise in a ball, punch it down, shape it in the pan, let it rise again, prebake the crust, then add toppings & bake again.  But okay, I'll follow the directions on the package, even though I'm not good at following directions.

The package contains a white powered mix & a package of Red Star Active Dry Yeast.  That's a good yeast.  I'd use that in my own pizza crust.  Pretty pleased there.

I was going to use a pizza stone to cook my pizza.  After mixing in the yeast package, adding 1 1/2 cups of warm water to the mix, it seemed to runny for the pizza stone.  I questioned the amount of water added.  It looked way too runny.  But okay, I'm following the directions.

I oiled my large cast iron pan with my favorite olive oil, Oilio.  I love supporting local companies & they are Pittsburgh based.  The Olive farm is in Greece, but they are based here in Pittsburgh.

I preheated the oven to 450 -a bit hotter than I would normally.

I slopped the dough into the oiled pan.  I spread it around.  At this point, it seemed to flow better than my homemade crust.  I added sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, and more cheese.

When the oven was heated, I put the pie in the oven & hoped for the best.  I set the timer for 18 mins, waited & pulled out a surprizingly doughy pizza from the oven.

It was pretty darn good.  It was doughy.  It didn't fall apart.  It held its shape.  And it tasted delicious.  Thanks guys for the pizza!  If you get a chance, try Gluuteny's Pizza Crust mix!

Gluuteny Backery
1923 Murray Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
www.gluuteny.com

Gluten Free Giblet Gravy

This is the best gluten free gravy I've tasted. Try it and see for yourself. It's savory goodness will have you drizzling it on everything from mashed potatoes, sandwiches, to French fries. Make your gluten free Thanksgiving a hit this year with this amazing recipe!! 

Gluten Free Giblet Gravy

1 chopped yellow onion
3 celery stalks
giblets from the turkey
2 branches of fresh sage
1 Tablespoon xanthan gum
4 cups of water

Put onion, celery, giblets, sage in a pot and fill with enough water to cover, about 4 cups.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer covered for 2-3 hours while turkey is roasting.  Strain liquid and place back in pot.  Pick meat of turkey neck and place in strained liquid.  Break apart liver & place in pot.  Add drippings from the turkey roaster.  Sprinkle xanthan gum on top.  Blend with an immersion blender for a minute and bring to a boil.  Pour into a gravy boat and serve hot.

The Yard

The Yard

The market Square location is a gastropub bar atmosphere with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.  For a $1 upgrade, you can get them gluten free.  The sandwiches come with fries & tomato soup.  Since they don't have a dedicated fryer, you'll need to sub out the fries for something.  I also so not like tomato soup and needed to sub out the soup for the soup of the day.  It was a turkey and noodle soup, but they add the noodles at the end so they served it without them, making it gluten free.

The grilled cheese sandwiches are pretty pricey to start with, and after subbing out both sides, it was even more expensive, but it's been a while since I've had a grilled cheese sandwich that I didn't make myself, so it was worth it.

The soup was pretty good.  It had potatoes, ground turkey, and carrots.  The broth was made from a thicker stock, but not creamy.  My other side was a fruit cup.  It was pretty average with just watermelon, cantaloupe, and honey dew.  Both sides cam in a neat little stainless steel cup.

The sandwich I got was called shrooms.  It had mushrooms, onions, fresh mozzarella cheese and lettuce, all which were extremely tasty.  The onions were sauteed.  The mushrooms were juicy.  The cheese was melty.  The bread was a whole grain gluten free bread of a good quality.  The sandwich was big, and after eating the soup & fruit cup, I had to take half home.  It was still good later for a snack. 

The waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the gluten free options and very considerate about my food sensitivity.  On the items she was unsure about, the soup, she asked the kitchen & returned with a prompt reply. Everything turned out pretty good for this adventure.

They also have a Shadyside location, but I went to the Market Square location.

http://www.theyardpgh.com/
100 5th Ave
Pittsburgh PA 15222
412.291.8182

Sunny Bridge Farms Natural Foods & Cafe

Sunny Bridge Farms Natural Foods & Cafe

As you can probably tell, I love to eat out.  But a passion of mine is also cooking.  You guessed it, it’s all gluten free.  One of the recurring issues at restaurants is the same at home.  Sometimes it’s hard to tell what ingredients are gluten free.  At least at home, I don’t have to worry about cross contamination, as long as I check out my ingredients before I buy them.  This usually consists of a lot of googling.  Sometimes it’s still unclear without contacting the manufacturer or finding someone who has.  With that being said, I found a great place in McMurray that carries a lot of gluten free options.  They are well labeled products to weed out any confusion.  It’s Sunny Bridge Farms Natural Food & Cafe. 


Now I like to cook... A lot!  And a good portion of my meals are naturally gluten free, like scallops, shrimp, and steak.  Sometimes I crave the things that would normally have gluten in them, like pizza, lasagna, and bread.

Sunny Bridge Farms is a health foods store with a cafe.  I haven’t eaten at the cafe because when I was there, they were closing soon, and I don’t like to order food at the end of someone’s shift.  I guess that’s the once restaurant worker in me.  I did find a great selection of ingredients.  I found my favorite gluten free flour mix, Better Batter.  It’s a little bit expensive, but it makes the best pasta.  I made wonderful noodles for my homemade chicken noodle soup.  My mom couldn’t even tell that they were gluten free.  I’ve made great ravioli’s and pierogie out of this mix, too. 

Another great ingredient I found was vanilla powder.  Instead of using an alcohol based vanilla in your baked goods, you can use this powder.  The most annoying thing I found was not knowing what the alcohol was derived from.  Is it gluten free or not?  Most don’t tell you.  Now you have a better option.  I haven't tried it in ice cream yet, but the next time I make homemade ice cream, I'm using this vanilla.

There was so many more things I wanted to try, but I just ran out of time & money.  Gluten free surely isn’t cheap, but with it becoming more mainstream, the price is finally starting to come down.

Sunny Bridge farms has a rewards program that is free to sign up for. Check them out if you love to cook or just need specialty health food items.

http://sunnybridgenaturalfoods.com/

130 Gallery Dr
McMurray, PA 15317
724-942-5800

Dish Osteria and Bar

Dish Osteria

I love this little gem of a place.  I've been here a few times.  It's tucked on the corner of 17th and Sarah Street in the Historic South Side district of Pittsburgh.  It's service is superb.  They will modify a lot of the dishes to be gluten free.  The people are friendly, but most of all, the food is unique and always delicious.  One thing I love about this restaurant is the evolution of the menu.  It is always changing, yet some elements remain constant.

The restaurant is a small establishment focused on Italian dishes with accents of Sicilian and Mediterranean flavors.   There's pasta, seafood, poultry and more.  The pasta is not gluten free, but plenty of other dishes can be made gluten free.  Just ask. 

This time I ordered the cuddlefish.  I've never had cuddlefish before, but I knew this was the place to try it.

It was salty, it was savory.  It was interesting.  I can't say I've ever had anything like it.  And I liked it.

I also had a gluten free dessert here.  The Panna Cotta was so delicious I wish I ordered two!  It is a vanilla bean custard with berries.  I was so excited about this gluten free dessert after seeing it it at the table next to me, that I ate it before I could snap a picture.  That is totally not like me.  I love taking photos of food.


412-390-2012
128 South 17th Street,
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

http://www.dishosteria.com

Cafe IO

Cafe IO

Upon finding a parking space, which is limited and mostly metered, I walked into a place I didn't expect.  I saw a deli counter in front of me & no seating.  I grabbed a paper menu from the wall and didn't see any of the burgers or salads I saw online.  I was highly disappointed.

I tried to order a spinach salad with some sort of meat on it because I saw a spinach and shrimp salad onlune.  The man behind the counter said, "We don't have any kind of meat to add to your salad.  If you want that, you'll have to go to our cafe next door."

Relieved and a bit embarrassed, I said, "Oh, that's actually what I'm looking for!"

Apparently, you can order deli meats to go from the deli counter & have a sit down meal at the cafe.  The sign was above both doors and I just walked into the first one I saw.

I walked next door to find a beautiful little cafe.  The menu was bigger & the the place was lively. It was actually a very beautiful, relaxing place.  

I ordered the spinach salad with shrimp I was searching for.  It lived up to my expectations.

 The salad had apples, cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese.  The dressing was a white balsamic honey vinaigrette.  It was just as I imagined. 

And if you'd like to see some of the non-gluten free items, here's the burger & grilled cheese.













300 Beverly Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15216


http://cafeio.com

Poros

Poros is brand new to Pittsburgh.   The space is cozy and classy.  I'd recommend a reservation because space is limited.

I wanted to start with the risotto,  but the server came back from the kitchen with news that it was made from grains, not rice.  Good save, server!

I then chose the ouzo cured salmon with dill and fennel.  It was delicious.  The tzatziki sauce was fluffy and really complemented the salmon.

  

 I ordered the Garide, chargrilled with a shallot garlic citronette.  It was a prawn larger than their lobster tails.  This giant shrimp was grilled to perfection.  It definitely was not over or under cooked. Although, I must say, I could have eaten three of them!  But not for the price.  These little delicacies were very expensive, but I've never had one so large.  

They also had a great selection of fresh fish, some of which you could order whole, lamb, pork, and chicken. 

The ouzo berry sorbet was a delicious end to a wonderful meal.  It was, in fact, a little boozy.  They also offered some gluten free ice creams and a flourless chocolate tart.

If you are celebrating a special occasion, this is a great place to eat. 

PPG2 Market Square
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-904-2051

Porospgh.com

Gaucho Parrilla Argentina

Gaucho Parrilla Argentina

I heard a lot of hype about this place, so I had to try it out for myself.  It was a small place.  I waited in a line staring at a chalkboard menu trying to figure out what I wanted.  I couldn’t understand what most of the things on the menu were, so I had a hard time figuring out what was gluten free and what wasn’t.  They said they could accommodate gluten free diners, but they didn’t have anything marked as gluten free.  They only thing I understood was the meat section.  I figured the meat would probably be gluten free, but I’d ask when I finally got to the front of the line. 


I asked the man taking the orders if the small ribeye could be done gluten free.  He looked at me funny and said yes, we just won’t put any toast on it.  I was hoping the marinade or sauces didn’t contain gluten and that it didn’t touch other people’s toast.

I looked around for a seat and finally found one at the counter.  I didn’t care much for the set up of this place.   It’s reminiscent of a cafeteria and there was very little places to sit.  If they added some high top tables, I think they could fit more people inside. 

I didn’t wait long for my food to arrive.  I guess because they are slinging meat all day long they just keep cooking it to keep the momentum flowing. 

The meat was cooked to perfection.  There was a sauce on it that was tangy with a kick of hot.  A salad with a balsamic vinaigrette accompanied the meat.  I also ordered the roasted potatoes.  They were pretty amazing.  When I ordered them, I asked the guy if they went through the fryer with other stuff and he said, “We don’t have a fryer.”

I loved that response.  It was just what I wanted to hear.  That means these potatoes were truly roasted potatoes.  They were crispy and flavorful.  Between the potatoes, salad and the meat, a small was the perfect size for me.  The prices were a bit expensive for the dining experience, but pretty much what you’d expect at a white table cloth restaurant. 

Overall, this was an interesting experience. 


1607 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

http://eatgaucho.com/

Capital Grille

Capital Grille

The atmosphere is nice.  It's upscale and interesting.  There are many Pittsburgh themed portraits on the walls.  It's nice when you can see the kitchen cooking your food, too.

I pointed out that my meal had to be gluten free to the waiter.  After ordering, they brought out bread & crackers.  I didn't mind so much, but I guess I've been a bit spoiled with other restaurants bringing out gluten free options before my meal.  No big deal.

I ordered the truffle crusted sirloin with the blue cheese and red wine sauce.  I was really interested in the preparation of the steak rather than the cut.  I don't usually care for a sirloin, but thought I'd take a risk.

It was a gigantic cut of meat.  Actually, it was the biggest sirloin I'd even seen.  It could have been done a little rarer, but wasn't too over done.  The sauce was delicious.  The truffle crust was very strong.  It was worth the risk.

I didn't order any sides.  I just don't care for the group shared sides that are over priced.  Anyways, there was nothing gluten free on the menu that really spoke to me.  If they would have had something unique, I would have given it a try, but there was nothing in the side department to write home about so I skipped it.

The price point here was $$$$.  Pretty pricey.  But they focused on service, keeping your water glass full at all times & having a few extra waiters bustling around you to make you feel like you are getting a lot of attention.

They did have a nice touch at the end of the meal.  They brought out 2 free gluten free desserts - berries and cream and a coffee dusted flourless chocolate cake.  I love berries and cream!  The flourless cake was delicious, too, but I don't like coffee, so I couldn't eat much of it. 

It was a nice touch to end the meal.


301 Fifth Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

https://www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/pa/pittsburgh/8031

Hyde Park

Hyde Park

I can't tell you how awesome lobster mashed potatoes are, you'll have to try them your self at Hyde Park.  Although the steaks are way too overpriced, they were cooked perfect and very delicious.  But this place no only has great steaks, it has unique sides.  Unfortunately, the prices were $$$$ to match the main course.

I thought $18 was too much for a side, but I really wanted to try the lobster mashed potatoes.  I'm so glad I did.  They were wonderful!  I could eat them as a meal.  They were creamy, and salty, and buttery, and had a few whole lobster claws sitting on top.  These were amazing.

For my main course, I ordered the filet with lobster, Bearnaise sauce, asparagus, and mushrooms.  It was cooked to perfection and topped with a multitude of flavors that made my taste buds happy. It was filling, too.

They had a lot of cuts of meat to choose from, but I love the filet.  They also had cute Pittsburgh names for the preparations of some of the steaks.  These were a bit more pricey than a plain ones, but if you're celebrating something special, then why not splurge?

The onion straws, as you may know by now, are not gluten free.

247 North Shore Dr
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Eddie Merlots

Eddie Merlot's

444 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222


Eddie Merlot's has a very nice atmosphere.  The service was very attentive from the door to the end of your meal.  The waiter was very knowledgeable about the gluten content of the items on the menu. 

The steaks are why you come here.  Sure, there's seafood and poultry on the menu, but why would you even spend time looking at those things when this place is known for the steaks?  What kind of steak do you want?  Some of the meats are aged.  They have bison or cow in all the best cuts. 

Everything is al a carte.  You can add sauces or toppings to the steak. The waiter said almost all of the steaks come gluten free as they are listed on the menu and we would check on the sauces when we come to that bridge.  I didn't need a sauce to cover the taste of my steak.  I wanted to taste the steak.  I ordered the 7 oz bison filet medium rare. 

It was the beefiest filet I had ever tasted.  It was cooked perfect.  It was the only thing on the plate, except three green leaves of... something.  Maybe it was spinach. I don't know what the garnish was.  The bison looked lonely on the plate. 

The sides came in big bowls.  They were big enough to share.  I was excited about the Brussels sprouts with bacon, but was quickly disappointed by them.  The bacon was undercooked & tasteless. The Brussels sprouts were al dante, nicely cooked but bland.  I didn't try the potatoes because they scared me.  Something about they said not gluten free.  I heard I wasn't missing anything.

I was also disappointed to learn that the sides were already prepared before I ordered them, so there was no modifications that could be made to them.  The pre preparation was apparent in the quality.  I almost expected this from a chain restaurant because they are trying to keep all of the sides uniform throughout their locations.  I had higher hopes for this place.  But like I said before, you don't come here for the sides, you come here for the steaks.

The steaks, no matter which one you order, will not disappoint you!

The onion straws are not gluten free. You can just order the steaks that come with them without onion straws.  This is the beef rib eye.

The steaks are amazing and worth it!

Legume

Legume

Legume is a nice little fine dining restaurant on North Craig street in Oakland, PA.  Its menu changes quite frequently, which I find endearing.  The menu is small, but covers a lot of options.  The space is nice and the atmosphere is quaint.  The service was attentive and the waiter was helpful.

I ordered the duck leg confit.  It came with rice, but I substituted it with crispy golden potatoes.  There were collard greens on the plate and it was garnished with a cherry sauce.  It was salty, crispy, sweet and delicious.  The rich flavors complimented each other perfectly. 

The menu was a la carte, so if you want a side or salad, you have to order them separately.  I actuality don't mind this style of restaurant because I decide how hungry I am, not the chef.  I thought this meal was the perfect size without ordering any extras.  I didn't even have any room for dessert.

I really loved this place.  I can't wait to come back to try something else.

This was the lamb shank.  Because of the gravy like sauce on this dish, I don't think it was gluten free, but they said they could make several things on the menu gluten free, just ask.  My non-gluten free friend said this was delicious. 

http://www.legumebistro.com/
214 N Craig St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Gandy Dancer at the Grand Concourse

Gandy Dancer at the Grand Concourse

I sat at one of the bars in the Gandy Dancer.  They gave me both a happy hour menu and a menu for the Grand Concourse.  I liked the options on the the grand concourse menu, but was considering some of the happy hour specials.  When I asked about the pecan crusted shrimp, the server checked with the kitchen to see if they could do it gluten free.  Upon return, it was a no and I was given the gluten free menu.

The gluten free menu was plain.  Most of the preparations I was looking forward to were eliminated from the menu.  It was plain grilled fish, shrimp, chicken and steak.  I was a little disappointed.

I ordered the grilled shrimp on rice with steamed broccoli.  The broccoli was just steamed, no seasoning and came as one whole piece. It was good for being so plain.  It was crisp, not mushy.

The rice was cooked well.  The shrimp were a bit small for a feature, but tasted good.  They weren't over done or fishy.  The beurre blanc sauce was mild, but pulled the dish out of totally bland and pulled it together.

The peel and eat shrimp were twelve tiny shrimp with a side of lemon and cocktail sauce.  I think they should either give you more shrimp or buy bigger ones.

A few weeks ago, I went to a bridal shower at the Grand Concourse.  They had a set menu for the guests, but when I told them I had to be gluten free, they did take care of me.  Instead of Chicken Romano or crab cakes, I got grilled salmon.  It was cooked to a very nice medium with a nice crisp on the outside.  The salad dressing was double checked by the kitchen for ingredients with gluten.  And when they brought cake for dessert for the guests, they offered me mango sorbet.  The sorbet was the best part of the meal! It was an amazing finishing touch.


100 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
http://www.muer.com/grand-concourse/

Roman Bistro 33

Roman Bistro 33

Roman bistro has a gluten free menu; just inquire. They have a few appetizers, salads, and entrees that are gluten free. I wasn't expecting to see crab cakes on the gluten free menu and that peaked my interest.  It's not every day you can order gluten free crab cakes at a restaurant.

The menu said to pre order the crab cakes, so I asked the waitress how far in advance I needed to order them.  Did I have to order them before I arrived? Could I order them now? She checked with the kitchen and told me I cold order them now and they would be ready with the rest of the table's entrees.  Great! I knew what I wanted.

The lemon risotto was amazing.  It was just the right consistency, have the perfect amount of tangy lemon, and the cheese complimented the rice so well.  The broccoli was steamed and still crisp. The crab cakes, however, were hard and had the texture of a kaiser roll.  It's not what I prefer in a crab cake.  It was more like a crabby cheddar puff.  Sure there was real crab in the middle and it was gluten free, which I appreciate, but it had too much filler. I think I'll pick something else the next time I come here.

I would actually recommend this place for a gluten free diner.  They are careful & the food is fresh.  They even have a gluten free menu.  I'm sure they can modify something that is not on the gluten free menu as well.

In case you wanted to see the Salmon, here it is. It's not gluten free, though.  But they can make a salmon variation that is gluten free.

2104 Ardmore Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15221
http://www.romanbistro.com/

The Crested Duck Charcuterie

The Crested Duck is only open form 5-10 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  There are only 20 seats in the whole dining area and I think you will definitely need a reservation to get a table, but it is well worth it.  The food is amazing.  This is the place that is providing the cured meats to the other places around town that you're ordering, like the Omni William Penn, Spoon, and Bar Marco.  Its better to come to the source. 

This place is amazing if you like cured meats.  The small charcuterie plate is $10 and comes with four cured meats & the large plate $20 comes with eight cured meats.  Who wouldn't go with the large plate to sample everything this place has to offer?  They don't tell you what the meats are before you order them, and I'm sure it's what ever is ready when you go so it probably changes every couple weeks.  Its byob and the cork fee is $5.  I was told all of the charcuterie was gluten free, but the salad and desserts were not.

When the plate arrived, the server told me the name of everything on the plate was, but I really am not super familiar with the names of cured meats.  I know something was venison, something white was called Lardo, and there was plums, nuts & tiny pickles on the plate. Most of the meats were sliced thinner than paper.  Everything on the plate was delicious, with the exception of the the one large, red, round pate like meat closest to me. I didn't like the texture or the flavor, but if you're into that sort of thing, it probably would be delicious to you.  It just wasn't my thing.

Then my smoked duck with strawberry BBQ sauce came.  It was beautiful.  It was delicious.  It was tender & smokey & juicy.   The BBQ sauce was sweet and spicy.  I need more of this sauce.  It was that good.  On the side of the place was a radish ans micro greens salad. Oddly enough, it was good for radishes.

I stopped the server.  I told him whoever thought of strawberry BBQ sauce was a genius.  He said, "That was me. I made the BBQ sauce."

I made sure to tell him he was a genius.

The crispy pork was amazing, too.  I don't know what they did to it to make it that crispy & tasty.  The yellow squash was a raw with a light oil dressing and had pretty little blueish purple edible flowers on it.

I had no room for dessert.

I will be back.  This place was wonderful.  I loved the presentation and the taste of all of the food and I didn't get glutened from any of it.  I can't say it enough, Amazing!

603 Broadway Ave
Pittsburgh PA 15216

http://www.crestedduck.com/