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Reviewing Sweetgreen

8/2/2015

 
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Popular salad chain sweetgreen recently opened a new location in West Los Angeles and I have made it there about four times now when I have been seeking out a quick,easy and healthy dinner option. Since the chain has so many locations across the country now, I thought it would be a good time to give them a review!

I'll start with what is good about sweetgreen — First off, they clearly mark which salads are gluten free on their menu. You also have the chance to build your own salad, and it is pretty clear which ingredients contain gluten and which do not. They offer some interesting flavor combinations, my favorite being the 'Guacamole Greens' (pictured above), to which I add goat cheese and corn. They definitely offer quality salads on-the-go, and make for a great place to stop if you are in a hurry and want something healthy.

I should tell you all that sweetgreen is NOT a gluten free restaurant. However, salads are made right in front of you, and their salad bar is very clean, and glutenous ingredients are separated. I just watch whoever is making my salad very closely to ensure there aren't any mistakes being made. Eating here is definitely at your own risk though.

Now, the not so good part about sweetgreen. While they have a great concept, and the staff are very friendly, they are not even close to consistent. Two out of my four visits have resulted in a noticeably lighter salad that was very weak on ingredients. If I'm going to pay $13 for a salad, my feeling is it better at least constitute a meal. They have also been inconsistent in their prices. Sometimes my salad is wrung up at $13 and change, other times it is $11 and change. I care less about the price inconsistency than the quality of the meal though .. it's a bit ridiculous to order something from a chain restaurant, and wonder if you are going to get what you actually order.

Regardless, they do offer tasty salads and good gluten free options so I would recommend checking them out if you haven't yet.

— The Healthy Celiac

Truly Delicious Gluten Free Food at True Food Kitchen

5/22/2015

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True Food Kitchen is one of my favorite places to eat. They offer some truly great gluten free options on their menu, the best of which is (I think), their Wild Mushroom Pizza on gluten free crust (pictured above). Known for their clean and healthy food, their motto is "Honest food that tastes really good".

While they don't have an exclusively gluten free kitchen, the servers were very knowledgeable about what contains gluten on their menu, and assured me that my meal would be carefully prepared. Their gluten free pizza crust (which is amazing) also doubles as gluten free pita bread  — I asked the server if I could order hummus with veggies instead of wheat pita, and she let me know that they could serve it with gluten free pita instead (even though they don't list 'gluten free pita bread' on their menu). I highly suggest getting the gluten free pita because it was warm, soft and delicious.

Overall the service, atmosphere and food are all wonderful. They have locations in California, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Texas and Virginia so if you come across one, I recommend checking them out!

— The Healthy Celiac
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New Shop On The Block: Mainland Poke 

4/22/2015

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I had the pleasure of trying out Mainland Poke Shop on West 3rd Street in Los Angeles last weekend, and it did not disappoint. While not an exclusively gluten free restaurant, all of their poke bowls are assembled right in front of you, ensuring no gluten cross contamination. Think Subway sandwich shop style, but less ... gross.  They offer a counter of fresh (never frozen) fish and ingredients like mango, green onion, avocado and pickled ginger. As you work your way down their ingredient assembly line, they happily explain all their ingredients as you build your Hawaiian dish. Not all of their sauces are gluten free, but they are contained in squeeze bottles — again, eliminating opportunity for cross contamination from sauces containing soy sauce. I was very pleased to see how clean their counter top was, in spite of the dinner rush that poured.

I enjoyed a delicious bowl with white rice, tuna, salmon, avocado, mango, green onion and black sesame seeds (pictured above). Their avocado sauce as well as their
creamy sriracha are confirmed gluten free. I will definitely be making Mainland Poke Shop one of my regular spots and highly recommend checking it out!

— The Healthy Celiac
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Do Not Miss Out On The Best Poke Bowl In Los Angeles 

3/12/2015

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I recently discovered Poke Poke in Venice Beach, and now I am a full-blow Hawaiian poke addict. I order The Original Hawaiian bowl, which is made with white or brown rice, marinated ahi in gluten free tamari (which you have to ask for), sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green and white onions. I also like to add macadamia nuts and avocado on top. Again, you have to specifically ask for gluten free tamari — but they are well equipped to make you a delicious gluten free bowl. If you are ever in Venice Beach, you can find Poke Poke tucked away on the boardwalk at 1827 Ocean Front Walk. Heads up, there is usually quite a long line at this place, especially at lunch.

— The Healthy Celiac

*photo from
http://pokepokerestaurant.com/
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