Restaurant Reviews: Ruggles Green

I don't know how I'm just now getting around to reviewing Ruggles Green, but for those of you who have never been, it's basically gluten free mecca here in Houston.  You name it- burgers, pizza, pasta, desserts - and they have it gluten free at Ruggles Green.

Not only is nearly everything on the menu gluten free, it is delicious.  The macaroni and cheese is out of this WORLD!  I often use my non-gf husband as a point of comparison, but let me tell you that he completely agrees.  They are also extremely careful with handling the gluten free dishes, so even if you are the most sensitive type of gluten intolerant person, I think you can feel very safe eating at Ruggles Green.

Ruggles Green is not cheap, but not overly expensive.  We often go for a weeknight meal and with two entrees, a couple glasses of wine, and maybe a dessert we never spend more than $50.  It's a really nice, but casual atmosphere great for family meals or a couple's night out.

So many delicious varieties of crispy delicious gluten free pizza!

Yummy burgers, buffalo burgers, turkey burgers, and other sandwiches... all available gluten free!

Fish tacos, salads, pasta and more!

I hope that if you haven't had a chance to go to Ruggles Green, you'll go soon.  It's been such a blessing for me to have a go-to restaurant where there are so many great options to eat and it's just so refreshing for a restaurant to be so understanding and accommodating to gluten free diners.  If you go, please let me know what you think!

Product Reviews: GF Burger Bun Showdown!

The other day I promised that I would tell y'all about the hamburger buns that I just luurve! Well, today I'm going to tell you about them along with a few other GF buns on the market I've tried and enjoyed.

When I first started eating gluten free, I swore by the Kinnikinnick bread products. I still love the unique flavor they have and the great soft texture, especially when warmed.  They are also pretty light, which is nice in a burger bun, because too much bread really throws off the ratio of bread to meat.  They're not perfect though.  They get soggy easily and can get sort of flaky on top if they aren't thawed slowly (i.e. if you do it in the microwave).  They are available in the freezer section at my local Kroger though, so it's super convenient.

{image via Kinnikinnick}

The next bun I tried was the one made by the Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse.  While I love most of the WH Bakehouse products, this was probably my least favorite bun.  It has a great flavor, but is just much too dense (a problem from which a lot of GF products suffer).  I've been known to use these in a pinch, but there are certainly better options.

 {image via Gluten-Free Foodie}

Probably my second favorite burger bun option is from Gillian's Foods.  I originally found these at Whole Foods when I lived in Chicago, but here in the 713, they're available in the gluten free freezer section at HEB Central Market.  These are a pretty light and yummy bun option - and one of the best things about them is that they are less than 200 calories!  Many GF bread products have a tendency to be really caloric, which is never a good thing.   If not thawed slowly on the counter top, they can suffer from the same flaking tendency that the Kinnikinnick buns have.

{image via Gillian's Foods}

So, drumroll please... what are my favorite gluten free buns you ask?  None other than the buns from Canyon Bakehouse.  These buns will change your life - I know they've changed mine.  They are light and fluffy much like a normal white bread hamburger bun, but they're actually made with all sorts of healthy GF grains (not just your standard rice, tapioca mix).  They hold up really well to burgers and never flake.  You can buy them in packs of four in the bakery section at Whole Foods on Kirby.  They're focaccia bread is pretty amazing too with pasta.  The one downfall would be that since they are fresh and have no preservatives, they can mold pretty quickly (within a couple of days).  I recommend freezing them and they thaw pretty well!  

No excuses now not to enjoy a delicious burger, gluten free!  I hope you try the Canyon Bakehouse buns and love them as much as I do.  Let me know what you think!

Restaurant Reviews: Becks Prime

Holy cr@p, Becks Prime has a gluten free menu!  The menu is not available at the restaurant, but can be accessed on their website.  While there is nothing crazy amazing on it, (Gasp... their buns are actually made of rice flour!!  NO!)  I really appreciate the effort.  They have several bunless plate options that are Gluten Free, as well as salads, milk shakes, chips and salsa and more.

Lately, I've been bringing my own bun to Becks Prime and they've been more than happy to take the bun, and in a very safe manner, put my burger or chicken sandwich on it.  The fries are also out of this world, but use caution here if you're sensitive to fries done in oil with other products (I am not but I always ask for y'all!).

I'm a sucker for take-out and meals from a drive-thru... call me crazy.  Since I discovered that they would use my bun, the hubbs and I have been enjoying burgers weekly.  While its a little pricey, we agree that BP has the best burgers in town. 

P.S.  Stay tuned for next week when I'll be sharing a rundown of the various GF burger buns on the market and I'll reveal the one I am currently OBSESSED with.