My new favorite place in Wichita: China Go

Sometimes you have to just risk it and try something new. 

The wife and I had tried almost everything gluten free in town and now we felt it was time to be adventurous, for you, our loyal readers.  It had nothing to do with the fact that we really wanted Chinese food, didn’t want to pay for PF Chang’s and didn’t want to drive to Pei Wei on the West Side.  Enter China Go. 

About a week ago I sent a message to them on Facebook asking them if they did gluten free.  They responded yes but that was it.  I was intrigued.  I called them today and felt like they knew what they were talking about, or at least enough for my taste.  So I risked my health and took the wife out to China Go on Harry and Rock.  (About 2 minutes from our house!)  I brought a card explaining gluten as well as our own bottle of Gluten Free Soy Sauce. 

The manager was there and she explained that she had a few gluten free people in the past.  She knew what to do and asked us what we would like to eat.  She asked us what we would like to eat.  She didn't turn us away and label us as pariahs.  Nope she asked us what we wanted off the menu!   My wife has pined for good orange chicken for a long time and they were able to oblige.  Instead of making it with breading they used cornstarch.  Along with the Orange Chicken I ordered Mongolian beef and gave them my soy sauce to help them prepare it. 

The Orange chicken was hot, sweet and salty.   It was everything that you would want in Orange Chicken.   Usually I can avoid that heavenly smell but at our local grocery store, Dillion’s, they are constantly making orange chicken and the smell would drive me insane.  Now I can walk the aisles of Dillion’s with no concern, knowing there is better, gluten free, chicken down the road.   The orange chicken is worth the trip.  The Mongolian beef was very good as well.  It was a bit spicy for my liking but I am sure they would be able to tone it down if asked. 

We also had a nice bowl of freshly steamed veggies.  It was everything you would hope.  Nice variety and fresh. 

Another plus: their to-go brand of soy sauce was also gluten free.  (Not the stuff on the tables but the little packets)  It’s a brand that I’ve found in the past with great joy. "Kari-out," I think.  It’s not as salty but it still was a pleasant surprise. 

Okay, so recap.  Almost everything can be made gluten free off the menu.  Also, the prices are really good.  The helpings are huge.  You can almost share one item.  The food is fresh and tasty.  I do believe they are a bit newer to the GF thing so please make sure to go, as always, armed with information so as not to get sick.   They are working on a menu and striving to have well trained staff but you know things will always fall through the cracks if you are not careful.  Five hours later and I am feeling no ill effects. 

However, I would say this is my new favorite gluten free place in Wichita and you really need to go check it out.  Seriously.  You need to go now. 

Go to China Go! 
I will go back to China Go.   Let's all go.

Gluten free in Lindsborg, KS

A gluten free steakburger.

There is wheat on the street!

 The wife and I just got back from a great quick trip to Lindsborg, KS.  Also known as little Sweden.  We had a limited amount of time without the kids so we decided rather than go to Kansas City, we would try something closer.   We had fun in the salt mines of Hutchinson and had dinner in Yoder.  We stayed in Mcpherson and spent a lot of time in Lindsborg.   We didn’t know these cities before, but ended up having a lot of fun in them.  There was wheat everywhere, even up on the lampposts but we managed to find a few gems. 

Our favorite one was The Brick House Grill.  We asked around for gluten free food and this was the only place that might have offerings.  The building was a little larger than an outhouse and it was packed with about 40 people.  They offered gluten free buns to go with their juicy burgers and thick bacon.  We went for lunch…and dinner. 

I devoured a burger with Swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms, bacon and grilled onions.  My wife also had a bacon cheeseburger.  We both enjoyed tater-tots. (no dedicated fryer) and felt no ill effects afterward.   The owner knew a lot about gluten free fare and was excited to have us there. 

That night my wife had a huge steak burger and I had a pizza.  Once again the place was packed. We ended up hanging out with several other diners.  One couple told us the dangers of the big cities like Wichita.  They told us there was a shooting every day.   I agreed but I also said I’ve never seen one.  Hilarious.  My pizza was just a regular cheese pizza and I was impressed.  For a town of 3,000 they offered up such overachieving food.  (Note the pizzas are only available in the evenings.)

Coronado Heights

All in all, the Brick House Grill was a terrific find.  Thick Bacon, tasty burgers and a kind, knowledgeable staff make for a happy eater.    

If you go to Lindsborg make sure you check out the downtown.  There is a great store called “Small world” with photos from a National Geographic photographer.  There are art museums everywhere as well as other fun diversions.  Make sure to check out Coronado Heights, castle.  Worth the trip.

Wichita Brewing company, gluten free pizza and beer on the westside.

I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated but there really hasn’t been much to update.  We have been in a rut as of late.  A friend recently told us he found gluten free pizza on the West side and so we bit.  On the drive we saw a sign at a Mexican cantina for “glutin free Pizza” (SIC) but we decided to continue on to our destination. 

The atmosphere was fun with TV’s in every direction and the menu was plentiful with curious ideas for pizzas, which all seemed fun to me.  My biggest hang up was the lack of knowledge from the waitress. 

We asked what was gluten free on the pizzas and they said pretty much everything.  We told them we were concerned about the alfredo and the BBQ sauce.  They returned saying those had gluten.  The waitress then said all the meats were gluten free.  I said I doubted the meatballs were.  She checked and they were not okay.  So at that point we had a decision to make.  Should we leave and cut our losses or should we risk it so I had something to blog about.  We risked it. 

I got a Philly Cheesesteak pizza and substituted marinara for the alfredo sauce.  It was tasty.  The thinly sliced steak was a sensation I had yet to taste on a pizza.  The onions were a bit undercooked for my liking but they were sweet and scrumptious. 

They had a few gluten free ciders.  I enjoyed an Ace’s Pear Cider that was wonderful.  Very fruity.  Smelled like skittles!

All in all, we enjoyed our visit but if you are going we recommend you come prepared.  If you are new to gluten intolerance, this is not a place I would try first.  Learn your stuff and then come ready to ask lots of questions and make sure you are confident you are getting what you ordered. 

Because it wasn’t super cheap per person (about $12 per pie) I am not sure I would risk going back.  I still prefer,  Mulligans, Wheat State and Wichita Pizza Company.   If I found a groupon, we might consider going back.   Either way it’s still fun to experience new gluten free food. 

Bj's pizza in Wichita is finally open!

There are some places I mourn, no lament are not in Wichita.

 1. In and Out  

 2. Costco
 3. Rubio’s Fish tacos

4. The Spaghetti Factory
5. Trader Joe’s
     and until recently, BJ’s Pizza. 

Bj’s has now come to Wichita and I am happy to share it’s just as yummy in the mid-west as it has been elsewhere.

Yes, my wife and I went on opening day and braved the first day waitress who had never actually eaten at BJ’s before.  They told us all the toppings were okay except for one.  You actually cannot eat the Alfredo Sauce as well but they get a first day pass. 

The pizza was thin crust as usual.  It was sweeter than most, which I like.  I just got plain old cheese whilst the wife indulged in the Buffalo Chicken pizza with ranch on the side.  She loved it.  I thought mine was average or a little above average. 

I really wasn’t there for the pizza…

Pazookie.  A big cookie, baked like a pizza with ice cream on top.  Yeah they have that too.  I am usually too cheap to get the dessert but not at BJ’s.  Please the gluten free pazookie.  If you don’t like it, well, you are lying.

There are several other things on the menu worth considering.  They have great baked potatoes and yummy broccoli cheese soup which I have enjoyed on other occasions.

Please let me know what you think.  Also if you are friends with the higher ups at Costco, Rubio’s, In and Out or Trader Joe’s tell them to call me.  I have a lead for them!

BJ's pizza opening soon in Wichita.

One of my favorite chains to eat at when I travel outside of Wichita is BJ's pizza.  The pizza is pretty good but the pazookie is to die for. 

They are close to finishing one here on the east side of Wichita and I am excited to say the least. 

Check out my review here.

Picasso's Pizzeria: sad update

The family took me to Picasso's pizza today for Father's day.  We were sad to learn they are uncomfortable serving people with Celiac now.  Booooo.  They said dough gets in the communal cheese and thus into the GF pizza.  I have not been sick after eating there in the past but if you go you are playing the proverbial gluten roulette. 

I am sad about this one.  Sorry people.  I would take Picasso's off the list. 

Gluten free quick list for eating out.

Welcome new readers.  I was in the Wichita Eagle again this week!  Since some of you are new I thought I might update the quick list for eating out which I have found to be helpful.  

Updated quick list for eating out.

East Side:
Five Guys
Red Robin
Bonefish Grill
Jason's Deli
Ya Ya's
Granite City
Doc Green's
PF Changs
Noodles and Co
Chipotle
Red Lobster
Pablano
Wichita Pizza Company
Mulligan's Irish Pub
Carlos O' Kelly's
Jimmy Johns
Outback Steakhouse
Carraba's
Jose Peppers
Hu hot
Buffalo Wild Wings
Chili's
The Olive Garden???
Louies??
On the Border??
Wendy's??

Central:
Picasso's Pizzaria
Five Guys
Tanya's Soup Kitchen
Pig in Pig Out Barbecue
Pablano
Freddy's
Lotus Leaf Cafe
D'sozo
Playa Azul??

West Side:
Five Guys
When Pigs Fly Barbecue
Chipotle
Freddy's
Red Lobster
Carlo's O'Kelly's
Pei Wei
Outback Steakhouse
Gobi Grill
Buffalo Wild wings
Chili's
Jason's Deli
On the Border??

South:
Godfather's Pizza
Wheat State Pizza (Derby)
Carlos O' Kelly's

Picasso's Pizzeria

PICASSO'S DOES NOT SUGGEST PEOPLE WITH CELIAC TO EAT THEIR PIZZA! BOOO!

Well,
It seems almost yesterday I started a blog with a simple desire.  I wanted to help those who had Celiac disease in Wichita.  Three years ago and over 20,000 hits ago I was in search of Pizza.  Now Wichita has ton's of places to get gluten free Pizza.  Lets start at the top.  First it was Godfathers.  Followed by Wichita Pizza Co, Granite City Brewery, Ya Ya's, Wheat State Pizza and Mulligan's pub.  Jeez what a difference a few years make.


Things have been crazy in the last few months as our son has been in the hospital 4 times and once for almost a month in Kansas City.  In that time I have had Picasso's pizza four yummy times. 

They have all kinds of different options including a white pizza covered in Ricotta.  Picasso's is toward the top of my list.  The ambiance is fun and original.  The staff is nice. (Although one guy was wearing a Raider hat)  I don't trust Raiders fans. :)

The only little hang up I had was the sauce was a little too spiced for me.  Obviously not so much that I have stopped going.  Some pizza places add a little too much of something for my taste.  When I get the white pizza I have no problem with it. 

Most people don't have a problem with that either, so I encourage you to go to Picasso's and please let me know what you think.

Delish Cafe basically lives up to it's namesake.

Lately the wife and I have been addicted to Tanya’s soup kitchen.  Although, sometimes her options are lacking in the GF department, we still frequent her establishment.  Sometimes the soup is extra spicy which doesn’t work for me.  Sometimes, like last night they offer a blueberry “smoopy.”  Yeah…  It’s cold.   It’s fruity.  It’s yummy but it’s not soup to me.   Why they would offer it on a cold day is beyond me, but since Tanya’s is probably my favorite place to eat in Wichita, they get a free pass. 

    
       

















Our saga with our son and His William’s syndrome has been tiring but yesterday we had a nurse watch him and a friend play with our daughter so we were able to go on a real live date!  Hooray for 11:30 am dates!

            We had heard of “Delish” at “Food for Thought” and had considered going there on many occasions only to be lured back to Tanya’s.  (If it aint broke…)  However the thought of cold “smoopy” gave us a Tanya’s pass. 

Delish is in the back corner of Food for Thought and it is quite good.  The wife and I both ordered sandwiches with soup on the side.  They definitely cater to the gluten free crowd, offering every sandwich, gluten free, for a dollar more.
            My sandwich was good.  It was a curry chicken salad on a “Schar” brand baguette, which I already have a love affair with.  The sandwich was a nice combination of salty and sweet.  It was enjoyable.  My wife had a turkey Sandwich with a raspberry jam on it.  I liked hers even more, although I am not a huge fan of mustard even if it contains honey.  Our soup was broccoli Cheese and it was also good.  I tried the other soups and they were good as well, although I thought they needed a dash of salt.  Do you notice I am overusing the term good?  I don’t think adequate or fine are complimentary enough but great or transcendent go too far.  The soup was better than passable but I am not so sure it was even handmade.  The sign said they proudly serve Kettle Cuisine soups, which is fine. 

            The carrot cake muffins were very good but once again made from a mix.  In the end I would have to say that “Delish” is a bit overpriced as all gluten free food is.  It is a little ordinary but I do believe they are moving more and more towards something great as they find their niche. 

            As long as Tanya’s is in town “delish” will always play second fiddle.  I am grateful to have a place they does gluten free well and you will see me there next time Tanya’s is serving smoopy.  Until then, I hope you give it a try.  Bring a little extra salt to the table and enjoy one more place to eat when people ask us the dreaded question: “Where the heck can you eat?”

PS: THEY ARE ONLY OPEN FOR LUNCH!

Wheat State Pizza in Derby

Well I must admit I have been eating a lot of pizza lately.

But how can I say no to a Groupon?   

How? How? 

A few weeks ago we were able to procure a babysitter and we sauntered down to Derby to try out some new pizza.  For some reason, the title “Wheat State” kinda scares a celiac away.  As if they will magically hide wheat in your pizza.  Nonetheless, the pizza was very good.  It is probably the thickest pizza I’ve experienced in Wichita and we our the varied flavors made our taste buds crazy.

I was able to meet the owner and his daughter before I ate.  They are very nice, caring people who really desire to make our pizzas safe.  Ironically, he had been cooking and shook my hand with his hand full of flour.  When he learned who I was, he apologized profusely. Hilarious.  Anyways, they are working hard to make sure gluten free is stomach ache free.  I was able to help them as well with a few pointers.  The alfredo pizza is a no-go.  Bummer.  I wanted that one.

On to the pizza:  The wife and I had a groupon that was burning a hole in our pocket so we got a few pizzas with different toppings.  Our favorite was the “Shocker” which had ranch, chicken, bacon and the surprisingly tasty sunflower seeds on it.  This pizza was my favorite.  For the others we had the pesto, which Ashley really liked.  We also had the Barbeque chicken pizza, while enjoyable, was too spicy for me.  In their defense, I am a wuss.  Finally we had the taco pizza which I enjoyed about 2 slices of and quickly tired of.  I might've had too much Mexican lately.

There were a few more pizzas I would love to try there but I am not sure we can agree on anything but the pizza made with ranch! YUM!  Wheat State Pizza is one of the top places for gluten free pizza in the Wichita area and I encourage you to visit post haste to show them how loyal we celiac's can be.  I love the thicker crust which vaults Wheat state into the same category as Mulligan’s and Wichita Pizza company.  There is a growing rivalry heating up and I hope one or two will begin to offer garlic bread or something else that tips scales.  Until then I am going to enjoy this golden age for gluten free pizza in Wichita.  May it never cease!

As always, I remind you to do your due diligence as there is always a chance you can get glutened at a new place.  They are very careful but help educate them and we can never go wrong.

Updated quick list for eating out.

East Side:
Five Guys
Red Robin
Bonefish Grill
Jason's Deli
Ya Ya's
Granite City
Doc Green's
PF Changs
Noodles and Co
Chipotle
Red Lobster
Pablano
Wichita Pizza Company
Mulligan's Irish Pub (Open after 2)
Carlos O' Kelly's
Jimmy Johns
Outback Steakhouse
Carraba's
Jose Peppers
Hu hot
Buffalo Wild Wings
Chili's
The Olive Garden???
Louies??
On the Border??
Wendy's??

Central:
Five Guys
Tanya's Soup Kitchen
Pig in Pig Out Barbecue
Pablano
Freddy's
Lotus Leaf Cafe
D'sozo

West Side:
Five Guys
When Pigs Fly Barbecue
Chipotle
Freddy's
Red Lobster
Carlo's O'Kelly's
Pei Wei
Outback Steakhouse
Gobi Grill
Buffalo Wild wings
Chili's
Jason's Deli
On the Border??

South:
Godfather's Pizza
Wheat State Pizza (Derby)
Carlos O' Kelly's

Granite City food and Brewery, gluten free pizza. (East location only)

Craziness continues in our family as our 2 month old had three surgeries for hernias in 24 hours last week.  More recently he was in the hospital for a few days for failure to thrive.  All prayers are appreciated.  Writing a blog is a nice enjoyable thing to do while kids nap.  Needless to say I have been running around a bit with my daughter and ordering out once more. 

This time I was able to try out “Granite City food and Brewery.”

They only offer small, thin crust pizzas but if you catch them at the right time, it is quite a deal.   Normally you add $1 to any pizza and they run around $10 each.  However I am posting below the times where they offer gluten free pizzas for $7 each.  Yay. 

Monday –Friday: 4-6pm and 9-close
Saturday- 12-5 and 9-Close
Sunday- noon- 5

As far as the pizza itself, It was a thin crust that was a bit crumbly on the crust.  When I received one of the pizzas several of the crust ends had already fallen off.  The sauce was well seasoned and had reeked (in a good way) of garlic and onion.  The cheese was a fair amount but the pizza was not as hot as I would have hoped.  It's topped off with some yummy spices.  To the untrained tongue I assume it's basil plus something else.

All in all it was a good pizza.  I think there are better gluten free pizzas in Wichita…and worse.  However, when you can get one for $7 at certain times it is one of the best values in Wichita. 

Someone just told me Mulligan’s has a half price Friday so look into that.  Granite City in Wichita is interesting because they discontinued the GF pizza at the national chain but Wichita store lobbied to keep it and won!  Wichita Celiacs may be some of the most loyal customers anywhere.

Groupon for gluten free pizza

 http://www.groupon.com/r/uu9779526 - Wheat state pizza in Derby

Hey guys, I have a link for a groupon for gluten free pizza that I just found.  I am stoked!  Click on the link to get $20 worth for $10

Website name

Hey all,
I know my web address is confusing.  Recently I received a check from google from the ads on the sight. (Which I thank you for clicking on) and I invested it into a few years of www.glutenfreeinwichita.com. 

Hopefully now it's easier to tell someone about the website. 

Thanks,
-Dale

Carlos O Kelly's continues to impress me. (New Menu)

Yep that's red sauce.  There was also a spicy one I didn't try. FTW!

Carlos O Kelly's has recently added a new gluten free menu that is better and more extensive than the last.  Now they have regular Enchilada's and not just the queso ones.   The red or "El Pato" sauce is a bit spicy but cooled down by the sour cream.

There was more on the menu and I will make sure to highlight those things the next time I go. 

Thanks Carlo's O' Kelly's!

Jose Peppers, no thanks.

It's looks pretty good, but...

Another day and another gluten free menu…This time I was alerted by one of my readers.  Thanks so much.  Keep ‘em coming!

Jose Peppers is a Mexican restaurant in Wichita that I’ve never tried before.  There are two reasons: 1) I am never really much interested in Tex Mex.  2) No gluten free menu. 

Well since I’ve heard they’ve gone gluten free I’ve been excited to try them.  My standards have changed for sure. 

The chips are super thin and hot.  I didn’t find out if they are made in a dedicated fryer, though.  The salsa was quite good as well.   Okay that’s where my joy stops.

Still not really sure if that corn stuff was GF

The staff was pretty clueless about what was gluten free or not.  I was directed to the confusing menu.  I ordered enchiladas since they were on the menu.  Good thing I checked on the sauce since they are supposed to substitute the sauce.  That was close.   When my enchilada came it was too spicy and really just not that great.  The chicken was fair.  My wife had rolled tacos and they were a little too oily. 

The fact is the menu is not very helpful and the staff isn’t much help either.  I will try the tacos another time but really I would suggest going to Carlos O’Kelly’s if you are in the mood for this kind of fare.  Carlo’s is about the same price and has a much more knowledgeable staff and comprehensive menu.    

On the bright side, if everyone is headed to Jose Pepper's I can join them.  Even if it's not great, I probably won't get sick if I am careful.

Gluten free Vacation: San Diego California

Back from an exhausting trip and I am ready for a vacation from my vacation.  Cliche or not, we are tired.  We also have a 7 week old boy and a rambunctious 2 year old.  We were in Wesely hospital for a week.  I made several trips to Chipotle, Jimmy John's and had several friends bring us food including Chipotle, Wichita Pizza Co and PF Changs.  Yum Yum.   Once home we ordered a lot of Wichita Pizza company and had many friends from our Church bring us creative gluten free meals.  In the last seven weeks we've also had my wife in the hospital for her heart and my son in the ER for a few hernia's.  Both of our children have had some rough tummy issues as infants.  It really should be no surprise.  D'oh.  Also, Wesely really needs to do the gluten free thing better but they are learning!  In retrospect the vacation's timing may have been a bit stupid but we took it when we could.  We are very happy to be back in Wichita and it's fun watching our new Church blossom into something incredible.  

  Sorry for not posting as much but I think you now understand.  

Also, before I get to it, a sad update,  Dolci and Joe's is no more.  I loved that place but it wasn't really crowded lately. 


The last few weeks, I've enjoyed Waldo Pizza in Kansas City and enjoyed many places in San Diego.  Here are a few of my faves: 

One of my favorite new places in San Diego is called Long Island Mike's and they have a nice large pizza with great tasting sauce.  Yum.   There isn't much else on the menu but what they have is impressive.  There is something to be said about having a pizza that is similar sized to the rest that makes you feel a bit more normal.

 Continuing on the pizza theme, also the Mike theme, the wife and I enjoyed Mountain Mike's Pizza.  The pizza was good but not my favorite.  The Spaghetti was meh.  However, the sandwich was impressive.  Whatever bread they used was slightly chewy, soft, firm and not crumbly.  It almost reminded me of a pretzel.  

Winner!  Pairing it with a gluten free beer made it even more fun. (Although I didn't actually care much for that beer.) 

One of my very favorite gluten free places to eat on the planet is Borelli's in Encinitas, California.  The pizza, breadsticks and other gluten free fanfare is something I dream about on the plane ride to San Diego.  They offer meatballs, salad with GF crutons, breadsticks and a ton of other things.  I would put this place very close with Waldo Pizza in Kansas City.  The pizza is a little dense but still feels fairly normal.  They also have a large size.  Encinitas is a gluten free mecca.  Nearby there are a couple GF bakeries and many other places to eat.  Sadly, I never go since Borelli's is where I end up every time.

I didn't take any pictures since...well...I gorged and thought very little of anything else but how much more food I could cram down my pie hole without getting sick.  

Finally to make it confusing, here is a picture of the bread sticks from Waldo Pizza in Kansas City.