If there is anything I love, it is trying new restaurants with good, flavorful, and gluten free food. Probably triggered because I have been in the Food and Beverage industry for a few years now and I appreciate a good meal with good service, but also because I love seeing how far this whole idea of clean eating has come. People are getting so creative!
I have lived in San Diego since 2009 but I also spend a lot of time in Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles between family and doctors appointments. I find that people are always asking me for recommendations on where to eat so here are a few of my favorites! (Some of my recommendations would need to be modified to be low FODMAP)
Going Out to Eat:
San Diego Favorites
•Rubicon – Mission Hills and Mission Beach – gluten free focaccia bread and sandwiches that will make you wonder why you ever ate anything else.
*Recommend: The Crandie, add hummus
•OB Noodle House – Ocean Beach – Pho – Vietnamese soup made with rice noodles. variations of different meats and vegetables to add it. All of there soups are gluten free as well as a handful of appetizers and entrees.
*Recommend: Edemame as an appetizer followed by #17, Chicken Pho.
•Pizzacato – Banker’s Hill – the only place I know where you can get amazing gluten free pizza by the slice. Lunch specials are great and they also come with a side salad.
*Recommend: half Pepperoni Supreme, half Very Veggie
•True Food Kitchen – Fashion Valley – pizza, pasta, salads, desserts and more. A very well versed staff and they are all about fresh local ingredients which I love.
*Recommend: turkey lasagna, hummus with gluten free pita bread, any of the pizzas, and the flourless chocolate cake for dessert.
•Il Fornaio – Coronado (multiple other locations) – pasta and salad options and a very well versed staff with gluten free options with an incredible view of downtown.
*Recommend: Bolognese Pasta and Crema al Doppio Gusto for dessert
•Woodstock’s Pizza – Pacific Beach – Tuesdays are Buy One Get One Free so go with friends! This is not low FODMAP but if you’re just following gluten free, this is one of the best!
*Recommend: half Garlic Bird, half The Boardwalk
•Sammy’s Pizza – multiple locations
*Recommend: Brie Cheese and Truffle Oil pizza. A huge menu with options for appetizers, entrees, pizzas, and desserts.
•Phil’s BBQ – Point Loma, San Marcos, and Santee – the best BBQ in San Diego, and maybe anywhere for that matter. As seen on Man Vs Food and definitely well deserved exposure. Their bbq sauce is naturally gluten free, so most things on the menu are safe to eat except for the obvious sandwiches and battered onion rings.
*Recommend: The Beefy Rib and Chicken Dinner. 2 huge beef ribs with meat so tender it falls off the bone and 1/4 chicken. It comes with two sides and the french fries and vegetables are my two favorites.
•Broken Yolk – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Many options are naturally gluten free due to their huge menu of omelets, egg dishes, but my favorite are their fresh made gluten free pancakes.
*Recommend: Nutella Pancake Special – 2 giant pancakes topped with strawberries, bananas, and nutella. Comes with two eggs and two pieces of bacon. Perfect on a Sunday morning.
•Pei Wei – the more casual and less expensive version of PF Changs. A fairly limited menu but if you want some sweet and sour chicken, this is the place to go! Large portions, gluten free soy sauce, and fresh brewed iced tea better than Starbucks.
•Sprinkles – La Jolla – the best gluten free cupcake in San Diego. Their GF Red Velvet Cupcake is one of the best indulgences I can recommend.
•Which Wich – Pacific Beach – Hundreds of variations of sandwiches all wrapped up in a huge piece of crisp lettuce. Perfect with a bag a potato chips and a walk down to the beach.
Thousand Oaks Favorites
•Gluten Free Yourself – This place is every person with food allergies dream. They make their own fresh bread and great sandwiches. You feel like you’re at a regular little deli but you can eat EVERYTHING! They have a great selection of fresh cookies, cupcakes, salads and more.
*Recommend: Italian Grilled Cheese or the Sub and whatever fresh baked sweet they have made for the day!
•The Rabbit Hole – Unique, fresh, and organic. Definitely a place for people who enjoy vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, natural, and raw food.
*Recommend: Turkey and Brie Sandwich and a side of Sweet Potato Fries with Banana Jalapeño ketchup. Unreal.
•Pieology – Pizza made with no fear of cross contamination. They have separate sauces, utensils, and are extremely sensitive to their customers. It is fun because you choose your toppings as you go down the line, everyone is so friendly, and they make cinnamon strips for dessert so I have no complaints!
*Recommend – anything with a lot of veggies! I get something different every time I come, depending on what sounds good at the time. Unlimited toppings for all the same price. And ALWAYS get the cinnamon strips.
•PF Changs – many locations – one of the first restaurants I went to many years ago since they offered a huge gluten free menu. It has since only expanded and is still one of my favorites! Chicken, Beef, Vegetables, Fish, anything you want, you can find here!
*Recommend – Moo Goo Gai Pan and Egg Drop Soup
•California Pizza Kitchen – many locations – Finally! I was waiting for this chain to come around for a while and it was worth the wait. They have a dedicated menu to ensure there is no cross contamination issues in the kitchen.
*Recommend: The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
Los Angeles Area Favorites
•Mendocino Farms – A sandwich lovers dream. Fresh meats, cheeses, and veggies with options you don’t see just anywhere.
*Recommend: Fresh Turkey, Balsamic Vinegar, Smoked Gouda, Pickled Red Onions, Pickles, Roasted Tomatoes, Marinated Red Peppers
•Rising Hearts Bakery – not only do they supply the amazing bread for Mendocino Farms, but they have fresh baked bread daily, along with every other type of bread and baked good you’ve been looking for. I gave up on eating bagels the past few years because they were all horrible, and then I found this place. I buy in bulk and put in the freezer when I am in the area. They make a Whoopie Pie that is to die for.
•Milk Jar Cookies – Fresh baked, warm, homemade, chocolate chip cookies. One of the best cookies I have ever had, even before going gluten free.
•Heywood A Grilled Cheese Shoppe – Gourmet Grilled Cheese? Enough said.
•EVO Kitchen – Just when you think you’ve tried all types of gluten free crust, you discover yet another gem in LA. A lot of vegetarian and vegan options as well!
*Recommend: Brushetta Pizza
The Grocery Store:
If someone looked me in the eye many years ago and said “There are going to be aisles of products so good, you won’t even know where to begin”, I would have looked at them and laughed. I was practically eating bricks in replacement for bread. Although I do eat a lot of naturally gluten free foods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, and anything unprocessed without an ingredient list longer than a few recognizable items, there are some very good items out there that don’t need to be bought in specialty stores and are very good.
After many years of trial and error, here are my favorite (and affordable) brands and items on the market today:
Lucy’s – Cookies. Crunchy, flavorful, and addicting. Guaranteed the box won’t last more than a day. Every flavor is amazing.
Canyon Bakehouse – Hands down the best bread on the market. Soft and doesn’t need to be frozen. So good it will make you check the ingredient list an extra time to make sure it is in fact gluten free! They make hot dog and hamburger buns that are delicious too!
Vans – Their waffles, especially the blueberry. Perfect for on the go mornings. They will make Eggo’s wish they offered a product this good. Now sold in Target and Vons!
Chebe – The whole line of products is amazing, the pizza crust being my favorite. I find their products at Sprouts.
Pop Chips – Easy to take on the go to pair with a sandwich, salad, a wrap or just eat by themselves.
Quaker – Rice cakes and popped snacks. Substitute a rice cake with bread for a lighter lunch or with eggs for breakfast.
Frito Lay – Their line of chips is endless. 51 options to choose from ranging from Ruffles or Tostitos, to Lays and Cheetos. Great for group gatherings and BBQs with friends.
Chex – They have so many options of cereals, which can also be made into snack mixes, rice crispy treats, crusted on chicken, etc.
Chobani – Nonfat greek yogurt. I eat them as a snack or use the plain flavored as a replacement for sour cream. Nobody will ever know the difference, plus you aren’t adding any fat to recipes and instead almost 30% of your daily protein. I trick people all the time with this one!
Mission – corn tortillas and tortilla chips for quesadillas, nachos or just some chips, salsa and guacamole.
My list is always growing so I will continue to update it! If you have any other great recommendations, feel free to share!
Cupcakes and Colonoscopies 