I get recommendations for restaurants that have either a gluten-free menu or are celiac friendly nearly every hour of every day. As much as I would like to, I can’t try every one of them myself. I have had the opportunity to try quite a few of them up and down the west coast as well as some in London. I will also be traveling to Boston in a few weeks and will inevitably be trying some recommended restaurants there — and of course writing something about them.

For my latest “Gluten-Free Pick of the Week”, I’m doing something that I normally don’t do — I’m showcasing a restaurant that I’ve never actually been to, Posana Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina. The reason for this is quite simple — I’ve had more recommendations for this restaurant in the past year than any other restaurant. The astonishing thing about this is that it’s an independent restaurant in a relatively small town.

A little background information on Posana Cafe:

Posana Cafe is owned and operated by Peter and Martha Pollay. Peter is the Executive Chef and a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. He’s worked under such great chefs and restauranteurs as Wolfgang Puck, Lary Levy, Waldy Malouf and David Burke.

After Martha was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2005, Peter set out to create an entirely gluten-free restaurant that would appeal to everyone — not just those following a gluten-free diet. In fact, the vast majority of their customers do not suffer from celiac disease, food allergies, or intolerances.

They have an in-house pastry department that prepares all of their plated desserts, pastries, breads and mixes on a daily basis. This makes a huge difference in quality, consistency and the level of creativity that is in their menu.

To think that there is a restaurant out there that I can not only enjoy a great gluten-free menu, but every last thing on that menu is gluten-free — what a huge treat. I know there are actually quite a few great restaurants out there that are entirely gluten-free, but Posana Cafe exemplifies the spirit that I love to see, they don’t want to make it a “great gluten-free restaurant”, they want to simply make it a “great restaurant for all to enjoy” — gluten-free or not. Afterall, gluten-free can be (and often times is) more tasty than their gluten-filled counterparts. I know it has been the topic of a lot of debate in the press recently, but I very much believe that a gluten-free diet is better for everyone — nobody needs gluten in their diet.

The very first opportunity to get to Asheville that I get, you know Posana Cafe will be one of my first stops. Asheville has been a destination that I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, now I have one more reason to make that happen.

Thank you to both Peter and Martha Pollay for what I am almost certain is a great restaurant — I can’t wait to try it.

While I usually focus my Product of the Week posts on an individual product, this time I wanted to devote it to a company, Crave, A San Francisco Bakery.

I’ve been a fan of Crave for at least the last four years and I have tried nearly every one of their products at some point. Whether it’s their soft and chewy gluten-free brownie, their amazing cheesecake, or even one of their delicious vanilla cupcakes, I’ve never EVER been disappointed. The biggest problem anyone would have would be to know when to stop. If I could live on desserts alone, this would be one that I could do it with.

To think that Crave’s products are not only gluten-free, but many are also vegan, soy-free, nut-free, egg-free, sugar-free and/or dairy-free is absolutely mind blowing. If you’re lucky enough to have Crave products in a store near you, do yourself a favor and give them a try — if not, check out their Website and order directly from them.

Cameo Edwards started Crave, a wholesale San Francisco bakery, in 2003. She was determined to create delicious alternative desserts that were Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free and Casein-Free (or Milk-Free) to satisfy her Cravings for foods she could no longer eat. Crave’s philosophy is based on choosing simple, high-quality and organic ingredients without trans fats or preservatives.

Crave Bakery also provides custom Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Wedding/Special Occasion cakes & cupcakes, catering to any food intolerance: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, Sugar-free and/or Dairy-Free. Crave’s Gluten-Free brownies, cookies, tarts, cupcakes and cakes can be purchased in high end markets such as Whole Foods Markets throughout the western US; check our website for a location near you.

Even before being diagnosed with celiac disease, I was never a beer drinker — I’ve never been able to acquire a taste for it. When I was younger and all of my friends were drinking beer, I always found myself looking for the wine, the champagne and of course, cider.

While it sometimes feels like I’ve tried every cider on the face of the planet, I still get excited when I come across something new. On our recent trip to London, I was able to try quite a few new European ciders — and I even found one that I would call great (I’ll save that for a later post).

While living in Portland, Oregon from 2005 to 2010, I discovered Fox Barrel Cider at my local New Seasons Market and immediately fell in love with it’s wonderfully light and fruity flavor and found myself wanting to drink it just a little too often. In 2008, I was shopping at our local Whole Foods and came across Crispin Natural Hard Apple Cider and as I always do with any new cider, I bought a bottle (original flavor) to take home and try — it’s been a favorite ever since.

Crispin is constantly hosting events at local restaurants, beer festivals and pubs showcasing their award winning cider. They’ve even come up with a great selection of sample menus showing the diversity of cider and how it can be used in so many different ways.

So far, I haven’t been able to find Crispin Cider in Los Angeles, but I am still able to find Fox Barrel. Much to my joy this past year, Crispin acquired the Northern California based Fox Barrel, so I’m really hoping this is going to mean California distribution for Crispin.

If you find yourself a little upset not being able to drink beer after your celiac disease diagnosis, do yourself a favor and try this cider — I think you will have a new favorite drink. Don’t get me wrong, there are increasingly some really good gluten-free beer options out there, but cider really is a nice alternative. One taste of Crispin Cider and I think you’ll agree that it’s the more sophisticated brother of beer. It’s much more diverse and goes with just about anything.  If you’ve tried it, I would love to hear what you think about it. If Crispin is reading this, please tell me when it will be available in L.A. and where I’ll be able to find it.