If you’re looking for a nice restaurant to try in the Nashville area, I’d highly recommend Red Pony Restaurant in downtown Franklin. I’ve been there several times, and each time I wonder why I don’t eat there more often. I’ve been for drinks and appetizers on the second story deck. I’ve also been there for leisurely dinners in the dining room with friends. And every time I am impressed with the quality of the food and the attention to detail while serving gluten-free meals.

Red Pony has a warm, romantic ambiance, but the high ceilings and hard wood floors make for a very loud evening. It doesn’t take long, however, for the robust laughter from happy diners all around to make you feel right at home.

The first time I dined at Red Pony I made a reservation through Open Table and mentioned that I required a gluten-free meal. This was ages ago, before ordering gluten free was trendy. When we checked in at the hostess desk, the hostess confirmed that they were aware of my allergy and had already notified my waiter.

Last weekend we were at Red Pony again. I had called for a reservation the day before and didn’t mention needing a gluten-free meal. But when our waiter came to the table, he asked which of us had the gluten allergy. Apparently we are in their system. That kind of attention to detail makes me a return customer.

Plus, the food is incredible. Because of the dark restaurant, the photos don’t meet my standards, but they’ll give you an idea.

Grilled Kale with Bonnie Blue Goat Cheese, Roasted Garlic, Pinenuts and Lemon Oil

Grilled Scottish Salmon with Balsamic Figs, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Polenta and Arugula

They do not have a separate gluten-free menu, but the waiters understand gluten, and if there are any questions they get their answers directly from the chef. I felt 100% confident in the safety of my meal.

For high quality, southern comfort food with gluten-free options, give Red Pony Restaurant a try. Gluten-Free Cat gives it two paws up!

408 Main Street
Franklin, Tennessee
615-595-7669

Readers, dish!

• Have you been to Red Pony?
• How has a restaurant surprised you with attention to detail?

I do believe that I’m the last gluten-free person on the planet to visit Jason’s Deli.  Ages ago, I heard that Jason’s Deli could make any sandwich gluten-free by using Udi’s gluten-free bread.  That was fantastic news!  But I’m not really a deli person.  And the fact that the sandwiches would be made on the same line as regular sandwiches just made me nervous.

I finally did have a chance to eat at Jason’s Deli with a few friends, and I was very impressed.  First of all, they have an extensive gluten-free menu.  It’s not the regular menu with astricks next to the items that can be made gluten free. It’s a one-page menu of all of the gluten-free options.  An entire page!

There are soup options.

I highly recommend the Vegetarian Tomato Basil.

There are salad options.

The Nutty Mixed Up Salad without chicken was a vegetarian’s dream with organic field greens, grapes, raisins, apples, feta cheese, nuts, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds.

There are gluten-free options on the salad bar as well.  I’m not sure how you feel about the safety of a salad bar, but I wasn’t risking it.  There are too many opportunities for cross contamination for my liking.

And of course you can go full-on deli and order a sandwich on Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread.  I was impressed that the workers knew to change their gloves and to use a protective barrier between the bread and the counter.

And the sandwiches do not come on the small slices that we buy at the grocery stores.  This bread is large enough to hold a thick stack of all of the sandwich fixings of your choice.  Just check out the options in the Build Your Own Sandwich section of the gluten-free menu.

And if you were wondering, the ice cream from the soft serve machine, which comes with every meal, is also gluten free!

Jason’s Deli gets two paws up from The Gluten-Free Cat.  I’m glad to have one just around the corner from me.  Check out their other locations to see if there’s one near you.

Readers, dish!

• Have you tried Jason’s Deli? How was your experience?
• What’s your favorite gluten-free menu item?
• Do you feel comfortable eating from salad bars?

If birthday celebrations have any predicting power of the year to come, I’m in for 365 days of incredibleness!

The day started with a 15-mile training run in Nashville.  As the Husband pointed out, “That’s the furthest you’ve ever run and the oldest you’ve ever been.” I considered that to be a compliment!

On the way to the airport, we met a dear friend at A Matter of Taste for a few veggie sandwiches on the most tender, delicious gluten-free bread.  A Matter of Taste is now the only Nashville restaurant that makes its own gluten-free bread.  Sadly, our two other options (FiddleCakes and Aunt April’s Bakery) have recently closed.  Thank you, A Matter of Taste, for delicious sandwiches, and for providing vegetarian choices too.  Did you know that on your birthday, whomever you’re dining with has to order your second choice so that you can have bites?  (Or do I just have an awesome husband?)

Mediterranean Vegetarian – Eggplant, roasted red pepper, sun dried tomato, pesto & feta cheese

Vegetarian Melt – chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado & provolone cheese with creamy ranch dressing

For more information about this delightful little lunch spot, see my first review of A Matter of Taste here.  A Matter of Taste is located at Franklin Road across from Thoroughbread Motors, and they’re open Monday through Friday from 11-3.  GO there!

Well fueled, were off to the Big City!

After a few hours of sitting on the plane, the effects of the 15-mile run on the legs reminded me that I had just gained another year.  So our tradition of walking the streets of New York to dinner was postponed until our next trip.

I’d been looking forward to Birthday Dinner at Pala Pizza for weeks.  Maybe months.  And sitting across the table from the love of my life on my birthday while awaiting the best pizza on the planet, gluten-free or not, was almost more than I could handle.

Pala has perfected the gluten-free pizza crust.  Made with a combination of garbanzo bean, tapioca, fava bean, potato, rice, and white sorghum flours, you would never believe this was a gluten-free crust.  And they bake their gluten-free pizzas in a dedicated oven, so you can be certain they are aware of cross-contamination issues.

Here are my Pala Pizzas from the past few visits.

Arrabbiata - Buffalo mozzarella, fresh cherry tomatoes, hot pepper, and garlic

Fungata - Porcini, portobello and shitake mushrooms, parmigiano cheese, mozzarella cheese, and rosemary

Romana - field mushrooms, tomato sauce, pecorino cheese, and fresh parsley

Three amazing pizza experiences, so you can imagine the agony in selecting something that we had never tried before.  We were very pleased with our choice.

Pizza Zucchina with marinated zucchini, goat cheese, cherry tomato sauce, mozzarella, and rosemary

We didn’t leave much behind.

But we did leave room for our favorite dessert.

Tortino al Cioccolato - Flourless chocolate cake with almonds and English cream

The next time you’re in New York, you must visit Pala Pizza.  They are located at 198 Allen St. between Houston and Stanton.  For my original review and photos of even more deliciousness, see this post.

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes!  From Nashville to New York City, it truly was a deliciously memorable day!

Readers, dish!

• If you could eat at any restaurant on your birthday, where would it be?
• What is your favorite birthday meal?
• What is your favorite birthday cake?

I’m a pretty picky pizza aficionado.  Attending college west of Chicago made me a huge devotee of all pizzas deep and dishy.  While there isn’t a pizza south of Lake Michigan that even comes close to the thick Chicago deep dish pizzas with double crusts laden with tomato-chunked sauce, I’ve since learned to enjoy crusts of all thicknesses and textures. Gluten-free pizza isn’t always done well, but I must say they’ve come a long way in the last eight years. When first diagnosed, most gluten-free diners are thrilled at the thought of eating pizza again, so they overlook the gluten-free crust that either falls apart or tastes like cardboard rice.

In the Nashville area, we have three pizza places that do gluten-free crusts well.  In order of preference:

1.  Matteo’s – Hands down, best gluten-free crust made in-house.  Gluten-eaters have been fooled many a time in our home.  (Their website is currently down, but you can contact them in Franklin at 615-661-5811.)

2.  Mellow Mushroom – A chain restaurant that just recently developed a gluten-free menu, crust, and gluten-free regulations for employees.  I feel very comfortable eating there, and the pizzas are tasty. (Locations in Franklin and Nashville)

3.  Mafiaoza’s Pizzaria – They use French Meadow Bakery gf crust.  Tasty?  Yes, but expensive and a cross-contamination nightmare.  See my review and inquire to see if they’ve learned more about cross-contamination before you try their pizzas.

Well, I have good news.  Brixx is a new restaurant in Cool Springs area (Franklin, TN) that offers gluten-free pizza and is quickly climbing to the top of the above list.  Before you out-of-towners check out, Brixx has locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  See Brixx’s site for a location near you.

Brixx just opened in Cool Springs on August 31, 2011.  I had heard a rumor that they offered a gluten-free pizza, but it took me a few weeks to take the opportunity to try some.  When the husband showed up with this take-out bag from a pizzeria right around the corner from our home, I felt…well…normal.

The bag, the pizza boxes, the smell as I pried them open, were almost a throwback to the college days.  And I was impressed that the pizzas were boxed up in the very aluminum containers in which the pizzas had been cooked.  The gluten-free pizzas aren’t created in a gluten-free restaurant, but Brixx understands cross-contamination issues involved in safely serving their gluten-free guests.

The pizzas are assembled off the line in the walk-in cooler so that they have not been exposed to the gluten environment.  The kitchen staff is very aware of keeping these items separate and making gluten-free meals separately.

Brixx’s incredible pizza selection blew my mind.  All vegetable toppings are gluten-free, and many of the their meats and cheeses are as well.  Here’s a list of their classic pizzas that you can know are safe without having to ask:

• Americo
• Hawaiian
• Spicy Shrimp
• Barbecue Chicken
• Roasted Chicken
• Greek
• Margherita
• Tomato and Basil Pesto

Just order them on a gluten-free crust for an extra $2.  Make sure to inquire about all other toppings.  (Vegan cheese is also available at no extra charge.)  You can also build your own pizza and salads with any of their gluten-free ingredients which are listed below.

We ordered the Mexican which had a black-bean spread slathered with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and scattered with wood-roasted chicken, roma tomatoes, and sliced fresh jalapenos.  And with all of that cheese, why not add a little extra dairy by topping it with sour cream?

This pizza was out of this world delicious!

But I think my favorite was the Greek Pizza.  Roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onions, and feta cheese topped with fresh basil and a balsamic glaze drizzle sent me into pizza reverie.

But wait!  What about the crust?  I was so taken in by the mouthwatering combination of pizza toppings that I didn’t even think about the crust until well into my second slice.  Now, that’s a good crust.  A crust shouldn’t distract from the pizza, nor should it be the star of the show.  It should let the pizza toppings shine (unless you’re in Chicago).

Brixx uses Rich’s Gluten-Free Par-baked Pizza Crust.  It’s a thinner crust, allowing Brixx’s incredible gourmet toppings to take center stage.  Nutritional information on Rich’s gluten-free crust can be found here.

Brixx’s Gluten-Free Ingredients:

Cheeses - Vegan Cheese, Fresh House Made Mozzarella, Goat Cheese, Crumbled Feta, Cheddar, Shredded Parmesan, Gouda, Four-Cheese Mix

Proteins – Roasted Chicken, Blackened Chicken, Chilled Pesto Chicken Salad, Sauteed Shrimp, Oven-Baked Herbed Salmon, Pepperoni, Shaved Turkey Breast, Shaved Proscuitto, Anchovy Filets

Dressings – Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Chipotle Vinaigrette, Honey Herb Vinaigrette, Caesar, Whole Grain Honey Mustard

Nuts – Pistachios, Caramelized Walnuts, Raw Walnuts

Brixx definitely gets two paws up from this Gluten-Free Cat!

Brixx’s: Wood Fired Pizza

1550 W. McEwen Drive Suite 10

615.771.7797

Open Mon.-Sat. 11am – 1am and Sun. 11am – 11pm

• Have you tried Brixx yet?
• What is your favorite gluten-free pizza from a restaurant?