Since I’m on a juice kick, I thought I’d share a quick post on one of my favorite fast food lunch spots in New York City.

Did she just say “fast food”?

Yes, please!

Terri is a vegetarian quick service restaurant located at 60 West 23rd Street. If you’re anywhere nearby you must make a point to stop in. Grab a juice, a healthy fast food meal, or a sweet treat, and be on your way with nutrition in hand.

Terri makes vegetarian meals that taste like favorites such as a ”Meatball” Subs, “Bacon Chicken” Cheddar Ranch Sandwiches, and Chick Pea “Tuna” Melts. All of their sandwiches can be made on gluten-free bread and wraps with gluten-free tortillas.

Terri strives to use organic ingredients and super foods. Wholesome salads, smoothies, and juices are just a few more healthy options you’ll find.

I love these juices to go.

Now this is one happy, makeup-needing, lady with a green juice to start her day!

Ordering a gluten-free wrap is a rare pleasure. Nashville can’t yet provide me with such an experience. So I always get a wrap when I go to Terri. They’re grilled closed and actually stay together, unlike many gluten-free wraps.

Safe enough to unwrap neatly in a cab.

Grilled so perfectly that they hold together even when racing to the airport at breakneck speed. (When do NYC cabs not race somewhere at breakneck speed?)

This Thai “Chicken” Wrap passed the bite test.

And more than passed the taste test!

But their Hummus & Avocado Wrap is my favorite.

If only I’d had one more hand to carry one of these Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting. I don’t think they would have passed the cab test.

Healthy, vegetarian fast food is a dream. But at Terri that dream comes true.

I swear someday I’m moving to New York…

Readers, dish!

• Have you ever been to Terri?
• What’s your favorite healthy fast food joint?
• Have you found a place that serves gluten-free wraps?

Has this ever happened to you? Big game on tv, sports bar selected, you show up ready to cheer on your team, and there’s nothing you can eat. Well, you can usually find a dry bed of lettuce and a glass of water, but what’s the fun in that? You sit there half-heartedly cheering, starving, and longing for the days when you could order pizza, wings, and a pint of beer without a care in the world. That was all before you found out that you couldn’t eat gluten. Sports bars are one of the hardest places to eat gluten free. That’s why Sam’s Sports Grill in Nashville caught my attention.

Imagine my excitement when I found this gluten-free menu online and saw that it wasn’t just a list of salads! Sam’s Sports Grill has a gluten-free menu with appetizers, pizzas, burgers, chicken, and salads that are all made without gluten-containing ingredients.

Located in Hillsboro Village in the heart Titan’s country and blocks from Vandy, Sam’s is a popular place to hang out with friends and watch a game.

How many times have you been to a sports bar only to find that the only drink option is beer?

Sam’s serves Angry Orchard gluten-free cider.  My absolute favorite cider to date.

Sam’s has four different starters that are gluten free.  Baby Back Ribs, two different kinds of Nachos, and Spicy Chorizo Queso Dip will start your game off with a bang. We ordered the Nachos Grande with certified gluten-free tortilla chips piled high with chili, melted queso, tomatoes, onions, fresh jalapenos, and sour cream. I can’t tell you the last time I indulged in such decadence!

But the real reason I was there was to sample the gluten-free pizza.  Yes, gluten-free pizza at a sport’s bar!

Sam’s makes gluten-free pizza with French Meadow Bakery gluten-free crust. The crust comes in an aluminum tin to avoid cross contamination. I appreciated that Sam’s served the pizza in the tin so I knew that the pizza hadn’t been on any other surface that might contain gluten.

That did mean that the pizza was less than crisp, but this a small price to pay for delicious pizza and safe serving procedures.

On a Sunday afternoon, the bar was a buzz with football fans, but the waitstaff was very attentive and willing to answer questions about the gluten-free menu.

They did make one thing extremely clear. Their gluten-free menu is a menu of items without gluten ingredients. They state “In general, if you are highly allergic to gluten, we only offer a gluten-free menu as a healthy option.”

That statement almost prevented me from eating at Sam’s. Their gluten-free menu items are made in the same kitchen where flour abounds from sandwiches, burger buns, and pizza. I was very hesitant to risk getting sick just to review a restaurant for this blog. But then I realized that so many restaurants with gluten-free menus are in the exact same position. They want to provide gluten-free options, but they do not have the space to dedicate to gluten-free preparation. The difference is that Sam’s was honest with me. And they left the decision up to me.

Sam’s says that they make sure that when preparing gluten-free menu items the preparation surfaces are thoroughly cleaned. Their kitchen managers have all taken safe serve classes, and in weekly meetings they stress the importance with their staff about properly handling gluten-free orders.

Does that make you feel more comfortable? Or less? I decided that I was willing to take the risk, and thankfully I did not get sick. The food was delicious, I had a great time, and I’m glad to say that there’s one more place where Nashville can go to enjoy gluten-free food.

But it’s also a reminder that eating out gluten-free is the sole responsibility of the diner. You have the choice of whether or not to eat at a restaurant. Your health is your own responsibility. For more information about dining out gluten free, check out my series in 10 Days of Gluten Free created by Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker.

• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Do Your Homework
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Be Nice to Your Server
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  BYOGF
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Ask Questions
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Affirm a Job Well Done
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Have a Good Attitude
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Go Natural
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Share the Love
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Be Realistic
• Eating Out Gluten-Free:  Keep Your Guard Up

Readers, dish!

• Have you tried Sam’s gluten-free menu?
• Have you found a sports bar that offers gluten-free menu items?
• How do you feel about ordering off a gluten-free menu in a non-gluten-free kitchen?
• What questions do you ask before ordering off a gluten-free menu?

There’s a new restaurant in town called First Watch. The Husband heard the buzz that they were gluten friendly, so we had to check it out for brunch on Sunday.  First Watch is a breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot that serves pancakes, omelets, salads, and sandwiches.  At first I thought that it would be a typical greasy diner that offered gluten-free substitutions like Udi’s bread. Not so. All menu items are freshly made to order, and they don’t have microwaves, heat lamps, or deep fryers.

This is not a greasy food joint.  There are plenty of healthy food options.

So how was the gluten-free experience? It was fantastic! When I asked if they had a gluten-free menu, our waitress, Janette, said that she’d bring it right away. She also explained that she had Celiac and that she would be happy to help me if I had questions about the menu.

The gluten-free menu was extensive. They do not have gluten-free breads, muffins, or pancakes. That would be ideal. But they do allow you bring in your own bread. You could order one of their sandwiches without the bread and make your own sandwich at the table.  It’s nice to have permission to do what I typically do under the table!

Janette was also aware enough to explain that since the printing of the menu, they have learned that some of the salad dressings are not truly gluten-free. While the ingredients are gluten free, some of the products have cross-contamination issues at the factory, so she said that she would help me steer clear of those. What a great waitress! (They are in the process of updating their gluten-free menu.)

On the back of the gluten-free menu, there is also a chart that lists common allergens in their menu items, which is very helpful for those who have multiple food allergies.

And if those two resources aren’t enough to help you navigate safely through the menu, the bottom of the gluten-free menu has a list of items to avoid if you’re gluten-free and the reasons why.

Now that’s attention to detail.

I ordered the Tri-Athlete.  I couldn’t resist the name. Even though I’ve only done one triathlon, I’m still a triathlete, right? But I was also looking for something really healthy. This egg-white omelet was listed under the The Healthier Side, and served without the English Muffin made it gluten free.

After I ordered The Tri-Athlete gluten free, Janette asked me a question that I’ve never heard before in a restaurant.  ”Do you have an allergy or are you gluten free by choice?” What a great question! This is a restaurant that takes allergies seriously.

The omelet was delicious.  And our waitress put me at such ease that I had absolutely no concerns about the safety of my meal. In fact, she explained that the staff would change their gloves before preparing my meal.

Served with a side of fruit, this egg white and veggie omelet was the healthy brunch that I was looking for.

We had a lovely, stress-free experience. The food was really good. And the service was top notch.

And just when I thought the experience couldn’t get any better, we got the bill.  The total was extremely reasonable (where else can you get a healthy brunch for two for $20?) but the top of our slip looked like this.

Not only did the waitress write “Gluten Allergy” at the top, but she wrote it in a red pen and then circled my order in red.  Just one more safety precaution.

The Brentwood location is reported to be the first of three to five additional locations to open in the Nashville area. I look forward to having more First Watch locations. Gluten-free or not, this is just good food.

The Gluten-Free Cat gives First Watch two paws up!

210 Franklin Road
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-376-6161

Readers, dish!

• Have you ever eaten at First Watch?
• What are your favorite gluten-free brunch places?
• What do you order when eating brunch gluten free?

What a sweet, sweet raw week it was! Thank you so much for your support of Raw Foods Thursdays. We are building and growing with 11 entries last week! Woo hoo! Double digits! Keep spreading the word so we can all learn from each other. This weekly event has been such an inspiration to me. I love learning about new bloggers and their delicious raw recipes.  Just look at the sweet things that were linked up last week.

Janet from The Taste Space shared this incredible recipe for Chocolate Banana Crepes with Almond-Coconut Cream and Cherries.

Look complicated? I know! But just a few ingredients pureed in the food processor and then dehydrated in rounds can make these gorgeous crepes!

And if that isn’t enough to tickle your taste buds, Ricki of Diet, Dessert & Dogs shared her Raw Gingersnap Cookie Bon Bons.

I’ve made raw cookies before, but Bon Bons?  Wow! Can’t wait to roll these little babies out!

Here’s another cookie recipe that just goes to prove that raw does not have to mean complicated.

Sonja of Practical Stewardship created these THREE Ingredient Lara Bar Balls.

And lastly, check out these Frozen Fruit Pops by Laura at Grain-Free Fabulous.

Now that’s just pure raw deliciousness!  Thanks so much for your submissions! With that kind of inspiration, I decided to share one of my own raw cookie recipes this week.

What do you have to share?

Here’s how you can participate:

• Simply link up a raw foods recipe (see What is Raw Food?), mention Raw Foods Thursdays, and link back to this post so your readers can join in the fun!
• Please link to the recipe, not to a blog’s home page, so we can all find your raw foods recipe.
• You may link up a recipe that you’ve made in the past. Just make sure to share something different each time you participate.
• Be sure to leave a comment letting us know who you are and what you’re sharing.
• Feel free to use the Raw Foods Thursdays blog badge created by the lovely, talented Heather Peters!

What are Raw Foods Meals?

• Plant-based meals that are not cooked.  Dehydrators may be used no higher than 118 degrees.  (The raw foods community has differing views on temperature, but the range is between 104 and 118 degrees.)
• Raw Ingredients: vegetables, fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, gluten-free sprouted grains, beans, and oils.

What isn’t raw?

• Anything cooked above 118.
• Anything processed.  If it comes from a can or a package that lists more than one ingredient, chances are it’s not raw!