Barrio Star Review

Jason here. While we were visiting family in San Diego, our second food destination was Barrio Star. Part of the Isabel Cantina chain of restaurants, Barrio Star is a Mexican Restaurant located in San Diego. It happened to have been July 4^th and I was very thirsty from walking around in the sunny weather, so when we discovered a restaurant that was not only open with available parking but had a menu with gluten free options labeled, I was pretty happy.

For starters, I drank about 2 glasses of water, and then half a pomegranate margarita. Kayleigh and I decided to split the margarita, but she ordered a non-gluten free dish. Thus, in order to avoid cross contamination I opted to drink my half up front. The pomegranate added a nice fruity flavor, but the tequila definitely came through strong.

For an appetizer, the table ordered some tortilla chips with guacamole. While they are labeled gluten free on the menu, they let me know they have been cooked in the same fryer as other items. However, our waiter went out of his way and offered to bring out some gluten free corn tortillas so I could have some of the guacamole.

Now what’s interesting is that I can’t really find any other fried items on the menu that would have contaminated the nachos. This is convenient, as without thinking things through I ordered a bowl of tortilla soup which was also labeled gluten free on the menu. Whether it was luck, or they really do have a safe gluten free fryer, I can say I felt fine afterwards. While it was an exceptionally hot day, the restaurant was air conditioned and my glasses of water (along with the ice I consumed) had cooled me down considerably. I enjoyed my nice hot bowl of soup, downing the entire thing in short order. The tortilla chips were not exactly “crunchy” as advertised, but I wasn’t expecting that from tortilla chips soaked in soup. The roasted red chile guajillo added only a small amount of heat, which was good considering the weather.

Kayleigh here. Out of all the food I tried there, the highlight by far was the freshly baked corn tortillas. They were incredibly soft and very slightly chewy, unlike any I have had before. What was I doing buying prepackaged corn tortillas all my life? That's it- we are going to buy a tortilla press, then use them instead of bread for everything from now on.

If you’re looking for a chance to escape this heat this summer, are in San Diego, and in the mood for some good Mexican food, then give Barrio Star a try. The price was right, and although they warned me about the tortilla chips, they still had plenty of gluten free options available.

Antica Trattoria Review

Jason here. Kayleigh and I took a trip down to San Diego to visit some family. While we were there, we had the fortune of visiting some wonderful gluten friendly restaurants. The last place we visited was a restaurant by the name of Antica Trattoria.

Antica Trattoria is an upscale Italian restaurant which also has a selection of fine wines. Not being a big wine connoisseur myself, I opted out of drinking this night, so will let Kayleigh speak to the drinks. I did however, order some capellini made from gluten free pasta. The price point was about where I would expect it for a nice Italian restaurant, even after the additional charge to substitute gluten free pasta.

While you can by gluten free pasta from the store, it always seems to just taste better somehow at a restaurant. Our waiter was friendly, and confirmed the dish was entirely gluten free once I made the substitution. Italian restaurants are traditionally hard for me to eat at, as few offer gluten free options. It was nice to finally sit down and enjoy some pasta again. Back when I could enjoy it, I was a big fan of angel hair pasta, so I was a little disappointed when I found the pasta substitution was only penne. While it makes perfect sense, it is something to be aware of when you make your order.

The capellini dish tasted great. It caught my attention as it contained what I would have added if I was making my own pasta dish from scratch. Primarily the mushrooms and shrimp. Something I could never have pulled off was the garlic and chardonnay lobster broth sauce. Along with the fresh tomato, it gave the dish something in the middle of a traditional red pasta sauce, and a creamy white sauce.

As an aside, I am getting slightly better at de-shelling shrimp using only a fork and knife, but I still feel quite clumsy at it. I’m sure I can’t be the only one that finds that awkward. Also, I’m still not sure where to place the shell after I peeled it. I still haven't managed to deshell a shrimp with chopsticks, though...

Kayleigh here. I admit, I rarely order the same alcohol twice- not because I have yet to find one that I like, but because I just love trying new ones and expanding my knowledge and palate. The wine list here focused mostly on Reds, but encompassed a wide variety of Italian and Californian vineyards (and even a couple in Washington) that made choosing very hard. The food, I found, was an equally difficult choice despite the menu being only one page long. All the entrees just seemed so...good! Others at the table highly recommended ordering one of the dishes with the short ribs, but I went with something more on the veggie side of things. Either way, there are plenty of choices for even picky eaters, and they were extremely accommodating with the few substitutions we ended up making.

As the food was delicious, the menu and staff gluten friendly I would recommend you give Antica Trattoria a visit if you are in town.

Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria

Jason here. While we were visiting family in San Diego, we were brought to one of our host’s favorite pizza places, Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria.

As an appetizer, Kayleigh and I split a peaches, blackberries and prosciutto salad, which came topped with goat cheese, hazelnuts, and sherry vinaigrette. The blackberries, fresh greens, and prosciutto were delicious. I enjoyed the salty prosciutto mixing wonderfully with the black berries and vinaigrette. The hazelnuts and cheese added a bit of an earthy and, of course, nutty flavor to the whole salad. It’s a shame, but the peaches were really overwhelmed here and added very little to an otherwise great salad.

For our main course, Kayleigh and I split a “My Father’s” pizza with a gluten free crust substitution. While they do have the obligatory cross contamination disclaimer, I can confidently say I had no issues with my meal. We went with this particular pizza, as I wanted some form of meat and Kayleigh wanted to try something with fresh mozzarella. It turned out to be a great choice.

The mozzarella was placed on the pizza in large pieces, so biting into it offered not only a burst of mozzarella flavor, but also added some texture to the pizza. As a fan of extra cheese, I definitely enjoyed the liberal helpings of the large melted mozzarella pieces. The pepperoni came in extra-large pieces, which was also a nice surprise. While Kayleigh likes red onion, I’ve never been a fan of them on my pizza so these I could have done without. The fennel sausage on the other hand, was my favorite part. The bits of sausage were heavily seasoned with herbs which added to the overall pizza. As opposed to blending together, I could taste each ingredient in the pizza individually with each imparting its own distinct flavor.

Kayleigh here. This pizzeria was fairly small and quite busy when we arrived, but we were seated quickly and served just as fast. The pizzas were a beautiful example of fresh foods done right- a simple thin crust covered with an even distribution of ripe vegetables, barely melted cheese, and heavily seasoned meats. Each bite was a well-rounded combination of flavors and textures, complimenting each other so well that I enjoyed even the strong fennel flavor from the sausage because of how it enhanced the sweetness of the tomato sauce. When a restaurant can get me to actually enjoy the meat in a dish instead of resigning myself to it, I know I found a winner.

If you’re looking for a fun little pizzeria with a gluten free crust offering, then Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria may just be the right fit for you.