Shopping has just become more enjoyable.  Nordstrom’s  Blue Stove and Cafe Bistro will deliciously and affordably accomodate gluten-free diners!

When we went to Cafe Bistro at the Nordstrom’s in our local mall, I was not expecting to have anything more than my ususal “safe” salad but was pleasantly surprised to find that they had a menu marked with gluten-free choices.  And the choices were abundant!   My dining partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals. I chose the braised short ribs & polenta which consisted of tender boneless beef short ribs, roasted mushrooms, natural jus and creamy white cheddar polenta.  My sister had the Roast Chicken Pommes Frites and the ‘Frites”, or fries, were cooked in a dedicated fryer!  The food was so delicious and ordering was uncomplicated.   

Other gluten-free items on the Cafe Bistro menu; Blue Cheese & Pear Salad , Warm Asian Glazed Chicken Salad (skip crisp wontons), Cilantro Lime Shrimp (skip tortilla chips), Caesar Salad with Roasted Chicken (skip croutons), Nicoise Salad with Salmon, Vine Ripe Vegetable Salad, Chicken Artichoke & Goat Cheese Salad, Bistro Steak Pommes Frites, Roast Chicken Pommes Frites, Salmon with Gazpacho Salsa and Oven Roasted Scallops.                                             

Another mall visit led us to the Blue Stove, also located at (a different) Nordstroms.  This restaurant serves many mini-plates, or tapas.  Upon entering, I inquired about a gluten-free menu and although there was not one premarked, the hostess knew what my needs were and immediately brought a menu to the chef.  He painstakingly reviewed the menu and noted which items were safe options. Again, I was impressed with the abundant choices.  We started off with the Crispy Parmesan Polenta & Arugula Salad.  Crispy coated, melt in your mouth cubes of polenta shared the plate with shavings of parmesan cheese and a tangy dressing that offset the slight bitterness of the arugula.  To follow, we had Black Pepper Caramel Chicken Wings and they were spicy!  To ameliorate the delightfully burning sensation left on our palate, we chose to sample the Chocolate Banana Creme Brulee. This included a small pot of warm chocolate sauce to drizzle over the dessert.  Exquisite!

Some of the other gluten-free items on the Blue Stove menu;  Frisee Salad with Manchego Cheese & Quince Vinaigrette, Chopped Vegetable Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette, Seared Tuna Loin with Napa Cabbage Slaw, Caramel Clay Pot Chicken (soup), Crisp & Spicy Dark Cherry Glazed Beef, Roasted Garlic Chicken with Corn & Arugula, Lemon Scented Risotto with Seared Scallops & French Beans,  Strip Steak with Romesco Sauce (nuts) & Balsamic Roasted Onions, Lemon Caper Glazed Shrimp, Brussel Sprouts with Spanish Chorizo, Seared Wild Mushrooms & Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Zest, Fresh Grilled Corn Sauteed with Lobster, and Grilled Risotto Cakes with Roasted Oyster Mushrooms.

Please keep in mind that these menus are seasonal and may vary by location. Enjoy!

On a recent visit to The Melting Pot we enjoyed an event held every Monday called  Girls Night Out.  Besides enjoying displays of jewelry and  handbags for sale, and a visit to a Tarot Card reader, we spent a lovely, slow paced and relaxed evening dipping tidbits of food into delicious fondue.  Having heard that the Melting Pot in Littleton, CO, is very accomodating, I called my local franchise (Bedford, MA) to discover the same.  The staff prepared for my visit by using cornstarch instead of flour and skipped the beer, both normally used in the cheese fondue.  Also nice was the fact that the server made the fondue in front of us and made a point to explain each ingredient as it was added to the hot fondue pot.  While my friends dipped crunchy hunks of bread and vegetables into their fondue pot, I was given an extra serving of veggies.  I must admit that those crunchy vegetables were tasty, but it would have been nice to have a piece of gluten-free bread for dipping!  Later for dessert we chose a heavenly chocolate fondue called the Flaming Turtle.  It was made of milk chocolate, caramel and chopped pecans and was flambeed right at our table!  The server, again, was very cautious about food allergies and kept the pecans in a separate container until everyone agreed they could eat the nuts. This dessert fondue came with fresh strawberries, ripe bananas and pineapple, as well as cheesecake, Oreo coated marshmallows and chocolate cake.  But they were all on the same  plate touching each other!  So needless to say, I didn’t get to indulge in the fruit but I will admit to spooning some of the Turtle Fondue onto my plate to get a taste and it was divine.  

It was still an overall enjoyable time. I didn’t get sick and I would definitely go again, but just better explain my needs.  I did follow up with the manager who tells me that they are working on gluten-free bread and dessert options.  Hopefully, in the near future, I will update this blog to report an even better experience.

Update  The Melting Pot has implemented a gluten-free menu  in conjunction with the Gluten Intolerance Group of America!