I’ve come to the conclusion that I am a foodie. Even with this blog, I’m surprised it took me this long to realize it. I think it’s because the word foodie has a snobby connotation, but by definition a foodie is someone who just loves food! And who doesn’t?!

Most people spend Labor Day Weekend at the beach enjoying the last weekend of bathing suit season, but I spent my weekend in the complete opposite way… Eating, eating and more eating. Well I guess you could say I enjoyed the last weekend of bathing suit season by not worrying about having to be in a bathing suit for another 7 months.

This time my eating adventures took me to Atlanta. A place I called home for 4 years before moving back to New Jersey. I made sure my return to the ATL included stops to all of my favorite Gluten Free food spots! Check out the highlights from this weekend:

Friday September 2nd

Lunch: PIZZA! Most people who move to the South can’t wait to come back to New York to have some good pizza. I on the other hand couldn’t wait to get to Atlanta to have some good pizza. All of the places around me in New Jersey have terrible gluten free pizza. While I was at school in Atlanta I fell in love with Romeo’s Pizza. Their Gluten Free Pizza was 👌 and ironically it is New York Style Pizza…. They can put any kind of toppings on their gluten free crust.

Dinner: UMI. Umi is a sushi restaurant in Atlanta that is perfect for special occasions. It is definitely expensive but is worth every penny. Their fish is so fresh and they are really good about gluten allergies. They make as many dishes as they can with gluten free soy sauce or gluten free ponzu.

Here is my go to order for two at Umi.
– Edamame
– Yellowtail Jalapeno
– Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice (*There is cross contamination with this dish)
-Ume-Kyu Maki Roll – it sounds weird, but trust me, its good!
– Bincho-Maguro Sashimi
– Hinomaru Nigiri
– Sake Aioli  Nigiri (Without the Aioli)
– Otoro Caviar Nigiri
– Kobe- Beef Nigiri **My personal favorite

Dessert: Jeni’s Ice Cream at Krog Street Market. Krog Street Market is located right on the Atlanta Beltline, and has numerous food stalls including a Jeni’s Ice Cream. Jeni’s is an artisan ice cream company that was started in Columbus, Ohio. Usually my go-to flavor is the Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso, but I decided to try some of the new summer flavors… Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk and Watermelon Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt.

Saturday September 3rd

Pre-lunch snack: a fresh Macaron from Sur La Table! (Post to come on this adventure)

Dinner: Genki with my cousin and sister before heading to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Genki has gluten free soy sauce that they can make with any of their rice bowls.

A diversion from the food to write a piece on my favorite tourist attraction in Atlanta. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens has a night exhibit every summer featuring art installations around the grounds of the gardens. This years exhibit was Chihuly at Night. They installed 20 Chihuly sculptures on the grounds of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and lit them up. It was an amazing exhibit and I highly recommend it!

Ok, back to the food.

Sunday September 4th

Breakfast: West Egg Cafe. West Egg Cafe is an all day breakfast spot in Atlanta. They have amazing coffee and breakfast. They don’t have any special gluten free dishes i.e. pancakes or bread, but their egg dishes are amazing and everything is made to order so they can substitute anything that contains gluten.

Lunch: Yeah! Burger. When I booked my trip to Atlanta I immediately told my sister we had to stop at Yeah! Burger for Gluten Free Onion Rings. I have only seen Gluten Free Onion Rings served in two restaurants. Once was in London, the other was at Yeah! Burger.  They also have gluten free rolls and hot dog buns which are great but I plan my meal around the onion rings :).

 

That’s all for this journey! Let me know in the comments if you have any favorite spots in Atlanta!