After spending Christmas with my family in North Carolina, it was time to head back north where I have officially moved to DC. Road trips are always trying- especially when dealing with holiday traffic, but I looked forward to stopping for lunch in Richmond, Virginia because it would be an opportunity to explore a new restaurant there.
After combing for a good place to stop for lunch, Citizen Burger Bar kept coming up as a great place to find gluten-free eats. When I saw they had gluten-free buns and a dedicated fryer, I knew this would be a hit.
Citizen Burger Bar not only has options for those on special diets, they also have a constructed a menu off of a core belief that good burgers need good ingredients. CBB sources local ingredients and uses hormone and antibiotic free meats to craft burgers that don't just taste good, but are good for you too.
As a gluten and dairy-free diner, I meticulously research restaurant options whenever I know I will be dining out. Most of the restaurants I visit are selected from this process, but in the case of Viva Chicken in Charlotte, NC, my decision to dine there was based purely on a whim.
I was visiting North Carolina for the holidays, and my mom and I were out running errands after Christmas. We had already planned on stopping by Sabor Latin Street Grill (a place I had reviewed before), when we spotted Viva Chicken. The location was convenient and was closer to the stores we wanted to go to, so we pulled in to see what (if any) gluten-free options were available. Once confirming they were allergen-aware I couldn't wait to to put their food to a taste test. Without spoiling the review at the get-go, I can definitely say that this surprise find of a restaurant delivered one of my favorite dining experiences all year.
In the past few weeks I've let pending reviews pile up, because I have been in the midst of graduating college and moving to DC in addition to the usual stressors of the holiday season. Now that the pace of life has slowed a bit, I am excited to share a new foodie find I discovered in my last week as a Maryland resident: Grabbagreen.
While Grabbagreen can be categorized as a fast food restaurant for their quick-serve model of service, don't mistake this restaurant with others in the category who cut corners and value speed over quality ingredients.
Grabbagreen builds their menu using fresh, farm-to-table, locally sourced ingredients to craft juices, salads, and meals that nourish and satisfy. This is a place you don't have to feel guilty stopping at if you need to eat on the fly!
Although my return to Central Florida for Thanksgiving was brief, I did manage to get some foodie tourism in. After touching down at Orlando's airport, my mom suggested checking out Fresh Kitchen for lunch. With a 100% gluten-free menu and allergy-awareness for other allergens, I was easily sold.
Fresh Kitchen is a Florida-based chain with locations dotted around the state. The location I visited (Waterford Lakes) opened just a few months ago, and Central Florida will be getting a second location soon (in SoDo).
Promising "chef-inspired" bowls, Fresh Kitchen uses premium ingredients but prepares them in an accessible way that is approachable for anyone regardless of dietary preference.
