Anyone who has followed this blog from its earliest days knows that I am a super fan of the Orlando-based food truck Tamale Co. This 100% gluten-free food truck introduced me to the magic of tamales, and is a staple of any trip back to Orlando now that I live in Washington DC. Since my last visit, they have announced an expansion to not only one, but two brick and mortar locations: a grab-and-go shop in Altamonte Springs and a soon-to-open location in Orlando's Hourglass District.
With the former now open, I requested that it was my family's first stop after picking me up from the airport. While I enter most reviews questioning what my experience might be like, I entered this experience with the opposite problem- I wondered if my expectations were too high. Could Tamale Co. 2-Go live up to my sky-high expectations?
Flying back to Orlando briefly for my sister's graduation, I was looking forward to celebrating after the ceremony at Brio Tuscan Grill. Although I have reviewed many gluten-free friendly Italian restaurants in my years as a food blogger, I have not yet had a chance to dine at this chain.
In taking a preliminary glance of Brio's gluten-free menu, I was excited to see several entree options (including gluten-free pasta). As much as I enjoy making pasta at home, I also enjoy the simple luxury of ordering at a restaurant, so I was eager to see how Brio's ranked.
When people ask me for recommendations for gluten-free friendly eateries in Washington, DC my advice is simple: you can't go wrong with a José Andrés restaurant! As a city, we are lucky to be home to several of his inspired culinary concepts, including China Chilcano, Jaleo, Beefsteak, and Oyamel (can you tell I'm a fan?!), which present globally-inspired flavors in a fun and whimsical way.
His latest concept- Butterfly- is taking a test drive at the Navy Memorial-adjacent Think Food Lab. Part popup, part test kitchen, Think Food Lab allows the chef to experiment with flavors and foods while serving up fast-casual fare. Serving up tacos, tortas (sandwiches), and salads, I'd say that Butterfly definitely has a bit of Oyamel in it's DNA. I couldn't wait to check out this welcome addition to the José Andrés restaurant family on my lunch break.
