Sally's Bakery round-up!

OK - you know what they say - better late than never, right?  My apologies to the great folks at Sally's Bakery.  This post should have gone up before the new year started.  But my real work keeps getting in the way of doing fun stuff like sharing gluten-free tips here!

We met some family at Callaway Gardens to enjoy the Fantasy in Lights tour back in mid-December.  I knew there would not be any gluten-free bread items on the breakfast buffet as I'd consulted with the manager beforehand.  I happened to mention this to someone at Sally's and they were kind enough to put together a goodie bag for us to pick up on the way out of town.

First up, we enjoyed blueberry muffins and pumpkin bread.  Both were yummy, but the edge goes to the pumpkin bread - always a favorite wintertime treat for us!  After finishing  up breakfast, we did what most people do.  We broke out a Hummingbird Cake and starting carving it up...lol!  Who says you can't have dessert at breakfast?  It was the holidays after all :)

Upon opening the cake container, I knew we were in for an extra special treat. This was evident simply from the aroma of the cake.  It was full of coconut, bananas, nuts and a lot of other great stuff and the frosting was incredible!  It reminded me of something a childhood friend's mother used to make.  It was absolutely one of the best gluten-free cakes I've had to date.  And it was the best Hummingbird Cake, regardless of ingredients, that I've had in years!

Though we did not crack open the gluten-free cookies we found in our goodie bag, they were none-the-less delicious when we finally got into them!            

Holiday Menu at Sally's Bakery

Sally's Bakery - now with two locations in the Atlanta area - still has their Holiday gluten-free menu available so be sure to place your order soon. Many of the special items on the menu are only available for the holiday season.  Whether you need desserts, breads or dinner rolls - Sally's has you covered!

Even though it's not on the holiday menu, the Sweet Potato quick bread is a wonderful addition to your holiday breakfast menu.  Thankfully, this delicious and flavor-packed bread is available year round!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a deliciously gluten-free, happy and healthy New Year!!!
     

More gluten-free dining options in the ATL

There is a new, upscale wine bar in the ATL worth checking out.  Vino Venue, a division of the Atlanta Wine School, in the Dunwoody area is conveniently located just off 285.  Though the focus of this hot spot is wine - the small plates menu has plenty of gluten-free offerings.  We had pimento cheese stuffed peppers, an incredible (perfectly dressed!) salad, the cheese plate and the chocolate bacon dessert.  The cheese plate was the most impressive and value priced I've had in a long while and everything else was delicious!  If it's still on the menu when I return, I'll definitely try the Truffle Popcorn! Obviously, the wine selection is impressive and there is unique way to taste several wines without breaking the bank.  Find out more about this unique place by visiting Vino Venue's website.    

Next up is Dal Cuore in the Johns Creek area.  While our first visit there was more impressive than the next one, we'll definitely go back.  The gluten-free selections include pasta, pizza and at times dessert.  We had Tiramisu there once which was incredible, as were their gluten-free dinner rolls! During our last visit, there were no rolls to be had and I later found out they no longer serve them (as of late Nov. 2012).  That unfortunate news prompted a party of six of us to move our recent dinner reservation to a more gluten-free friendly venue on the other side of town.

Enter Sprig - a darling local bistro located near Northlake Mall.  We enjoyed gluten-free cornbread as our table bread.  There is gluten-free bread for the gluten-free appetizer options (we loved the smoked trout dip!), gluten-free pasta and hamburger buns (when available) and a killer molten chocolate cake that alone is worth going there for!  There is a nice wine selection and the place has a comfortable neighborhood feel.  We can't wait to go back for brunch!  Check out the Sprig menus here.

Atlanta is definitely the gluten-free dining capital of the South!  That fact is something I try to remember to be thankful for all year long.

Happy gluten-free dining and holidays to all!