Tag: gluten free

Gluten Free Guide to Seattle

On By wherekatieisIn North America, Travel, Uncategorized, United States

After visiting Seattle recently, I absolutely fell in love with the scenery of the Pacific Northwest and all that there is to do, and even more importantly, eat in this city! And if you’re a gluten free foodie like I am, you will be in heaven with all of the amazing options for you in Seattle. Even if you don’t have a food allergy, the places I’ve listed below are amazing places to eat and most have many non-gluten free options too. Read on for all the best places to eat here, and make sure you check out my Seattle City Guide if you haven’t already, for all of my tips on where to stay and what to do while you’re here!

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Enjoying foodie paradise at Pike Place Market.
  • Biscuit Bitch
    • One of my favorite places to indulge for breakfast or brunch in Seattle is definitely Biscuit Bitch. There are a few different locations throughout the city, including one at Pike Place Market, with both regular and gluten free biscuits that are out of this world! Make sure you try the Hot Mess Bitch, a delicious combination of a biscuit topped with grits, gravy, scrambled eggs, cheese, and sausage, all of which can be made gluten free (!!!).
  • Cinnamon Works 
    • Another place I frequented more than once during my week in Seattle is Cinnamon Works, a bakery stand right in Pike Place Market. Get here bright and early, or about 8am, for their fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon rolls, which were by far the best gluten free ones I’d ever had. They also have plenty of other gluten free bakery options that are fantastic, including monster cookies bigger than your head. And whether you’re vegan or just want a regular, gluten-filled cookie or cinnamon roll, they’ve got you covered for those too.
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The best gluten free cinnamon roll ever and an incredible view too!
  • Lowell’s 
    • A Seattle institution, Lowell’s is a casual restaurant with fresh seafood for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and plenty of gluten free options. For breakfast or brunch, try the smoked salmon egg scramble and for lunch or dinner, the grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas are a great choice.
  • Duke’s Seafood & Chowder
    • With seven different Seattle locations, Duke’s Seafood & Chowder is another option for fantastic, fresh seafood. They have an entire gluten free menu with a huge range of options, including several different seafood chowders that are gluten free, something that is not easy to find.
  • Pike Place Chowder
    • While there are only two chowders on the menu that are gluten free, I still wanted to try Pike Place Chowder as it is so well-known for its chowder. I tried both the Manhattan style clam chowder and the vegan lime and coconut chowder and can highly recommend them both, but would love to see even more gluten free options here in the future!
  • Razzi’s Pizzeria
    • Switching gears here a bit, Razzi’s Pizzeria is definitely your best bet in Seattle for delicous gluten free pizza, pasta, calzones, and even fresh garlic bread or cheesy bread. This place is basically your gluten free heaven for all the delicious carbs you could ask for! And if you’re vegan or even vegan and gluten free, don’t you worry because they’ve got you covered with separate menus and an abundance of options for everyone.
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Such great gluten free chicken pesto pizza from Razzi’s.
  • Capitol Cider 
    • I can’t possibly list gluten free Seattle options without including Capitol Cider, a 100% gluten free restaurant in Pioneer Square. Being able to order anything off the menu is such a treat for me, and I went all out with an order of fish and chips plus fried cheese curds, two things that I’d never had gluten free before (!!). I highly recommend checking out Capitol Cider for brunch or dinner, and be sure to make a reservation, especially on the weekends, as this place gets quite busy.
  • Sweetgrass Food Co.
    • For a delicious, healthy option, check out Sweetgrass Food Co. for yummy grain bowls and salad bowls, with many gluten free options, plus smoothies and fresh juices as well.
  • I Love My GFF 
    • While I didn’t have a chance to check out this weekday lunch cart for myself, it has rave reviews for its organic quinoa bowls and gluten free cookies too. This is definitely on my list for places to check out on my next visit to Seattle!
  • Niche Gluten Free Bakery
    • If you’re looking for a casual breakfast or lunch, Niche Bakery is a 100% gluten free bakery with plenty of great options for you. Everything from bagels, to waffles, to paninis are available and made fresh here.
  • Shug’s Soda Fountain
    • Shug’s Soda Fountain was another favorite of mine in Seattle, with things like traditional ice cream sundaes and shakes, as well as boozy options like champagne floats and prosecco floats that are seriously amazing. Most of the ice cream flavors are gluten free too.
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How cute is Shug’s soda fountain? I loved the prosecco floats here!
  • Elleno’s Greek Yogurt
    • Last but certainly not least, Elleno’s Greek Yogurt is fresh yogurt made in small batches, with plenty of fruit and toppings to add to it. They have several locations throughout Seattle, including one at Pike Place Market.

As you can see, Seattle is an absolute paradise for delicious gluten free food options, with so many places to enjoy allergy-friendly eats, with everything from fresh seafood, clam chowders, fresh baked treats, and much more! Have you been to Seattle before, or are you planning on visiting? Make sure you check out my Seattle City Guide too, for many more tips on where to stay here, what to do, and much more.

xo, 

Katie

Seattle City Guide

On By wherekatieisIn North America, Uncategorized, United States

After recently spending a wonderful week in Seattle, I wanted to share with y’all a city guide complete with everything from where to stay, what to do, and what to eat here. Seattle is a lovely, fast-growing city in the Pacific Northwest that has everything from quirky neighborhoods to explore, to well-known sites like Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. While the city is certainly known for its rain, its beautiful scenery, close proximity to several national parks, and many things to do more than make up for that if you ask me. Read on for my guide to Seattle to help you plan your trip to this fantastic city, and make sure you check out my travel guides to Nashville and Asheville as well, if you haven’t already!

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All the views from the top of the Space Needle.

Getting Here: 

  • Seattle is home to Sea-Tac, a major international airport, so flying in here is a breeze, and options like Lyft or Uber can take you from the airport to wherever you’re staying. For a more budget option of getting to and from the airport, the Link light rail costs $3.25/person and takes about 40 minutes to go from Sea-Tac to the Westlake downtown station.
  • If you plan on visiting one of the nearby national parks like Mt. Rainier or Olympic National Park, renting a car at the airport make that convenient to do for a day trip. Just be aware of the time of year that you’re planning to visit, as some roads in the parks are closed during the winter months and Mt. Rainier even requires chains on your car tires if you enter the park during winter!
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Sunset at Pike Place Market.

Where to Stay: 

  • If you plan on doing a lot of sight-seeing in the city, I recommend staying right downtown as it is highly walkable to most places that you’ll want to go. I loved my stay at the Paramount Hotel (not sponsored, just really enjoyed it here!) and it’s location is absolute perfection. The Hyatt Place in downtown Seattle is another option that is typically a bit more affordable as well.
  • And if you’re a budget traveler looking for a hostel to stay in, The Green Tortoise comes highly-rated and is just steps away from Pike Place Market.
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Taking in the views at Chihuly Garden and Glass.

What to Do: 

  • There is honestly so much to do in Seattle that the hardest part is just prioritizing what to do on your visit here! I’m not usually one for city passes, but since I planned on visiting the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Museum of Pop Culture, plus maybe the Seattle Aquarium as well, it made sense to spring for the $89 Seattle City Pass, which can be used over a period of nine days.
  • Visiting the Space Needle is an absolute must, and with your City Pass ticket, you actually get two visits within 24 hours so that you can check out the incredible views during the daytime and again at night. We did our nighttime visit on our first day in Seattle after visiting Chihuly Garden and Glass, which absolutely blew me away with the amazing displays of Dale Chihuly’s blown glass sculptures. I can’t recommend either of these activities highly enough!
  • Pike Place Market is an iconic market formed in 1907, with everything from fresh fish, to produce, to crafts and fresh flowers, tons of restaurants, and bakeries. You can easily spend an afternoon just walking through the market and the different streets that make up Pike Place Market, and even after visiting day after day, I found new pockets and new shops to explore each time. You also can’t miss the famous Gum Wall while you’re exploring Pike Place!
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Whether you think it’s awesome or disgusting, the Gum Wall is a must-see.
  • Pioneer Square is a fun neighborhood near downtown to explore that has everything from art galleries, great restaurants and coffee shops, including the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a tasting room with food, drinks, and more, to the Smith Tower Observatory, which is another place to check out the beautiful Seattle skyline.
  • The neighborhood Fremont is an artsy area that’s also fun to explore, with cute shops and restaurants, a walking trail, a Sunday farmer’s market, and the famous Fremont troll under the bridge.
  • I can’t leave out some of the incredible and unique architecture in this city, like the Seattle Public Library, located downtown, and The Spheres, an innovative space built by Amazon that are home to over 40,000 plants, with the ground floor open to the public and the upper levels by appointment only.
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How pretty is the Seattle Public Library? I’m obsessed!

Where to Eat: 

  • There is so much great food in Seattle that I hardly know where to start! There are some incredible dining options at Pike Place Market, with everything from casual food stands to sit-down restaurants. You can’t miss the bakery stand Cinnamon Works that has the best gluten free cinnamon rolls and monster cookies I’ve ever tasted, and of course has delicious regular options and even vegan options as well.
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The best cinnamon roll from Cinnamon Works with a great morning view.
  • Eating at Pike Place Chowder is a must while in Seattle, and they’ve honestly won too many awards for their chowder to count. I love that they only serve sustainable seafood as well. Be prepared for a line, especially on the weekends, but know that it’s worth the wait.
  • Lowell’s is another Seattle institution with amazing fresh seafood and nice views of the waterfront. I highly recommend stopping in for brunch and getting the Dungeness Crab omelet, something they’re well-known for, or the smoked salmon scramble with cream cream and capers. So good!
  • Shug’s soda fountain was one of my favorite places that we just stumbled upon on our visit, also located at Pike Place Market. It’s an old-fashioned style soda fountain with everything from traditional ice cream shakes and malts, to fun alcoholic versions like prosecco floats. This is definitely worth checking out for a sweet treat!
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A yummy prosecco float from Shug’s soda fountain.
  • I think my absolute favorite place that I ate in Seattle is Biscuit Bitch, with several locations throughout the city, including one near Pike Place Market. Their biscuits are out of this world, including their gluten free ones (!!), and the Hot Mess Bitch, a combo of biscuits, gravy, grits, eggs, cheese, and sausage is something you just have to try.
  • If you’re looking for a healthier option after all of this indulging, Sweetgrass Food Co. is just the place for you. Their grain bowls and salad bowls manage to be incredible tasting while also being good for you and made from local, sustainable foods.
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A great sunset on my last night in Seattle.

Well there you have it, my best tips and suggestions to help you plan a fantastic trip to Seattle! Have you been to this city before, or if you haven’t, is it somewhere you’d like to visit? I definitely recommend adding it to your travel bucket list, if it’s not there already! Make sure you let me know in the comments what you think of this post and if there’s anything you’d add!

xo, 
Katie

Weekend Getaway: Asheville Edition

On By wherekatieisIn North America, Travel, United States3 Comments

I’ve been wanting to start a new series where I talk about different places that are great for short weekend getaways (or even longer if you have the time), and I can’t think of a better city to start with than Asheville! If you haven’t been to this charming, artsy city in the mountains of North Carolina yet, you definitely need to check it out. And even if you’ve been quite a few times like I have, there is always something new to explore or a new restaurant to try, because let’s be real, the amazing foodie scene is one of my favorite things about Asheville!

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Just look how happy Asheville (and good friends) make me!

Getting here: 

  • If you live within a few hours of Asheville, driving here is well-worth it since no matter where you’re coming from, you’ll be driving through some beautiful mountain ranges.
  • If it’s too far of a drive for you, Asheville does have a regional airport (AVL) or you can fly into the much larger Charlotte Douglas international airport (CLT), and then drive the two hours from Charlotte into Asheville.

Where to stay: 

  • Whether you want to stay right downtown, or a bit further out in the mountains, Asheville has tons of options for you. If you’re going to splurge on a luxury hotel, you can’t go wrong with The Grove Park Inn for it’s incredible views, spas, restaurants, and more. If you’re looking for a more affordable hotel, Hotel Indigo in downtown Asheville is very nice and in a very walkable location.
  • I also stayed in the most perfect Airbnb for my bachelorette weekend (thank to my fabulous bridesmaids!) in the mountains overlooking Asheville, but still no more than a ten minute drive to downtown. And this Airbnb also looks pretty great! If you’re going to book an Airbnb, make sure you use my discount code to save $40 off your first booking.

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    What a view from what I’ve dubbed the ‘most perfect Airbnb’ in Asheville.
  • If you’re on a budget, there are a decent number of hostels throughout Asheville like this one that have great reviews. And if you love a good old-fashioned bed and breakfast like I do, I’ve stayed at the Engadine Inn before and absolutely loved it! The breakfast was to-die-for, and they have cabins onsite as well.

What to do:

  • Now here’s the fun part, because there is SO much to do in this city! The downtown area is very walkable, and you can easily spend a day just walking through the charming boutiques and art galleries.
  • Make sure you visit the Grove Arcade, a really neat indoor and outdoor shopping center and market with such pretty architecture. I love the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar here– because what could be better than browsing books with a glass of wine or champagne in hand?

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    I love exploring the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville.
  • A visit to Asheville is not complete without walking through the River Arts District and checking out the different artists and their working galleries here, along the French Broad River. There are even art classes and special exhibits and openings that you can do, so see what’s going on while you’ll be visiting!
  • If you’re like me and could happily browse through cool antique shops for hours, then you need to check out Screen Door. It is full of treasures, and its incredible bookstore is one of my favorite bookstores ever!
  • I think it goes without saying that if you haven’t visited the Biltmore Estate before, you’ve got to visit at least once. It’s pricey, but the house, gardens, and grounds are so stunning that it’s completely worth it. I recommend purchasing the audio tour, especially if it’s your first visit, so that you can learn all of the history behind ‘America’s Largest Home’. Now through October 7, 2018, they also have Chihuly at Biltmore, with a collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures set up throughout the gardens, and after visiting other Chihuly exhibits before, I know it is incredible.

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    How neat is this display at the antique shop Screen Door?

Where to eat:

  • Now last, but certainly not least, we need to talk about the best places to eat and drink here, because honestly, you could plan your whole trip around the restaurants and breweries alone! Asheville has become such a foodie city, full of farm-to-table restaurants, cute bakeries, and wine bars galore.
  • My absolute favorite restaurant in Asheville is Posana, a farm-to-table restaurant open for dinner nightly, plus brunch on the weekends. It’s menu is seasonal and always delicious, but the best part about it for me in particular, is that everything on the menu is gluten free! The owner’s wife is celiac, so he wanted to create a fabulous dining experience where she could order anything off the menu, and being in the same boat as her, it is MUCH appreciated! My gluten-loving husband can also vouch for the fact that although all of the food is gluten free, it doesn’t taste gluten free.

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    A fried chicken biscuit with bacon and pimento cheese at Posana– all gluten free. I could hardly believe it!
  • The best spot for a southern breakfast is without a doubt, Biscuit Head. This Asheville classic was such an instant hit that they now have three locations in total! And I loved seeing that they now offer gluten free biscuits too. What makes them unique (besides their perfect biscuits) is the jam bar, where you can try everything from rosemary jam to banana fosters jam!
  • Asheville has quite a few breweries, with a favorite of mine being Lexington Ave Brewery (also known as Lab), which has great food in addition to their delicious beer. Wicked Weed Brewing also has a nice outdoor patio that is dog-friendly, and surprisingly good food for a brewery! Their sunburst trout is fantastic. And Sierra Nevada recently opened a taproom with tours and tastings just outside of Asheville that is fun to check out as well.
  • For a sweet treat, make sure you visit French Broad Chocolate Lounge, right in downtown Asheville, for incredible truffles in unique flavors like strawberry balsamic, plus cookies, cakes, and even Liquid Truffle sipping chocolate. This place makes me feel like I’ve died and gone to chocolate heaven!

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    Pretty sure chocolate is my love language.

Well there you have it! This is just a small sampling of all that Asheville has to offer, including some of my personal favorites. I love how unique and full of culture this city is, and it just keeps growing. Have you visited Asheville before, and do you love it here as much as I do? If you haven’t already, check out my recent travel tips on visiting beautiful Santorini, the charming island of Mykonos, and all of the history of Athens, Greece, and stay tuned for lots more fun stuff to come!

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Enjoying the patio at Wicked Weed Brewing.

Visiting the Greek Island of Santorini

On By wherekatieisIn Europe, Greece, Travel1 Comment

Santorini is hands-down one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Located in the Aegean Sea, this rocky island looks how it does today after an enormous volcanic eruption hundreds of years ago created its caldera. Home to incredible sunsets, fresh seafood galore, amazing wine, and endless stunning views, Santorini is a dream to visit!

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On our hotel terrace in Fira, Santorini.
  • How to get here:
    • If you’re coming from the US, you’ll typically fly through Athens first to get to Santorini, so if you’re looking for how to spend a day or two in Athens, you can find that here. From Athens, you can catch another flight to Santorini on Aegean Airlines or RyanAir, or take a high-speed ferry instead. If you choose to visit Mykonos first like I did here, there’s also a ferry that you can take from Mykonos to Santorini.
  • When to visit:
    • Santorini is a popular summer destination for good reason, so I recommend avoiding most of the crowds by visiting before or after peak summertime.
    • April or May are great times to visit, when the weather is still typically quite warm but the island is much quieter, as are mid-September to October.
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Oia at dusk, looking back towards Fira.
  • Where to stay:
    • Santorini has several towns that are located on the cliffs of the caldera, the most popular being Fira, Oia, and Imerovigli, that all have fantastic views, gorgeous sunsets, and plenty of charming streets and restaurants to enjoy. I suggest staying in one of these towns for easiest access to all of Santorini’s best sites and scenery.
    • We stayed at the Cori Rigas Suites on the cliffside of Fira, and I can’t recommend the location, the service, the food, or the views highly enough!
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I couldn’t have asked for a better view from our adorable hotel in Fira.
  • What to do:
    • Hike from Fira to Oia:
      • My absolute favorite thing to do in Santorini is to hike from Fira to Oia, a 6.2 mile (or 10km) hike along the cliffside that has the most incredible views I’ve ever seen. It takes about 3 hours to do this hike with plenty of stopping to enjoy the scenery and take photos, which you’ll definitely want to do!
      • I highly recommend starting in Fira and hiking to Oia, (rather than starting in Oia), because it’s less uphill hiking this way. After your hike, you can take the bus back to Fira or Imerovigli, or wherever you are staying.

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        This doesn’t do any justice to how stunning the views are while hiking from Fira to Oia!
    • Do a wine tasting:
      • While planning our trip, I learned that Santorini’s dry climate makes it perfect for wine making. Vinsanto is a dessert wine that is unique to the area, so we actually brought a bottle home to open on our ten year anniversary!

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        It’s hard to beat views like this while wine tasting!
      • Taking a winery tour like this one is the most convenient (and safest!) way to visit a few of the wineries, where you can enjoy incredible views and try a variety of different red and white wines. Make sure you make a reservation for Santo Winery if it’s not included in your tour. Their views and their wines just cannot be beat!

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        Enjoying all the yummy wine at Santo Winery.
    • Take a sunset catamaran tour:
      • Another highlight of my time in Santorini was a sunset catamaran cruise that took us everywhere from the famous Red Beach, the White Beach, the Venetian lighthouse, and the natural hot springs.
      • A cruise like this one typically include dinner, and despite being prepared in a tiny kitchen plus on the catamaran’s barbecue, our seafood dinner here was one of our best meals in Santorini! Add in some wine and beer, plus champagne during sunset, and it was an amazing time.

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        Such a lovely sunset from our catamaran cruise.

Santorini was definitely my favorite destination of our two weeks traveling throughout Greece, and I hope these tips help get you started on having an incredible time here! Have you been dreaming of visiting Santorini, or have you already visited this beautiful island? Let me know in the comments and leave any questions that you have for me!

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Santorini almost had me quitting my job so I could stay on this island forever. We’ll definitely be back again for another visit!

Planning a Trip to Greece: Where to Start

On By wherekatieisIn Europe, Travel1 Comment

I had been dreaming of visiting Greece for years, and the reality of traveling here was even better than I’d imagined. The beautiful blue water of the Aegean Sea, the adorable cobblestone streets, all the blue and white domed buildings, the beaches, and of course, the food. Greece is honestly perfection if you ask me, especially if you plan your trip right!

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Soaking in the magic of Santorini on our hotel’s terrace.
  • How to get here:
    • From just about anywhere, you’ll have to fly through Athens to get to other parts of Greece, and if it’s your first time visiting Greece, I recommend spending at least one full day in Athens. This way, you’ll have time to visit the Acropolis and explore the Plaka, the oldest district in Athens, before heading on to other parts of Greece.
    • You’ll fly into the Athens International Airport (AIA), which is about 20 miles outside of the city center of Athens and an easy taxi ride away.
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The Acropolis is a must-see while in Athens.
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At the Parthenon, which dates back to the 400s B.C.
  • When to visit:
    • Mainland Greece and particularly the Greek Isles are a very popular summer destination, so to avoid the crowds and higher prices of peak season, I recommend visiting in shoulder season.
    • By visiting in mid April to May, or mid-September into October, you’ll still typically have great weather, but will have significantly less crowds than you would during most of June through August.
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The sunsets in the Greeks Isles just can’t be beat.
  • Which islands to visit:
    • Many people want to visit Greece for the incredible Greek Isles, a group of over 6,000 islands, of which 227 are inhabited.
    • Some of the most popular Greek islands to visit are Santorini, Crete, Mykonos, and Rhodes, with each one having their own variations of scenery and culture.
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The views in Santorini are pretty incredible.
  • Visiting Santorini:
    • Santorini is the most visited Greek Island, and after spending almost a week here on my honeymoon, I can certainly see why! I have traveled all over Europe, and nowhere else I’ve visited is anything like Santorini. The charming whitewashed streets and houses, with blue roofs and blue domes overlooking the caldera are simply stunning. I think everyone should have Santorini on their bucket list!
    • Just wandering the streets of Fira or Oia is a great way to spend the afternoon, and hiking along the caldera cliffside from Fira to Oia is an absolute must! You’ll swear you’ve never seen more beautiful views.
    • Santorini is also known for its wine, and a trip here is not complete without visiting at least a winery or two, or better yet, booking a tour so a sommelier can take you around to a few different wineries for tastings!
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Hiking from Fira to Oia was a highlight of my entire time in Greece.
  • Visiting Mykonos:
    • Mykonos is widely regarding as the “party island” and known for its nightlife, but by visiting Mykonos in early May, just before peak season, I found it to be quiet and so charming.
    • Mykonos Town is full of winding cobblestone streets, with shops and restaurants that just get more adorable around every corner. Add in the beautiful beachfront views, watching sailboats and yachts come in on the Aegean Sea, and the hill of windmills, and you have a perfectly lovely place to visit.
    • We spent much of our time here just relaxing poolside, overlooking the ocean, wandering the streets of Mykonos Town, and eating incredible Greek food.
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Mykonos, where every street looks like a postcard.

This is just a starting point for planning a fantastic trip to Greece! I’ll be sharing many more details, including itineraries for Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini, and day trips and outings to consider while visiting. Stay tuned for more, and let me know if there’s anything you’d like to know about visiting Greece!

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I wouldn’t mind waking up to this Santorini view every day.