Rosa Mexicano - a spicy gluten-free lunch

Rosa Mexicano Gluten-Free Lunch, originally uploaded by A Gluten-Free Guide.

When first faced with a lifetime of gluten-free eating many people envision a taste-free future of bland, tasteless meals of plain chicken and rice. When one is unfamiliar with the ingredients used by a restaurant there is little choice but to settle for such a bland but safe dish. A perusal of some of the amazing gluten-free food blogs reveals that one's taste buds can still dance with delight while being gluten-free. Mexican cuisine is a great option for creating a rich and spicy gluten-free meal. The corn tortillas, fresh meats, vegetables, rice, beans, fresh salsas and guacamole are typically naturally gluten-free. My stepdad and I made incredible homemade tamales last year, but when I want to satisfy my craving for Mexican food without an entire day of cooking I am lucky to have a few restaurant options in NYC.

Our office holiday lunch this year was at Rosa Mexicano, an upscale Mexican restaurant, started in NYC that now has locations in Atlanta, and Washington D.C. My first trip to Rosa Mexicano on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, was two years ago. It was disappointing at the time. The waiter only offered a few dishes that were gluten-free and was unable to confirm the gf status of their corn chips. My more recent trip exceeded my expectations, yielding a wealth of options and an extremely ‘gluten-informed’ server. While flour tortillas eliminate some options from the menu, I just viewed it as an aid in helping me narrow in on the other delicious dishes I COULD eat.

Our server confirmed the gf status of their corn chips and fresh made corn tortillas are gluten-free. They were great with the table-side guacamole.

We started with the Ceviche, a citrus marinated tuna, shrimp appetizer and the empanadas.

I chose not to eat the empanadas, they are deep fried which I tend to avoid, but they were unable to confirm them as 100% gluten-free. The server was informed enough about their ingredients to let me know that they are fried in dedicated oil but that the corn masa they use for that particular dish comes from a facility where they can’t guarantee there is no cross-contamination. The level of specificity he was able to give regarding the sourcing of ingredients was truly remarkable.

I ordered the Alambre De Camarones – grilled shrimp marinated in a garlic vinaigrette with onions, tomatoes and pico de gallo. It confirmed that eating gf can be a spicy treat for the tastebuds.

Other gluten-free options include many of their tacos – served hot in a cast iron skillet with cheese, chorizo chili, salsa and fresh warm corn tortillas. The grilled, marinated steak and Chilean sea bass were two that piqued my interest.

And for those looking for a more traditional Mexican dish, there are always the enchiladas made with corn tortillas and served with refried black beans and house rice.

The dessert offerings are the least impressive gluten-free options, with only ice cream and flan. But I certainly didn’t have room for dessert – and was happy to avoid the excess holiday calories!

While eating out is always risky, an informed server and chef can provide a gluten-free diner with a plethora of safe and delicious spicy dishes.

Rosa Mexicano - additional locations in Washington DC, Atlanta and NYC
61 Columbus Avenue at 62nd Street
New York, NY, 10023
Tel. (212) 977-7700

Café Atlantico - A Gluten-Free Guide Reader Request

Cafe Atlantico Montage, originally uploaded by A Gluten Free Guide.

Café Atlantico, an upscale restaurant in downtown Washington D.C., was the site of a recent brunch with my Dad, Aunt Judy and Uncle Rick. This meal, with its numerous gluten-free dishes, brought my weekend of family, food and football to a close on a high note.

Upon request, Café Atlantico provides customers with an allergen menu, outlining all of the potential allergy restrictions in each dish. The restaurant offers Latin fusion food served dim sum style (multiple small plates) for weekend brunch. Because dim sum dining is usually a shared experience, my family opted to eat purely from the gluten-free offerings. With more than 15 gluten-free choices, no one felt restricted.

While I couldn’t have the chips served with the fresh-made guacamole, the rest of the meal was free of gluten and full of flavor. I find dim sum plates are usually a little too small for my gluten-free appetite, but it was great to have the opportunity to try so many different dishes at a restaurant so far from home.

The scallops with orange puree, duck confit with passion fruit oil, cauliflower quinoa, and hot and cold foie gras and corn soup were just a few of the standouts.

On the sweeter side – I loved the coconut and crispy rice with ginger and my mango lime soup with meringue dessert.

I made a special effort to visit Café Atlantico after receiving this incredible letter about Chef Edgar Steele a few months ago.

"Dear Catherine,

I understand that you are a New York Native, but in case you covered any gluten-free restaurants in other cities I really wanted to bring a certain place/chef to your attention. There is an absolutely wonderful chef in the Washington D.C. area, Edgar Steel at Cafe Atlantico. I know this restaurant has been involved in Celiac Awareness before, but Edgar has truly gone above and beyond to accommodate me. Not only am I allergic to gluten, I also cannot have any dairy. Edgar spoke with me on the phone before my first visit there, wrote me to walk through the menu and all of the items that were safe for me, and the food was absolutely delicious. The restaurant staff are kind and clearly sensitive to these issues, and I am very sad to be leaving Washington after this summer and this wonderful place for anyone with gluten allergies (and other allergies!) to eat. Finally, since it was my 21st birthday this week, Edgar offered to prepare me a special brunch he is creating this morning that is both gluten and dairy free from their dim sum menu. Being someone who is just a college student and not a VIP in any way, and having had some awful experiences at restaurants, I have just been completely blown away by how well I have been taken care of by Cafe Atlantico. I do not know if there is a way to let other celiacs know what a wonderful chef this is but, I would really like to pass along this information since Edgar has done an absolutely phenomenal job withmy needs.

Thank you very much,

Sincerely,
Rachel Rothschild"

Thank you Rachel, for drawing my attention to this talented chef and restaurant. They happily accommodate dietary requests with graciousness and charm. I recommend Café Atlantico to anyone looking for a great meal full of interesting flavors and textures.

If anyone has another restaurant or product you would like me to try, please send me an email or post it in the comments. It’s only by sharing information with each other that we can get the word out about great gluten-free options!

Cafe Atlantico - Address: 405 8th Street NW - Washington, DC 20004 - Tel: (202) 393-0812