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Burger Time at JD’s Grill

18 Jan

Now if there’s one thing I miss since being diagnosed coeliac, it’s being able to easily feast on a big fat burger.  Given my wife is vegetarian, it’s not something I really make at home unless we are having a barbecue.  Having been to the fabulous Honest Burgers in London I have been dreaming of finding somewhere in Plymouth that will do a burger of that quality, and more importantly a gluten free one.

Last year I saw a tweet that a new restaurant called JD’s Grill was opening in Plymouth, “Serving delicious gourmet burgers and American influenced food”.  As usual I did my bit and tweeted them to see if they would be offering gluten free options.  They replied to say that they were offering gluten free bread for their burgers.  I recently followed this up with an email to investigate further.  They replied that they were still offering gluten free bread, and the burgers were gluten free though they couldn’t guarantee that “that the spices etc that we use in our recipe have not been cross contaminated in the factoring process”.  However, they kindly offered to make me my very own burger leaving out any spices that were a risk.  When my wife spotted a bargain Group On offer (two meals and two drinks for £10) we decided to give it a go.

JDs Burger

Once seated I mentioned I was gluten free and they immediately knew who I was which was a very reassuring start.  The Group On offer included a beer, but they happily swapped this out for a cider.  There is quite an array of toppings for the burgers on the menu, though I went for a classic choice of cheese and bacon to top my half pound burger!  The person who served us explained that their gluten free buns had unfortunately disintegrated in the freezer (well we’ve all had problems with disintegrating GF bread!) and they were struggling to find a good gluten free bun supplier.  However they did have gluten free bread in.  Not quite the same, but I appreciated the effort as most places simply will offer you the burger minus the bun anyway.  Unfortunately I was advised I couldn’t have the chips, but the wedges were gluten free.

I really enjoyed the burger.  It was really flavourful and it was a quality burger, I didn’t feel like I was missing out with the other spices taken away at all.  The gluten free bread was also good and at least let me demolish this burger with my hands in traditional fashion!  The chunky potato wedges were good too and were a fine substitute for chips.  My gluten eating vegetarian wife went for the sweet potato burger with wedges and was also impressed.  The portion sizes were great and certainly no skimping here.  Some of the orders we saw coming passed our table were obscenely big.  JD’s also run a Man vs Food style “Goliath Challenge” too for those who are into that kind of thing.  Half a pound of delicious meet was enough for me though.  With the Group On making it only a tenner for two great meals and two drinks it was fantastic value.

JDs Sundae

Onto dessert and as the waiter passed me the menu he informed me that all the Sundaes were gluten free without me asking.  This was the third person who served us during the evening and all three were aware of my requirements when they came to the table.  I was really impressed with this.  I went for a butterscotch tower which went down well even though I was already completely full.  Well I couldn’t really do a review without sampling a dessert.  Again a very ample portion size.

So overall I was impressed.  The staff couldn’t do enough for us all night and were very friendly and accommodating to my requirements, and the fact they had specially prepared a burger for me was very impressive.  The quality of the food was very good and I’d have happily paid the normal price of £8.95 for the burger.  So was it as good as Honest Burgers?  Well no it wasn’t, but that is very high bar to reach.  The quality of the burger is up there, but Honest is just that bit easier on the gluten free side.  I’ll definitely be heading back to JD’s for more though.

So if JD’s were interested in becoming the gluten free burger Mecca that Honest is in London, here’s how I think they could improve:

  • As much as I really appreciated them going out of their way to make me a special burger, if they could source gluten free spices it would make it easier for both JD’s and the gluten free customer
  • Find a way to make the fries gluten free.  I know the fries are done in a separate fryer so this shouldn’t be too difficult
  • Most importantly find a good gluten free bun supplier.  Maybe Plymouth Greengrocer could provide a solution here as they are currently trialling these

If they really wanted to push the gluten free boat out then they could get in a gluten free beer such as Celia, and maybe consider marking the items on the menu with a GF.  This would be especially helpful with the toppings.  OK I’m just being greedy now.  So a thank-you to Dave for organising the gluten free burger for me, and all the staff for looking after me on my visit.  As Arnie would say, I’ll be back.

If you are planning on making a visit you can email JD’s Grill at info@jds-grill.co.uk in advance to discuss gluten free requirements.  See here for further offers.

Update 25/06/13: I’ve been back for another visit, and this time I got a gluten free bun!  Check out this photo of my AMAZING 1/2 pound burger with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and Monterey jack cheese. Even better than the previous visit and service equally as good too.

2013-06-24 19.31.51

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

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Let Them Eat Cake

15 Jan

Back in November I was having a little grumble about Terry’s Chocolate Orange, and it’s lack of suitability for coeliacs.  I received a comment on the blog post from Lisa Hackett of Let Them Eat Cake suggesting that she could offer me a chocolate orange fix in the form of her Jaffa Slice.  In December I popped down to the Christmas food fair at Royal William Yard to meet Lisa and try her products for myself.  I found out Lisa is gluten free herself due to suffering from Crohn’s disease.  Lisa sent me her story of why she started Let Them Eat Cake, I really enjoyed reading it and she was kind enough to let me share it with you:

LTEC-Lisa

“After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease I had to undergo a period of trial and error to establish what triggers my symptoms. As I have had to cut many foods out of my diet that I had previously considered to be daily staples I wasn’t really left with much to enjoy. For months I had a very plain and dull diet. Then I started researching Crohn’s and Coeliac websites for dietary help,  I experimented with the few food stuffs I had left to enjoy and after a lot of trial and error I found ways of increasing my choice of foods. I could now eat cakes, bread, pastry and even Yorkshire puddings. Wow.  What I didn’t expect was the reaction from friends and family who also sampled these items and wanted more. Had I cracked the ultimate dream, to make gluten free products that the whole family can enjoy? I had been really upset on my birthday to receive my dried out, tasteless, shop bought ‘special’ cake whilst the rest of my friends enjoyed the selection of luscious ‘normal’ cakes that they had baked for themselves and that I couldn’t share. I realised then the isolation of my illness. It only got worse when we tried to go out for a meal, even my friends got to the point of thinking I was just being fussy. One waiter even jumped back in shock when I said I suffer from Crohn’s Disease, I think he thought it was contagious! I decided if I was feeling isolated and alone by my illness then others must be in the same boat, especially as many of the ‘free from’ foods really aren’t that great and the local people that do make gluten free products do it in a kitchen where they use wheat flour the rest of the time so the cross contamination risk is high. I therefore felt it was time to create a dedicated gluten free kitchen.

I did my first market in late October 2012, only supplying cakes, the feedback was so spectacular I was blown away by the response to my cakes. It became apparent that many people need to have both gluten and dairy free diet. As none of my cakes at that time had fat in them they where by default dairy free too. I now have introduced items such as Bakewell slice that has the traditional pastry bottom, but as I now have found a good quality dairy replacement these too are both gluten and dairy free. The cakes are made to my secret recipes that I have worked out for myself. Many of them are made using vegetable such as Beetroot, Aubergine, Squash, Carrot and even potatoes. The natural sweetness in the vegetables means that I do not need to load the cakes with sugar, some of them are totally sugar free. Some are made with honey, I keep my own bees so can use my honey from my garden to sweeten my cakes. I live in the Tamar valley so the fruit and vegetables that I use are local and organic, we even have locally grown Peaches. With the exception of my Christmas lines my cakes are great for those watching the weight, my cakes range between 90 and 180 calories per generous portion (Cornish Housewife Portions!) tee hee hee 🙂 Whilst i have been out selling my cakes it became crystal clear that there is also a need for savoury items so I have now introduced savouries into the range. In the New Year I will also be bringing Scones, Cookies and Biscuits into the range. I am also developing a Catering Service, doing Gluten and Dairy Free buffets for Weddings, Christenings, Parties.”

LTEC-Pasty

So gluten free, dairy free cake that’s low in calorie, could this really taste good?  I tasted some samples of cake at the food fair and the answer was yes!  The vegetable content of the cake not only makes them low calorie, but extremely moist and flavourful.  I purchased a pasty (of course!), the previously mentioned Jaffa Slice and a Bakewell Slice to take home.

LTEC-Bakewell

The Jaffa Slice was a delicious, moist orange cake topped with chocolate, which I demolished so fast I forgot to photograph.  I can see why this is so popular with Lisa’s customers.  The Bakewell Slice was equally as moist and I really enjoyed this too.  Of course I’m always on the hunt for a gluten free pasty and this one had a tasty filling and the pastry stood up well after the pasty was warmed up.  Overall I was very impressed with the products.

The range of cakes includes Peach, Poppy Seed and Sweet Potato Muffin, Lemon and Blueberry Muffin, Lemon Drizzle Cake, Chocolate Brownie Chocolate Torte, Apple Blondie and Fresh Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondie and many more.  The savoury range includes Hand Raised Pork Pies, Bacon and Egg Pie, savoury muffins and a range of quiches (note the quiches are not dairy free).

You can find Let Them Eat Cake’s products at Jeniffer’s Deli in Fore Street Saltash or at the following markets:

  • Liskeard Market, every second Saturday 9am to 3pm. This is an outdoor market situated on The Parade right outside the old Webbs Hotel building, it can be cancelled in severe weather conditions. Market currently not running until March
  • Crocodon Market St Mellion, every third Saturday, 9am to 3pm, next one is 19th January. This is held in a barn so we are in the dry even if it is pouring down outside (wear stout boots as it can get a little muddy in the car park) I have to date sold out at each market here so come early to avoid disappointment.
  • Royal William Yard – first Sunday of the month from March through to December. Next market is Sunday March 2nd

Note the full range of products are not stocked at every market, so if there was something in particular you want it’s best to contact Lisa in advance and she can ensure she has it for you.  You can contact Lisa on 07508360035, via email at fairies@talktalk.net or at the Let Them Eat Cake Facebook page.  Lisa is on the lookout for more stockists so contact her if you are interested, and I’ll definitely be stopping by to stock up on some Jaffa Slice if she can find a stockist in Plymouth.

LTEC-PlymGreengrocerLTEC-PorkPieLTEC-Quiche

Update 08/09/13: Let Them Eat Cake products are now available at the following locations:

River Cottage Canteen and Deli
Langage Farm Shop – Plympton
Food For Thought – Totnes
The West Country Deli – Brixham
Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

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The Dolphin House Brazzerie

30 Dec

We recently headed to The Dolphin House Brazzerrie on the Barbican in Plymouth for my wife’s birthday.  Abby queried the gluten free options when booking the table, and was told that this would be no problem and they have regular coeliac customers.  Furthermore, she was told if I ordered in advance I could choose anything from the menu and they would make it gluten free for me with no problem, including gluten free bread.  The Restaurant’s website carries the reassuring statement “Special Diets; If you or a member of your party have any special dietary requirements please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you without compromising your meal.”

The restaurant is very well decorated and overlooks the harbour,  though it was pitch black and absolutely tipping down when we went so we didn’t get much chance to enjoy the view.  Dolphin House serve “Responsibly sourced, and locally where possible” modern British cuisine.  The staff were very friendly and quickly put my mind at rest with regards my gluten free choices.  I double checked the chips were cooked in a separate fryer and they confirmed they were.  The waiter told me he was dairy free and totally understood how it was when I asked the question.

dolphin_soup

First up I had butternut squash soup, served with gluten free toast.  The soup was absolutely delicious and up there with the nicest soups I’ve had.  Great flavour and the drizzle of olive oil and cream on top really added to the dish.  The toast was great and the chef had done extra so I had an extra slice brought to the table while I was eating.  I polished off all of it.

dolphin_steak

For the main course I went for the steak.  I ordered the “cut of the day” in advance so wasn’t sure what cut I would be getting.  The waiter informed me today’s cut was a 10 oz rump.  I generally order a fillet if it’s available, and I’ve often found other cuts to be pretty disappointing.  No such disappointment this time round.  The steak was a perfectly cooked medium as requested and was absolutely delicious.  I would go as far to say this was the nicest non-fillet steak I’ve ever had.  When ordering I enquired if any of the sauces were gluten free, and was delighted to be told that all sauces are made to order so it was no problem to make any of them gluten free, and they always keep gluten free flour on-site.  I plumped for my favourite peppercorn sauce, the first time I’ve been able to have this since my coeliac diagnosis.  I was expecting the onion rings to be left off, but they went the extra mile and made me gluten free ones.  I was really impressed by this so a big thumbs up for me.

dolphin_icecream

For dessert I went for the ice cream/sorbet selection.  These were all homemade and very tasty, and a good end to the meal.  I almost did my usual trick and forget to get a photo of this, so excuse the fact there are a few bites missing from the above snap!  I was served lemon and cardomom sorbet, cream cheese and white chocolate ice cream and also cinnamon ice cream.  Unusual flavours and all lovely, I particularly enjoyed the very creamy white chocolate ice cream.

I washed the meal down with a Thatcher’s Vintage Cider which was a cool 7.4%, best to not drink too many of those!  Overall a fantastic meal and I would definitely go back to Dolphin House Brazzerie again.  It wasn’t the cheapest, £17.50 for a steak plus an extra £2.50 for the peppercorn sauce, but given the quality of food I didn’t think this was extortionate.  I was exceptionally well looked after on the gluten free front and suffered no ill effects.  I look forward to going back again in the future.

See also this TripAdvisor review by Happy_Eater66 for a second opinion.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

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