Gluten Free at Jason's Deli and at Great American Cookies

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to treat my mother to a free cookie from Great American Cookies at the Galleria Mall in Birmingham, AL. Well, actually, it's in Hoover, but we call it part of Birmingham. But she actually two cookies because I gave her mine. This month, they are accepting book donations and with those donations, you get one free chocolate chip cookie.

Anyway, I was looking and noticed this big flag that said gluten free sitting next to a batch of Chewy Chocolate Supremes. They taste a lot like a brownie with walnuts. They do have walnuts. But it was definitely a chocolate supreme! I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. It was so delicious. And at just under two dollars including tax, it was not bad.

This past Tuesday, I had another opportunity before me that presented at a health fair where I obtained so many pens, notepads, and antibacterials that I'm going crazy now, as I learned that the Jason's Deli at Colonial Brookwood Village on Lakeshore also had gluten free offerings. They use Udi's Gluten Free Bread. So I had a gluten free roasted turkey with spinach, lettuce, and mayo sandwich. For the size of the bread, it was quite expensive, but it was very tasty. It took me two meals to eat it though because they put so much stuff on the sandwich. And they are one of the only, if not the only, locations in the Birmingham area to use bread on the gluten free menu.

Now, they have a note that for celiacs, they may want to consider not eating from the menu, but for those with mild sensitivities and intolerances that it should be fine. Since this latter group is the group I fall into, I gave it a go. I was impressed. The bread fell apart easily, but it was so good that I am actually planning to buy a loaf from my local Whole Foods store if I find it there.

Needless to say, I am glad that Gluten Free is garnering more attention and that there are food places out there that are catering more to the Gluten Free community than there used to be. Ever since I started on a gluten free diet for my wheat allergy, I have been thriving more. Now if only ALL gluten free foods could taste as good as these without it having to be homecooked.