So Many Options

Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free Cuban Sandwich

One thing you get used to when going out to eat with food allergies and intolerances is not having many options.  In my case, that is sometimes a good thing.  Like when I’m hangry.  I can’t make decisions when I’m hangry.  If I have too many options when hangry, I get hangrystrated.

A fellow blogger shared a pic from Hugo’s Restaurant this Summer when two of the locations started serving gluten-free pizza crust.  I wish I could give the fellow blogger credit for the share, but I can’t remember who it was.  I went back on several Facebook pages looking for it and couldn’t find it.  So, if you were the one who shared the picture and are reading this…THANK YOU!

Our first day on vacation in Los Angeles that we truly had no plans for was a much-needed rest day.   We were so unprepared to do anything that lunchtime hit and we had to make a decision fast where to go.  I suggested Hugo’s and since Dawn knew exactly where the Studio City location is and we didn’t have to look it up, we hopped in her vehicle and headed over.

New York Style Blueberry Cheesecake – gluten-free, vegan

Chaz and I had checked out the menu online before we even left Ohio, so I knew there would be options.  Looking at the physical menu put it in a different perspective.  I had a lot of options.  It’s not often that I go out to eat and have so many options, especially with the new-found egg allergy.  There were still lots of options even after quizzing our server.  I decided on the Cuban sandwich pictured.  That is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free bread.  Good stuff that sandwich.

This is where it got fun.  Okay.  Fun for me.  Not for Chaz and Dawn as they sat there waiting for me to figure it out.  I ordered dessert.  To go.  Dessert.  This is usually a no-option thing at restaurants.  It wasn’t a bowl of fruit either.  I’m not opposed to fruit for dessert, but sometimes you want something sinfully decadent.

I ordered the New York Style Blueberry Cheesecake and the Brownie Tort.  There are eight desserts on the menu.  Only one is not gluten-free.  Five of them are vegan.

Brownie Tort – gluten-free, vegan

We took off with my desserts in hand and ran to Ralph’s before going home so Dawn could pick up Little Obi Wan.

I tried the cheesecake first.  Thick.  Rich.  Just the right amount of sweetness.  You would never know the filling was made from white sweet potato and cashews.  Next time I’m there.  This will be a must.  Have I mentioned how much I love cheesecake?  I would take cheesecake over cake or pie any day.   Just let’s not mention that famous restaurant chain, shall we?  I’m still boycotting them for never responding to me.

The Brownie Tort was insane.  It’s made with pecans, but you can’t even taste them.  It is topped with a fudge frosting that is super thick and I suspect made with avocados.  It isn’t close to death by chocolate but completely is death by chocolate.  If you know what I mean.  I’m just glad I had a cup of coffee with it.  Oh, did I forget to tell you I ate it for breakfast?  It was vacation and it is full of whole foods.  Totally justifiable.

Totally.