Firebirds, Restaurant Review

I think I have visited Firebirds at least three times in the last few months.  The reason I keep going back is that they serve great food in a fun atmosphere and seem to really understand what it means to order gluten free!  They have a gluten free menu with many delicious options from main entrees to salads.  One of my favorite menu items is the strawberry shrimp salad pictured above.  During my visits this summer I had a manager check with me to be sure everything was okay and a server deliver my food separate from the rest of my table, indicating "we took special care of your gluten free order". I really appreciate this level of attention to special dietary needs, but one must remember that you need to remain on your toes when ordering and speaking with your server.  As with most restaurants today the gluten free menu does include the following disclaimer:  "Please note our chefs strive to prepare every one of these dishes gluten free as listed.  Firebirds cannot be held liable in the unlikely event that cross contamination occurs."  If you read my earlier post which suggested the NFCA webinar on dining out, you are equipped with your questions and have considered your options when eating out to reduce your risks of cross contamination.

Firebirds is a chain with many locations. In North Carolina those include: Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston-Salem and the Durham location which is at the Streets at Southpoint.

All locations:
Sunday – Thursday 11am – 10pm
Friday & Saturday 11am – 11pm

Zoës Kitchen, Restaurant Review

Due to my job I spend a lot of time in the Morrisville area.....which is just a short drive down the road from Durham.  I wanted to share a new place that I discovered for lunch, called  located in the Zoës Kitchen  new Park West Shopping Center at  1017 Market Center Drive Morrisville, NC, 27560.  The website describes the restaurant as:

Zoës Kitchen is a natural extension of Zoë Cassimus' lifetime of cooking for family and friends. Inspired by Zoë's original recipes and her simple, fresh-from-the-garden sensibility, we start every day by making the food from scratch onsite at each restaurant. Our dishes are wholesome; our portions generous. It's Mediterranean-inspired comfort food with customers' dietary concerns in mind--nothing fried with gluten-free and vegetarian options. Zoë means "life" in Greek. Why not live it to the fullest with tasty food shared among close friends and family?

 I was able to pull up a gluten free menu on line before I went there for lunch. This included several options including: salads, hummus, grilled chicken kabobs and braised white beans.  The atmosphere was casual but very nice, you order your meal and then they give you a number and the meal is delivered to your table shortly.  I enjoyed  Zoës Favorite:  two kabobs, grilled peppers and onions, tomato, braised white beans and a side greek salad.  The meal was delicious, very fresh tasting!

Sorry, no Zoës in Durham yet. Other locations in our area include two in Raleigh: located on Oberlin road and North Hills Street.

I look forward to returning for another lunch sometime soon!