My west coast travels this year also led me to San Francisco for the first time in many years. It was a crunched schedule but I was bound to eat as much as possible. We discovered a couple of really good gluten-free friendly gems. I feel like we barely scratched the culinary surface of this unique city but we had some success.

Mariposa Bakery and Miette. There is not much more in the world I love than a good gluten-free macaroon (the Parisian kind) and cookies. Walking around the Ferry Market, we stumbled upon a little gluten-free bakery which had a bunch of baked goods with tons of all gluten free cakes, cookies and more! And then a few steps down the hall...jackpot! Macaroons!!! That made my afternoon. We picked up a couple of flavors and then sat outside watching the boats roll in from Alcatraz.

Fog Harbor Fish House. We decided at the last minute to have dinner at Fisherman's Wharf, despite it being super touristy. I did a simple google search for 'gluten free fisherman's wharf' and we ended up at Fog Harbor Fish House. The menu was marked with handy little symbols to let you know what could be made gluten-free. I went with the pan-seared scallops served with warm quinoa, arugula, pine nuts, dried cranberries, tomato relish, citrus butter and balsamic glaze. It was really good. And the waiter was extremely knowledgeable. It also seemed to have a big local crowd which made us feel more at ease right away.

Umami Burger. This gem came highly recommended to us by a couple of people. While the menu isn't gluten free, the wait staff was very knowledgeable and guided me in the right direction as far as burgers (served of lettuce) and which sauces to avoid. The incredible sweet potato fries were also gluten-free. The burgers are really good here - they are pretty unique as far as burgers go. Not sure what makes them taste so different/good but they just are. The sauces were awesome, too!

Pica-Pica. We walked FAR for this place (bad directions judgement call). But it was well-worth the walk and it's a must visit if you are a fan of arepas. Everything at this restaurant is gluten-free. Easy peasy! The arepa's are all handmade from corn. I opted for the sweet corn and shredded beef. Delish. To top it off, the coconut rice was YUMMERS. I think I need to attempt that at home one of these days.

Puccini & Pinetti. We ended up here by accident but it was fantastic Italian food. After we arrived in S.F. (and it was really 1am for us), we were starving and would eat anything. We hoped into the restaurant and asked if they had any gluten free options and much to my surprise, they had a whole gluten-free menu with tons of options, including Italian. I had the bolognese with gluten-free pasta. It was authentic Italian bolognese - I haven't had that in a long time. I was super happy to stumble upon it.

Deschutes Brewery. Two words.... tuna melt! Make it 4 words.... tuna melt on bread! Don't ask me the last time I had something like this. Something so simple and yet so delicious. Aside from the plethora of gluten-free options, they also brew their own gluten-free beer. Did I mention I topped all of this off with sweet potato fries? Mmmm. This will likely be my first stop when I had back this summer.

Bob's Red Mill. What's a trip to the Portland area without a trip to THE Bob's Red Mill store?? After a nice little trail run, we stopped here for some breakfast. I did it up with the gluten-free pancakes. They were pretty good. It was just nice ordering them out instead of making them myself for a change. I also loaded up on a bunch of gluten-free oats and other pre-baked goodies to take home with me. If you have time, I suggest taking a cooking class or touring the "mill"- not that there is anything you can have there.

Ruby Jewel. Are you a sweets junkie like myself? Then this is a REAL treat. Gluten-free ice cream sandwiches! Homemade and fresh, gluten-free cookies with your ice cream flavor of choice smothered in the middle. WOWZA. The ice cream flavors were all homemade and unique flavors. Like, caramel with salted dark chocolate, honey lavender or Oregon berry with chocolate flakes. You are welcome. Enjoy.

Mississippi Pizza. One of the thickest gluten-free pizza crusts I have ever had. The gluten-free crust is made offsite in a gluten free facility to ensure safety. You can eat in and have a yummy pizza, as I did, or you can pick up the gluten-free dough and bring it home. I had myself a veggie pizza. Fantastic. The atmosphere was fun, too. We got there just in time for a live band. But beware, the lines will end up out the door. Well worth the wait, though!

Super exciting news from Hershey's! They have finally released a list of their gluten-free products, which much to my delight includes Skor!!! In addition to the gluten-free list, Hershey's has Kosher and Sugar Free lists. The company notes on the site:

"Hershey is committed to providing products that meet your dietary needs, and many people today are interested in gluten-free foods.

A food bearing a gluten-free claim does not contain the protein from wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, triticole, farina, vital gluten semolina, malt vinegar or protein derivatives of these foods.

For your convenience, the current products listed below have been fully evaluated and qualify as gluten free using standards proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Please note this list is not all inclusive as we have other gluten-free confections.

The best way to determine if our products contain a gluten ingredient is to read our product label. This label includes an accurate, current listing of the ingredients in our products. Because, on occasion, the list of ingredients can change, we strongly encourage you to check the ingredient label on the package each time before you make a purchase."

Check out the list of yumminess here.

We were the first to announce (and snag our hands on) a box of gluten free Rice Krispies, about this time last year. The one thing I heard repeatedly from readers was that they wish it was available in Canada. And now it is! Kellogg's announced yesterday!

"With an increasing number of Canadians being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, experiencing sensitivity to gluten or choosing to follow a gluten-free diet, consumers are looking for more great tasting gluten-free food choices and we are filling that need," said Johanne Trudeau, Director,  Nutrition, Kellogg Canada. Kellogg's^® Rice Krispies^® Brown Rice gluten-free cereal is produced in a separate facility that has been making gluten-free products for nearly a decade. Each batch of product is tested to ensure its gluten-free status.

This is VERY exciting news for when I go "home" to Montreal!!

Source: The Canadian (http://s.tt/16xK0)

My fiance and I were strolling the aisles of Costco yesterday when something caught the corner of my eye. I normally go right past the dessert aisle since there isn't much for me there but for some reason we did. It was fate. I saw boxes of Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars in strawberry and blueberry flavors. Not only are the bars gluten free but they're healthy! They are all natural, fat free and include 8g of protein and 4g of fiber. And no corn syrup!!

I could NOT wait to try them. I went for blueberry first. Holy yuminess!! They are amazing. Not to sweet, not too tart. If you see these on your next shopping trip, I suggest you definitely snag a box!

Originally designed to help touring bands locate restaurants, shops and even hotels with green products and business practices, InBloom was created and developed by musicians Andy Ross (OK Go) and Eytan Oren (Eytan and the Embassy). It's an awesome app and another great way to find gluten free foods in your town, or better yet, when traveling. Watch the video below to learn more about the app from the creators, Adam and Eytan.