ALONG COMES MARY

Something I always have in my mind when I travel is, Will I be able to eat safely?! Anyone with an allergy or sensitivity knows exactly what I am talking about. Having been gluten-free since 2009, it has gotten incredibly easier in recent years & I was reminded of that while away for my media trip to San Jose last week; it was truly a getaway of being able to eat almost anything I wanted, my style! 😉

My first taste of knowing I was into something good was when we arrived at one of the best hot spots in town, The San Pedro Square Market. Only a few years old, this hub offers a beautiful outdoor or indoor seating experience overlooking one of the oldest buildings in California, a gorgeous adobe from 1767.

My first stop was Taco Bar, which is basically what its name suggests, but they go beyond the usual fish or chicken taco with rice & beans offering. They also boast 2 awesome vegan tacos; Portobello Mushroom or Quinoa & Black Bean. I tried their shrimp & a mushroom with rice & beans along with chips & salsa. Their homemade salsa was delicious, but be warned, a bit spicy! While you wait for your order, you’re treated to watching your meal prepared before your eyes, complete with the tortillas being cooked.

I also weakened & went to the well-known Blush sushi bar as I had heard about their famous Sushi Tacos….that’s exactly what you get! Sushi nestled beautifully in 3 mini hard taco shells. How can you not love a marriage of 2 California classics?! We also tried their Philadelphia roll, which was top-notch & the cream cheese was extra fresh & smooth.

Blush also has a full bar, which also makes it perfect for a late night hang out to catch up with friends, snuggle with your honey or check out a sports game. Next door, you will also find the Market Beer Company. With a very knowledgeable staff, I was hoping to be reunited with Greens Gluten Free Beer, but, alas, they do not carry any gluten-free brew, but have plenty of hard ciders that look great.

If you were to ask me what you absolutely HAVE to have at San Pedro Square, it would be their DESSERTS! Treatbot, an adorable ice cream truck in the back of the food court, could easily be the best kept secret of the square. They have an array of unique ice cream flavors & I was lucky enough to go ahead & go for it with a 2 scoop; 1 Mexican Chocolate & 1 Eastside Horchata. Talk about the best of both worlds! If you find yourself there on a Thursday, they have an awesome karaoke night with $1 scoops for each song sung!

Chocatoo is a sweet shop stop smack dab in the center of this foodie wonderland. I was so excited to see they have a Gluten Free Chocolate Cake & a Gluten Free Lava Cake. I took the latter back to my hotel & OMG, it was completely irresistible & didn’t have that ‘gluten-free’ taste some sweets will often have.

(I loved the large plant pots on The Row.)

Next up, Santana Row. This is San Jose’s beautiful 40 acre boulevard of gorgeous boutiques, eateries & sights surrounded by a tree-lined block & countless breathtaking flowers & beauty to see. Attracting 1.2 million visitors a year, Santana Row is also home to many residents as most of their beautiful buildings house apartments on the top floors as well as Hotel Valencia.

I had the pleasure of dining at Left Bank, a fabulous Parisian style brassiere which truly had me feeling transformed into a French bistro! I admit, I was a bit concerned what the cuisine would be; as I have not had too much French food, let alone asking in French, “Is that gluten free?”

We were started off with a rich, creamy fondue. With plenty of offerings I could dip into, like veggies & potatoes. It was so satisfying I easily could have feasted on fondue alone! My main course was a perfect salmon filet with mixed grilled vegetables & French fries, I alerted our server I would need any gluten omitted, & it was no problem at all. The dill sauce atop the fish was exquisite, as were our local wines we got to enjoy.

I cannot wait to publish my next installment of this Gluten Free series, I still have much more to tell you. In the meantime, you can learn more about San Pedro Square Market & Santana Row by clicking on the links! xo

(Our crew responsible for the Parisian cuisine enjoyed!)

(*Disclosure: I was apart of a FAM Trip with Team San Jose as my host. All opinions are my own.)