1. 18 | express | 01.13.2016 | wednesday
taste
Arepas
Arepa Zone, Union
Market, 1309 Fifth
St. NE; 202-544-4742,
arepazone.comAs
the name suggests, the
highlight of the menu is
the arepa, a grilled corn
patty filled with meats and
cheeses native to South
America. Owners Gabriela
Febres and Ali Arellano
use Harina P.A.N., a pre-
cooked white cornmeal
flour, as the primary
ingredient in the patties.
(“It’s the brand every
Venezuelan uses,” Febres
says.) The cornmeal
contains no additives,
making it suitable for
gluten-free diets. The
menu offers several
variations of arepas, but
purists stick with the
classic $6 jamon y queso
(ham and cheese).
Tacos
Chaia, 3207 Grace
St. NW; 202-333-5222,
chaiadc.com
All of Chaia’s seasonal,
vegetarian tacos are
served in handcrafted
corn tortillas that are
made on-site and
naturally gluten-free.
“We didn’t set out to be
a gluten-free concept,
we just happen to be,”
co-founder Suzanne
Simon says. Single tacos
($3.75) come stuffed
with locally sourced
ingredients such as
creamy kale with potato
and pepper jack, poblano
crema and pickled onions.
And don’t skip dessert
— both the seven-spice
chocolate bar and the
caneta (a Mexican-
inspired cookie) are also
wheat-free.
Icecreamsandwiches
Firefly, 1310 New
Hampshire Ave. NW; 202-
861-1310, firefly-dc.com
Firefly’s ice cream
sandwiches ($9 each)
change seasonally but are
a constant on the menu.
Currently, the restaurant
is serving a version made
with housemade mint
chocolate chip ice cream
sandwiched between
two slices of flourless
chocolate cake. “The
texture is denser than a
traditional cake, as it does
not have the traditional
leavening,” chef Matt
Hagan says. It’s made
using 64 percent-cocoa
chocolate, and there’s a
drizzle of creme anglaise
(a light custard of eggs,
milk and sugar) spiked
with Bailey’s Irish Cream
for good measure.
Croissants
Rise Bakery, 2409 18th
St. NW; 202-525-5204,
riseglutenfree.com
At Rise, a gluten-free
bakery in Adams Morgan,
croissants come out of
the oven light and airy. It
took a lot of trial and error,
owner Mike Koritko says:
“The initial recipes tasted
good, but the croissants
were small and too
dense.” The winning blend
of rice flour and tapioca
starch yields a buttery,
light and flaky croissant.
The almond variety
($3.95) is twice-baked,
filled with sweet almond
puree and topped with
sliced almonds. Because
the kitchen is gluten-free,
there’s no chance of
cross-contamination,
a plus for those with
intolerances.
Pasta
Equinox, 818 Connecticut
Ave. NW; 202-331-8118,
equinoxrestaurant.com
The menu at this
mainstay changes
frequently, though
you can always count
on stick-to-your-ribs,
gluten-free pasta dishes
($18-$34) from chef Todd
Gray, who uses a blend
of chickpea flour and
xanthan gum to make the
dough. The gluten-free
noodles are more delicate
than those made with
all-purpose flour, but still
hearty enough to stand
up to rich sauces. Recent
options have included
spaghettini with Italian
sausage and white bean
ragout and bucatini
with black trumpet
mushrooms and black
truffle sauce.
No grain? Your gain.One of the most difficult parts of shunning gluten is saying goodbye to a whole lot of deliciousness: pasta, breads and the bulk of desserts.
Fortunately, with more and more people going gluten-free — whether by choice or out of necessity — your options are increasing. Here
are some of our favorite D.C.-area dishes that are naturally gluten-free or have been tweaked to omit wheat. VirginiaChamlee(ForExpress)
Must
try
Milk ice
cream
Kinship, 1015 Seventh St.
NW; 202-737-7700
This new American
restaurant from Eric
Ziebold (CityZen,
The French Laundry)
serves a cookie dough
souffle (drool) with
milk-flavored ice cream
(whoa!). To make the
icy treat, pastry chef
Anne Specker blends
milk powder into a
base of milk, heavy
cream and sugar. “[The
powder] increases
the milk flavor but
also the body without
adding fat,” which
can sometimes mask
flavor, Specker says. “I
wanted this dessert to
be like warm cookies
and an ice-cold glass
of milk.” Drop a scoop
in the warm souffle for
heaven on a spoon.
Holley Simmons (Express)
Jackie’s Restaurant in Silver Spring to close in March Jaco Juice and Taco Bar now open in Georgetown Nazca Mochica, a Peruvian restaurant, now open in Dupont
CourtesyofArepaZone
CaitlinSandersPhotography
MorganHungerford-west
courtesyofFirefly
CourtesyofEquinox