Photos courtesy of Weld Photography

Executive chef and owner Chris Todd prides his restaurant on serving customers with food allergies and intolerances.

Christopher’s restaurant and FEAST, a local allergy support group, will host their first allergy-friendly dinner on Tuesday, January 17th at 5:30 pm. Reservations are required and the dinner will be suitable for adults and children. FEAST (Food and Environmental Allergy Support Team) of the Main Line is a support group for parents of food allergic children.

“Eating in restaurants is difficult for many allergy families, ” said Jean Kintisch, leader of FEAST. “This is a great opportunity to enjoy the experience in a safer environment.”

On this special night, the ingredients of every dish will be listed, Chef Christopher Todd and Jean Kintisch will speak about how to eat safely in restaurants, and participants will enjoy a meal knowing that the kitchen understands the special needs of allergic patrons.

“Our restaurant has always been accommodating to those with special dietary concerns,” said Todd. “Our staff is fully trained to work with all types of food allergies and dietary restrictions. Our menu offers nut-free, gluten-free and soy-free items and we work with each guest to make sure they are taken care of. We look forward to partnering with FEAST for this unique opportunity.”

Space is very limited at the January 17th dinner. If there is enough interest, another allergy-friendly meal will be planned in the near future.

Please call Christopher’s at 610-687-6558 to make reservations. Christopher’s is located at 108 North Wayne Avenue in Wayne, PA. christophersaneighborhoodplace.com.

Join Christopher’s on Facebook.

Photos courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

Two lucky AML fans will win a $25 gift certificate to treat themselves, family and friends to yummy creations at PBandU!

This giveaway has ended. Thank you to everyone who participated. The winners are AML fans Mikey and Joe.

In less than a year, Wayne’s funky and fun eatery, PBandU, has become a staple of Main Line moms, teenagers and everyone who has a love for all things peanut butter—and purposefully creative.

Located in the heart of downtown Wayne two doors down from Gum Drops and Sprinkles, PBandU enables you to create a peanut butter experience that’s anything but ordinary. Foodies can enjoy an endless array of combinations—from jelly to bananas to bacon to pickles!

How to Participate:

Comment here between Sunday, May 22nd and Thursday May 26th at 9pm for a chance to treat yourself to a great experience at PBandU!

Two winners will be selected to receive a $25 gift certificate.

And, be sure to stop in at PBandU during the Wayne Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 30th!

Click here to read the full profile on PBandU on AML.

GOOD LUCK PBandU FANS!

PBandU – Wayne

Location: 163 East Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087

Phone: 484-367-7799

Hours of Operation:
Mon – Thurs: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sun: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Website: www.pbandu.com

Facebook: Join PBandU on Facebook

Twitter: PBandU

1. PROMOTION PERIOD. Promotion begins on announced time EST (“Promotion Period”). All entries must be received by the announced time (EST) to be eligible for that day’s drawing.
2. ELIGIBILITY. This giveaway is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old as of the date of entry, except officers, directors, members, and employees of the Sponsor, the judging organization (if applicable), or any other party associated with the development or administration of this Promotion, and the immediate family (i.e., parents, children, siblings, spouse), and persons residing in the same household, as such individuals. This Promotion is void outside the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and where prohibited.
3. WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION. The sole winner will be drawn from all entries received during the announced Promotional Period using a randomized computer numerical system, random.org.
4. TAXES. All federal, state and/or local income and other taxes, if any, are the winner’s sole responsibility.
5. ODDS OF WINNING. The odds of winning this Promotion depend on the number of eligible entries received.
6. Winner will be announced on aroundmainline.com, Facebook (www.facebook.com/aroundmainline) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/aroundmainline).

Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Following the presentation, guests will receive a gluten-free product tour of Wegmans extensive gluten-free inventory.

May is Celiac Awareness Month. And for the thousands of celiacs diagnosed monthly across the Delaware Valley, Wegmans supermarket, in conjunction with The Celiac Center at Paoli Hospital, is hosting special in-store events (Downingtown & Malvern locales) as part of their vested community outreach programs.

‘Understanding Celiac Disease’ will be held starting at 6:30pm on Wednesday, May 11th at their Downingtown location. On Tuesday, May 17th, the Malvern store will have the same seminar, same time, for their customers.

Nearly one out of every 133 Americans suffer from celiac disease, a digestive disease that damages the small intestine because of sensitivity to gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. This hereditary disorder interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food.

The Celiac Center at Paoli Hospital provides a local resource to help people manage and embrace the gluten-free lifestyle. Whether you believe you or a loved one may have celiac disease, are newly diagnosed or have lived gluten—free for years, their team is committed to helping you through it all. From screening and nutritional counseling to consultations with our specialists, Paoli Hospital has a team of medical professionals ready to work with you.

Click here for more information on Paoli Hospital’s Celiac Center.

‘Understanding Celiac Disease’ at Wegmans

When: Wednesday, May 11th 6:30pm, Downingtown
Tuesday, May 17th 6:30pm, Malvern

Where: Downingtown Wegmans, Malvern Wegmans

Details: Click here to view the information on MainLineHealth.org

Registration: Required-call 1-866-CALL-MLH (866-225-5654)

Why: In recognition of May as National Celiac Awareness Month

Event Itinerary:

• 6:30-7:00 p.m. Gluten-Free Cooking Class with the Wegmans Chef
• 7:00-7:45 p.m. ‘Celiac Disease 2011: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.’ Presentation and Q & A with Keith J. Laskin, M.D. Gastroenterologist and Medical Director, Celiac Center at Paoli Hospital
• Gluten-Free Product Tour immediately following presentation

Photos courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

Main Line mompreneur Mercury Amodio with son Nesta.

Peanut butter and jelly is as ubiquitous as cherry pie, Uncle Sam and Memorial Day Parades. Which makes Mercury Amodio’s (nee: Winberg) foray into opening a twist on the childhood staple, in the heart of downtown Wayne, all the more intriguing. PBandU, Amodio’s booming eatery with its magnificently mod interior that has a huge Main Line mom following, is one of those concepts that makes you wonder, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ A 2002 survey in Prepared Foods showed the average American will have eaten 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before they graduate from high school.

The 28 year-old Center City native attended CAPA as a vocal major, a creative and performing arts high school downtown, and holds a degree from Wagner College. Amodio cut her teeth in the music industry in New York, but moved back to the city in 2010 with her husband, Dusty. Last August, Amodio opened PBandU—six months pregnant with the couple’s first child, a boy. Baby Nesta arrived December 1st.

Amodio hired Main Line designer extraordinaire Barbara Balongue of Villanova’s Balongue Design to create an interior that was modern, fun and kid friendly. (Balongue is best known for, most recently, her breathtaking work on the interior design of Wayne’s White Dog Café.) The tables are all shaped in the motif of a peanut-purposefully with no hard edges—and there is plenty of space for the kiddos to run around without causing any damage. Amodio included a back playroom with a television and toys as well. Read the full story

Photos courtesy of Noelle Roberts

Best friends and business owners Heather Esposito and Allison Lubert opened Sweet Freedom this past January.

Let freedom ring for local celiacs and vegans as Philadelphia now has a successful bakery that caters to a myriad of food allergies, intolerances and dietary restrictions. This past January, friends Allison Lubert and Heather Esposito opened Sweet Freedom (1424 South Street, 215-545-1899), one of the country’s only vegan and gluten-, soy-, egg-, dairy- and refined sugar-free bakery, the first of its kind in Philadelphia.

Sweet Freedom was conceived as a destination for those struggling with dietary restrictions that typically prevent them from enjoying baked goods, but the bakery’s commitment to top-quality, all-natural ingredients makes it a hit among even those without allergies and intolerances. “Both Heather and I have struggled with our eating habits and with troubling food allergies,” said Lubert, “and we both found ourselves striving to prepare our favorite treats in ways that were both delicious and appropriate for our diets. It’s a challenge to omit animal products, soy, gluten and corn and still create flavorful, crave-able baked goods, but we love to rise to that challenge every day.” Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos by Belle Vie Photography

Local celiacs and vegans now have the first Philadelphia-area bakery to call their own with Lansdale’s Virago Baking Company.

Walk into Lansdale’s quaint corner Virago Baking Company and the cases are packed with one delicious treat after another: dozens of mouth-watering, generously iced cupcakes, hearty pies, breakfast breads, birthday cakes and more. Seems like any other small town bustling bakery business until you take a close look at the menu. Everything in Regina Mason‘s sensationally successful bakery is gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan. “I knew I wanted to open a bakery in Lansdale, but not your typical concept. There really is no way to compete with the local supermarkets in a traditional bakery model and there is very high demand now for what we offer with food allergies being so prevalent. A bakery for the Philadelphia region that prides itself in offering the same items but made for those dietary restrictions in mind are what we pride ourselves on-and, what can I say, it is working,” explained Mason.
Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Todd Zimmerman

The area’s top culinary talent will be on hand at the Wachovia Center for Appetite for Awareness on September 30th.

You’ve probably heard the term ‘gluten-free’ by now, or, most likely know someone who is not able to include gluten in their daily diet. Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that involves intolerance for the protein found in wheat (known as gluten), affects 1 in 133 Americans. And through their annual event, an Ambler-based nonprofit is working to make Philadelphia one of the top cities in America dedicated to raising awareness and education about celiac disease.

Tonight, September 30th, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness will hold its annual Appetite for Awareness: A Gluten-Free Cooking Spree. Top chefs and doctors will be assembled into teams at the Wachovia Center in a challenge to create the best gluten-free dish. Guests will enjoy sampling gluten-free creations from over twenty-five of the area’s preeminent restaurants, gluten-free beer, wine, and products from over fifty of the nation’s finest gluten-free vendors.
Read the full story

AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Dozens of free samples of gluten-free products will be available for local celiacs who stop by the Whole Foods Market in Devon on March 21st.

AroundMainLine.com and the Whole Foods Market at Devon are pairing up to present to the Main Line a sensational Saturday event: A Gluten-Free Food Extravaganza! Saturday, March 21st from 1-4 p.m., local celiacs will have the opportunity to sample some of Whole Foods’ top selling gluten-free product lines. In addition, businesses from the tri-state region, who supply Devon’s Whole Foods Market with their growing and diverse gluten-free line of fresh and frozen foods, will be present to answer questions and meet one-on-one with their customers. Two of the most popular local companies who will be offering samples are Spice of Life Bakery from Lancaster (www.spiceoflifelancaster.com) and Cookies for Me! (www.cookiesforme.com) from Doylestown.

Courtney Mendillo, Devon’s bakery team leader, has seen a booming interest in the store’s gluten-free items with their Main Line clientele. Mendillo spearheads the selection of items brought in from Whole Foods’ corporate gluten-free bake house–which offers dozen of delicious frozen gluten-free items, from pizzas to bagels, pie crusts and more. Mendillo also regularly evaluates new products that Main Line and Philadelphia-area based businesses are producing to keep Whole Foods’ varied selection for celiacs growing. “The exciting thing I like about our variety with local vendors, like Spice of Life and Cookies for Me!, is that we are able to showcase the great, gluten-free companies from the Philadelphia region that bring fresh items to us. I can’t tell you how many requests we have had for fresh gluten-free bread. And, when we found the company Spice of Life from Lancaster, those customers were so pleased,” said Mendillo. Now, Spice of Life’s fresh rolls and breads have developed a strong following and are usually scooped up within twenty-four hours of their weekly Thursday afternoon drop-off!
Read the full story

AML Staff Writer
Photos Courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Going home with gluten-free! Homecooked offers bimonthly gluten-free menus for their growing celiac customer base.

Claire Phillips was working 50-60 hours a week as a marketing manager for a large pharmaceutical company in Santa Monica a few years back and starting to feel a bit burned out. A natural love of cooking was part of her creative personality and a great hobby she embraced as a child growing up in Lancaster. But, with a demanding career, cooking a delicious, healthy meal every night became more difficult and time-consuming. Then Phillips and her boyfriend stumbled upon a small business in their California neighborhood that offered affordable, convenient prepared foods for on-the-go, health-conscious consumers. It quickly became a staple of their hectic lifestyle-too busy (and tired) to stop at the grocery store after a long days work.

Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Publisher’s Note: The two appetizers pictured within this feature are not gluten-free. However, the Spanish octupus appetizer highlighted on the AML homepage is a gluten-free appetizer available at Blackfish.

Blackfish’s Signature Appetizer
House smoked Scottish Salmon, crispy potatoes, deep fried egg, crème fraiche

Blackfish owner and head chef Chip Roman is considered one of the Main Line’s top culinary geniuses. The shy, baby-faced 29-year-old Fishtown native and St. Joe’s Prep alum trained under George Perrier and Mark Vetri before starting Roman Catering at age 23—a business that would rapidly evolve into one of the Main Line’s most beloved BYOBS. Roman invited AML into his kitchen for a rare chat (he usually turns down interviews) on a recent December evening. The quaint, simply designed space in the heart of Conshohocken is constantly humming with couples and parties dining by candlelight.

Read the full story