So where am I this week? I’m hanging out in the Big D – Dallas, TX. It’s been tricky to eat, so it’s a good thing I’ve got good people around me. Good people make for good times.

WILD SALSA – I wish I had more thumbs so I could give it more than two thumbs up!

The first night I was here, Wild Salsa was the destination of choice. WineSmiles suggested Wild Salsa and I agreed to meet up with her at the restaurant. Well, we both missed it, so look for the beautifully carved door and the sugar skull painted on the wall. There’s also a weird window that looks like it should have take-out pick-up, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what they use it to do. I like that you can see the kitchen through it, so it’s pretty transparent that it’s a clean place. At any rate, it’s a gem. Look for it. I craved the tacos for days afterward, and we talked some co-workers into going back a few days later.

The menu isn’t excessive – they do what they do well, and I like that they stay true to that by maintaining a smaller menu. What’s the point of a menu the size of a short book if the food is only passing acceptable? The food was phenomenal for the price – and I honestly would have paid more for it! As dairy-free, gluten-free, soy free and legume-free, I was able to eat about a third of the menu. I had already accepted that pepper and tomato, those cruel but delicious nightshades, would be on my plate at some point during my Big D excursion. I know I can’t stay away from real Mexican food.

There was no gluten-free menu available and the server needed some education, but he was very earnest to provide me with suitable options. He checked with the kitchen multiple times to be sure I would be safe. They fry their chips in a dedicated fryer and all of their taco/enchilada wraps are naturally gluten-free, AND, as if that weren’t enough to take me to the seventh heaven, they’re locally made! There’s a list of ingredients and suppliers on the chalkboard when you walk into the foyer showing where their supplies are produced.

I ordered the steak taco and the pork taco with a pineapple jalapeño margarita. Both of the tacos were absolutely delish and the margarita was a spicy kind of wow with a nice citric yumminess to it that made it refreshing and warming. The warming was important because it was all of about 40 degrees outside. Apparently, Dallas has a winter and I arrived just in time to enjoy it even though my weather app told me it would be in the 70s. My weather app is a liar… but I digress. Pardon my whining please. At any rate, the pork definitely won me over with its flavor and how unbelievably tender the meat was. Oh my goodness, I want it right now! I’m pretty sure the sauce had some sort of Mexican magic in it. Something tells me I’ll be back there a third time before I go wheels up. By the by, those wonderful tacos were about $2.50 each and two were plenty for me. Budget score!!

WineSmiles has some wheat issues, but has the ability to hang out with cheese, so she went for the cheese enchiladas to accompany her house margarita. I don’t know that she had the same religious food experience that I had, but she came pretty close to cleaning her plate, which is always a good sign. She also made noises of happiness over her margarita. Oh and those magical margaritas are available by the pitcher for $25 during Happy Hour. I just love states with Happy Hour.

I also want to give a shout out to the servers I had both times I went to the magical land of Wild Salsa. They were amazing and I got the feeling that they actually enjoyed being there and eating the food. There was a genuine feeling of being welcomed both times I went there that my wanderer of a self really appreciated.

Iron Cactus – High hopes dashed fast

So, I’m not entirely a diva, but I require decompression time after working a 12 hour work day. This makes me the last one to arrive a lot more than I would like to admit. So, I may have been late to dinner. I was actually really excited to go to the Iron Cactus, based on review I had read. Then, I walked into the dining room upstairs.

After my table greeted me, the waiter made what I’m sure he thought was a fun comment about my tardiness, which I found rude. Once I was seated, he didn’t even give me time to look at the drink menu or greet my friends before pushing me for a drink order. We weren’t off on the right foot, so I didn’t feel comfortable asking the waiter questions because he was one of those fast-talking, not-listening, the-kool-aid-is-delicious waiters that you just know are going to yell out all of your issues for all the world to hear and blow smoke up your ass in assurances regardless of whether or not they know the answers. They did have a gluten-free menu which I had read existed but had been unable to find on the internet, but most of the menu contained items with cheese. I was, thankfully, too exhausted to be hungry, and the waiter made me feel uncomfortable enough that I didn’t want to order anything. The food looked decent that was served, but nothing special or worth the price on the menu. Honestly, Chilis would have been a better option.

Paciugo – Sweet sugary goodness

One of the best of the besties lives in the Big D, and I was so super excited to get to spend time with her, but I totally forgot to think of where we should eat and what we should do and I was given a wardrobe request by work, so my darling Sugarbritches took me out to do some outlet shopping. I wasn’t hungry at all until she yelled out the word “Paciugo” and hustled as fast as she could hustle to a gelato counter. Initially, I was uninterested because of the dairy demons I knew would visit me, but THEN I noticed that the three lovely bins labeled “dairy-free”. Hope shined right through my heart and into my belly. I was so excited when the answer to my ever-prevalent “is there gluten in this” was “no” and came with a smile. My excitement was not contained. There was squealing. I may have frightened the boy behind the counter. Not normally one to support a chain, I am all about this gelateria!! The pear flavor was so refreshing and not too sweet. My tastebuds were all a twitter!

PressBox Grille – don’t even bother

Again, I was the last one in the door. Ho-Hum. My bubble bath was excellent and needed. But by the time I got to the restaurant I was starving. I continued to be hungry because not only did they not have a gluten free menu, but the waitress didn’t even offer to check and see what I could eat. I don’t like that I have to ask for these either, but I couldn’t believe when she just walked away from me without so much as a “we have salads”. Not that I like to eat salads for dinner, but at that point, the table was starting to look tasty. I was pretty excited when BabyBoo suggested a new location.

Union Street – this looked promising… LOOKED.

Again, I got a similar response to my question of a gluten free menu, and again, no suggestion as to anything I could eat. On an up note – they serve gluten free cider. They even had Angry Orchard’s seasonal Cinnful – which I just happen to hold in a deep and abiding affection. I lasted two drinks before I started getting dizzy with hunger and had to excuse myself to go to 7-11 for a banana and hard-boiled eggs. The life of a roadie…