My body doesn't like gluten. Whenever I consume regular bread, pasta, cookies, crackers, and the like, my body complains.
So in getting serious about going gluten-free for good after tinkering with the diet off-and-on for the last couple of years, I recently promised to maintain an online diary of my daily menu, including new gluten-free products I sample, as well as restaurant reviews and their gluten-free offerings. It's the Bachelor on the Cheap Gluten-Free Challenge, 2023.
The Day 8 menu was highlighted with dinner at Bubba's 33, catching up with friends from my working days with Public Storage. None of us work for Public Storage anymore, but the bonds we created there are strong, lasting, and meaningful.
Bubba's 33 is a "go-to" place for my friends and me, the food is always good, the atmosphere is comfortable, and the prices are reasonable. My typical order before going on this Gluten-Free diet would have been pizza, wings, or a burger, but on this occasion, I had to venture outside of what used to be my comfort zone. Bubba's menu doesn't have specific GF choices or alternatives to traditional bread or pasta, so this was one of those dining-out occasions where you just have to order smart, ignoring the temptations feeding the eyes. I went with the salmon dinner, a 5-ounce filet seasoned with chili and topped with sweet honey lime sauce. Served over garden rice I also ordered some broccoli for a side. The dinner has an 8-ounce salmon filet option as well. In addition to the dinner, I ordered a Chorizo Queso appetizer. It's a group favorite of melted cheese, scratch-made chorizo, pico de gallo, jalapeno sauce, fresh tortilla (corn) chips, and a side of salsa.
The Chorizo Queso wasn't put together as nicely as it typically is, the presentation was a bit sloppy and the flavors didn't seem as robust as usual, but it was still enjoyable. The salmon dinner was excellent. The fish was cooked perfectly, flaky, and moist and those chili, honey, and lime flavors really sang! The garden rice was pleasant with nice red bell pepper notes and the broccoli was delightfully seasoned, vibrantly green, and tender-crisp. I was very pleased with my dinner choice, it was quite satisfying. Other GF-friendly dinners to consider were two steak options and a grilled chicken dish. I've never had a bad meal at Bubba's 33 and the restaurant continues to be repeat visit-worthy, a go-to place for my friends and me.
Here's the rest of the menu for the day, I consumed a little over 1600 calories, had a decent protein intake of 106 grams, and enjoyed two GF products earlier in the day, Cassava Chips and Cheddar Cheese Rice Snacks.
Of note, after a week of the Bachelor on the Cheap Gluten-Free Challenge, 2023, I'm pleased to report that eliminating wheat products while monitoring calorie, protein, and carb intake, along with exercise has resulted in a three-pound weight loss. The most important thing, I feel better, with reduced bloating, and reduced joint pain.
Stay tuned for Week 2! Coming up, Gluten-Free breakfast options.
The Bubba's 33 visited for dinner is located at 412 S Towne East Mall Dr, Wichita, KS 67207. The food was good, the orders were delivered to the table in a timely fashion and Ean provided polite and attentive service.
$pend Wisely My Friends...
~ Mike