I returned to Moxie’s for dinner on Friday night. After my great meal there two weeks ago I had high expectations. And they didn’t disappoint! I went with two friends, and we were able to get a table on the patio. It was a lovely evening, and we were there for a late dinner, so the weather was perfect. The patio at this Moxie’s (Robson and Bute), is a bit small, but not at all crowded.
We ordered drinks to start, accompanied by yam fries which are served with two dips. The dips were a chipotle mayonnaise and a kind of curried mayo. The server assured me that they yam fries were gluten free, save for a chance of cross contamination from the fryer. Their yam fries are pretty standard, but the dips were fabulous. I would go back just for these dips!
Our server was great. As soon as I mentioned being Celiac she grinned and assured me she knew all about it, as her father and sister both have Celiac disease. We got to chatting a bit about our dads, and I instantly felt at ease that there would definitely be no glutening during the evening.
My friend, Sarah, and I both ordered the Grilled Chicken Breast with Pineapple Salsa, and Amy ordered the Herbed Oven Roasted Chicken.
Amy’s chicken came with a “white wine, lemon and thyme reduction, topped with herbed goat cheese and crispy sage, accompanied by wild rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables.” She had ordered this meal the last time she was at Moxie’s and really enjoyed it, so she wanted to try it again. Her season vegetables were carrots, and they were the only downside of her meal. Sarah also had carrots with her dish, and they both said that they were under-cooked. They couldn’t even cut into a couple of them. But other than that, Amy loved her chicken, especially the goat cheese on top of the chicken breast.
Sarah’s and my chicken were also fabulous. They came with “two 5 oz grilled seasoned chicken breasts served with wild rice pilaf and your choice of seasonal vegetables.” I ordered broccoli instead of the carrots, and I’m glad I did after hearing Amy and Sarah’s comments about their vegetables! After we ordered the manager came by and let me know that the rice pilaf the dish came with might have traces of gluten in it, so I ordered steamed jasmine rice instead.
Sarah took a bite of her rice and told me that it tasted like Uncle Ben’s! I don’t actually think they would use a pre-made rice mix, but that would explain why I couldn’t eat it!
The chicken was really nice, and with two small chicken breasts it was a very generous portion. The pineapple salsa on top of the chicken was really nice, but I think adding some red onion to it would have improved it just a bit. It had pineapple, green onion, cilantro and red and green peppers in it, so I think red onion would have fit in perfectly. Although, I put red onion in my own grilled pineapple salsa, so maybe I’m a little biased!
My grilled chicken with pineapple salsa
After another nice evening at this Moxie’s I am looking forward to going back. It’s so nice to find a restaurant (expecially a chain restaurant) that is incredibly knowledgeable about Celiac disease, and one that I feel so at ease at.
