*These dining experiences took place in October 2013. This is a compilation of two meal reviews for Kouzzina breakfast. One includes a gluten free, dairy free, and soy free review in addition to my gluten free & dairy free review.

Allergy Mickey waffles with pecans!

Kouzzina offers guests a taste of the Mediterranean with an emphasis on Greek cuisine. Breakfast options continue this theme with various dishes that include peppers and feta cheese among other ingredients. And while cheese is a no-go zone for me, there are plenty of gluten free & dairy free items from which I can choose from.

On the first visit I went to recently, I went with a friend who is gluten free, dairy free, and soy free. He came in for a visit (he used to live in MCO but moved back to Chicago) and he was craving Kouzzina. Of course, I never turn down a breakfast that includes allergy friendly Mickey waffles and good ones at that.

Chef Paul took care of us on this particular visit and my friend decided to get the allergy friendly Mickey waffles and an omelet with sausage and bacon in it. They use extra virgin olive oil for their eggs at Kouzzina, and he said the omelet was really good.

Omelet with sausage and bacon in it

I actually decided not to get the allergy friendly Mickey waffles and got just the turkey sweet potato hash. I have a serious turkey hash obsession lately. I also got the Udi’s toast with Earth Balance vegan margarine. After getting my entree, I noticed that the sweet potatoes weren’t cooked as well as they normally are and the hash itself had been overcooked a little–there was a little bit of burnt on the bottom. And the eggs were beyond hard poached. Yikes! Still, it wasn’t terrible enough that I wouldn’t eat it or would send it back. It was the first time I’ve ever had that happen, and I will chalk it up to a busy day in the kitchen. In my second visit, I didn’t have this problem.

Toast that was not very toasty! Still good though!

Turkey sweet potato hash

Which brings us to visit #2. This time I was with my family and we decided to get breakfast again. We were staying at the Boardwalk for the Special Diets Dessert Party weekend and it was a great convenient way to get a meal.

Chef Paul was on duty again this time and I decided this time to get the allergy friendly Mickey waffles (you know I couldn’t go too many visits without them) and with the American with scrambled eggs, bacon and Udi’s toast with Earth Balance.

Happy little Mickeys!

The only sort of hiccup I had at this meal is that I accidentally got served real butter. I didn’t realize it until I spread some on my toast and thought it looked different (my own fault I didn’t realize it earlier but I was tired!) – I took one small bite to see and thought it was butter. I then gave it to my parents who also confirmed it was indeed butter. Chef Paul did come out and profusely apologize for the mistake–he said he was trying to make sure that I got all the other components on his dish that this slipped through. I will say that these things do happen, but it is a reminder that you need to be vigilant when it comes to your dietary needs and food allergies! Even places you go to all the time can make a mistake here and there. Kitchens are busy places, and we just have to really try to be diligent consumers! I’m lucky it was just a piece of bread wasted and that I didn’t get sick!

Pecans, Honey, Maple Syrup and BUTTER (not Earth Balance)

Much more toasty this time around!

American – scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes

Overall, I was pretty pleased with my second breakfast. Despite the slight dairy issue, everything this time was well cooked and tasty. I might switch things up again and try the breakfast skillet next time or even an omelet, but it’s nice to know that this entree continues to be one of my favorite easy breakfasts at Kouzzina.

I’d give my first visit a 6 due to some spotty food and a poor service experience (with our server not the chef). My second visit I would give a 7, despite the dairy being brought to my table–primarily because the food otherwise was delicious and well cooked.

Kouzzina continues to be a standard favorite for me for breakfast, and I’m looking forward to my next visit and trying something new!

Have you been to Kouzzina for breakfast? What’s your favorite breakfast dish?

Libre Naturals is the home company of the brand NoNuttin’ which donated terrific products to both years we’ve held the Special Diets Dessert Parties, and I’ve been so thrilled to work with their terrific team. I’m even more thrilled to have been able to offer products that are free, not only of the top 8 common allergens but that cover the top 11 allergens and are produced in a facility free of those ingredients. How awesome is that?! For our 2nd Annual Special Diets Dessert Party, we received the terrific double chocolate chunk granola bars. To say these are decadent is an understatement!

However, one of the great new products that the NoNuttin brand has out now are oatmeal cups, which are individually packaged, allergy friendly and great portable breakfast and snack options. If you’re busy like me, it’s a welcome treat to have something easily made that’s healthful in the morning. I was able to try out their oatmeal cups, and I was thrilled at that chance. All you do is add hot water and let sit, then eat!  They currently have 4 varieties of oatmeal cups: Daily Hug, Pacific Coast Morning, Sunny Start, and Morning Mojo. Here’s a rundown of the flavors.

Morning Mojo:

This was the first flavor I tried (and note, I ate these over the course of a week, so I didn’t down that much oatmeal in one sitting!). The ingredients included: whole grain certified gluten free oats, evaporated cane sugar, raw sunflower seeds, dried blueberries,  dried apples, cinnamon, sea salt.

What I liked about this flavor is that it had a lot of texture and a hint of sweetness to it. I loved the sunflower seeds in it. It added a nice crunch to the oatmeal. I also liked the mix of fruit and the cinnamon in this. I was super surprised at how easy this was to make! You know what the means…more oatmeal!

Sunny Start:

For my next flavor, I tried Sunny Start which includes: whole grain certified gluten free oats, evaporated cane sugar, raw sunflower seeds, raisins, dried cranberries,  sea salt. This was another flavor that had a lot of texture to it. I liked the raisins a lot! For some reason I like them more than blueberries, and to me they matched really well with the cranberries and sunflower seeds. This was definitely a winner for me.

Daily Hug:

This is exactly the flavor you think of when you imagine cool winter days. It includes whole grain certified gluten free oats, evaporated cane sugar, dried apples, cinnamon, sea salt. Essentially, this is the apple cinnamon oatmeal you’ve been dreaming of! Healthful and nostalgic all at the same time. This was another one of my favorites. Actually, it’s hard to say that because I really loved all the flavors. But if you like apples & cinnamon–this flavor is for you!

Pacific Coast Morning:

This was perhaps the least sweet out of all the flavors. With whole grain certified gluten free oats, evaporated cane sugar, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, sea salt.Neither the blueberries or the cranberries are super sweet, so it provided a nice mild flavor.

Overall, I was a big fan of these oatmeal cups. The convenience alone was a big draw for me. Add in the fact that it’s free of the top 11 allergens and also delicious–well, that’s a hit to me! My favorite flavors, if I had to choose, were the Daily Hug and Sunny Start. I pretty much could eat those every day if I had them on hand. They were a great breakfast that I could take either to work or eat at home.

It’s terrific that companies like Libre Naturals offers such a variety in products and also ones that are great for families and people on the go. It’s amazing to know that they provide safe and delicious options for those of us with special diets that meet our busy lifestyle needs! For more information about Libre Naturals, you can visit their site: http://librenaturals.com/ Now if we could just NoNuttin products locally in my town, I’d be a happy camper! If you’re visiting the Orlando area, you’re in luck! They carry NoNuttin products at Chamberlins Health Food Store.

*Note: Libre Naturals provided items for this product review; however, this review and the opinions written here are my own thoughts.