Da Luciano Pizza, Pasta, and Catering is by far the best Italian restaurant that I have been to since I’ve been eating gluten free. If you live in the Chicagoland area OR if you are lucky enough to be traveling that way, this place is a must! Continue reading “Da Luciano: Gluten Free Italian Food at Its Finest”
Category: Dining Out
Air Travel: The need to plan ahead on a Gluten Free Diet
Air travel air poses the greatest challenge for someone on a gluten free diet. It is hard finding food to buy on an airplane and finding much more than gluten free granola bars at an airport can seem impossible.
On a recent trip, we flew home from Philadelphia’s airport. We had a long flight home and knew we would need to eat something. I went through a CIBO Express kiosk looking for some nuts and granola bars. And as we were winding our way past the sandwiches, my husband pulled out a GLUTEN FREE turkey sandwich! I had to stare at it for a minute or two, because I couldn’t believe it! CIBO Express is located at a few of the major airports. Check into it next time you are traveling. I sent an email to the company to see if all their locations offer gluten free sandwiches. I’ll update the site if I hear back from them.
We have found few restaurants at airports that have food that is labeled as gluten free, and your chances of the wait staff being familiar with a gf diet is riskier than most restaurants. We usually have luck at any of the Vino Volo’s that are in many airports. Vino Volo has a lighter fare with salads and some small plates. They have gluten free crackers that they can substitute for some of the entrees. That is usually our go to place if we can find one. And they have great wine choices too!
As far as food on the plane (at least in coach), it seems lately that the only snacks they pass out are cookies or pretzels. No peanuts anymore. On a recent United flight, we purchased a snack box that was labeled as gluten free. It was cheese, salami, gluten free crackers and a cookie. United is the only airline that I’ve seen this on so far. Be aware that some airlines offer for sale Pringles, a potato-based chip, which are not gluten free.
If you are traveling overseas on an international flight where meals are being served, you will have an option to order a gluten free meal. To be sure there is a gluten free meal for you, log in to your airline’s website prior to your flight to make the request. In addition to gluten free meals, there are many other dietary options.
Depending on the length of your flight, I’d recommend bringing food with you especially if you are traveling with a child who must eat gluten free, because your choices will be limited.
With a little planning, air travel shouldn’t be as difficult as it may seem.
The Mustard Seed Restaurant: Gluten Free Breakfast in Solvang, California
We just spent a couple of days in Solvang, a charming, Danish-like town. You would think it might be difficult to find a gluten free breakfast amid the Danish Aebleskiver and pastry shops. Not true. Continue reading “The Mustard Seed Restaurant: Gluten Free Breakfast in Solvang, California”
New Finds: Starbucks Adds GF Options
Thanks, Starbucks, for giving us more gf options when we stop in for our “Cup of Joe”. The number of gluten free food items is growing at Starbucks. If you are a frequent morning patron at Starbucks, they now have Sous Vide Egg Bites. These are a great gluten free option for those of us who haven’t had the option of grabbing breakfast at Starbucks. You have two choices: bacon & gruyere and egg white & red pepper. I’ve tried the bacon & gruyere. They are delicious and surprisingly filling.
In addition, at our local Starbucks, we noticed a complete gf section of packaged foods which even includes chocolate covered pretzels with caramel. One thing to note: There wasn’t any signage around these gluten free options, so be sure to read the packaging. You might be surprised at the gf options available at Starbucks!
New Finds: Jersey Mike’s Subs Has GF Rolls
We just discovered that Jersey Mike’s now has gluten free rolls for their sub sandwiches! Great news if you were getting tired of eating messy subs wrapped in lettuce or completely avoiding subs. The bread is good and held up to all the ingredients of a sub sandwich. There are locations in 43 states, although I’m not sure if all locations have gluten free bread. But if there’s a Jersey Mike’s near you, I’d check it out.
Nima Gluten Sensor; An Accessory for Dining Out
Tired of asking questions when dining away from home? Try a gluten sensor.
Nima is the world’s first portable gluten sensor (according to their web site). I have not tried this technology. It is suggested to use this sensor any time you are eating away from home, i.e., restaurants, buffets, pot lucks, etc. To test food for gluten, you place a small piece of food into a one-time-use capsule, and per the Nima web site, it takes approximately 3 minutes to determine if there is hidden gluten. Continue reading “Nima Gluten Sensor; An Accessory for Dining Out”
Best One Piece of Advice for Chefs and Restaurant Owners
Dear Restaurant Owners, Please Train Your Staff!
Dear Restaurant Owners: Let me start by saying, I am a big fan. I have tremendous respect for the creativity and the passion it takes to operate a restaurant. You have a distinctive sense of hospitality and a love of food. My husband and I share that love of food, and we love dining out. It’s kind of our hobby!
But when I discovered that I needed to remove gluten from my diet, I thought our dining out days were over. Soon I learned that with a little information and knowing what questions to ask, I could still eat a meal outside of my home.
Since then, we have dined at many restaurants from coast to coast. We’ve learned the gluten free knowledge of wait staff can vary greatly from restaurant to restaurant. I have had the pleasure of dining at places with exceptionally well educated wait staff. Unfortunately, I’ve also driven home from dinners doubled over in pain, because our server was not well informed.
So, if I could make a request of all restaurant owners, it would be to educate your wait staff to be well versed in the gluten free items on your menu. I make this request on behalf of the entire gluten free community. With a basic knowledge of what ingredients go into the food you are serving and understanding which ingredients contain gluten; your staff can direct us with certainty.
There is a level of comfort to me, as a restaurant patron, knowing that my server understands what gluten free means, and that he/she can guide me through a menu. And when I am comfortable, I become a regular patron.
Dining Out Basics and Hidden Glutens
Is a gluten free diet is new to you? If so, don’t be afraid to dine out. Just educate yourself and go out armed with questions.
If you dine out at all, you know there are vast differences in the knowledgeability of wait staff regarding gluten. At some restaurants, YOU are educating the wait staff about foods that contain gluten while other restaurants may have a well-informed, well trained staff that might teach you a thing or two. Continue reading “Dining Out Basics and Hidden Glutens”