Gluten-Free Diets and Dining Out
Delicious Corn-Free Pizza Crust from Mariposa Bakery in Oakland, CA (everything is Gluten-Free)!
Going out to eat in a restaurant is like playing Russian Roulette for me. Unless it’s an entirely Gluten-Free place to eat like: Mariposa Bakery in Oakland, CA, Iki Sushi in Vancouver, BC, or Cultured Caveman in Portland, OR, I am terrified of trying new places.
I have countless horror stories from trying to dine outside of my home, only to be sick off of someone’s ignorance and carelessness. Once, I was at a burger chain in southern California (that I usually eat with no problems) and I found a chicken finger (battered and NOT Gluten-Free) in my fries.
Another time, I was flying in late to Seattle and needed a place to eat close to the airport. I called around, and found a kitchen manager that assured me they can do Gluten-Free dishes. When we arrived we again spoke to the manager, I felt a bit uneasy as our waitress did not seem to know what we were talking about. When our food arrived (I ordered a simple salmon and vegetables dish) my salmon came out ON TOP OF SPAGHETTI. I thought maybe the restaurant staff was playing a prank on us - that they had Gluten-Free pasta and thought it would be funny. Nope. It was wheat pasta. When they came back with our “fixed” dishes, I had a hunch they had just thrown the same meat onto vegetables. I was right, and also sick all night.
While on a business trip in Azerbaijan, this was my struggle meal of rice with butter, feta cheese, cucumbers, carrot shreds, a beet salad, and some sort of cucumber salad.
The worst betrayal came from a restaurant in Vancouver I would eat in almost 3 times a week. It was a middle eastern fusion restaurant, and the only Gluten containing thing on the menu was the roti, which they outsourced and heated in a toaster in a separate area in their kitchen. One day, we came in to eat, and they were so excited to show us this new Gluten-Free roti they had just started serving. We ordered as usual, not even bothering with what I call our “Gluten-Free Speil” that I normally give restaurants. When our food arrived, it was SO GOOD with the roti. My third bite in, I realized something - the roti was WARM. Where did they warm the Gluten-Free roti? Yep - in the same toaster as the regular, wheat filled roti. I was so upset at their mistake (and how they subsequently treated us becoming ill due to their negligence) I never went back.
So how do I find safe places to eat, especially in unfamiliar locations? First, I check https://www.findmeglutenfree.com/ for restaurants around me. Please use these suggestions in combination with calling the establishment directly. You can also search for “Gluten-Free Restaurants ________ (city)” and go through blogs and online lists.
Do NOT make yourself sick to convenience other people!
Every time I eat somewhere new, I call beforehand and ask to speak to a manager. I ask them (aka part of my “Gluten-Free Spiel”) the following:
Do you have a Gluten-Free menu? Do you have items that can be made Gluten-Free?
Are your Gluten-Free menu items prepared separately from items containing Gluten?
Is there a chance for cross-contamination with your Gluten-Free items?
Do your deep-fried Gluten-Free items share a fryer with beer or breadcrumb-battered foods? (The Fish Counter in Vancouver, BC has a separate, dedicated Gluten-Free fryer for their amazing Fish n Chips!)
Is your kitchen and waitstaff knowledgeable about Celiac Disease? Do people with Celiac Disease eat here frequently?
Eating out with Celiac Disease doesn’t stop my brother and I from enjoying amazing, Gluten-Free food! (from our trip to Norway)
If you don’t like the answers you get, do not GO to the restaurant. Yes, sometimes different staff will be more educated on Celiac Disease, but don’t put yourself in the position of driving all the way to a place just to be let down again!
If you get the right answers on the phone, DO arrive to the restaurant, and do not feel comfortable: LEAVE. There are many times I ate at places I felt unsure about, just because I was in a large group, it was a special event, or I felt embarrassed. Do NOT make yourself sick to convenience other people!
My first time eating at restaurants, I usually ask to speak to the manager again, and confirm that they can make my food safe for me to eat. I try to order something very simple; salmon with salt and olive oil, and some steamed vegetables is a good go-to for me. When ordering with the wait staff, I reiterate my “Gluten-Free Spiel” that I have Celiac Disease, it is like an allergy and NOT just a preference, and that I will be really annoying about it but also tip them well. The kitchen staff needs to prepare my food separate, using separate cutting boards, gloves, knives, utensils, pans, etc.
When you receive your food, double (or triple, or quadruple check) that it is Gluten-Free. If does not look Gluten-Free (comes with pasta, there’s croutons on the salad, etc), ASK AGAIN. It sounds so silly and annoying, but I’ve had people try to serve me all sorts of nonsense and if I hadn’t spoken up, I would have been sick.
Restaurant items that can have hidden Gluten:
Sushi Rice can have Gluten in the vinegar
Salad prep areas in the back are notorious for cross-contamination; ask your server to get “new” ingredients if their salad station has croutons everywhere
Make sure your Gluten-Free pasta is made in it’s own water, and not in the same water that they make the wheat pasta (yes, this is a thing)
I rarely eat Gluten-Free pizza outside of my home; with all the wheat flour flying around and sharing an oven with wheat pizzas there is too much cross-contamination risk. Back in the day, Z Pizza chains used separate ovens for their Gluten-Free pizzas and were SUPER careful, so there’s always hope.
Anything baked needs to be baked separately; breads, rolls, etc
Salad Bars / Buffets are a no-no due to cross-contamination; ask if you can have “fresh” ones from the back (this helped a tonne in Las Vegas and I had all the lamb chops and lobster I wanted)