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Toronto gluten-free Restaurant recomendations?

Scarlettsdad

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Scarlettsdad Contributor
Scarlettsdad
Posted

First off, this forum is incredible. I only read the posts as a non member until recently when I signed up. Everyone on here makes living gluten-free so manageable and thank you for that. Second, my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease approx 1.5 years ago (she is 5 now) and we've been very careful with everything she eats,obviously. Our household is gluten free. In doing this, we've stayed away from restaurants. We think we're ready to try a restaurant now but we're hesitant unless someone could recommend one. We're looking for a Boston Pizza type place where we could order a gluten-free pizza, perhaps fries (with dedicated fryer) and just hang out in that sort of atmosphere for an afternoon. We did that often before the diagnosis so we'd love to go back to that weekend option from time to time. I live in Toronto so any info on a tried and trusted restaurant in Toronto is greatly appreciated. :)

  • 3 weeks later...
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Pegleg84 Collaborator
Pegleg84
Posted

Hi ScarlettsDad,

Sorry such a slow reply to this, but I also live in Toronto and definitely have a few safe suggestions. Of course, my tastes and your 5-year-olds are probably quite different, but I've got a few we might all agree on.

First of all, as a general rule: don't order the gluten-free pizza/pasta anywhere unless the kitchen can prove they use dedicated equipment to prepare and cook it: fresh water for pasta, separate prep area and oven or other protective measures for pizza. Any place with flour flying around on a regular basis is going to be a real gamble no matter how careful the staff are.

Anyway, here are a few Celiac safe and kid-friendly spots:

Off the Hook: fish and chips, you say!? that are safe?! YES! It's true! This fantastic fish&chips joint is on Broadview just south of Danforth. They have a gluten-free chickpea batter, and keep everything safe by having a dedicated fryer for gluten free things, and another dedicated fryer just for fries! I have eaten there many many times and never gotten glutened (though it's still fried food, so have to go easy on it). It's a good spot to hang out if it's not busy, or you can get take out.

The Dirty Bird: This is more of a takeout spot, but again with the fried food. They use a rice flour batter for the chicken, and the fries are safe too. They do make regular waffles, but can do gluten-free as well. There are 2 locations - one in Kensington market, and one on Bloor near Bathurst.

Arepa Cafe - on Queen between spadina and bathurst. One of my favourite places to get a quick meal, but you could easly hang around for a while. Arepas are corn bread stuffed with stuff. Little tricky eating for small hands, so can get a platter instead. Almost everything (except I think for fried stuff) is gluten-free.

Magic Oven - I can't do dairy either, so this is my occassional pizza splurge. They are very conscious of gluten free safety, have a dedicated fryer for fries (and wings!), make pretty decent pizza though it is not cheap.
Il Fornello - another safe place for pizza, though also not cheap. I believe one of the owners is celiac, so they put gluten-free pizza in a special bag in the oven to keep it safe.

If you like Mexican, the Playa Cabana family of restaurants is good option. One of their owners is Celiac, so they actually mark items WITH gluten on their menus.

And if very adventurous, Chez Riz at Yonge and Lawrence, and on Mt Pleasant are both asian fusion (think dim sum and sushi) with completely dedicated gluten-free sections of their kitchens.

There are lots of good restaurants that will accommodate gluten free, but they do tend to be on the "nicer" side, not likely a chain. Wherever you do want to go, be sure to call in advance and ask what they can do for your little one. And of course, if you want to take the family out but are afraid to feed her anything there, ask if you can bring something for her. Most restaurants are accommodating as long as everyone else is eating. It's also helpful to ask around your neighbourhood.

Of course, there's always desert:
If you don't know already, there are several excellent 100% gluten free bakeries in town: Bunner's Bakeshop (in Kensington and the Junction) and  Almond Butterfly (on Harbord) are my favorites.

Anyway, don't be afraid to eat out. Just plan ahead and go prepared. If something doesn't feel right, dig out the "back-up" meal

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

  • 4 months later...
Bec the Lemon Apprentice
Bec the Lemon
Posted

I also live in toronto and was looking for a forum exactly like this so thank you for posting it! Im very newly diagnosed so I dont have many recommendations but I enjoy Basil box, its 100% gluten free so no stress when you order! I also enjoy aromas gluten free bread (you have to request it but its delicious), also there hibiscus in kensington market. They pretty much only do crepes and soup but they are 100% gluten free with many vegan options. 

  • 4 weeks later...
fancy19 Rookie
fancy19
Posted

I'm from Halifax and going to be in TO in a couple weeks for work but going a day early to catch a game.  We are staying at the Delta right near the ACC.  Does anyone know any celiac safe places to eat in the area?  I'm not sure what I'm going to do for food when I get there as I'm a newly diagnosed silent celiac.  I advised the hotel for the work conference so I'm sure they can accommodate but the day  or day and half before the work starts where we will be eating out is concerning me. Any ideas will help, thanks!
 

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    • cristiana
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @Scatterbrain Thank you for your reply.   Some of these things could be weaknesses, also triggered by stress, which perhaps have come about as the result of long-term deficiencies which can take a long time to correct.   Some could be completely unrelated. If it is of help, I'll tell you some of the things that started in the first year or two, following my diagnosis - I pinned everything on coeliac disease, but it turns out I wasn't always right!  Dizziness, lightheaded - I was eventually diagnosed with cervical dizziness (worth googling, could be your issue too, also if you have neck pain?)  A few months after diagnosis I put my neck out slightly carrying my seven-year-old above my head, and never assigned any relevance to it as the pain at the time was severe but so short-lived that I'd forgotten the connection. Jaw pain - stress. Tinnitus - I think stress, but perhaps exacerbated by iron/vitamin deficiencies. Painful ribs and sacroiliac joints - no idea, bloating made the pain worse. It got really bad but then got better. Irregular heart rate - could be a coincidence but my sister (not a coeliac) and I both developed this temporarily after our second Astra Zeneca covid jabs.   Subsequent Pfizer jabs didn't affect us. Brain fog - a big thing for people with certain autoimmune issues but in my case I think possibly worse when my iron or B12 are low, but I have no proof of this. Insomnia - stress, menopause. So basically, it isn't always gluten.  It might be worth having your vitamins and mineral levels checked, and if you have deficiencies speak to your Dr about how better to address them?    
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @NanceK, I do have Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction to Sulfa drugs, a sulfa allergy.  Benfotiamine and other forms of Thiamine do not bother me at all.  There's sulfur in all kinds of Thiamine, yet our bodies must have it as an essential nutrient to make life sustaining enzymes.  The sulfur in thiamine is in a ring which does not trigger sulfa allergy like sulfites in a chain found in pharmaceuticals.  Doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition (nor chemistry in this case).  I studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I wanted to know what vitamins were doing inside the body.   Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Not feeling well after starting Benfotiamine is normal.  It's called the "thiamine paradox" and is equivalent to an engine backfiring if it's not been cranked up for a while.  Mine went away in about three days.  I took a B Complex, magnesium and added molybdenum for a few weeks. It's important to add a B Complex with all eight essential B vitamins. Supplementing just one B vitamin can cause lows in some of the others and result in feeling worse, too.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of all the B vitamins, not just thiamine.  You need all eight.  Thiamine forms including Benfotiamine interact with each of the other B vitamins in some way.  It's important to add a magnesium glycinate or chelate supplement as well.  Forms of Thiamine including Benfotiamine need magnesium to make those life sustaining enzymes.  (Don't use magnesium oxide.  It's not absorbed well.  It pulls water into the intestines and is used to relieve constipation.)   Molybdenum is a trace mineral that helps the body utilize forms of Thiamine.   Molybdenum supplements are available over the counter.  It's not unusual to be low in molybdenum if low in thiamine.   I do hope you will add the necessary supplements and try Benfotiamine again. Science-y Explanation of Thiamine Paradox: https://hormonesmatter.com/paradoxical-reactions-with-ttfd-the-glutathione-connection/#google_vignette
    • Wheatwacked
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      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Your goal is not to be a good puppet, there is no gain in that. You might want to restart the ones that helped.  It sounds more like you are suffering from malnutrition.  Gluten free foods are not fortified with things like Thiamine (B1), vitamin D, Iodine, B1,2,3,5,6 and 12 as non-gluten free products are required to be. There is a Catch-22 here.  Malnutrition can cause SIBO, and SIBO can worsen malnutrition. Another possibility is side effects from any medication that are taking.  I was on Metformin 3 months before it turned me into a zombi.  I had crippling side effects from most of the BP meds tried on me, and Losartan has many of the side effects on me from my pre gluten free days. Because you have been gluten free, you can test and talk until you are blue in the face but all of your tests will be negative.  Without gluten, you will not create the antigen against gluten, no antigens to gluten, so no small intestine damage from the antigens.  You will need to do a gluten challange to test positive if you need an official diagnosis, and even then, no guaranty: 10 g of gluten per day for 6 weeks! Then a full panel of Celiac tests and biopsy. At a minimum consider vitamin D, Liquid Iodine (unless you have dermatitis herpetiformis and iodine exasperates the rash), and Liquid Geritol. Push for vitamin D testing and a consult with a nutritionist experienced with Celiack Disease.  Most blood tests don't indicate nutritional deficiencies.  Your thyroid tests can be perfect, yet not indicate iodine deficiency for example.  Thiamine   test fine, but not pick up on beriberi.  Vegans are often B12 deficient because meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy are the primary souces of B12. Here is what I take daily.  10,000 IU vitamin D3 750 mg g a b a [   ] 200 mg CoQ10 [   ] 100 mg DHEA [   ] 250 mg thiamine B1 [   ] 100 mg of B2 [   ] 500 mg B5 pantothenic acid [   ] 100 mg B6 [   ] 1000 micrograms B12 n [   ] 500 mg vitamin c [   ] 500 mg taurine [   ] 200 mg selenium   
    • NanceK
      My only proof

      By NanceK · Posted

      Hi…Just a note that if you have an allergy to sulfa it’s best not to take Benfotiamine. I bought a bottle and tried one without looking into it first and didn’t feel well.  I checked with my pharmacist and he said not to take it with a known sulfa allergy. I was really bummed because I thought it would help my energy level, but I was thankful I was given this info before taking more of it. 
    • Wheatwacked
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Hello @Scatterbrain, Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals.  Gluten free food is not fortified so you may be starting to run low on B vitamins and vitamin D.   By the way you should get your mom checked for celiac disease.  You got it from your mom or dad.  Some studies show that following a gluten-free diet can stabilize or improve symptoms of dementia.  I know that for the 63 years I was eating gluten I got dumber and dumber until I started GFD and vitamin replenishment and it began to reverse.  Thiamine can get used up in a week or two.  Symptoms can come and go with daily diet.  Symptoms of beriberi due to Thiamine deficiency.   Difficulty walking. Loss of feeling (sensation) in hands and feet. Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower legs. Mental confusion. Pain. Speech difficulties. Strange eye movements (nystagmus) Tingling. Any change in medications? Last March I had corotid artery surgery (90 % blockage), and I started taking Losartan for blood pressure, added to the Clonidine I was taking already.  I was not recovering well and many of my pre gluten free symptoms were back  I was getting worse.  At first I thought it was caused a reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery, but that should have improved after two weeks.  Doctor thought I was just being a wimp. After three months I talked to my doctor about a break from the Losartan to see if it was causing it. It had not made any difference in my bp.  Except for clonindine, all of the previous bp meds tried had not worked to lower bp and had crippling side effects. One, I could not stand up straight; one wobbly knees, another spayed feet.  Inguinal hernia from the Lisinopril cough.  Had I contiued on those, I was destined for a wheelchair or walker. She said the symptoms were not from Losartan so I continued taking it.  Two weeks later I did not have the strength in hips and thighs to get up from sitting on the floor (Help, I can't get up😨).  I stopped AMA (not recommended).  Without the Losartan, a) bp did not change, after the 72 hour withdrawal from Losartanon, on clonidine only and b) symptoms started going away.  Improvement started in 72 hours.  After six weeks they were gone and I am getting better.  
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