Easter Brunch At Club

[floridanative]

We are going to our hubby's sisters this weekend. After Easter service we are all going to eat brucnch at her country club. The chef knows what is safe due to other Celiac members (yea!) but here is my question. Would you just order an omelet and not get anything from the buffet? I know they serve salad, cheese and safe eggs but that's about it. I can't have the fried chicken, breads, desserts or even the grits. I hate to pay $22 for a brunch and leave hungry but even if I get an omelet made to order, I'm probably paying the $22 anyway. Have any of you eaten at a brunch successfully or is it impossible? If need be, we can opt out of going at all but I'm sure this will cause issues with in-laws as we're celebrating niece's Christening as well.

[mmaccartney]

The important part of the brunch is the socialization, go for that, but bring your own food!!! They should waive the $22 fee if you aren't going to eat!

But thats me! I'm super sensitive. I always bring my own food to all events.

[francelajoie]

I would go for an omelette cooked in a clean pan. That and maybe pan fried potatoes (also in a clean pan), and fruit should fill you up.

[jerseyangel]

The omlette cooked in a clean pan is a must. As far as the buffet--I would ask if they could put a few things (that you choose from the buffet offerings) on your plate in the kitchen, using a clean utensil. That way, you won't run the risk of CC from the buffet spoons etc.

[floridanative]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions....umm I would never take my own food to the club but that's just me. I would not go if that was my only option. But I know they will make an omelet for me in a clean pan, and I'm sure the chef will offer a couple of other options he knows I can have as well. I'll stay away from the actual buffet and only have things I know should be safe. I heard some places put a flour wash on fruit to keep nice on buffets so I'd probably be concerned about that too. But I'll be full with an omelet anyway and if it cost me $22 so be it. It's worth it to not have to stay home and eat alone with hubby while everyone else is together. Thanks again. I guess I'm lucky this small club has Celiac members so both the chef and manager knew just what my SIL was talking about.

[floridanative]

Found out the club actually marks the gluten free food on the buffet so I guess they don't understand cc issues..... They do make omelets at omelet station so I'll be fine with that, clean pan and all. I may try the salad with my own dressing as that's probably the least eaten item on buffet and there's nothing on that table that would cause cc. Also taking crackers to help me fill up. The reason they mark the food gluten-free is for the members that have Celiac so they must eat the buffet. Seems if they got sick, they'd let the mgmt. know about cc. Oh well, I'll do the best I can.

[floridanative]

Wanted to report that despite the buffet NOT being marked in any way regarding gluten, I ate some things that the chef told me were gluten free and indeed they seemed to be. The way the food was set up it would be hard to mix up spoons but it would have been nice if he put all the gluten-free stuff together but nope that would have been too easy.... In any case, I ate the things that were gluten-free, no desserts (I didn't even ask) and I had to eat salad sans dressing. I forgot my packet and I could tell the chef probably did not know dressings could have gluten in them since he thought it was just wheat flour I couldn't have and he even asked if I could have pasta........whaaaa?!! The things he said were safe seemed to be as I ate plenty of them and felt fine. We didn't have to pay so I thought I'd take and chance and if I got sick, I'd know not to ever go back. Also, the club chef is leaving to open his own restaurant so who knows if the new chef knows more or less about gluten.

Regarding the rest of the weekend, I took a lot of my own food, and went to the Great Grains bakery on E. Brainerd in Chat. and loaded up on gluten-free baked goods. You must go there if you have the chance. I'm going to contact and ask corporate that they ship to Atlanta and any zip code with 1 day UPS service from Chat. It only takes one day to get here and we could pay ground shipping. I walked in and saw the table with gluten free goodies set out for tasting. I was excited but wasn't that hopeful that everything tasted as good as it looked so I wouldn't be dissapointed. Well I was holding back tears from excitement as I tasted everything on the table and loved it all - except the wheat bread made with tons of flax seed - yuck! But they had cross buns (for Easter), choc. fudge cookies, wedding cookies, french bread garlic crisps and best of all coffee cake! It was all to die for good! I bought the white sand. bread and have not tasted that yet. The french bread (yes I got that plus the crisps too) was like heaven. I just can't tell you how wonderful everything was. I would consider going up and back in a day (four hours total drive time) to load up a cooler with goodies. It was that fabulous!! Of course my waistline might suffer now that I have tasted the best gluten-free stuff ever!

I never got sick the whole weekend so I was happy to survive my first weekend away from home gluten free fairly well. Even my in-laws didn't try and push any food on me. The only snafu was my MIL asked me which of two (gluten) cakes I liked best. I laughed and said well since I can't eat them I have no idea. Everyone got a laugh and it was fine. I was most impressed with my hubby's family and how they seemed inteterested in Celiac and helping me to eat safely. My step MIL's SonIL in Texas also has it too so she now has 2 Celiacs in the family, neither related by blood.