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Gluten Free Chicago


clover

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clover Rookie

Does anyone have any good suggestions for restaurants in Chicago that are celiac sensitive (aside from the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants)?


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jenvan Collaborator

I know you said not LEY restaurants--but Big Bowl now has gluten-free pad thai--and it is amazing!!! I would drive back to Chi-town just for it alone!

I LOVE Vinci's too--go there everytime I'm in town. They have a great gluten-free menu for all courses and the rice pasta is excellent. Open Original Shared Link Great staff too.

kabowman Explorer

I am planning a trip to Chicago this summer too and this is what I have found so far online:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

I know I can also eat at some chains so those will be my backup in case these are not too kid friendly.

clover Rookie
Does anyone have any good suggestions for restaurants in Chicago that are celiac sensitive (aside from the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants)?

THANK YOU!!

:D

THESE ARE ALL GREAT-- thank you thank you thank you.

hlm34 Apprentice

PF Changs is awesome. And i am with Jen, Vinci is fabulous. Real italian food - not just some tasteless, spiceless, sauceless version of something on the regular menu. I also just went to a nice restaurant called Carnivale. Its new and hip and soooo good. Latin Food. They make their own chips (in their own fryer) and the guacamole is to DIE for. I could have eaten it with a spoon. The waiter was very friendly. I gave him my card that has all the gluten ingredients listed. He told me that there were only a few things on the menu that I COULDNT have. I had a strip steak with rice and beans and a salad with a dressing of oranges, tomatoes and oil, it was so good. I went with a large group and everyone was raving about their food.

Wildfire is a steak place. Is that a chain? They have a gluten free menu too. Pretty good.

Adobo Grill is by the same owners as Vinci. It is a high-end mexican restaurant. Two different locations. They have a gluten-free menu as well. They have good guacamole too - however their chips are fried in oil with other flour stuff. Their substitute for the non-gluten-free chips is raw plaintain chips - like eating a raw slice of potato. not good. So BYOTC (bring your own tortilla chips), but the rest of the food (and margaritas!) are good.

Another new find for all you Chicagoans out there. Smoke Daddy in the Wicker Park area has gluten free ribs. I spoke with the co-owner of the place. Turns out his partner used to own a gluten-free store in Montana! Anyway, i dont know about any of the sides, and you have to make sure that they know not to serve it on a piece of white bread, which is what they usually do.

  • 3 weeks later...
Deej Newbie

I'm visiting Chicago from Canada - we planned ahead thanks to those of you on this thread and ate at the Adobo Grill last night. It was fabulous. I didn't mind the plantain chips at all - the guac was so wonderful it really didn't matter. I had the Filete al Pasilla and a couple of GREAT margaritas. I was really thrilled because my husband and I were hosting a group of people and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and their food and I not only didn't feel left out, but I felt like I got the best meal! Thanks to all of you. This is a great board!

Guinevere Newbie

Try the Chicago Diner! Great vegetarian restaurant that has a separate gluten free menu! they also have alot of dairy free too! i live in NW suburbs and drive sometimes just to eat there. There's even desserts that are dairy/wheat free.


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  • 1 year later...
toddzgrrl02 Explorer

I wanted to bump this up and see if there were any updates. We are taking my stepdaughter to Chicago in Aug to see Wicked (the musical) and would like to be able to feed her while there. We'll be gone two days and I was hoping to find some kid-friendly places she might be interested in eating at. She's 14, but usually pretty picky.

Thanks!

kenlove Rising Star

Bonefish is a chain owned by Outback that has a great gluten-free menu. You would never know it's a chain too.

Great gluten-free selection.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for restaurants in Chicago that are celiac sensitive (aside from the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants)?
tom Contributor
Open Original Shared Link

I popped in here just because I grew up in Chicago, or more specifically, Mt. Prospect, right next to Park Ridge (Dad grew up there & many relatives still there!)

Anyway, they've changed the url sometime in the last 2 yrs. :o

New one is Open Original Shared Link

  • 10 months later...
NancyR Newbie
Does anyone have any good suggestions for restaurants in Chicago that are celiac sensitive (aside from the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants)?

Although it's not downtown, this restaurant in downtown St. Charles called Taste of Himalayas is great for celiacs and worth the drive. They serve Indian and Nepalese fare. It was an amazing experience. The owner, was so gracious and accommodating. He even showed me a plaque he has by the door that says to please inform him of any allergies etc. so he can gladly accommodate you. He carefully went through his menu with me to determine what I can and cannot eat (I have several food restrictions in addition to being gluten intolerant). The food was truly delicious, the service was exceptional, the atmosphere was comfortable, clean and welcoming! From the papadums, to the dessert, I was in heaven. My husband and I will be eating there at least once a week. We are delighted to be able to add this restaurant to our short list of options!

Here is the address and phone number. They even deliver locally!

Taste of Himalayas

110 N. 3rd Street

St. Charles, IL 60174

630-444-1575

  • 1 month later...
StrongerToday Enthusiast

Bump! Going to the Windy City in July.. surely there are some more places??

once and again Rookie

Father & Sons Pizza on North Avenue has a gluten free pizza with a pretty good crust. Carabba's and Outback both have gluten free menus. The Celiac Society of Chicago has a fundraiser with a buffet of foods from various restaurants. The restaurants usually have a gluten-free menu afterwards. Wildfire and Ben Pao have been featured at the fundraisers and have gluten-free menus. Can't remember which restaurants were featured this year.

Do try Adobo - it is great and lots of fun too. have been there with groups of people and they are always quite happy to eat there. Ina's is supposed to have gluten-free fried chicken one week day in the summer. Also try Flattop Grill - they will accommodate many allergies and have several locations. Stir Crazy will also accommodate gluten-free. Also really, really like Bonefish Grill though they are only in the 'burbs.

  • 2 weeks later...
hlm34 Apprentice

there is a restaurant in the west loop called Ina's (breakfastqueen.com). the 2nd wednesday of every month she does gluten free fried chicken night, complete with great gluten free rolls. sooooo good. you usually need to call for reservations, but its worth it.

  • 9 months later...
lt1981 Newbie

Rosebud restaurants offer gluten free pasta if you call ahead at least a few days. Also, Rose Angelis in Lincoln Park offers gluten free pasta if you order ahead. Vinci has a gluten free menu, as does Adobo Grill. Obviously PF Changs has a fabulous selection. Most mexican restaurants, including frontera grill and salpicon use corn based tortillas. Hannah's Bretzel in the loop is now offering gluten free bread for their sandwiches.

In the suburbs Happ Inn has a gluten free menu with gluten-free pizza etc. Walker Bros. pancake house has delicious gluten free pancakes--they have locations in Glenview, Lincolnshire, Highland Park, Lake Zurich and Arlington Heights.

lt1981 Newbie

Also, Dinnotto restaurant in Lincoln Park has gluten free rigatoni and penne. They can also do gluten free eggplant and chicken dishes upon request.

Volare restaurant in Streeterville (which pre-celiac was my favorite Italian restaurant) has gluten free spaghetti available upon request.

Natalinos in WestTown has gluten free penne

Marios has gluten free pasta

Ranaill's of Andersonville and the Lincoln Park location have gluten free pizza that is excellent. The Andersonville location has gluten free pasta and desserts like carrot cake as well.

Quartinos has gluten free spaghetti available, just call ahead to verify it is there.

once and again Rookie

Hyde Park has a fairly new restaurant called The Sitdown, which has gluten free items as well as sushi. They have pizza, sandwiches and some pasta dishes which can be gluten-free or not. They also have gluten-free soy sauce for the sushi. The owner is gluten-free and from what I can see, always there. Not very expensive and the food is good. The veggie chips with sandwiches are great. For me the best thing is the homemade gumbo and chicken soup. Sometimes I just don't feel like making my own soup.

  • 8 months later...
CantWeight Rookie

I am gluten-free, Dairy Free/Casein Free, and low-carb (in addition to some other food allergies, still working on those ingredients for dining out). The biggest problem I've encountered is cross-contamination, but these places in the city of Chicago have been great for me:

Keefer's Restaurant Chicago

Nookies in Lincoln Park

Nookies Tree on Halsted in Lakeview

Royal Thai on Montrose

Smoque BBQ

Drew's Eatery on Montrose

Mia Francesca's Restaurants

Rose's Wheat Free Bakery Evanston has the best gluten free pizza and you can select goat milk mozzarella or dairy free cheese

Fattoush Restaurant was sooo delicious but is indefinitely closed since the owner passed away. Hopefully his family will reopen.

  • 1 year later...
Maryw88 Apprentice

Rosebud restaurants offer gluten free pasta if you call ahead at least a few days. Also, Rose Angelis in Lincoln Park offers gluten free pasta if you order ahead. Vinci has a gluten free menu, as does Adobo Grill. Obviously PF Changs has a fabulous selection. Most mexican restaurants, including frontera grill and salpicon use corn based tortillas. Hannah's Bretzel in the loop is now offering gluten free bread for their sandwiches.

In the suburbs Happ Inn has a gluten free menu with gluten-free pizza etc. Walker Bros. pancake house has delicious gluten free pancakes--they have locations in Glenview, Lincolnshire, Highland Park, Lake Zurich and Arlington Heights.

Rannalis in andersonville is the best for gluten-free pizza. Lots of gluten-free friendly mexican places too.

  • 3 weeks later...
RiaG14 Rookie

When I was in chicago I ate at the following places and had a good experience. The restaurants are gluten aware.

Wildes, has a gluten-free menu, casual pub/grill

Wildfire, steak house, even have gluten-free bread for you to have while the rest of the table eats theirs

Chicago diner, vegan vegetarian and gluten-free options

Chens chinese and sushi....they had gluten-free soy sauce that they could substitute in any if your meals. Very gluten-free aware

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    • SamAlvi
      Thanks again for the detailed explanation. Just to clarify, I actually did have my initial tests done while I was still consuming gluten. I stopped eating gluten only after those tests were completed, and it has now been about 70 days since I went gluten-free. I understand the limitations around diagnosing NCGS and the importance of antibody testing and biopsy for celiac disease. Unfortunately, where I live, access to comprehensive testing (including total IgA and endoscopy with biopsy) is limited, which makes things more complicated. Your explanation about small-bowel damage, nutrient absorption, and iron-deficiency anemia still aligns closely with my history, and it’s been very helpful in understanding what may be going on. I don't wanna get Endoscopy and I can't start eating Gluten again because it's hurt really with severe diarrhea.  I appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed and informative guidance. Thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful response. I really appreciate you pointing out the relationship between anemia and antibody patterns, and how the high DGP IgG still supports celiac disease in my case. A gluten challenge isn’t something I feel safe attempting due to how severe my reactions were, so your suggestion about genetic testing makes a lot of sense. I’ll look into whether HLA testing is available where I live and discuss it with my doctor. I also appreciate you mentioning gastrointestinal beriberi and thiamine deficiency. This isn’t something any of my doctors have discussed with me, and given my symptoms and nutritional history, it’s definitely worth raising with them. I’ll also ask about correcting deficiencies more comprehensively, including B vitamins alongside iron. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and taking the time to help. I’ll update the forum as I make progress.
    • knitty kitty
      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable.  The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body.  So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days.  Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test.  But even that test has been questioned as to accuracy.  It is expensive and takes time to do.   Because of the discrepancies with thiamine tests and urgency with correcting thiamine deficiency, the World Health Organization recommends giving thiamine for several weeks and looking for health improvement.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Many doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition and deficiency symptoms, and may not be familiar with how often they occur in Celiac disease.  B12 and Vitamin D can be stored for as long as a year in the liver, so not having deficiencies in these two vitamins is not a good indicator of the status of the other seven water soluble B vitamins.  It is possible to have deficiency symptoms BEFORE there's changes in the blood levels.   Ask your doctor about Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that is better absorbed than Thiamine Mononitrate.  Thiamine Mononitrate is used in many vitamins because it is shelf-stable, a form of thiamine that won't break down sitting around on a store shelf.  This form is difficult for the body to turn into a usable form.  Only thirty percent is absorbed in the intestine, and less is actually used.   Thiamine interacts with all of the other B vitamins, so they should all be supplemented together.  Magnesium is needed to make life sustaining enzymes with thiamine, so a magnesium supplement should be added if magnesium levels are low.   Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  There's no harm in trying.
    • lizzie42
      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
    • knitty kitty
      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
    • lizzie42
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