Outer Banks And My gluten-free 3 Year-old

[wonkabar]

Hi! My 3 year-old son is on a gluten-free diet. We'll be on the OBX the last week in June...can't wait! We're renting a house, so we'll be able to pack whatever we need and bring it down with us...including a couple basics in "cooking-gear"! I'm okay with packing a ton of food b/c we took an entire suitcase full of gluten-free food down to St. John with us in March. But, I was wondering if anyone knew of any restaurants with gluten-free menus down there. Does the Food Lion, or any other grocery stores, have a gluten-free department?? Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

--Kristy

[Lisa]

Kitty Hawk...The Outer Banks Bread Company nexted store is a health food store with gluten-free items.

[Turtle]

No restaruants that i'm aware of....best bet to keep from being sick or contaminated is cook your own food or just order a potato. Good luck and have a wonderful time!

[Lisa]

They are pretty laid back on the banks, but can very very helpful as well. I think that they have an Outback, that has a gluten free menu. If you go during off hours or call during off hours they can help you.

Best choice, as I do, is to get good fresh fish (soft shells are current), and cook them in house. Get some soft-shell crabs , rince them off, drip them in corm-meal and fry them in a pan. They will pop all over the stove if you don't cover them. Local corn is not here yet, but florida corn is really good this year. Boil potatoes with butter. Or, spiced shrimp with Old Bay is alway good at the beach with a fresh tomato and cuc salad, corn on the cob.... you can't get any beachier than that.

Have fun and have a happy time.....Lisa

[Lollie]

Hi, just got back from the OBX!!!!! We stayed in Avon. There was a little grocery store there, just north of the Food Lion. They had all the gluten free flour mixes (ie Bob's Red Mill). I was really impressed that they had it.

We ate out at the Froggy Dog and they had some safe choices, the menu did not state gluten free, but they were. Also on Ocracoke, we ate at the Pelican, just off the main street in town. They had a wonderful salad with shrimp, scallops, and the catch of the day. I ordered the fish to be prepared with lemon pepper. It was really good! Every one on the island is really nice and they will help you if they can.

I would also reccomend the Spa Koru. Not for going out to eat, but if you need to relax....well that's the place to go. They had great services and were really attentive. The snack tray had fresh fruit and dried fruit choices, which was really nice. I could actually have the same snack as everyone else!

Enjoy your trip!!!!! Feel free to PM me if you want any other OBX tips!

Lollie