Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Juliebove

By Juliebove
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

Now granted this wouldn't be my first choice for dining, gluten or not. But due to our food allergies my daughter and I are getting tired of eating at the same few places. So I was quite interested when I learned that The Old Spaghetti Factory now has the gluten free pasta at the location near us.

When I told my parents (they prefer to dine out) that we wanted to dine there, we were met with resistance. First, they didn't believe they had gluten free pasta. It does say so specifically on the website for that location, but even if that is not correct it's not a biggie because there are other restaurants around there where we can go if need be. We can't really eat the other options aside from the salad because of our other allergies.

Second, they tried to tell me that the pasta would not really be gluten free because they will throw it in the pot that was used for regular pasta. To which I replied, "Then it wouldn't be gluten free!" I was then met with a smug, "YEEEEEEEES!" I just think they don't get it. I can't fathom how a restaurant can advertise gluten free pasta and then do something like that. Surely they would cook it in a separate pot? I should hope.

Then they responded, "But they will put bread on the table!" As though no other restaurant we've gone to has ever put bread on the table. I realize that they don't serve gluten free bread.

I just don't understand their attitude. We dine at other restaurants and they don't have all these objections to them. My mom also has food allergies and while she's not allergic to wheat she finds that it bothers her arthritis so she isn't supposed to eat it. I thought she would be happy about the pasta. I don't know what to think.

But my question is... Has anyone had the pasta there? Could it be as bad as they say?

The only thing I can think of is the bad experiences we had at a gluten free restaurant that used to be in this area. The owner lied to us about one of her baked goods, telling me it was egg free. So I bought it and then wondered why my daughter got sick. It contained eggs! Each time we dined there the service was horrible and they repeatedly gave us foods we were allergic to despite our being careful when ordering. And after finding out once they'd lied to me, I wasn't even convinced that the food was truly gluten free. They are no longer in business at that location but the owner is still selling her baked goods elsewhere. At least now she is labeling them with the ingredients. But I will no longer buy from her after paying a lot of money for a loaf of bread and finding it to be raw in the middle. *sigh* Perhaps this is why my parents are so reluctant to try another place that advertises gluten free food?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


misscourtnie Newbie
misscourtnie
Posted

I just called the Spaghetti Factory in Fresno and they said that they had a lot of people call and ask if they cooked the noodles in a separate container. They said that they understood it was similar to a peanut allergy and that the noodles can't even touch something with gluten in it. Unfortunately they were out of the pasta and won't have it in for another week. Hope this helps

Courtnie

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author
I just called the Spaghetti Factory in Fresno and they said that they had a lot of people call and ask if they cooked the noodles in a separate container. They said that they understood it was similar to a peanut allergy and that the noodles can't even touch something with gluten in it. Unfortunately they were out of the pasta and won't have it in for another week. Hope this helps

Courtnie

Thanks! Perhaps I should call mine before we go there just to make sure they have it. My mom had wanted me to call because she felt that I could not trust what it said on their website. I just hate calling and sounding like an idiot. Or worse yet calling and getting an idiot on the other end of the line who has not a clue what I am talking about.

GeoffCJ Enthusiast
GeoffCJ
Posted

Where does it say anthing about gluten on their website? I couldn't find it? Link?

Thanks,

Geoff

eleep Enthusiast
eleep
Posted

It sounds like they need to do a better job educating their employees at the individual franchises -- if they don't take this seriously, they're really just catering to the gluten-free-as-fad myth.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author
Where does it say anthing about gluten on their website? I couldn't find it? Link?

Thanks,

Geoff

Not all locations have it. Here's a link for the lunch menu at my location:

Open Original Shared Link

Near the top at the right hand side, it says "Pasta-bilities" and then says you can have whole wheat or gluten free pasta.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author
It sounds like they need to do a better job educating their employees at the individual franchises -- if they don't take this seriously, they're really just catering to the gluten-free-as-fad myth.

I did not mean to imply that they do not take this seriously. In my mind if they are going to offer a gluten free pasta then they would of course take steps to KEEP it gluten free. It was my dad who told me they would just throw it in the same pot as the other pasta. I presume that his recent interest in watching cookiing shows would lead him to say this. AFAIK he has never worked in a restaurant. He told me in restaurants they have one pot of boiling water and they throw everyone's order into the same water. He also does not cook and presumably does not know that you can not keep using the same water over and over repeatedly without it getting really funky. Now perhaps they could use the same water a few times. I don't know. I've never worked in a restaurant either but I have cooked a lot of pasta.

And it stands to reason that in a restaurant that serves mainly pasta, they would have to have more than one pot to begin with or the orders would take forever to cook! I can not see why they would not have one (or at least one) pot for regular pasta and another for gluten free. That just makes sense to me. But my dad is insisting they would not do this. Why? I do not know. But he has been known to make sweeping declarations like this in the past and come off as an expert when in fact he is way off base.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GeoffCJ Enthusiast
GeoffCJ
Posted

Bummer. It looks like none of the ones near me have it. Maybe it's time to make a few phone calls...I always enjoyed the asiago sauce....

Geoff

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author

We had lunch there today. Actually it was "dinner" since they don't serve "lunch" on the weekends. My dad went there prior and asked about the gluten free pasta. He was told it was cooked in the microwave. Weird!

Daughter had the marinara sauce. I had the meat sauce. She felt she didn't get enough food and I got too much. I gave her some of mine. Problem solved!

I thought the first couple of bites of pasta were mushy, like overcooked. But then as it cooled, it firmed up. Very good. Daughter loved hers. We will be going back. We had macaroni today. Don't know if they do different shapes or not.

AndreaB Contributor
AndreaB
Posted

The following is a post from Rita Kam that was accidentaly done as a report.

i would like to know if anyone has had pasta at this resurant in Winnipeg manitoba canada

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,331
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kristy2026
    Newest Member
    Kristy2026
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.