Travelling Through Co, Nm, Az, Ut

[Swiss]

Hi there

As my name says, I'm Swiss. Coming Monday I'll fly to Denver, where we'll rent a car and drive through CO, NM, AZ and UT. We'll mostly sleep in our tent and want to cook our own food. Can you tell me where I can buy gluten free food? Do I have to go to special shops? Can I buy it in Safeway or other supermarkets? I'm especially interested in gluten free bread, cereals and pasta to buy. Are corn flakes gluten free? Over here in Switzerland they aren't, they contain malt. When I buy food like sauce or soup or others, can I read on the product if it's with or without gluten?

About fast food restaurants. Can you recommend one? Is there one with a a gluten free menu? Are the fries always without gluten?

What else do I have to know? Do you have adresses for me from shops or restaurants or hotels/ motels? Or places where we have to go?

I'm looking forward for this vacation. I've been to Colorado before and loved it a lot. But this time is my first time in the USA since I know about my celiac.

Thanks a lot for your help

Swiss

[Sweetfudge]

I would recommend shopping at walmart, which I know is in Utah and probably in the other states as well. They have a store brand called Great Value, and clearly label everything as Gluten Free if it is. Also, look for Kraft food products. They're good about listing any gluten ingredients. As far as fast food, all I can say is Wendy's baked potato w/ sour cream and butter, the chili, and a side salad w/ ranch. Not a whole lot of variety. If you see a Chick-Fil-A though, you must stop and get their french fries They cook in a dedicated fryer, and are so delicious. The side salad w/ ranch is great there as well. Hope you have a fun and gluten-free trip!

[confused]

Well when you are in colorado, i would look at shopping at king soopers or city market. They have many gluten free foods. Safeway does not have as much as city market. In denver you could probably shop at wild oats, and i know someone has mentioned an gluten free bakery, but im not sure were it is at, maybe someone will let you know. What areas of colorado are you going to be driving threw.

paula

[Char]

Hi Swiss,

I think that, in general, labeling in the US is still behind labeling in Europe -- although items do say "wheat", they don't necessarily list the other ingredients we're allergic to. In addition to Wild Oats, if you can find a Whole Foods (Open Original Shared Link) (this is a supermarket), they generally have a good collection of gluten-free food; health food stores should as well. There are some brands that -might- be available in regular supermarkets that are gluten-free that you could use for camping -- e.g. Thai Kitchen makes some instant noodles (that's clearly labeled "gluten-free" if it is). There are also some brands of corn tortillas and tacos that are gluten-free.

Most fast food restaurants tend to be very bad about cross-contamination, and in general, the awareness about celiac disease is very low in fast food places (e.g. I know that at least in Finland, McDonald's has gluten-free burgers, but that isn't the case in the US).

You could try contacting the celiac support group for the areas you're visiting and ask them for a list of gluten-free restaurants/where to buy gluten-free food. I haven't tried the following site myself, but it seems to have this information: Open Original Shared Link

Good luck!

-Char

[Swiss]

Hello everybody

Thanks a lot for your help. We don't know yet exactly where we'll go. We'll start in Denver on Monday evening. Wednesday we'll arrive in Salida where we'll stay for two nights. That's all we know for sure. We also want to see Mesa Verde NP. Perhaps Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. End of May we'll stay with a friend in Boulder for a week. So we defenitly see Boulder and perhaps Denver too and Rocky Mountains NP. In the weeks between we want to see the other three states.

Back to the gluten free food. What about Corn Flakes and other cereals? Can you name me some gluten free Corn Flakes? I love them for breakfast. Where can I buy them? Or other cereals? What about Oatmeal?

Thanks again for you help

Swiss

[jnclelland]

Well when you are in colorado, i would look at shopping at king soopers or city market. They have many gluten free foods. Safeway does not have as much as city market. In denver you could probably shop at wild oats, and i know someone has mentioned an gluten free bakery, but im not sure were it is at, maybe someone will let you know. What areas of colorado are you going to be driving threw.

paula

The gluten-free bakery is in south Denver, and it's called Deby's gluten-free cafe. It's WELL worth the trip, and you can check out the web site at Open Original Shared Link.

(OMG - I just looked at the web site, and it says that they now have a location in Erie!!! I'm SOOOO excited!!!)

Have a great trip!

Jeanne

[confused]

Hello everybody

Thanks a lot for your help. We don't know yet exactly where we'll go. We'll start in Denver on Monday evening. Wednesday we'll arrive in Salida where we'll stay for two nights. That's all we know for sure. We also want to see Mesa Verde NP. Perhaps Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. End of May we'll stay with a friend in Boulder for a week. So we defenitly see Boulder and perhaps Denver too and Rocky Mountains NP. In the weeks between we want to see the other three states.

Back to the gluten free food. What about Corn Flakes and other cereals? Can you name me some gluten free Corn Flakes? I love them for breakfast. Where can I buy them? Or other cereals? What about Oatmeal?

Thanks again for you help

Swiss

Oh you will love salida, that is my hometown. have you thought about seeing the sand dunes and zapata falls near alamosa. Manitou springs is so pretty also. If you want information on great places to see in colorado, PM me.

There is a health food store in buena vista, 30 minutes from salida. There are also a few health food stores in salida, if u want information on them let me know. But im sure u can find some regular food at walmart in salida to, and a few things at safeway. I can call the health food store in salida for you and see if they have the corn flakes. My mom has bought me some things there, but i havent been there. They are pretty reasonable priced to.

paula

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

If you are traveling to Arizona, I highly recommend you camp and hike in Sedona. It is one of the most beautiful places in the USA. The camping is cheap of course.

Sedona is a town that was built on many native american lands. The "red-rock" hiking is dynamite. There are many "vortexes" down there (places of increased energy/sprirituality that supposedly calm and heal people) on the hikes.

Also, in Picazzo's Pizza is in Sedona - the country's best gluten free pizzeria. They have a HUGE gluten free menu and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

As far as gluten free foods, the best places are "Whole Foods Market", "Wild Oats", "Trader Joes" and "Henry's Markets". In these places, the staff should be able to help you.

In regular grocery stores like "Ralph's", "Smith's", "Von's", "Albertson's", they have a much smaller selection and the staff will not likely be able to help you very much.

Have fun exploring! Make sure you go to Deby's Gluten Free Bakery in Denver and Picazzo's Pizza in Sedona

(Sedona is near the grand canyon and Flagstaff)

BB

[Swiss]

hello

Thanks again for all your help. I've got now all the adresses of Whole Foods Market in CO, UT, AZ and NM and some adresses of other health foods stores, e.g. in Buena Vista and Salida. I hope I can find them. I also have the adresses of the bakery in Denver and of the Picazzos Pizza in Flagstaff and in Sedona. We want to go to Flagstaff anyway, so we could go to Sedona too. I think I'm ready now for my first time gluten free in the USA.

Thanks too for naming me nice places to visit. I've already seen the sand dunes, but I haven't seen the Zapata falls and Alamosa. And since I liked the dunes, we might go back. I visited them while I was living at Open Original Shared Link near Westcliffe in 2001. If you're interestet in wolves, this is the place to go.

Once again: Thanks a lot. You were very helpful.

Swiss

[steveindenver]

Forget Deby's - XDC Confections in the Denver Highlands area KICKS BUTT over Deby's. Today we got chocolate chip cookies, lemon square, brownie, chocolate cupcake and a cinammon roll. You will not be disappointed at XDC. You will be at Deby's.

Open Original Shared Link

303-477-3574

4328 W 35th Avenue

Denver, 80212

(35th &Tennyson)

Tell Dana that Steve and David sent you - we love these folks!

[nmw]

You will not be disappointed at XDC. You will be at Deby's.

Why do you say this? Do you have problems with the food or recipes? Service? The owner, Monica, is almost always there, and is very open to complaints and suggestions, as well as praise. Perhaps XDC has better dessert items (I can't say - I haven't been there yet), but one cannot live on dessert alone.

For Swiss's info: Deby's has a bakery and cafe with a full menu of entrees and sides that you can eat in, order to go, or purchase frozen to take with you. Deby's is also a completely gluten-free facility, and verifies the gluten-free source of each of the ingredients they use on an ongoing basis.

Safeway doesn't have any real gluten-free selection; King Soopers/City Market does; Whole Foods, Sunflower Market and Wild Oats, as well as Vitamin Cottage all have a good selection.

FWIW I feel pretty damn lucky to have as many gluten-free resources as we do in the Denver area.

Enjoy your trip to the US, Swiss!

[Rad3737]

There's actually a official state "question": red or green? Meaning red or green salsa w/ your mexican meal. Corn tortillas are gluten free, refried beans are gluten free and the spanish rice. We've also got a beautiful new, semi-pro baseball stadium in Albuquerque. There's no other state in the country like New Mexico. I lived in Colorado for a decade and loved it, but New Mexico is more similar to Old Mexico than it is to the USA.

[Rad3737]

While visiting New Mexico, I'd like to make a suggestion for you to visit Chaco Canyon west of Albuquerque a couple of hours. It's a 1,000 year old Indian village (ruins) that's breathtakingly awesome to visit.

The La Montanita food co-ops in Albuquerque are great for gluten free products. There's one on Rio Grande & Mathew, and another on Central and Carlisle in the Nob Hill area of UNM campus.

New Mexico is a beautiful state w/ perfect weather, great restaurants, friendly people, and lots of creative artistic venues. But remember we are the 2nd highest crime state in the USA, so don't leave anything visible in your vehicle, which I am sure is hard to do when you are traveling. We're basically a 3rd world country, which is part of the reason I like it here, but just be aware of your surroundings.

[steveindenver]

Why do you say this? Do you have problems with the food or recipes? Service? The owner, Monica, is almost always there, and is very open to complaints and suggestions, as well as praise. Perhaps XDC has better dessert items (I can't say - I haven't been there yet), but one cannot live on dessert alone.

I state this as because I think XDC's bakery items are far better then Deby's. I've never had anything at Deby's that I've tasted and went, "WOW!, that is really, really good for being gluten-free!". The blueberry muffin I bought once was dry, small and crumbly. The "hamburger bun" (and I use that term loosely) was horrible. I might as well have been eating a hockey puck made from gluten-free bread. If you give XDC a chance, I think you'll see that they're very focused on quality and taste, more then Deby's. Deby's I will state, is a gluten-free restaurant, and for many of you out there, that's great. I just choose to cook at home and make things cheaper and tastier to my liking and budget. To us, it's not that hard to cook gluten-free at home. And yes, one CAN live on desserts alone. :-) Or at least we can try!

One final note - Bete Noir Chocolates is a great gluten-free site/company as well. Cindy Gawel is the pastry chef and is doing great things with gluten-free baking as well. Open Original Shared Link

All I am saying is there's more to life then just Deby's in this town. We're limited on gluten-free resources, so why not give others a chance! Just my two cents.

[Swiss]

Once again: thanks so much for all your help! I'll leave now and tomorrow I'll be in your beautiful country.

Thanks

Swiss

[confused]

Once again: thanks so much for all your help! I'll leave now and tomorrow I'll be in your beautiful country.

Thanks

Swiss

Have a safe trip and a great time here. I hope you bring clothes that will keep you somewhat warm, it is still cold in colorado and it has been very rainy.

paula

[rbh]

Abrusci's in Denver is an Italian restaurant with an extensive gluten free menu -- they even serve gluten free bread with the meal. I think that there are quite a few options in Denver and Boulder -- check the website of the Colorado celiac support group.

In and Out Burger is a "healthier" fast food chain -- I know they are in Arizona, California and Nevada -- not sure about the other states you mention. You can order burgers there "protein style" (wrapped in lettuce) and the french fries are fried in designated fryers.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Abrusci's in Denver is an Italian restaurant with an extensive gluten free menu -- they even serve gluten free bread with the meal. I think that there are quite a few options in Denver and Boulder -- check the website of the Colorado celiac support group.

In and Out Burger is a "healthier" fast food chain -- I know they are in Arizona, California and Nevada -- not sure about the other states you mention. You can order burgers there "protein style" (wrapped in lettuce) and the french fries are fried in designated fryers.

In actuality, the french fries are the "only" fried item at In N Out Burger.

I order mine "cheesy style well done (crispy)"

[Swiss]

Hi there

I'm back in Switzerland and had a great time in the States. We visited many of the places you suggested. It was amazing!

I didn't have problems with gluten free food, thanks to your help. The gluten free highlight of my vacation was Picazzo's in Flagstaff. It was so delicious! I almost didn't want to leave town and drive to the Grand Canyon. But the Canyon was nice too.

Thanks for all your help

Swiss