Back From A Successful gluten-free Vacation!

[jmjsmomma]

We just got back from our first successful gluten free vacation!! I was a nervous wreck, but we did it! We were VERY well taken care of by the hotel manager, but the Food/Restaurant Manager was AWESOME and I promised to spread the word.

My 5 yo was dx Celiac in Jan 09. We have been to this hotel 5 times, this was the 3rd time with the kids. A lot of legwork was put in up front....calling the manager, emailing with the food manager, emailing gluten-free restaurant cards in Spanish to explain cross-contamination, etc, but it wasn't hard work. I packed his cereal, snacks (cookies, crackers, candy bars, etc), breadsticks. The french fries and tortilla chips could not be guaranteed gluten-free, so I packed a bag of restaurant tortilla chips. When we arrived, the general manager met us and immediately took us to meet the restaurant manager and the head chef. They pulled out a brand new frying pan and a brand new skillet that they had purchased just for my son! They had placed it in a area in the kitchen that would avoid any cross contamination and had been thoroughly cleansed.

At every meal, the restaurant manager or the head waiter (all three shifts of head waiters had been "briefed") would come to us as soon as we had sat down and asked if they could prepare something for my son. All his food was cooked on his pan/skillet with dedicated utensils and he did not get glutened the whole time. They were INCREDIBLE!! They even cooked him fresh french fries in his pan so he could eat french fries like the other kids.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that if you ever want a great getaway to a place that totally accommodates a gluten-free life, then check out the El Cozumeleno Resort in Cozumel, Mexico. The restaurant manager even told us that he is working on a dedicated gluten-free menu and a diabetic menu to cater to their customers. It is a fantastic, beautiful place and we will be returning for years to come we hope!

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Sounds great!