California Restaurants?

[Anya78]

Can anyone suggest restaurants with gluten-free menus or that are particularly gluten-free-friendly in San Francisco, Sonoma/Napa region and Monterey/Carmel area? I'll be there on vacation next month and am worried about the prospect of eating out every meal for more than a week, especially after I was perpetually sick during a few days in Las Vegas last month when I thought I was being careful. Thanks!

[Thomas]

I found this while I was searching:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

The second website is great... It has a list of places... If you pay google (a high amount) they will search for you and this lady did...

Hope this helps!! And have a fun (sick free) vacation!

[Guest madissoninva1]

I am from Monterey but just recently moved here. I haven't found any great gluten free options here just yet but have found a few restaurants that have been very friendly and helpful. The Sandbar and Grill at Fisherman's Warf in Monterey is great. They have steaks on the menu and also dungeness crabs. I ask them to serve the dungeness crab with Old Bay Seasoning that they have in the back (they use it to season their shrimp). They have an artichoke on the appetizer menu. I get that sometimes, and just ask for melted butter. Though not on the menu, they will usually make me some green beans with just butter and garlic to go with the crab. The servers are very nice when you explain that you cannot have wheat.

There is a cafe on Lighthouse Rd. (the main road through Monterey) that has a gluten free cake. I haven't tried it yet but I saw it when I was there. I cannot remember the name of the cafe but it's a small little place that serves Bfast, lunch and dinner. There is a Whole Foods supermarket here in Monterey and they have a whole table of gluten free breads, desserts and pizza crusts. The sandwich bread is the best.

I have not been to these restaurants but I found this on celiac.com about restaurants in Carmel and San Jose. San Jose is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Monterey: "We came across some great restuarants with fantastic gluten-free options while there and I didn't have a reaction. First is Sino (sinorestaurant.com) on Santana Row in San Jose. Chef Barney said that he gets 2-3 gluten free diners there every week. He was very knowledgable. He whipped up a sauted Sea Bass with fried shrimp (breaded with tapioca flour, clean pan) in a tomatoe cilantro broth. It was great. Another restaurant that was AWESOME we came across in Carmel. It's called Julihanh (julihanh.com) and it is a Vietnamese/French/Asian fusion restaurant. Really casual and cute. The menu is outstanding and the food was wonderful. They have a lot of spring rolls, rice vermicelli, and rice dishes. If I had a place like that where I lived I would go there everyday..I loved it."

Hope this helps. Good luck to you. If you find any great places, please share them with me. I'm always on the lookout.

Madisson

[DingoGirl]

I wasn't Celiac (well I WAS, just didn't know it ) while living in Monterey, but I have a chef friend, Kerry Loutas, who owns a wonderful restaurant in Carmel called Loutas L'escargot (831)620 1942. I spoke to him last week and he said he always, always accomodates people who can't eat gluten. His food is wonderful, fresh French cuisine and most is naturally gluten-free anyway. If you want a wonderful dinner (he's only open for dinner) in a cozy, dimly-lit bistro, go there, and tell him Susan (now in Fresno) sent you. Don't skip the creme brulee...it's the best I've eaten anywhere in the world, and I'm a (self-proclaimed) expert! (didn't ask if there was gluten in that but there shouldn't be.)

I"ll call my friend Domenico at Chianti and see if he can accomodate gluten-free also....that's the BEST Italian cuisine on the Monterey Peninsula.....

(I sound like such a name-dropper, very funny as I can't stand people who do that and am really not one myself!)

[DingoGirl]

I have not been to these restaurants but I found this on celiac.com about restaurants in Carmel and San Jose. San Jose is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Monterey: "We came across some great restuarants with fantastic gluten-free options while there and I didn't have a reaction. First is Sino (sinorestaurant.com) on Santana Row in San Jose. Chef Barney said that he gets 2-3 gluten free diners there every week. He was very knowledgable. He whipped up a sauted Sea Bass with fried shrimp (breaded with tapioca flour, clean pan) in a tomatoe cilantro broth. It was great. Another restaurant that was AWESOME we came across in Carmel. It's called Julihanh (julihanh.com) and it is a Vietnamese/French/Asian fusion restaurant. Really casual and cute. The menu is outstanding and the food was wonderful. They have a lot of spring rolls, rice vermicelli, and rice dishes. If I had a place like that where I lived I would go there everyday..I loved it."

Madisson

Madisson - you must be at NPS or DLI? How fantastic...but just to point out, San Jose is only one hour from Monterey - drove there all the time from Monterey.

I lived in Monterey for seven years, worked for a wonderful winery and ate out EVERYWHERE. A few restaurants come to mind that should be accommodating....I would stick to the smaller bistros and speak to the chef. Try these: Montrio in downtown Monterey, Cafe Rustica in Carmel Valley (worth the trip, call ahead), Passion Fish in Pacific Grove (wonderful, mouth-watering seafood,lamb, other things), Flying Fish grill in Carmel (just stay away from breaded things and soy sauce), and the aforementioned Loutas and Chianti....Katie's in Carmel for breakfast...Fandango in Pacific Grove for lunch or dinner (kinda pricery for dinner)....I'll write more, maybe, as more things come to mind.

Definitely go and sit on the patio at sunset at Mission Ranch in Carmel - owned by Clint Eastwood. The food is average but just go and have a drink.....magic.

sigh...it's hot here in the Cental Valley and I'm missing that area!