New To Eating Out Gluten Free

[lilbit]

I'm a big ol foodie! I love food! I really like eating at hole in the wall ethnic places and I'm curious how you do this gluten free?

When you go into a resturant where you don't speak the language, how do you ask if it's gluten free?

Also, how about the "fancier" resturants, do you get treated wierd when you ask for gluten free?

[gfreegirlie]

I'm a big ol foodie! I love food! I really like eating at hole in the wall ethnic places and I'm curious how you do this gluten free?

When you go into a resturant where you don't speak the language, how do you ask if it's gluten free?

Also, how about the "fancier" resturants, do you get treated wierd when you ask for gluten free?

Everytime I have gone to a resturant where I didn't speak the languge I have gotten poisened with Gluten. What I try to do is fine places with gluten free menus and go there depending on the food type that I want. If I want chineese food then I go to PF Changs. If I want pizza I go to Pizza Fusion. American styled food Claim Jumpers has a good menu though I am vegetarian so it's extra limited for me there.

[jststric]

Personally, I find the nicer the restaurant, the easier it is. They usually have more options and the chefs are usually very open to talking to you about your needs. The "holes" are the impossible ones for me. Now, if you know there is a real cook in them....one that does more than open food-service products, then you might have a chance of getting something special-ordered. As for the foreign languages....there are dining cards available in different languages that explain your needs. Someone else may be able to explain those better than I. I think one brand is called Triumph Dining Cards. There are others also. Best wishes and if you find a way of enjoying the HOLES....please let us know!! I miss them alot!

[Jestgar]

The "holes" are the impossible ones for me.

But ya never know. I walked into a cafe and told the order taker that I couldn't eat gluten and he responded with "Is that all you can't eat?"

[GlutenFreeManna]

I avoid the little hole-in-the-wall places mostly. I have found a few local places while traveling that actually have gluten free menus. (search glutenfreeregistry.com) If they don't have a gluten free menu, however I don't go there anymore. I have gotten really good at learning how to make some of the ethnic food I miss. I just discovered a great Asian market in my area that has things like rice flour, rice noodles and rice paper wrappers for much less than the regular grocery stores. Produce is cheaper there as well. Last night I made some yummy spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce. These would probably be gluten free at the local Thai place, but they may not be soy free, which I need. Because I made them myself I was able to make sure they were gluten free and soy free.

[lilbit]

I will do some research on holes and see how it goes and report back Do you call ahead for the nicer resturants? Or can you still be food-ly spontaneous?

I am coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to learn how to cook more ethnic food if I want to eat it...

Now, here's a wierd question-

Have you ever brought your own condiments to a resturant? Like gluten-free soy sauce to a sushi place?

[GlutenFreeManna]

I take my own dressings all the time. I'm sure you could take your own soy sauce in to a sushi place. It's harder to be spontaneous while gluten free. Unless you are okay with leaving and going someplace else if they can't accommodate you or sitting and watching your friends eat while you have nothing. Then you are being spontaneous, but also starving. It's better if you know ahead where and what you can safely eat. Once you have been to a place a few times and know how well they will accommodate you then you can just decide to go there at the last minute. However, most places will do better if you don't go at peak hours. This was hard for me in the beginning because I like to try new foods and now I'm really restricted to fewer choices when I eat out.

[Skylark]

I've gotten glutened so many times at "hole in the wall ethnic places" that I have completely given up. I used to love restaurants like that but I just can't get past the language barrier. There are gluten free cards you can print and try.

Open Original Shared Link

At really good restaurants, I have been treated extremely well and gotten good food that I didn't react to. A friend of mine with a masters degree from a culinary school told me that all sorts of different food sensitivities are addressed in culinary training. I do call ahead if I know I'm going ahead of time.

And yes, I bring gluten-free soy sauce to sushi places if I remember. I've learned to like sushi without soy sauce so I forget a lot now. I pour a little into the provided dish and nobody has ever raised an eyebrow.

[lilbit]

I take my own dressings all the time. I'm sure you could take your own soy sauce in to a sushi place. It's harder to be spontaneous while gluten free. Unless you are okay with leaving and going someplace else if they can't accommodate you or sitting and watching your friends eat while you have nothing. Then you are being spontaneous, but also starving. It's better if you know ahead where and what you can safely eat. Once you have been to a place a few times and know how well they will accommodate you then you can just decide to go there at the last minute. However, most places will do better if you don't go at peak hours. This was hard for me in the beginning because I like to try new foods and now I'm really restricted to fewer choices when I eat out.

LOL@ starving! Well, I guess I'll make a little eating out bag and shove all my condiments in it and take it with me when i go out. That should be funny.

[GlutenFreeManna]

LOL@ starving! Well, I guess I'll make a little eating out bag and shove all my condiments in it and take it with me when i go out. That should be funny.

Hey, whatever you need to do to eat safe. All the better if you can laugh at yourself and your friends will laugh with you. My friends had a good laugh at me when I was invited to dinner and brought my own pear and walnut salad--They knew I was bringing it because it might be all I could eat and I asked if I could cut the pears in their kitchen before-hand so they wouldn't get brown. What they laughed at me for was that I brought my own cutting board and knife! I didn't bother explaining cc at that point (the technical stuff tends to put a damper on a good party) I just laughed and said I wasn't sure they would have an extra cutting board with all the other prep they were doing for the meal. I made it sound like I was just being over-prepared instead of being ultra-paranoid that they may have cut bread on the cutting boards at their place.

[lucia]

I was worried about this too - as well as traveling outside the U.S. - but I've realized that non-American cuisines are more accommodating to a gluten-free diet. I think that success depends on choosing the right dish and having a server who can describe the ingredients it uses at that paticuliar restaurant.

- South Asian food, including Indian, is almost entirely gluten-free, except for the breads. South Indians make dosas from rice flour. Even Indian desserts are mostly gluten-free, made from nuts.

- African food is mostly gluten-free. Usually, African food is served with rice. Ethiopians make a spongy buckwheat pancake that is delicious.

- Mexican food traditionally uses corn as a base. Your server should be able to tell you if their chips are made of corn and if they have corn tortillas.

- Thai food uses rice noodles or rice as a base. Pad Thai is traditionally made with a peanut/tamarind sauce.

- Even Italian food has some good choices for dishes, such as risotto or polenta. And Irish food uses a lot of potato.

The one I haven't figured out is Chinese food. It seems like soy sauce is ubiquitous. If you have any ideas on that ...

[Skylark]

I got badly glutened at a Thai restaurant where I asked about wheat ingredients and had spring rolls with rice wrappers and Pad Thai. Someone said that they had seen packages of Thai rice noodles with wheat starch listed as an ingredient, and that may have been my problem. I have had enough issues with Thai that I don't eat at Thai places any more.

As for Chinese, you can usually get plain steamed vegetables and rice. Some places make a white sauce that doesn't have any soy sauce or oyster sauce but it might be made with a gluten-containing chicken broth.

[mushroom]

I don't eat at any ethnic restaurants any more If it's not wheat it's soy, if it's not soy it's corn, if it's not any of those it's either nightshades or citrus. Mexican food is a nightmare Lectins in flour and corn tortillas, lectins in tomatoes and salsa, lectins in refried beans (legumes), lectins in anything citrus (think Margaritas) Good ole 'Merican food is all I'll eat. Hopefully served by someone who speaks good English. No holes in the wall for this gal

[Jestgar]

aw shroomie , come to my house, I'll make you any ethnic food you want, with your preferred list of ingredients.

[mushroom]

aw shroomie , come to my house, I'll make you any ethnic food you want, with your preferred list of ingredients.

Still bet you couldn't do Mexican , but thanks for the offer

[Jestgar]

Still bet you couldn't do Mexican ,

....yeah.......I'll work on that......

[jerseyangel]

Still bet you couldn't do Mexican , but thanks for the offer

I'll be she could if anyone can--she once made me several varieties of delicious candy, all free of my many intolerances. I'll never forget it

[katyd1d]

Anyone know about Korean? There is a wonderful 24 hour Korean spa (family friendly place based on traditional Korean bathhouses) where I love to hang out for hours. I get hungry, though, between the saunas, but there is a heavy language barrier and I haven't been able to verify that anything is gluten free. I'll find and print a card to take with me, but anyone know the safer and more dangerous dishes?

[lilbit]

I made nachos in my barracks this weekend- gluten-free corn chips, goat cheese, edamame (cause it was there) chicked boiled in the microwave and salsa. I was pretty impressed with myself.

I was very overwhelmed last week trying to do all this without a kitchen, but its not as hard as I thought it would be. Eating out, though, is getting annoying.

I went to Ruby Tues and they served me a piece of meat with zero seasoning, cooked in a pan... It was disgusting.

I had a steak last weekend at Outback that was gluten-free and delicious... What gives?

[Tina B]

Personally, I find the nicer the restaurant, the easier it is.

[Tina B]

I will do some research on holes and see how it goes and report back Do you call ahead for the nicer resturants? Or can you still be food-ly spontaneous?

I am coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to learn how to cook more ethnic food if I want to eat it...

Now, here's a wierd question-

Have you ever brought your own condiments to a resturant? Like gluten-free soy sauce to a sushi place?

I am completely spontanious and always find a good amount of choices on a regular menu in nice restaurants.

[Nor-TX]

I will do some research on holes and see how it goes and report back Do you call ahead for the nicer resturants? Or can you still be food-ly spontaneous?

I am coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to learn how to cook more ethnic food if I want to eat it...

Now, here's a wierd question-

Have you ever brought your own condiments to a resturant? Like gluten-free soy sauce to a sushi place?

I bought a package of little throw-away containers with lids (they are like the ones you get at Quiznos). I take my own gluten-free soy sauce with me and put it in a little baggie to prevent spills.

My husband and I found a wonderful Chinese buffet where there are foods he can eat and foods I can eat. He sticks to all the typical soy sauce laden foods and I stick to the sushi, steamed mussels and shrimp and crab legs. They have fresh fruit for dessert. We are both happy and I have not been glutened yet!

No one has ever said anything to me about bringing my own soy sauce.

Next week I have some company from Canada visiting and we are going for lunch to a tea room. I called and talked to the owner and came up with something I could eat. I am bringing my own Katz Gluten Free Challah bun and the turkey and swiss cheese they are using is gluten-free. Instead of soup, I was told to order double fruit.

I keep leftover packets of mayo, mustard, ketchup that my husband gets sometimes with his takeout food and take them with me to work. That way I know that no one has stuck a knife into a jar of mayo after cutting a bun or something

I work in an elementary school and although there is a toaster in the lounge, I have bought a new one for my office this year.

Sometimes you get to the point where you just have to do what is the best thing for you. If you need to take your own soy sauce in order to eat sushi... so be it and do it with your head held high... you are looking after your own well being.

[BethM55]

Often, I bring a couple of slices of Udi's bread with me when we eat out, so I can join in on the pre-meal bread and butter noshing. Always get to the butter first, though, if it's not the little packaged pats.

We went out for dinner to an Italian place in the City with a bunch of people last week. Italian restaurants are scary places for anyone who can't eat gluten. However, I ordered a fresh mozzarella and basil caprese salad which was delicious. I worried a bit about cc, but I was fine. whew. (bearing in mind I am less sensitive than many here...) I had brought some almonds, diced cheese, and gluten-free dressing with me, in case all I could order was a dinner salad, but brought them home again.

Scary, but a good experience. This time.

[bridgetm]

Eating out gluten-free is not as difficult as gluten-free and soy-free. Noodles & Co is really good about gluten-free and offer quite a few options; however, when I went soy-free my options were narrowed down to their Pad Thai or... well, a choice between the large and small. I've never had a problem there. Chipotle is also easy, thanks to the burrito bowl. I haven't gone yet but Baja Sol is supposed to be safe.

Unfortunately, I have some friends who are picky eaters and don't like either of these places. By picky I mean it's either McDonald's or Applebee's. Whenever I go out with these friends and there's a remote possibility that they will get hungry I stick a MacroTreat cookie and a fruit-nut bar in my pocket to munch on. I'll even spring for a large iced tea so it doesn't look like I'm just loitering.

[lischro]

Everytime I have gone to a resturant where I didn't speak the languge I have gotten poisened with Gluten. What I try to do is fine places with gluten free menus and go there depending on the food type that I want. If I want chineese food then I go to PF Changs. If I want pizza I go to Pizza Fusion. American styled food Claim Jumpers has a good menu though I am vegetarian so it's extra limited for me there.

gfreegirlie! I am very new to gluten free eating (5 days) and am also vegetarian (10 years). If you have ANY tips or nuances or sample meals/restaurants that you enjoy I would very much appreciate it! Thanks so much in advance.... I need all the help I can get