Elmhurst, Il Dining?

[kareng]

We will be going to Chicago the end of March for a FIRST Robotics competition. It's at the UIC but we will be staying in Elmhurst. Found one Italian place with a limited gluten-free menu but it's too expensive to take the team. Any suggestions? I'll have at least a microwave and a fridge, so I won't starve. As I am a chaperone, it would be good if I could eat with the kids.

[Kate79]

DaLuciano's in River Grove is good, and has a large gluten-free menu - they have a separate kitchen for making gluten-free food. The Lettuce Entertain you restaurants have a lot of gluten free options. There's several of these at the Oak Brook mall not far from Elmhurst. Some are pricey, but you might have good luck with Big Bowl. There's a new Indian restaurant in LaGrange - the Kama Bistro - that marks all the gluten-free items on their menu. There's a Chipotle in downtown Elmhurst, and there's a Five Guys in Oak Park if you want to do fast food.

[MrsVJW]

There are actually a lot of great options in the Chicago area. Check for local taco shops - they serve soft tacos on corn tortillas and many of them just buy their tortilla chips, so no shared cooking oil issues with chips, at least (may have to watch out for rice mixes for their rice). As long as you order smart (avoid anything fried and watch out for anything that may be made from a mix like the rice) it can be a good option.

Portillos is a great group option - they make an AWESOME chopped salad and if you ask for a manager and explain your needs, they can do it withoput the pasta and mix it in a clean bowl so there is no cross-contamination (I have found the whole Portillo's family of places to be pretty good). Lots of Indian food places if you have adventerous eaters and a lot of the markets around here carry $2 - $3 microwavable Indian meals - the brand is Raja Foods). Just about any corner hot dog place will also have corn roll tamales - just cornmeal and beef (although it is not usually certified gluten-free cornmeal - so the choice is up to you). But watch out for fries at hot dog places... most are done in shared cooking oil.

Check for sushi options in the area - another thing that tends to be scattered thru Chicagoland

And while I can't speak specifically to the area (I grew up around there

Also search for any Thai food places... there are many in the Chicagoland.

I can't speak to the actual outlets of "safer" fast food places in Elmhurst but places like Wendy's & Jimmy Johns in Chicagoland tend to be knowledgable and get things right.