Monterey/santa Cruz

[kareng]

We are going to The Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz area at the end of July. We are trying to get a condo so we can cook most meals. I know there is a WF in Monterey and one in Santa Cruz. We will have a rental car and probably buy a cheap cooler (might be one in the condo). Still, would be nice to eat out once or twice.

[IrishHeart]

That is a beautiful place, K! Hope you have a wonderful time.

ooh, Go to the Monterey Aquarium. Go to Big Sur.

(when I was there in 2003, I was not Dxed yet, so I have no clue what's safe, but I can ask people who live around there.)

In the meantime, check this out:

Open Original Shared Link

just put in the city you want and there are reviews.

[IrishHeart]

Do you have one of these by any chance? Worked very well for our 3 day drive to Florida! ( I got it from amazon)

Open Original Shared Link

[BabsV]

Do you have one of these by any chance? Worked very well for our 3 day drive to Florida! ( I got it from amazon)

Open Original Shared Link

Ohhhh, what a wondrous thing! I just might have to buy one of these since I will have several trips down to visit in-laws over the next year (one downside to my hubby not going to Iraq!) 9 hours in the car + gluteney kitchens = me buying one of these so I can bring my own food!!!

[IrishHeart]

Hubs found it for us and I transported a carton of coconut milk, his half and half, some fruit, mayo, mustard, deli meat & cheese, yogurt, butter and water in it. Holds more than I imagined. Another bag held some microwavable soups, cereal, crackers, Peanut butter, 2 bowls, spoons, a knife and bread, etc. I never thought traveling for 3 days would be so easy. We just grabbed anything we needed to restock in markets on the way down.

It works best if the foods are already cold. It plugs into the cigarette lighter. Pretty cool.

[kareng]

Do you have one of these by any chance? Worked very well for our 3 day drive to Florida! ( I got it from amazon)

Open Original Shared Link

We have thought about getting one of those. This trip we will fly so I may get some of the expensive backpacking pans. They are really light weight to pack in my suitcase.

I have been looking at those gluten-free restaurant sites. Sometimes they are OK. Was hoping to find an actual person who might have been to something. We will mostly cook or I'll pack a lunch. Love the aquarium! We haven't been in about 16 years.

When we drive, I freeze as much of my food as possible before we go. I made a bunch (feeding teen boys) of chicken taco meat (chicken in enchilada sauce). Froze it in a plastic bag, flat. Put it in the bottom of a large cooler and it helped keep everything cold.

[IrishHeart]

Okay, one friend who lives near there replied to me via email already Their family is gluten-free.

She said:

"There is a great burger joint called In N Out. They cater to folks with allergens and it is yummy! Order the burger protein style which is wrapped in lettuce and let them know that you have a wheat allergy so they wipe the grill before. The fries are safe. They cut up the potatoes on site and that is the only fried menu option. There are no breaded items.

I also go to Denny's and get breakfast foods there for Jordan such as fruit, hashbrowns, bacon and eggs. I tell them about her "gluten allergy" and they are good about.

Claim Jumper

Sammy's Wood fired pizza has a gluten-free menu

Oggi's Pizza has a gluten free menu

PF Changs

Rudy's serves hamburgers on Udi's buns

Steak Houses are usually great at making sure things are gluten free for us

The Spaghetti Factory offers a gluten free menu as well. They serve gluten-free pasta.

We also go to Italian places tell them about the "allergy" and they will make us a risotto typically.

Fish Taco place called Wahoos does grilled chicken tacos on corn tortillas.

Hope this helps."

[kareng]

Okay, one friend who lives near there replied to me via email already Their family is gluten-free.

She said:

"There is a great burger joint called In N Out. They cater to folks with allergens and it is yummy! Order the burger protein style which is wrapped in lettuce and let them know that you have a wheat allergy so they wipe the grill before. The fries are safe. They cut up the potatoes on site and that is the only fried menu option. There are no breaded items.

I also go to Denny's and get breakfast foods there for Jordan such as fruit, hashbrowns, bacon and eggs. I tell them about her "gluten allergy" and they are good about.

Claim Jumper

Sammy's Wood fired pizza has a gluten-free menu

Oggi's Pizza has a gluten free menu

PF Changs

Rudy's serves hamburgers on Udi's buns

Steak Houses are usually great at making sure things are gluten free for us

The Spaghetti Factory offers a gluten free menu as well. They serve gluten-free pasta.

We also go to Italian places tell them about the "allergy" and they will make us a risotto typically.

Fish Taco place called Wahoos does grilled chicken tacos on corn tortillas.

Hope this helps."

WOW! Thank your friend for me!

Maybe I don't need to cook? The thing is, 2 hotel rooms costs about as much as a 2 bedroom condo and the extra space is nice.

[IrishHeart]

A kitchen is always handy, IMO but yes, now you have some dining out options!!

[MaryJones2]

I live here and had a recent thread with lost of gluten-free restaurants in the Santa Cruz area. Read this thread for viable local options: http://www.celiac.co...-in-santa-cruz/

Irish Heart mentioned a lot of chain restaurants in her post - there aren't any of those on this side of the mountains as they just aren't popular - you'll have to go to San Jose to find most of them listed. There is one In N Out in Salinas and a PF Chang's in Monterey but that's it that I am aware of.

In addition to the list of Santa Cruz/Capitola restaurants there are a few in Aptos, Moss Landing (Whole Enchilada and Phil's, 2 in Marina (Kula Ranch and Wild Thyme), and lot in Monterey. There are tons of fish restaurants, thai restaurants and sushi places and everyone is pretty educated on gluten-free around here so I doubt you'll have any issues. I eat out all the time and am pretty sensitive and honestly don't think about it much. The only warning I have is that there are a lot of gluten-free pizza places around here and I recommend you qualify them because like most pizza places some do it better than others.

The Whole Foods on 41st in Capitola has a Trader Joe's across the street so if you want to hit both that's the best place.

[kareng]

Thanks Janet. We used to eat at 2 fish places on the wharf in Monterrey that's are out of business 20 years later. One used to be Mark Thomas Outrigger & is now the Fish Hopper (?). It was a great place to sit at lunch and see the otters. Do you know any pizza places that are trustworthy? Or any that have really good gluten pizza for the boys if hub & I go to fish place?

[MaryJones2]

Are you staying in Monterey or Santa Cruz?

[IrishHeart]

Irish Heart mentioned a lot of chain restaurants in her post - there aren't any of those on this side of the mountains as they just aren't popular - you'll have to go to San Jose to find most of them listed. There is one In N Out in Salinas and a PF Chang's in Monterey but that's it that I am aware of.

oh, gosh, sorry K, if it was of little help. I was just relaying what a native Californian told me via email. Good thing Janet saw this!

[kareng]

Are you staying in Monterey or Santa Cruz?

We haven't completely firmed it up yet. Probably at a place called Pajaro Dunes. Its about between Monterey and SC, on the coast at Watsonville.

[MaryJones2]

We haven't completely firmed it up yet. Probably at a place called Pajaro Dunes. Its about between Monterey and SC, on the coast at Watsonville.

We play golf at Pajaro and fly out of Watsonville a lot - it's a good location and the beach is not crouded. I don't know of any gluten-free restaurants in that area - Pleasure Pizza on 41st in Capitola is probably the closest gluten-free pizza place unless there is one in Aptos.

[kareng]

We'll be in Monterey or SC most days. The boys have to keep busy.