Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Mama's & Cafe Baci - Hackettstown Nj

notme

By notme
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

i used to be a foodie before my dx 2 years ago. i used to look up menus and drool til we got to the restaurant and i was willing to try all sorts of strange and unusual foods.

i am freaked out by eating out anywhere anymore - i think i have eaten in a restaurant maybe 4 times and been extremely nervous doing so. but i really REALLY wanted to find some gluten-free pizza when i went to visit in northern new jersey this past week so we went to mama's & baci cafe in hackettstown nj. they are open late, thank goodness, (till 11 or 11:30) because by the time we got there, it was 9:30. the place was not packed (wed night) so we were seated right away. the waitress came and i said i needed a gluten free menu.

she brought me a freaking book!!!!!

fried calamari (yes, fried!), pierogies, mozzerella sticks, 3 different kinds of eggplant, including rollantini, all kinds of bready, battered deliciousness. what to order, what to order......!! what a terrible problem to have!!! so i got the fried calamari :) sister ordered 'regular'fried zucchini and when i got mine, it had a few fried zucchinis mixed in with the calamari: DISASTER! didn't they have a dedicated fryer??? i flagged down the waitress and asked her - she assured me that my food didn't come anywhere near anything with gluten in it: the fried zucchinis were a little addition and also gluten-free. i started eating cautiously....it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside just like it's sposta be - yummmmmmmy - then the owner/chef came to our table and introduced himself. he said there were 4 other celiacs in the restaurant *right now* (i was all like "where?? where??" as i have never seen any lolz) he says they average 30 per day and many are repeat customers/regulars.

he leaves and a few minutes later, complimentary gluten-free mozzerella sticks arrive - omgosh they were to die for. the breadcrumbs were like italian seasoned panko :)

we order our dinner: RAVIOLI for me w/rosa sauce (creamy pink sauce akin to vodka sauce) the other 3 in our party order off of the (humongous) 'regular' menu. while waiting for our dinner, the waitress comes back with complimentary (pasta for them, risotto for me) sampling of the wonderful champagne sauce - yummy yums! i had ordered a salad for me and the hubs to split - good thing b/c it was huge - with prosciutto and provolone... delicious! at this point i'm wondering how i'm going to fit my dinner into my belly. until i took the first bite and then i couldn't stop feeding my face :D

everybody had to take some home; the portions were giant sized. the waitress said 'gluten free cannoli' and naturally i had to take some home :P and a pizza lolz

the hostess (the place seemed very family-run and everybody knew their stuff) gave us each a little gift bag with a coupon for free appetizer for next visit and discount card for 10% off each visit and a gluten-free menu and regular menu. husband was the last one out the door and the owner had given him a qt jar of the pink sauce - complimentary!

the best time i ever had eating out at a restaurant since i have been diagnosed. most of the time i feel like a freak trying to explain (what my food can't have in it or touch or please can you bring me the bottle or can i quiz the chef, blah, blah...)

if you live or visit north jersey, DO go and eat there. i was like a blind dog in a meat house = biting on everything. :) thanx for a great experience, mama's!!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


alex11602 Collaborator
alex11602
Posted

Thank you so much for telling about your experience there. Never tried it but the stuff on the menu sounds absolutely delicious.

notme Experienced
notme
Posted
  • Author

alex: when she brought out the gluten-free bread w/garlic & herb butter, i almost cried!! at the same time as the gluten eaters got their bread basket :) they sell the sauces, pasta and breads there, too. yayy!!!

justlisa Apprentice
justlisa
Posted

Wish there was a Mama's in CT...sigh...

  • 7 months later...
alex11602 Collaborator
alex11602
Posted

So I finally tried Mama's, Heaven!!! I have a problem going out places so my husband went there and ordered it. All four of us had sandwiches. mine was a proscuitto melt and it was absolutely delicious. We also got the pierogis (since Easter is coming up and we wanted to try them beforehand) and mozzarella sticks and I too was amazed that it was gluten-free. My husband also treated me to a cannoli since that is one thing that I still really miss from gluten days.and it was absolutely amazing! There was also a sample of the risotto with champagne sauce and the 10% discount card. I was incredibly impressed and would definitely go back again.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      14

      My only proof

      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger. I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone. My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies. Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies...
    2. Jmartes71
      - Jmartes71 replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      14

      My only proof

      I have been diagnosed with celiac in 1994, in remission not eating wheat and other foods not to consume my household eats wheat.I have diagnosed sibo, hernia ibs, high blood pressure, menopause, chronic fatigue just to name a few oh yes and Barrett's esophagus which i forgot, I currently have bumps in back of my throat, one Dr stated we all have bumps in...
    3. marion wheaton
      - marion wheaton posted a topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      0

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      Wondering if anyone knows whether Lindt chocolate balls are gluten free. The Lindt Canadian website says yes but the Lindt USA website says no. The information is a bit confusing.
    4. Dorothy O.
      - Dorothy O. commented on Scott Adams's article in Latest Research
      7

      Study Estimates the Costs of Delayed Celiac Disease Diagnosis (+Video)

      Even though my brother almost died in his 40s because of coeliac disease, no one ever told family members that we should be tested. As a result, I was almost 70 years old when an orthopaedic doctor suggested that I be tested for coeliac disease. My count was greater than 250. I had loved my bread, baking, especially pies and was never sick, but did not absorb...
    5. JoJo0611
      - JoJo0611 replied to JoJo0611's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      CT with contrast.

      I didn’t know there were different types of CT. I’m not sure which I had. It just said CT scan with contrast.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,404
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Starr98
    Newest Member
    Starr98
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger.  I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone.   My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies.  Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  They are taught which medications cover up which symptoms.  Doctors are required to take twenty  hours of nutritional education in seven years of medical training.  (They can earn nine hours in Nutrition by taking a three day weekend seminar.)  They are taught nutritional deficiencies are passe' and don't happen in our well fed Western society any more.  In Celiac Disease, the autoimmune response and inflammation affects the absorption of ALL the essential vitamins and minerals.  Correcting nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption is essential!  I begged my doctor to check my Vitamin D level, which he did only after making sure my insurance would cover it.  When my Vitamin D came back extremely low, my doctor was very surprised, but refused to test for further nutritional deficiencies because he "couldn't make money prescribing vitamins.". I believe it was beyond his knowledge, so he blamed me for making stuff up, and stormed out of the exam room.  I had studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I switched because I was curious what vitamins from our food were doing in our bodies.  Vitamins are substances that our bodies cannot manufacture, so we must ingest them every day.  Without them, our bodies cannot manufacture life sustaining enzymes and we sicken and die.   At home alone, I could feel myself dying.  It's an unnerving feeling, to say the least, and, so, with nothing left to lose, I relied in my education in nutrition.  My symptoms of Thiamine deficiency were the worst, so I began taking high dose Thiamine.  I had health improvement within an hour.  It was magical.  I continued taking high dose thiamine with a B Complex, magnesium. and other essential nutrients.  The health improvements continued for months.  High doses of thiamine are required to correct a thiamine deficiency because thiamine affects every cell and mitochondria in our bodies.    A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function.  The cerebellum of the brain is most affected.  The cerebellum controls things we don't have to consciously have to think about, like digestion, balance, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, hormone regulation, and many more.  Thiamine is absorbed from the digestive tract and sent to the most important organs like the brain and the heart.  This leaves the digestive tract depleted of Thiamine and symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency localized in the digestive system, begin to appear.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi include anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, Gerd, acid reflux, gas, slow stomach emptying, gastroparesis, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, incontinence, abdominal pain, IBS,  SIBO, POTS, high blood pressure, heart rate changes like tachycardia, difficulty swallowing, Barrett's Esophagus, peripheral neuropathy, and more. Doctors are only taught about thiamine deficiency in alcoholism and look for the classic triad of symptoms (changes in gait, mental function, and nystagmus) but fail to realize that gastrointestinal symptoms can precede these symptoms by months.  All three classic triad of symptoms only appear in fifteen percent of patients, with most patients being diagnosed with thiamine deficiency post mortem.  I had all three but swore I didn't drink, so I was dismissed as "crazy" and sent home to die basically.   Yes, I understand how frustrating no answers from doctors can be.  I took OTC Thiamine Hydrochloride, and later thiamine in the forms TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) and Benfotiamine to correct my thiamine deficiency.  I also took magnesium, needed by thiamine to make those life sustaining enzymes.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins, so the other B vitamins must be supplemented as well.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   A doctor can administer high dose thiamine by IV along with the other B vitamins.  Again, Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine should be given if only to rule Gastrointestinal Beriberi out as a cause of your symptoms.  If no improvement, no harm is done. Share the following link with your doctors.  Section Three is especially informative.  They need to be expand their knowledge about Thiamine and nutrition in Celiac Disease.  Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for thiamine deficiency.  This test is more reliable than a blood test. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Best wishes!
    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      I have been diagnosed with celiac in 1994, in remission not eating wheat and other foods not to consume  my household eats wheat.I have diagnosed sibo, hernia ibs, high blood pressure, menopause, chronic fatigue just to name a few oh yes and Barrett's esophagus which i forgot, I currently have bumps in back of my throat, one Dr stated we all have bumps in the back of our throat.Im in pain.Standford specialist really dismissed me and now im really in limbo and trying to get properly cared for.I found a new gi and new pcp but its still a mess and medical is making it look like im a disability chaser when Im actively not well I look and feel horrible and its adding anxiety and depression more so.Im angery my condition is affecting me and its being down played 
    • marion wheaton
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By marion wheaton · Posted

      Wondering if anyone knows whether Lindt chocolate balls are gluten free. The Lindt Canadian website says yes but the Lindt USA website says no. The information is a bit confusing.
    • JoJo0611
      CT with contrast.

      By JoJo0611 · Posted

      I didn’t know there were different types of CT. I’m not sure which I had. It just said CT scan with contrast. 
    • Scott Adams
      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thanks for sharing this!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.