LqrMan

I love California, but haven't had a lot of luck with the servers/restaurants. It seems that the servers are too lax or just don't understand how serious the problem is when orering. My friends just moved from Long Beach so I have eaten at a few places in town.

-PF Changs is a staple when I visit. They do a good job at this location, you can eat there with confidence.

-Famous Dave's BBQ across the street from PF's. I had a bad experience there and will not return. The server did not understand and brought out my food on a piece of bread.

-Yard House- Had the Tuna app and did not get sick. The waitress at least understood the allergy.

-Wasabi- Ate sushi here and did not get sick either. They seemed to understand as well.

-Lucille's Smokehouse--Had a great experience here! The waitress and kitchen were knowledgeable and accommodating. I ended up having the pulled pork and ribs, but make sure you check on the sauces first. It was over a year ago and I cannot remember which sauce I ordered.

I will be back next month and will definitely hit up Papacicio's. Thanks for the info! Also, let me know of any gluten-free restaurants in the area.

I moved to Astoria in July, but I have had Celiac for almost 7.5 yrs already! I go out frequently to restaurants in Manhattan for my job and haven't had a problem. I try to choose more simple foods and of course tell the waiter/waitress about my allergy and that they need to tell the chef. NYC is definitely one of the best areas in the U.S. for gluten free friendly restaurants, so make sure you take advantage!

Seems like this will always be debated. Anyhow, I know my body and I can't drink gluten containing grain vodkas even though they are distilled. Even though everyone says they don't affect you, I get glutening symptoms every time I try to drink a little liquor distilled from gluten. I think basically everyone's body is different and some people can tolerate it and some can't. I just happen to be on the latter end.

I only get problems from GRAIN alcohol. I can drink a whole bottle of wine & be fine. I had 8-10 rum drinks a month ago & was fine, it's just the grain alcohols.

I got a reaction after drinking a shot of Vodka for experimental purposes. Also, I went to a bar and ordered a couple Smirnoff and Sprites, but aparently the bar did not have Smirnoff, so instead of telling me this, the bartender just gave me some other cheap vodka. I definitely was bloated and had a pain on the left side of my stomach. I have been gluten free for a while and my body will usually tell me when I ingest gluten into my body.

By the way, Woodford Reserve (the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and Breeder's Cup) is definitely one of the best small batch bourbons values out there. It is about $30 for a 750ml bottle.

Also, the guidelines for Bourbon are as follows:

At least 51% corn, aged for at least 2 yrs in new charred, white oak barrels, distilled at 160 proof or less, and it can be made in more states than just Kentucky (I forget exactly which ones, but most of them are down south).

Jack Daniel's is a Tennessee Whiskey, not a bourbon because it is charcoal mellowed. It is just another refining step in the whiskey making process. JD drips its whiskey through large vats with 10 feet of hard packed charcoal to get the taste profile it has.

I just had some Extra Heavy Malaga tonight at our Seder! It is gluten-free by the way...it has a special place in my Grandma's heart as she grew up on the stuff. So, go ahead and pour yourself a glass and use it in your special recipe! Happy Pesach by the way.

I tried to search, but I did not find what I was looking for. In the last week, I noticed I have a hard time with lactose/dairy products. I used to take Citracal for my osteopena, but it looks like there might be a sugar related to lactose in it. The pharmacist did not have a definitive answer for me.

I know some of you with lactose intolerance must take calcium pills...so which ones do you take? Thanks for the help!

Interesting info... I use Aveda products because my family knows the owner of a salon that uses only Aveda products and we get our stuff for free. So, I have been using Brilliant for shampoo and Scalp Benefits for my conditioner for probably 2 or more years. I used to use Shampure, but I think I stopped because it has wheat in it. These products seem to work out good and Sap Moss is a good shampoo as well.

There are a few more vodkas out there that are made from potatoes:

Zygo- Only a few years old...it is a Peach flavored vodka with some of the ingredients that can be found in Red Bull and other energy drinks. This vodka was developed after the Red Bull and Vodka craze hit. Tastes pretty good too! www.zygotopia.com

44 North- Relatively new Huckleberry infused potato vodka...has a different taste and is very mixable.

www.rockymountainvodka.com

Teton Glacier- Usually found in a squat rounded bottle that is a good value. www.glaciervodka.com

Harnas Vodka- I did some searching and found this potato vodka as well. Not sure if you can find it in any U.S. stores though.

Monopolowa Vodka- Product of Eastern Europe...looks like it got a good review, but never had it yet.

Victory Vodka- Made from 3 varieties of potatoes (Stobrawa, Mila, Glada) if that means anything to you!

Open Original Shared Link or Open Original Shared Link

You can buy some of these vodkas there...

Also, if you can find it, 3 Vodka is made out of Soy--never had it but it sounds interesting!

www.3vodka.com

There are other vodkas that you will find by searching the net, but they are harder to find locally.

I used to work for a wine and liquor distributor in ny (in between jobs currently) and I would say 90% of the liquor store owners would go out of their way to special order different wines/liquors for their customers. You just have to make a point to talk to them and show that you WILL DEFINITELY be back to purchase the gluten-free beer. Few owners will make you put down a deposit, but just make sure you establish a connection with the owner/buyer. Good luck!

I have had the Dietary Specialties brand raviolis and stuffed shells and they are good. Here is the link to their site... Open Original Shared Link Enjoy!

I will be in Vegas from Thurs til Sunday as well. I ate in PF Changs in Oct. and it was great! I am definitely going to eat there again. Hopefully I will make it to Maggiano's and/or Samba as well. Thanks for the info! Have a great time in Vegas!

The true Agave tequilas are really good -- had a chance to try them in Mexico. How pricey are the brands you listed???

The brands of tequila I listed are approximately $35-$60 (silver are the cheapest all the way up to Anejo). I have had some really expensive tequila, but there is just no need to go that crazy (e.g. Herradura Seleccion Suprema- retail is approx. $275/bottle and Jose Cuervo Riserva de la Familia- approx. $110/bottle).

Gabrielle- Malibu rum is gluten-free--I actually toured their factory in Barbados 2 yrs ago. They do however age their rums in once used Bourbon barrels from Kentucky. That alone should not be enough to cause a reaction though.

I am really tempted to try some distilled liquors but I don't want to get sick...It seems like most of you do drink distilled vodkas and gins even though they are made out of wheat. I have plenty of stuff just sitting around begging to be consumed!

That is a very positive response from Yager. I figured it was gluten free, but the "contains caramel color" had me a little worried. Nonetheless, I have had a few chilled shots and yager bombs in the last few months with no adverse reactions.

This is tough because I loved beer and now I have been trying to find safe enjoyable drinks. Wine and gluten-free beer of course. Vodka tonic and straight Jose Cuervo Gold tequila so far.

If you like tequila, you owe it to yourself to enjoy a true 100% agave tequila, not a mixto (only 51% agave tequila like Jose) tequila such as Patron, Corazon, Cabo Wabo, Don Eduardo, and Casa Noble to name a few. If you like the gold version of Jose, you would probably love the Reposado (aged between 3 months and 1 year) versions of any of those 100% agave tequilas. They usually have a slight pepper flavor/spice to them, but are ultra smooth.

Depending on my mood, I like to drink different beverages. Sometimes I will do some chilled Tuaca (Italian liqueur-vanilla/citrus flavor) shots, shots of 100% Agave tequila--usually Don Eduardo b/c I used to sell it, Rum and Cokes, or some nice red or white wine depending what food I am pairing it with.

Just to keep things on a disgusting note since it seems like you guys like the dirty humor...

In an unofficial farting contest between you and your friends that have just eaten White Castle, you are the clear winner and they are forced to clear out of the room and are thoroughly disgusted with you.

Enough with the gross ones...

You try to justify being Celiac because you are healthier than people that consume gluten.

I have tried a few different protein type bars but the one that I always come back to is the Honeybar Organic Trail Mix bar. They are 200 calories, have 13g of fat (mostly good fats), 1.5g of Sat. fat, 17g of carbs, 2g of fiber, 12g of sugar, 7 grams of protein (why I like them), and they taste good too!

I just joined that group too. There are at least 5 other groups for celiacs on my space as well. Some guy even started a group for GLUTEN LOVERS...lol...how sad.

No, but I am Gellin'!

Open Original Shared Link

Read that post as well for info. I am too lazy to re-write what I said in there. However, a good school will work with you to the best of their ability. My small college was able to keep me fed for 4 years and I am very appreciative. Make sure you contact the food service manager for any school you are considering and go from there! Good luck!

I split my time between Envirokidz Frosted Corn Flake cereal --tastes almost like Tony the Tiger flakes and New Morning Cocoa Crispy Rice cereal. For hot cereal I love cream of rice with some light brown sugar

Hey fellow underweight pre and post diagnosed celiacs! I too was very much underweight for my whole life leading up to my diagnosis at 17 yrs of age. I was 5'10 and weighed a measely 121lbs at my lowest weight at my gastro's office. I was anemic and had osteoperosis...but since then I have made a full recovery. Within the first couple months i gained almost 20 lbs and started growing more. I think it took me 1-2 yrs to get to the stable weight I am at now. I used to eat (and still do) tons of calories per day, but once you are eating the appropriate foods, it makes a huge difference. I am now about 6'2'' and 175lbs which is about average I think. My opinion would be to keep eating gluten until you find out for sure that you are allergic through a biopsy and blood tests. Good luck!

Last year, I went to the Acquarium for the day and then decided to hit up the Legal Seafoods right across the street. Seems logical right? Spend the day looking at fish and seafood, then you go and eat some! I ordered off the gluten free menu and had a great experience. I can't remember exactly what I ate, but it tasted good and I think I had a dessert too. Good luck!

The info broncobux gave is the same thing that I keep in mind when eating Sushi. I usually get the Rainbow Roll to play it safe b/c it is delicious! I think it is yellow tail, salmon, and a couple other fish wrapped in avocado and rice. Sake is probably more of an acquired taste, but if you want a sweet, after dinner drink, try the Plum wines. I have had Kobai Plum--very sweet, but might help you get into other Japanese wines.

I have a cross-contamination question for you guys:

If a bar/restaurant has a gluten-free beer on the same tap as other beers that we cannot have, will there be any cross contamination? I am not that familiar with beer or beer taps but it looks like there might be possible contamination.

Tammy- how far away from Middletown is Fernwood in PA? It is a good idea on waiting til after the new year because I am sure we are all getting ready for the holidays. Keep us updated on an event!

Rob