NJKen

It appears that Continental may have discontinued serving gluten-free meals. I just flew home to the U.S. on Monday from Europe, and was not served the gluten-free meal that I had reserved. Their list of special meals has just been updated on their website, and does not include gluten-free. Ironically, the meal that I was served on my flight on the 5th was the best gluten-free meal that I've ever had on an airline.

Ken

I haven't been to Iceland, but I can help a little bit with Stockholm.

A grocery store in the basement of a department store (

There are two Nordsee restaurants in Salzburg, at Getreidegasse 11 and at Europapark 2, Shop 138, Europastrasse 1. Nordsee is a cafeteria-style seafood restaurant that serves mostly breaded fish that is unsuitable for celiacs, but they always have grilled salmon available, and sometimes have some other fish that has no gluten ingredients. They also have salads that are OK. Nordsee is NOT ideal for celiacs; there is a risk of CC, but I have chosen to eat there and have been satisfied. I enjoy the casual, non-smoking environment, and have not (to my knowledge) been served contaminated food.

In 2008 I sent an email, asking about their gluten-free menu items, and got the following list (in German; not all things on this list will be available at one time):

Lebensmittel im

The following are in Salzburg, according to the website Open Original Shared Link

(Just select Oesterreich, type in the city name in ORT and click on Suchen)

Dr. F. Bachleitner-Hofmann KG Borrom

Bar Bao is primarily a Vietnamese restaurant.

I haven't eaten there; I'd be interested to read the experience of someone on this board who has tried it. Their website does not include a gluten-free menu.

I usually order a curry dish; curries are *usually* safe. Whatever you choose, be sure to specify that there should be no soy sauce and no oyster sauce; both typically contain wheat. Fish sauce, which is a traditional Thai condiment, is normally safe.

Ken

I'd like to know where you have all gone for a fancy dinner out with my gluten-eating boyfriend.

Well, I've never gone for a fancy dinner with your boyfriend (sorry, I couldn't resist), but I have a couple of recommendations for Italian restaurants--both have gluten-free entrees in addition to "normal" food:

Sambuca

20 West 72nd Street (just west of Central Park West)

Tel:212-787-5656

www.sambucanyc.com

Food is served in large portions meant for sharing.

About 6-8 blocks north of Lincoln Center.

Lumi

963 Lexington Ave. at NE corner of 70th Street

Tel:212-570-2335

www.lumirestaurant.com

Sidewalk dining is available in the summer.

A few blocks from many of the museums on the east side of Central Park.

Enjoy your dinner!

Ken

My favorites:

East Asian food:

Lili's 57

200 West 57th (on 7th Ave a couple of blocks south of Central Park)

New York, NY 10019

Tel:212-586-5333

www.lilis57.com

Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food in a diner-like ambience.

Near Carnegie Hall and City Center, and not far from Lincoln Center.

Southern Italian food:

Sambuca

20 West 72nd Street (just west of Central Park West)

Tel:212-787-5656

www.sambucanyc.com

Food is served in large portions meant for sharing.

About 6-8 blocks north of Lincoln Center.

More Italian food (Tuscan):

Lumi

963 Lexington Ave. at NE corner of 70th Street

Tel:212-570-2335

www.lumirestaurant.com

Sidewalk dining is available in the summer.

A few blocks from many of the museums on the east side of Central Park.

Mediterranean style (southeastern France/northwestern Italy):

Nizza

630 9th Ave. (between 44th and 45th Streets)

Tel:212-956-1800

Open Original Shared Link

The gluten-free menu features soccas, a pizza-like dish made with chickpea flour.

Close to the Port Authority bus terminal, and not far from Times Square.

Deli-style sandwiches:

Friedman's Lunch

Inside Chelsea Market at 75 9th Avenue

Tel:212-929-7100

www.friedmanslunch.com

I'm not sure what this is near, but it's a good lunch stop.

Grocery store with good selection of gluten-free foods:

Fairway Market

2127 Broadway at 74th Street

gluten-free foods are on the second floor.

Other locations in Brooklyn and Harlem.

www.fairwaymarket.com

The Broadway store is about ten blocks from Lincoln Center, and very close to Sambuca.

Have a good trip!

Ken

I recommend renting an apartment so that you can prepare your own meals. There are many apartments available for short-term visitors in Berlin. My wife and I stayed there during the week after Christmas four years ago, and found a health food store (called Reformhaus in Germany) just a few blocks away.

This is from the website of the German celiac society (Open Original Shared Link):

Request for the Chef

When going to a restaurant you should (like almost everythere in the world) talk to the staff.

The waiter can bring the following text to the chef in the kitchen:

German

Da ich an einer Unvertr

Nizza - Mediterranean style (southeastern France, northwestern Italy)

630 9th Ave. (between 44th and 45th Streets)

tel: 212-956-1800

Open Original Shared Link

The gluten-free menu features soccas, a pizza-like dish made with chickpea flour.

I figured I'd add one more, since you'll be there for four days.

East Asian food (diner atmosphere):

Lili's 57

200 West 57th (on 7th Ave a couple of blocks south of Central Park)

New York, NY 10019

Tel:212-586-5333

www.lilis57.com

Southern Italian food (restaurant atmosphere):

Sambuca

20 West 72nd Street (just west of Central Park West)

Tel:212-787-5656

www.sambucanyc.com

I've eaten at both of these places and have been very happy with both. They each have a special, gluten-free menu available.

You'll find this is actually pretty common. Most airlines will only do special meals for international flight, I have yet to find a domestic flight that I have taken with a special meal option.

Continental still offers special meals on coast-to-coast flights in the U.S. and certain other flights, including LAX to Hawaii. The original poster unfortunately chose the wrong airline.

Nizza, a Mediterranean restaurant on 9th Ave between 44th and 45th Streets: Open Original Shared Link

Lili's 57, a Chinese/Japanese/Thai restaurant on 7th Ave between 56th and 57th Streets: Open Original Shared Link

Lumi, an Italian restaurant at Lexington Ave and 70th Street: Open Original Shared Link

Additional gluten-free info for NYC: Open Original Shared Link

Also:

Open Original Shared Link

I've had good experiences at Sambuca, an Italian restaurant on West 72nd Street (about 6-8 blocks north of Lincoln Center), and Lili's 57, a very informal Chinese/Japanese/Thai restaurant on 7th Avenue near 57th Street. Both have gluten-free menus.

Also, for people not familiar with New York's geography, UES=Upper East Side, LES=Lower East Side, and UWS=Upper West Side. Upper=Northern and Lower=Southern.

The gluten-free wheat starch in Europe is tested for gluten above a certain threshold, which I believe has been 200 ppm, so a batch with 190 ppm could be labeled gluten-free. I have read that Codex is considering lowering the threshold to 20 ppm, which would be the same as for foods that are naturally gluten-free.

In case this isn't clear, ppm = parts per million.

The US FDA's proposed threshold for gluten-free foods is 20 ppm.

I know someone in Austria with Celiac who cooks with this. The brand name is Wiechert and the flour is called Fertig Mehl. Does anyone know of anything like it available in the U.S. or online? I just wonder if it would taste better than rice or bean flour. My friend claims it does. I'd pay good money for some if it was really free of gluten content.

I don't know of any wheat starch product in the U.S. that is tested for gluten content. Keep in mind, if you order it online, that it can never be proven to be truly free of gluten. The gluten-free wheat starch in Europe is tested for gluten above a certain threshold, which I believe has been 200 ppm, so a batch with 190 ppm could be labeled gluten-free. I have read that Codex is considering lowering the threshold to 20 ppm, which would be the same as for foods that are naturally gluten-free. Perhaps someone from Europe will confirm this.

While traveling in Europe I have eaten foods prepared with Codex gluten-free wheat starch, and felt no ill effects. OTOH, I was a "silent" celiac who never had severe effects when I was ingesting gluten every day, so I am not a good test case. You'll have to determine for yourself whether your digestive system can handle Codex wheat starch.

If there are any good places in Colorado that are good especially Fort Collins...

Sri Thai in Fort Collins is a Thai restaurant that had a gluten-free menu available when I visited there six years ago. That is where I learned that oyster sauce, as well as soy sauce, needs to be avoided. (Their gluten-free menu clearly indicates that the entrees with oyster sauce are NOT gluten-free.) I enjoyed my meals there very much.

950 South Taft Hill Road

Fort Collins, Co 80521

Phone: (970) 482-5115

I want to move this back up to the top because we're leaving in 10 days and have finalized our itinerary:

Paris and Dijon, France

Stuttgart and Tubingen, Germany

Interlaken and Lausanne, Switzerland

Any restaurant or shop recommendations?

Thanks!

The Zurich train station has a Reformhaus (health food store) in the underground section that has some gluten-free foods. I particularly remember the Linzertorte, which I highly recommend. If you are changing trains in Zurich and have a few extra minutes, it's worth visiting this store.

I haven't been to the cities on your list since I began the gluten-free diet, but it is likely that there is a Reformhaus in each of the German-speaking cities that will have a selection of gluten-free foods. You should be able to find them via an internet search.

I just returned from a three-day visit to the Brandywine Valley region of southeastern Pennsylvania (near the Delaware border). Sweet Christine's Bakery is on West State Street, the westbound (one-way) main street through Kennett Square, and everything in it is gluten-free! They are primarily a wholesale business, but the bakery is open to walk-in customers Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00-6:00. In addition to cookies, brownies, and cupcakes, they sell pizzas (in two sizes), bagels, and on Fridays and Saturdays--chicken salad and bean salad. There are a few tables for people who want to have lunch right there.

Their website is here: Open Original Shared Link

I highly recommend this bakery!

Gluten-free meals are available on any coast-to-coast Continental flight and on flights overseas, as long as they are ordered in advance. They are not available on shorter flights (such as from either coast to Chicago or Houston).

Had you ordered a gluten-free meal on the flight that they brought you a vegan burger? If so, then somebody messed up, but that's not what usually happens.

I wish that they would have something other than a macaroon with their gluten-free meals; they are much too rich.

Also, watch out for the peanuts that are handed out on shorter flights. Often, they have wheat flour as an ingredient (presumably to keep the peanuts from sticking together).

Am I suppose to be 100% gluten free after a month and a half?!? Will I ever be 100% gluten free ever?!

If you decide to prepare all of your own meals from basic ingredients in your own kitchen, then you can become 100% gluten-free. Otherwise, no, you are unlikely to have a truly gluten-free diet over the course of a year. As long as you maintain a gluten-free diet as a goal, emphasizing to food servers that whatever they bring you must be gluten-free, you will probably keep the occasional, accidental gluten intakes to a level low enough to avoid the most serious consequences of continuing to ingest "normal" amounts of gluten. If you are not particularly gluten sensitive, you may never know if your restaurant food was cross-contaminated with a few grains of gluten. Your experience seems like it was a good one; I wouldn't stress about it. It took me about a year before I really felt like I had figured out this diet.

Hello! I can tell you a couple of spots when you're in downtown Boston. In Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall - there is a place called Wagamama (www.wagamama.us). They have a separate gluten free menu -- two items that are naturally gluten free, and then a list of things that can be altered to be gluten free.

There are two additional Wagamama restaurants--one is in Harvard Square (Cambridge) and the other is in the Prudential Center. Make sure that you indicate your need for gluten-free food to the server. They will probably bring a manager out to explain what the gluten-free choices are.

We're planning on staying in hotels part of the time but also hostels sometimes and it scares me to imagine dealing with being glutening while staying in a hostel!

If you are planning to stay more than one night in any location, then look into renting a vacation apartment. This will allow you to prepare your own meals (and you won't have to share the kitchen). The prices are comparable to hotel rooms.

Unless you go to PF Chang's, you are probably limited to only those entrees with white sauce (made with corn starch). Almost everything else at a typical Chinese restaurant is made with soy sauce, and most Chinese restaurants use soy sauce that has wheat as an ingredient. Some restaurant menus that I've seen have a dieter's menu (intended for people who are trying to lose weight), and some of these entrees are prepared without any sauce. You could bring your own wheat-free soy sauce to use on one of these.