Safe Celiac

My wife and I recently got back from a week-long vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida. Although SafeCeliac usually reviews restaurants around the Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge areas, I wanted to share the experiences of eating gluten-free at Disney since it was truly an awesome experience.

First, before we left I filled out a form dedicated to food allergies, and I was happy to see a gluten-free check box (not just wheat) and also “Celiac” in brackets. We indicated all our breakfast and dinner reservation confirmation numbers (make your reservations early as the restaurants fill up quickly), and emailed this back to a special email account for dietary needs at Disney. They reassured us that all restaurants would be able to accommodate eating gluten free.

We also received a whole package indicating what foods were gluten free at the parks – this was really handy for all our quick service meals and snacks. Overall I was really impressed how much of the quick service type foods were gluten free, including hamburgers (served on a gluten free bun), fries at many locations, turkey legs, ribs, etc. You could also get pizzas, gluten free brownies and cookies, though I had so many snack food options that I didn’t even try these.

We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where many of our quick service meals were at The Maya, a cafeteria like restaurant. As soon as you even mention you have an allergy (at The Maya, or at any restaurant), the chef is required to come out to talk to you and tell you the options that are available for you. Every chef I met was extremely nice and more than happy to assist. Many mornings I had gluten free waffles or pancakes (awesome!) and the chefs knew exactly what was or wasn’t gluten free, such as the breakfast sausage (which was gluten-free).

One morning we went to the Kona Cafe at The Polynesian, in which the treatment was the same: Note to coffee drinkers – the coffee was the best here out of anywhere a Disney! But in terms of eating, again I had waffles, and a plethora of other items (bacon, ham, sausage, potatoes)…we ate well! Another morning we went to Boma for breakfast, which is an incredible buffet with many options for Celiacs, including a quinoa porridge, African fruit salad, omletes, and the regular breakfast fare. The chef walked me through the buffet and also made me gluten-free pancakes. It was awesome.

Our dinner meals were also very consistent, and I had no problems finding gluten free options. Most restaurants had my allergy information on file and as soon as we sat down a chef came by to explain the menu. Almost all meals came with gluten free buns (instead of bread) which were a little tough but very appreciated nonetheless.

Our first meal was at San Angel at Epcot. This was a good Mexican restaurant, and I had the steak dinner which was very good. The next night we ate at Sanaa at The Animal Kingdom Lodge and I had the curries (I had the red chicken curry and the slow cooker beef ribs) and it was a great meal. The rice pudding dessert was gluten-free, but had a very subtle taste. Nice and light though!

The next night we ate at The Flying Fish Cafe, which is an upscale restaurant on The Boardwalk. I started my meal with a gluten free beer (needless to say I was very impressed!) and gluten-free rolls. I chose the snapper, which was excellent. Dessert was creme brûlée, and a lot of it! What I learned about Disney is that they don’t skimp on portions, and you will never leave a restauran hungry.

Dinner the next night was at Mama Melrose at Hollywood Studios. This Italian restaurant was recommended by allears.net (which has some good reviews of restaurants for eating gluten free), and was certainly accomodating to Celiacs (I had gluten-free pasta) but I probably wouldn’t go back. The food was ok, but the only reason we went was to try the gluten-free pasta and otherwise wasn’t anything special.

The next night we ate at a quick service restaurant in Downtown Disney called The Earl of Sandwich. Their specialties of course were sandwiches, but they had a wonderful selection of made to order salads. I had the Medeterranean chicken salad (but not with the regular dressing as it contained gluten, but with balsamic dressing). It was a great dinner, and after eating my share of hamburgers, popcorn, chips, turkey legs and soda, it felt really good to find a quick service meal that was healthy and fresh. Highly recommended.

And the last night we splurged and went to Fultons Crab House in Downtown Disney. If you like crab or lobster, this restaurant is a must visit. My wife and I shared Alaskan Crab claws (served warm, with melted butter) and Florida Crab claws (served cold, with two dipping sauces, both gluten-free). Overall it was a wonderful meal, great environment, and easy for Celiacs.

The only negative experience during our trip was at the Morrocan quick service restaurant at Epcot. The chef explained what was gluten free, but the food was just ‘ok’. I had the chicken kabob meal.

Overall, my experience as a Celiac at Disney was fantastic. The food service employees were always willing to help, the chefs were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and even much of the fast food was gluten-free. I was so surprised how many gluten-free products were available, and there was never a shortage of options of where or what to eat.

Thanks to the reviews at allears.net for the pre-trip planning!

As I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, I went to The Mandarin recently and was pleasantly surprised at how much I could eat there.  Originally I was very worried – The Mandarin?  I’m a gonner.

But as it turns out, when I mentioned my allergy to the Maitre’D, he went to the kitchen, brought out a chef, and the Maitre’D translated what the chef was saying to me.  He went through the whole buffet, and explained what was in each dish and if it had gluten or soy sauce (at Chinese restaurants I specifically ask for no soy sauce since it almost always contains gluten). 

A surprising amount of dishes were gluten free that I never would have tried (made with corn starch for example), including some sort of lemon chicken dish that had pan fried chicken in it.  I even double checked and it was cooked with corn starch.  I couldn’t believe it.

Now with that said, cross contamination at a buffet is especially high (both in the kitchen and in the actual buffet), so you have to be careful.  It is risky.

In the same breath I should mention that I went to Kings Buffet in Cambridge shortly after my good experience at the Mandarin.  They were surprisingly accomodating as well, though definitely not as good as The Mandarin.  I didn’t end up with as much Chinese food from the buffet, but they made me 4 plates of different dishes that I barely put a hole in.  They tasted ok, but you could tell they were being very careful and there were no sauces.  That’s at least reassuring.

I still used the buffet for fruit and dessert though.  Can’t say no to jello!

Anyone else had experiences at other Asian food restaurants in the area?  Please feel free to leave a comment.

It’s no surprise that Chinese food is typically very tough for Celiacs.  Firstly, fried food is almost always out.  Secondly, soy sauce is everywhere.  Thirdly, there’s often a language barrier to overcome (though this is changing).

But I have to say, my experience at Lai Lai’s Chinese Restaurant in Kitchener was really amazing.  First some background: last year, we decided to have our company Christmas party at Lai Lai’s, because…well…we just didn’t have the budget for anything else.  Chinese food is generally cheaper than say, The Keg, so we went with it.  I was a little worried about what I’d eat, but I was also the organizer of the party so I was in contact with the staff at Lai Lai’s.

This was one of the first occasions that my communication with a manager at a Chinese food restaurant was incredibly successful.  I don’t remember her name anymore (I’m sorry to say this post is almost a year late), but I explained my allergy (and also my co-worker’s nut allergy) and I knew she understood.  She repeated back to me what I couldn’t have (including wheat, soy sauce, etc.) and she also asked me questions like if I could have corn starch.  Nice.

When we arrived at Lai Lai’s, we confirmed my allergy and my co-workers, and the staff ensured they knew where we were sitting.  I don’t remember all the dishes we had anymore, but this was one of the first times (as a Celiac) I was able to have dishes that I would have never thought possible.  Probably 6-7 dishes were naturally gluten free (I was surprised), and the ones that weren’t they made me a special version without wheat or soy sauce.   The servers also ensured when they brought out a dish with gluten, that I should stay away from it.  This happened on more than one occasion, and they were very careful.

Next time I’ll try to be a little more specific about which dishes I could eat and which ones I couldn’t!  I’m hoping to update the blog a little more often these days…or at least keep better notes.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you’ve had any good or bad experiences at any Asian restaurants in the area!

Today I visited Nick and Nat’s Uptown 21 in Waterloo for lunch.  Let me start this review off with 3 words: best burger ever.

But first, I was a little worried about the lunch menu.  On one side of the menu were the quick lunch specials (sandwiches, burgers, mostly all gluten) and the other side was a Prix Fixe menu (for $25) which, as a 3-course meal,  looked pretty heavy.

But shortly after I was reassured after speaking with the waitor.  He knew what Celiac disease was, and assured me the beef & pork burger (without the bun) was indeed gluten free.  I asked about the fries, and he double checked with the kitchen.  Athough they were gluten free, they were cooked in a fryer that previously contained wheat products.  He also came back and asked me if I could have malt (which you cannot as a Celiac), which I thought was very thorough.  (The burger didn’t contain malt, he was asking me because I also inquired about the pulled pork sandwich, which apparently is not gluten free because of the malt.)

Because I couldn’t have the fries, they made me roasted potatoes which were very good. 

My wife (who isn’t a Celiac) had the pulled pork sandwich, and she found it very heavy, with a very strong pork taste.  Definitely not as good as my burger, which she sampled of course.  So if you go for lunch at Uptown Waterloo, I’d say stay away from the pulled pork sandwich unless you really like pork.

But overall, we were both very impressed with the service, food, courtesy to allergies, and atmosphere.  We’re definitely planning on going again, perhaps for dinner next time.

Anyone else been there for dinner?  Please leave a comment!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I recently went to Margarita’s - a new Mexican restaurant in Uptown Waterloo.  I was really excited, because firstly I love Mexican food, and secondly Mexican food is for the most part very good for Celiacs.  Many traditional Mexican dishes are made with corn (not wheat), so Mexican food is often a good choice for Celiacs.

Unfortunately Margarita’s was disappointing all around – whether you’re a Celiac or not.

So firstly, the food is expensive here.  Lunch was around $15 a person, which I’m glad to spend if it’s good food, or a good portion, yet neither was true.  The food didn’t taste like anything really, and my colleagues got only 2 tacos for around $14.  After tax and tip you’re at $20, easy.  The environment is nice though, with white table clothes and wine glasses…which is probably what you’re paying for.  Too bad the food just isn’t that good.

But as a Celiac, things get worse.  Not one thing on the menu is gluten free.  I asked the waitress about the menu – in fact, I’m glad I did.  It’s easy to get lazy about Celiac disease, especially when you think you know what’s safe.  And at a Mexican restaurant I usually feel pretty safe, but this just illustrates that you should always ask.  The tacos had gluten, the enchiladas had gluten, everything had gluten.  These are all dishes that are made from corn tortillas, yet the waitress double checked with the chef and indeed there was gluten in everything.

Ironically, I ended up having the chicken ‘Torta’, which is a Mexican sandwich – but of course I had it without the bun.  Unfortunately it was just terrible.  The shredded chicken had bones – yes I’m not kidding – small bones, that I didn’t notice at first but luckily picked them out and didn’t swallow them.  It also had knuckles and parts of the chicken you just don’t want to eat.  I’d hate to think what would have happened if I had ordered this on a bun (if I were a non-Celiac) with all those bones and knuckles.  Yikes.  Anyway, even if the chicken was good, it was basically shredded chicken in a bowl, with a slice of cheese and tomato on the side.  Not great.

I won’t dwell on the other fact that they were incredibly slow and in the end only accepted cash – I assume this is all because this was the first week of opening.  (and I’ve watched enough “Opening Soon” TV episodes to know what restauranteurs have to go through!) 

On a positive note, the margaritas were excellent.

On Friday, I went to Montana’s in Cambridge (on Hespeler Road) and immediately noticed a new menu. I always enjoyed Montana’s because of their great gluten free options (well, ok, it’s mostly about the ribs).  So when I noticed that the menu had changed, I was a little bit worried at first.  Did they change their sauce for the ribs?  Does the rotisserie chicken now have gluten on it?

Well, as it turns out the new menu is great.  In fact, Montana’s has a new nutritional and allergy information page (that you can ask for, and take home if you wish) that lists all the items on their menu and if gluten is present.  (The column is called “Wheat & Gluten Sources”).  They also have other allergens listed such as peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, milk and milk products, fish, shellfish, soy and sulphites.  They’ve obviously done their homework.

The ribs are still gluten-free (thankfully!) and it’s good to know that the Texas Bold and Apple Butter BBQ sauce are gluten-free.  I always chose the Texas Bold since I had checked the ingredients, but never checked the Apple Butter sauce.  Also a nice surprise: the burgers are gluten free (without the bun of course).  Note that the rotisserie chicken is still gluten-free, but the dipping sauce is still not gluten free.  I usually have the Texas Bold BBQ sauce as a dipping sauce when I have the rotisserie chicken.

Apparently the fries are gluten free as well.  I didn’t check if they were cooked in a separate fryer though – anyone out there asked their local Montana’s?

Note that some of the salads are listed as having gluten, but this is only because of the croûtons.  The salads can be made without croûtons, and as I mentioned most of the salad dressings (except for the Lemon Garlic Vinegarette) are gluten free.

Well, enjoy the new Montana’s menu!

(Click on the menu below to see the full resolution image.)

Montana's Menu Allergy Guide