As I announced last week, Triumph Dining recently updated its guide to gluten free restaurants. The new guide gives us many more choices and all these options have been checked out recently. To celebrate this event, Triumph Dining has authorized me to award four copies of their new guide. I have decided to sponsor a contest in which people are invited to submit a list of “Ways to Insure an Enjoyable, Relaxing, and ‘Safe’ Restaurant Experience.”

But…how do I judge such a contest? I’ve decided to honor everyone’s contribution by awarding a prize to the fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth person to submit a list. Please e-mail your list to gfceliac@gmail.com. I’ll publish everything I receive and compile the information into a complete master list.

To help get things started, here is my list:

“Ways to Insure an Enjoyable, Relaxing,
and ‘Safe’ Gluten Free Restaurant Experience“

1. When you make a reservation, state that you are allergic to wheat, barley, and rye. Many restaurant employees have been trained to alert a chef or supervisor when they hear these words.

2. Always use the word “allergy” even though this is technically incorrect. Everyone (even people whose first language is not English) knows what that word means. Avoid the word “gluten”. Many have never heard the term. Others may think that you are also talking about rice or corn gluten.

3. Do your homework carefully. Find out as much as you can about the restaurant you will be visiting. Decide what you will order. BUT

4. Don’t reveal your knowledge to your server. Ask questions! That’s the best way to find out what your serving knows about gluten free food, how willing he or she is to get the information you need (or are pretending to need).

5. Ask to speak to a manager or chef if you need to. If worse-comes-to-worst, walk out. After all, there are worse things to be called than a “fussy eater”.