Yesterday, I wrote about my criteria for listing restaurants on this site. Basically, I list any restaurant that might be considered gluten free. All decisions rest with the individual, and I do not wish to limit your choices. Today, I will share my strategies for finding a gluten free restaurant meals. Click here if you would like to read or reread yesterday’s article before continuing.
When choosing a restaurant for myself. my criteria are more strict. I am now shifting to blue print, as I always do when I am stating personal opinions:
♦ First of all, my rules are much stricter at home where I have almost-total control. In a restaurant, there is always some risk. My goal is to improve my odds then sit back and enjoy my meal. Worrying is hard to avoid but is never helpful.
♦ Most of the people I dine with are aware of my situation and will allow me to choose the restaurant. I try to always have something in mind.
♦ When I make a reservation or sign in at a restaurant, I state that I require a gluten free meal. I’m always pleased when the person I am talking to is confused by what I am saying and asks a manager or some other knowledgeable person to come out and talk to me. (This happens more often than you might think.)
♦ I always use the word “allergy” even though this is not technically correct. Everybody knows what this means — “don’t feed this guy wheat, barley, rye, or oats”. (FYI, when I am not working on this site, I teach “English as a Second Language”. Many of my beginning students work in food service. Several people will be involved in preparing your meal. It is probable that at least one of them will be confused by the term “reaction” and frightened if you start talking about “autoimmune diseases. Keep it simple. Notice that this information in written in black; it factual not a matter of opinion”.)
♦ I prefer large restaurant chains. They got “big” because they offer good food and good service, they have large legal departments tasked with making sure that individual restaurants don’t make promises they can’t keep, and they are relatively easy to find.
♦ I do not usually pay much attention to people who tell me that they had a bad reaction after eating a specific food at a specific restaurant. Why did the return to the same restaurant and eat the same possibly-toxic food enough times to form a definite conclusion? When I suspect a problem at a restaurant, I do not return often enough to make a definite decision.
♦ For the same reason, I ignore most oral recommendations. The fact that a celiac visited a restaurant a few times does not constitute “
Yesterday, I wrote about my criteria for listing restaurants on this site. Basically, I list any restaurant that might be considered gluten free. All decisions rest with the individual, and I do not wish to limit your choices. Today, I will share my strategies for finding a gluten free restaurant meals. Click here if you would like to read or reread yesterday’s article before continuing.
When choosing a restaurant for myself. my criteria are more strict. I am now shifting to blue print, as I always do when I am stating personal opinions:
♦ First of all, my rules are much stricter at home where I have almost-total control. In a restaurant, there is always some risk. My goal is to improve my odds then sit back and enjoy my meal. Worrying is hard to avoid but is never helpful.
♦ Most of the people I dine with are aware of my situation and will allow me to choose the restaurant. I try to always have something in mind.
♦ When I make a reservation or sign in at a restaurant, I state that I require a gluten free meal. I’m always pleased when the person I am talking to is confused by what I am saying and asks a manager or some other knowledgeable person to come out and talk to me. (This happens more often than you might think.)
♦ I always use the word “allergy” even though this is not technically correct. Everybody knows what this means — “don’t feed this guy wheat, barley, rye, or oats”. (FYI, when I am not working on this site, I teach “English as a Second Language”. Many of my beginning students work in food service. Several people will be involved in preparing your meal. It is probable that at least one of them will be confused by the term “reaction” and frightened if you start talking about “autoimmune diseases. Keep it simple. Notice that this information in written in black; it factual not a matter of opinion”.)
♦ I prefer large restaurant chains. They got “big” because they offer good food and good service, they have large legal departments tasked with making sure that individual restaurants don’t make promises they can’t keep, and they are relatively easy to find.
♦ I do not usually pay much attention to people who tell me that they had a bad reaction after eating a specific food at a specific restaurant. Why did the return to the same restaurant and eat the same possibly-toxic food enough times to form a definite conclusion? When I suspect a problem at a restaurant, I do not return often enough to make a definite decision.
♦ For the same reason, I ignore most oral recommendations. The fact that one celiac had a reaction that may or may not be celiac related and did not return to confirm his or her suspicions does not constitute “proof”.
♦ Usually, I know exactly what I intend to order when I enter a restaurant. However, I always ask for the gluten free menu and always ask a lot of questions. I already know the answers, but I need to be sure that my waiter or waitress does too. If I am not satisfied, my choices are to leave the restaurant or ask that a knowledgeable be sent to my table. I hate doing either of those things, but it is better than worrying all through the meal that this food may make me sick.
I’d love to know your reactions to this article and your procedure for choosing a gluten free restaurant. E-mail m3 at gfceliac@gmail.com or leave a comment at the end of this or any article. I’ve got a hunch that I need to conduct a survey about how “real celiacs” choose a restaurant.
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I am totally dissatisfied with this list. Help me out by sending me your suggestions. Remember, this list is important to me and to everyone who reads what I write. I am frequently asked to recommend gluten free food. I need a more concrete idea of what I am looking for when I give an opinion.
