About Eating Out

Good morning blog world!
It is a dull and grey morning here in Massachusetts! I have a long and busy day ahead of me, and that means I can either decide to carry my lunch box around with me all day, or find somewhere to eat out. Most likely, I am going to eat out today. For those of you who are new to eating out gluten free, or just haven't gotten a handle on it yet, here's some tips to keep you going:

1. Always ask if there is a gluten free menu available. My dad took me out to lunch over the weekend to a place in Waltham, MA called the Chateau, and they did not advertise that they had a gluten free menu, but when I asked, they produced a very well put together menu for me! In fact, it was one of the best gluten free menus I had ever seen! And the food was just divine! So always ask! The worst that can happen is they don't have one.

2. On the chance that the establishment you are eating at doesn't have a gluten free menu, immediately let your server know that you have a gluten allergy, and you are concerned about your meal. A lot of the time your waiter will look at you like you have three heads. Unfortunately working in the food industry has not made them more aware of gluten free diets. Thankfully, their first instinct when they hear the key term "allergy" is to get a manager, or a chef. The will comes ask you about your diet, and most of them are more than happy to provide you with a meal you can eat. I have made friends with a number of the chefs in my area because of this, and they love it when I come to visit! Most restaurants have a menu that doesn't change very often, and can often limit the chef's creative skills. Letting the chef of a restaurant create a special dish for you is a welcome change in their workday, and they are often very excited to try a new challenge.

3. Just stay away from fast food. Legit. The only thing you are going to find you can eat is either a baked potato, which you can get at a nicer restaurant for about the same price, or you can get the burger patty without the bun. Believe me, it's just as greasy and disgusting as it sounds. If you are really really in a hurry and just don't have time to go somewhere else, Wendy's has baked potatoes you can eat, but outside of that, you need to be extremely careful.

4. Be careful of gluten free claims. California Pizza Kitchen recently had to recall their gluten free pizza crust because it was being made in the same area as glutenous pizza, and was therefore, being contaminated. A number of people got really sick before the crust was recalled. Domino's Pizza just released a gluten free crust, but they have a huge disclaimer stating that the pizza is made in the same kitchen as the glutenous pizza, and they can't promise that it won't get contaminated. On that note, when going to a chain restaurant with a gluten free claim PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your research!! I'll try and provide more information about these claims in my blog, so you can be more aware of them, but please try and look at a company's website before you eat there.

Alright blog world. I am off into the real world for the day! I'll check out any comments you leave me during my breaks between errands. Happy eating!