I recently had a fabulous gluten-free dining experience at Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg, California. I wanted to find out more about why this restaurant has chosen to accommodate gluten-free diners when other restaurants are still trying to figure out if potatoes are gluten-free (they are, in case you’re not up to speed either!)

In a phone conversation with Chef Douglas Keane, I asked him why they started having gluten-free items such as dinner rolls. The reason, he says, is that “it’s come up more.” He says he wasn’t really aware of it before this restaurant, but people have been requesting it more and more.

“It was frustrating to give the response in the beginning, ‘I can’t do anything.’” says Keane. It was frustrating, he says, because he couldn’t put any thought into the dishes. He felt like he was just putting food on the plate to feed them and not giving them the full experience. Plus, it is an expensive restaurant and he didn’t want people to feel that they weren’t getting their money’s worth. So, he thought, “I gotta do something.” He did research on gluten-free food and doesn’t find it hard to adapt the menu as needed.

He also added to the bottom of the menu a note: We welcome advance notice of special dietary requests to accommodate your needs and ensure dishes equal the integrity of the regular menu. Most people request a gluten-free or shellfish-free menu, but Keane has had people come in with gluten and dairy allergy, onion and garlic allergy, and a pea allergy. He tries to accommodate any dietary request, BUT, Keane says, he can’t pull it out of a hat! So no matter what your dietary need, it is important to call ahead. “If people do their part and let us know ahead of time”, then, Keane says, “I owe it to them to show them an experience.”

And those gluten-free rolls?
They started making their own breads at Cyrus and then Chef Drew Glassell thought that they could come up with something gluten-free. Within a day they had done it. They par-bake the rolls and freeze them, and then bake them upon request. What a treat for the GF diner! (But if you can’t have butter, beware!)

Keane still gets nervous when someone with a food allergy comes in. He jokingly says, “First rule is don’t hurt or kill anyone.” At Cyrus, they do take it very seriously and they work as a team to try to meet the customers’ requests. Meet our requests they did, flawlessly.

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Last Friday night I had the pleasure of dining at one of the finest restaurants in northern California, Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg.
(I was also lucky enough to be treated to the dinner by friends visiting from Los Angeles… if you can get someone else to pay the bill, I highly recommend it!) While I had been told that the food and service were going to be wonderful, I had no idea how amazing my experience as a gluten-free diner was about to be.

My husband called ahead to let the restaurant know that 2 out of 4 in our party would be gluten free. Calling ahead is always a good idea when dining out — not only does it raise the awareness of the waitstaff, but it allows the chef to make any special arrangements if he/she so desires. At Cyrus, Chef Douglas Keane went way beyond our expectations! We were made to feel that we were special as opposed to being a burden.

Let me explain what was so special about our dinner (and hopefully some restaurant owners and chefs are reading this and taking notes!) First we were served “canapes” — tiny little bites of food, either to eat with your fingers or with teeny little spoons, meant to awaken your senses of taste before the meal. They were served on 2 towers of tiered plates. They told us that one of the towers was all gluten-free. It was evident right away that the chef understood gluten-free because one bite on the regular tower contained beer and was replaced with something else on the gluten-free tower. Several other little bites were replaced by a gluten-free ones also. Each gluten-free bite was as thoughtfully prepared, artfully presented, and delicious as the others. What an impression that made!

Usually when it is time for the bread or rolls to be brought to the table, I get ready to say “no thank you” before they set it down on my plate or on the table. This time I didn’t have to say no because when the waiter came around with a basket of rolls, he explained that he would be serving the gluten-free guests first and that the servers used on the bread had not touched any other bread yet. He proceeded to place a hot-out-of-the-oven baked roll (gluten-free!) on my plate. I have to admit I was a little shocked! And then I tasted it… heaven. Hot buttery heaven. Yes, I had another. (And another, later, with the cheese course — okay, I went a little overboard, but I was so excited!)

Next came caviar, ordered by our friends. Usually one would put caviar on some wheat-y thing like a cracker or potato cake, which often contains flour. When the caviar arrived, so did a plate of rice crackers and potato cakes (no flour) that were separated from the panko-crusted (i.e. gluten-crusted) cakes. Again, I was impressed by the level of understanding.

The appetizers and main courses were beyond delicious. I’m not going to describe each one because I could never do them justice. There were many gluten-free options to choose from, and they did make a substitution in one of the dishes that came with pasta, which was nice.

It was so gratifying that a highly acclaimed restaurant was recognizing the need to serve gluten-free diners. What really stood out was their proactive approach. Not once did I have to say, “Can you ask the chef…” or “Could you just double-check?” When one (of the many) waitpersons brought the menu, she went through the menu with us, telling us what was gluten-free and what was not before we had to ask. When they brought a plate of various chocolates and other sweet things at the end of dinner, they said “All of these are okay for you.” One time I asked if a dark salty sauce that came drizzled on one of the small plates contained soy sauce, and the waitperson (a different one) politely assured me that it was gluten-free, that it was dark because it had been reduced for 4-5 hours, and not to worry, that the Chef knows what he is doing with regards to gluten-free. Yes, he really does, and this was one of the only times that I have thoroughly relaxed and enjoyed a meal in a restaurant without wondering and second-guessing.

After the chocolates came the offer of dessert. There were no gluten-free dessert items on the menu, but we were told that we could have a selection of ice creams and sorbets. We were too full for dessert anyway! And then they gave each one of us a little white and gold gift box with a brownie to take home. Yes folks, there were gluten-free brownies in ours.

As I was leaving the restaurant, I passed the maitre d’/owner, Nick Peyton, and expressed my thanks and kudos for accommodating us. He responded something like, “Thank you for letting us know ahead of time. We want you to have the same dining experience as everyone else.” Well, let me tell you something, I definitely had a better dining experience than everyone else!

An interview with the Chef coming soon!

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Yes, it was my idea that Starbucks should carry gluten-free foods… mine and a thousand other people’s!

I’m sure that every gluten-intolerant person has gone into a Starbucks and thought, “they should have gluten-free stuff here — they would get so much business!” Well, enough people wrote into the My Starbucks Idea website that the idea is now either “coming soon” or “under review” according to the latest post on the website on April 18.

You too can vote for the gluten-free food idea! And if peanuts are a concern, you can vote for the peanut-free food idea. If dairy or eggs are your problem, vote for the vegan food idea, and if you need to avoid it all, vote for the allergy-free baked goods idea.

Maybe soon we will be able to pick a muffin from the case, just like all the normal people! If you do see something gluten-free at a Starbucks near you, please report it here!

Filed under: Food Allergies, Gluten Intolerance, Restaurants/Bakeries/Stores | 5 Comments »

This is so cool…

The chef at a Chicago restaurant, himself a father of children with food allergies, has created four special nights in 2008 for diners with food allergies.

Restaurant information:

• Restaurant: Bistro 110
• Chef: Dominique Tougne
• Cuisine: French American oven cuisine
• Address: 110 East Pearson St., Chicago, Illinois
• Phone: 312-266-3110

Allergy-Free Dinner Schedule:

• March 24 — nut-free menu (featuring nut-free sole fillet “almandine” and faux peanut butter and mousse parfait)
• May 12 — gluten-free menu (featuring dough-less “quiche lorraine” and gluten-free tagliatelle with ragout of mussel, clam, shrimp and tarragon)
• September 29 — dairy-free menu (featuring cream-free “cream of lentil” soup and roasted chicken breast with corn flan)
• November 17 — shellfish-free menu (featuring shellfish-free seafood soup and an uncannily lobster-esque monkfish ragout)

If you live in Chicago - enjoy! If not, this is a start — suggest the idea to a restaurant near you!

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A hot slice of pizza topped with the special of the day, a toasted bagel with cream cheese, a rich fudgey brownie, a coconut lemon square, coffee cake, a bite of biscotti. These are some of the delights that you can savor if you pay a visit to Mariposa Baking Company in Oakland, CA. Oh yeah - and did I mention that it is a completely dedicated gluten-free bakery?

Patti Furey Crane started Mariposa after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. When she cut gluten out of her diet in an attempt to deal with the MS, she realized that gluten had been making her sick for 10 years and exasperated her MS symptoms . When I asked her if eliminating gluten has helped the MS, she replied, “I’m not on any medication for MS and have no symptoms now — though I do have an occasional flare-up that reminds me to slow down, eat well and reduce stress.” (Read more on the connection between MS and diet and a study that showed increased antibodies to gluten in MS patients)

You don’t even have to be gluten-free to find that everything in this bakery is delicious. Mariposa began with brownies and biscotti. Now there are all the things I mentioned above plus cookies, little loaves of bread, and sometimes (if you’re lucky!) perfectly seasoned croutons. You can buy a frozen pizza crust and make your own pizza at home. Unlike other gluten-free crusts, it is not mealy or doughy or overly chewy — it is a thin crust with the right amount of crunch (bake it to your preference).

Mariposa Baking Company is located at 5427 Telegraph ave, Unit D3 in Oakland, California. Telephone number: 510.595.0955. But you also might find Mariposa products at a store near you.

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I just moved to Marin County from San Francisco. I had been hearing about the farmer’s market that takes place in San Rafael at the Marin Civic Center for some time, but for some reason never made it while I was living in the city (it was a whole 20 minutes away!) So finally today, I went. And boy was I glad I did. Just take a look at this:

Yes, these are gluten-free, made by Flour Chylde Bakery of Novato. They claim that they are not a gluten-free bakery but that they are careful about cleaning their equipment. The chocolate one was incredible and the coconut one was good, but the chocolate one — wow.

Earlier tonight I had Brazilian cheese bread from the Brazilian Cheese Bread Company, also purchased at the farmer’s market. It comes frozen like this:

Then you bake the little bread balls. They are so yummy and come in many flavors, including garlic, olive and sun-dried tomato. They also make pizza crusts from the same gluten-free dough. The company is a sponsor for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. I will definitely be buying these again.

And as if I hadn’t had enough special treats for the day, I decided to try one of the “Macarons de Paris” that my friend brought me from a bakery in San Francisco called Bay Bread.

I don’t know what claims the bakery makes about cross-contamination, but my friend brought me the ingredient list — no gluten-containing ingredients. The texture of these little desserts is like no other I have tasted - so light and airy, with a buttercream filling. The cookie is made with almonds, egg whites and sugar and the filling comes in different flavors, including coffee, hazelnut, pistachio, apple, caramel, raspberry, lemon and chocolate.

Sometimes it’s not so bad being gluten-free!

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Just a reminder that if you are doing any Amazon shopping this holiday season, consider clicking through to Amazon from the Sure Foods Living website. Amazon will pay a small commission that goes directly to this website — this helps pay for monthly fees to keep it going. There is no extra cost to you, and all you have to do is come here first, then click on the Amazon link in the right sidebar before you start your shopping — that’s it! Thanks for your support!

Also, if you are stumped for gift ideas for someone that has a dietary restriction, consider a gift certificate to an online grocery store, like the Gluten Free Mall, The Allergy Grocer or Gluten Solutions. Even Amazon now has a wide selection of gluten-free products to choose from.

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For anyone on a gluten-free diet, finding a place to eat while traveling can be difficult and at the very least requires some effort. So how could one even consider traveling to Italy, the land of pasta and pizza? Seems like it would be really tough, doesn’t it?

Actually, Italy is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of celiac disease. Because of this, apparently all children are screened for celiac disease by the age of 6, whether they are showing symptoms or not. If someone of any age shows symptoms, the awareness is there to recognize that it could be celiac and get it diagnosed right away. In an article on the University of Chicago Medical Center’s website, Stefano Guandalini, MD is quoted as saying, “In Europe, it typically takes a few weeks to go from the first symptoms to a diagnosis. In the U.S., the average lag time between onset and diagnosis is 11 years.” Boy, we have a long way to go!

I have not been to Italy since my diagnosis of celiac disease, and have wondered if it would be difficult or if the awareness is really there. If you have wondered the same thing, then you must read Gluten-Free Girl’s post eating gluten-free in italy. It will make you want to go there ASAP!

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Yesterday an article came out in the New York Times called “For the Gluten-Averse, a Menu That Works.” The article talks about all the New York City eateries that are creating gluten-free menus. Not only have these restaurants made people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance very happy people (what city couldn’t use some more smiling faces?), but they have all seen a spike in business since offering gluten-free menu choices.

Here in San Francisco, we are supposedly cutting edge when it comes to food, yet there are no restaurants that I know of in San Francisco that cater to the gluten-free crowd. The national chain restaurants P.F. Chang’s, Outback Steakhouse and Carraba’s Italian Grill all have gluten-free menus but no locations in SF, only outside. The only independent restaurant I know of in or near the Bay Area that has an extensive (and intentional) gluten-free menu is Mangiamo in Windsor, located about 60 miles north of SF. In Berkeley, there is Pizza Rustica that has gluten-free pizza crusts made by the “I Can Eat That” Bakery. While they will cook it on a separate surface if requested, they cannot guarantee that there will be no cross-contamination from airborne flour in the kitchen. Mariposa Baking Company, known for their delectable gluten-free brownies and biscotti, has opened Cafe Mariposa and Bakeshop in Oakland. Initially they are serving gluten-free (and some dairy-free) baked goods along with beverages, and plan to add more items to the menu.

Is that it? If anyone knows of any other restaurants in the Bay Area that intentionally cater to the gluten-free crowd, please post your comments here. (For those of you planning to visit SF and must dine GF, don’t worry - there are many great restaurants here that can accommodate your needs if you communicate with the waiter and chef.)

Lucky New Yorkers!

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For people who have food allergies or celiac disease, walking up to an ice cream counter and asking about the ingredients in each flavor can be a discouraging experience. Either the person behind the counter will have no idea what the ingredients are, or everyone working there will be too busy to give any information, or there won’t be any flavors that are safe to eat.

Last night I had no such experience. When my friend and I walked into a bustling gelato shop called Gelateria Naia in North Beach in San Francisco, I was prepared for the usual back and forth with the employee behind the counter. But then I noticed something — color-coded tags on the gelato flavors. Brown for soy gelato (dairy-free), green for whole fresh fruit gelato (dairy-free) and red for the regular (dairy) flavors. This tipped me off that there might be an allergy awareness here.

I then asked the scooper if she had a list of ingredients. She retrieved a folder, and while she didn’t hand it to me, she was able to tell me if the flavors I was interested in were gluten-free (most were). I ordered 4 flavors (I could have ordered 6 since I got the biggest size bowl!) What a pleasant and easy experience that was! I wasn’t made to feel like an annoying customer and the employee even seemed proud that she could help me.

I called the company today and spoke with one of the creators of Naia, Chris, who told me that they label their flavors (if someone were to ask) with the following: gluten, dairy, soy, nuts (includes peanuts), eggs, seeds, alcohol. I suggested that they make an allergy chart that they can hand out and/or put on their website.

They have other stores in Berkeley, Castro St. in SF, and Walnut Creek, and a “Lounge” on the UC Berkeley campus.

Delicious gelato, unique flavors and allergy awareness - what more could we ask for? (gluten-free cones?)

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