And then there were four three.

Ever since I was diagnosed in the fall of 2007, I’ve been whittling down my list of safe restaurants. Luckily, Chicago affords a Celiac more options than many cities. That said, plenty of them are fancy shmancy and over my budget. In the past year, I finally brought my number of truly trusted restaurants to four. I’d talked to the managers at one point or another, and was comfortable with their cooking practices and their level of commitment to avoiding allergens. Oh and the food tasted…good.

Of those four, Marcello’s Pizza on the North Side of Chicago offered a delicious gluten-free rice crust that many of my non-celiac friends enjoyed eating as well. Tasted great, got to my house quickly, complete with a little gluten-free sticker slapped over the edge like a safety seal. It satisfied that itch. The itch that makes you wish you could eat pizza again, or more to the point, the itch of that pre-celiac feeling of a delivered pizza: Call up the restaurant, they make you a pizza, they drive it over, I take 3-4 greasy pieces, laugh at the movie with my friends, throw the box in the fridge: more for the next evening. It felt normal, and I typically don’t feel normal when presented with a place setting at dinner.

But a couple hours after my last pizza from Marcello’s, I realized something had gone awry, despite the “hermetically” sealed GF sticker. My toppings were all free and clear, unless they surgically injected gluten into the peppers and onion. That leaves the sauce and crust, and my money is on the crust. I’m sure it was prepared on the same board with gluten-soaked crusts, and maybe some flour was actually kneaded into my rice crust.

Regardless, the damage was done. So now, a question of loyalty, forgiveness, and anger. Do I just give them a piece of my mind, let them know what happend (and potentially help a fellow celiac if its a systemic problem), then ask to me transfered to the hostess so I can place another order for delivery? Do I write them off as unsafe, never to go back again? Somewhere between?

I’d love to hear how people who’ve dealt with CD for much longer than me if they have any horror stories, and more importantly how they handled the aftermath…

Proof that celiac-literate (celiaciterate?) people can be found in towns of any size. In a former life I lived in Colorado, and two times a week would enjoy the art that is a Merle’s Brown Bag sandwich. When I went to visit some friends in Telluride last week, I didn’t want to walk anywhere near this favorite pre-celiac lunch spot of mine.

However, as often happens in a small town, I ran into the owner, Shawn, while walking around town. I sadly asked her if she offered salads. Knowing my regular order, she gave me a curious look and said, “Yeah sure, but…”

I finished her thought with a shrug, “I’m gluten-free now.”

Before my shrug could drop, she replied, “Ah, celiac or gluten intolerance?” I took a second to compose a smile. She proceeded to offer in-stock gluten-free breads, tips on shopping and eating gluten-free, and even denied me the mustard I ordered because she couldn’t guarantee its gluten-free status. All this without prompting. As a result I went back three more times in the four days I was there.

I am repeatedly surprised by the pockets of gluten-free knowledge in my travels, and walked away with a renewed confidence in my ability to live gluten-free no matter where I find myself. Moral of the story; no harm in asking for help. You might be surprised at people’s knowledge and willingness to accommodate.

My friend and editor of Centerstage Chicago, Ben Rubenstein, let me know that they recently covered some GF eateries in their city guide. In the article, writer Stacy Warden covers some of the usual suspects like Adobo Grill and Deerfields Bakery, but there are a couple hidden gems in there that I hadn’t heard of.

Take a look, and be sure to let them know if you like what you see!

Gluten-Free Goodies on CenterstageChicago.com

The Libreri family recieved a wake-up call when they found out that their four youngest daughters were Celiacs. The owners of a traditional Italian restaurant, much of their own menu was suddenly off-limits. But they didn’t let that stand between them and their love of Veal Parmigiana, Pasta Primavera and Pizza.

Featuring one of the most comprehensive gluten-free menus we’ve seen, Da Lucianos is very aware of gluten-free needs and even have plans on starting a gluten-free frozen foods store (with Web ordering) soon.

We’ll be making the trip to River Grove soon. But in the meantime, tell us what your experience was like! Drop us an emial or leave your review in the comments.

Da Luciano Gluten-Free Menu

We’ve recently heard about a new restaurant/store concept on Chicago’s north side, called Balanced Kitchen. Anticipation seems to be just as high around the architecture, as for its food. Designed by 2 point perspective, the space is LEED certified to be “green,” and they claim the same about the menu. Both vegan and gluten-free, the restaurant is an outgrowth of G-Free-V LLC, a company deeply committed to gluten-free foods. Under the mantra “Food Without Limits, for People Living Without,” the company conducts gluten testing and certification as well.

A restaurant willing to go completely gluten-free is a refreshing idea. When you walk in the door, you know that everything is safe. Peace of mind for sure.

Have you been to the Balanced Kitchen? If so, let us know. We’ll be posting a formal review soon, and we’d love to know what others thing as well. Please comment by clicking on the link above…

Mexican food, which prior to my diagnosis was not a favorite of mine, is often a relatively easy go-to food for celiacs. Many of its staples are naturally gluten-free (save the flour tortillas), and if done right can be an eclectic meal. That being said, I’ve had more than my fair share of Chipotle burrito bowls, so I’ve been looking for something a little more tantalizing.

Enter Adobo Grill, a daVinci Group restaurant with locations in Chicago, Lombard, IL and Indianapolis. During my recent meal at Adobo’s Wicker Park location, I was pleased by the dedicated gluten-free menu, as well as our server’s knowledge of – and respect for – the GF menu and its patrons.

The table ordered some guacamole, which was made table-side and the best I’ve had since my trip to Mexico in 2005. While the gluten-abled friends enjoyed the corn chips (which the server told me were not gluten-free) I tried jicama chips for the first time. They were actually very refreshing, and I dare say I preferred them over GF chips I’ve had in restaurants.

After perusing Adobo’s extensive gluten-free menu, I narrowed my options down to the chicken skewers. Prepared with a tamarind-chipotle salsa, the dish itself was delicious and beautifully presented. My only gripe was the portion size, but I reminded myself I didn’t order from the Platillos Principales section of the menu. Much like Ben Pao, our server delivered my meal with, “your gluten-free chicken skewers”, which is a small but nice touch and let me just enjoy the meal with my friends.

Last but not least, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention their margaritas. With dozens of 100% agave GF tequila variates in stock, one can easily find a marg to their liking. Of course, you have to be careful with some mixers, but the bartender was just as knowledgeable as the server and assured me my Cazadores margarita was gluten-free.

I hope to go back soon to try their other intriguing GF menu options. When I do I’ll let you know what I find!

Adobo Grill’s Gluten-Free Menu [Adobo Grill]

Ben Pao, an upscale Chinese restaurant located a few short blocks from the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, has a reputation within the celiac community as a safe harbor for delicious asian cuisine. With a dedicated gluten-free menu, knowledgeable staff, and and rigid food preparation standards, Ben Pao calms the fears most celiac’s have while eating out.

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Ben Pao’s gluten-free menu [PDF] is more extensive than its GF counterpart Big Bowl, and runs the gamut from appetizer to desert. My basil chicken was delicious if not a little bland; ask for extra spicy. The lettuce wrap appetizers were crisp and presented with GF soy sauce. The only slip-up was a minor one; the server dropped off the traditional pair of fortune cookies when the bill came, out of habit I’m sure. The only reason I even noticed was because they had been so careful during the entire meal.

But just as important as the taste was the assurance that my meal was indeed gluten-free. With the exception of the fortune cookies, the server clearly stated, “gluten-free” every time a dish was presented to me, a nice touch for the those concerned about mix-ups in the kitchen.

After my recent meal I had a chance to speak with manager Emily Collins, who was eager to explain the steps they take to ensure a gluten-free dining experience. Much like process we wrote about in our review of Webber Grill, Ben Pao tracks your food from table to kitchen and back, with the manager signing off on the order. This ticket follows your order throughout the kitchen. Collins said the possibility of cross contamination is reduced by boiling cooking utensils before each order and using dedicated woks.

Unlike Webber, their kitchen and processes are not approved by the Celiac Disease Center, but by the time my interview was over Collins was pledging to look into it.

All in all, Ben Pao’s is an excellent go-to spot for celiacs and their GF brethren. The dining experience is almost as effortless as my pre-celiac days, a rare and welcome change.

For those that are uncertain how to explain Celiac Disease to waitstaff, or wonder if the message ever makes it to the kitchen, here’s an interesting idea. Roger and Lyndsay from Celiac Travel have created cards to keep on hand when dining out.

These Celiac Travel.com gluten free restaurant cards are for you to print out and take with you when you dine out at a restaurant, either at home or abroad. The great thing about being able to print your own is you can give them to the waiter or waitress to take to the kitchen. The most common problem with getting gluten free food when dining in restaurants is that your message gets lost or corrupted on its way to the kitchen.

Gluten-Free Restaurant Cards

Clean Coffee & Smoothies is getting some press in Chicago. Owner Brian White discusses the gluten-intolerant options to munch on while sipping his highly-regarded coffees and teas. From the Daily Herald…

Brian Smith is offering a healthier alternative at his new shop, Clean Coffee & Smoothies in Glen Ellyn.

The shop at 546 Crescent Blvd. offers organic, fair trade coffees from around the world and more than 20 organic and natural teas.

All natural smoothies along with organic fruits and gluten-free snacks are also offered at the shop, which opened earlier this year.

Read the full story by Kim Mikus. [Chicago Daily Herald]

Suzanne Mangini at the TimesUnion.com Celiac Blog wrote a nice review about “crepeless” crepes at Ravenous, a restaurant in Saratoga Springs. Looks like they offer quite a selection, and any day I see some gluten-free options on a desert menu is a good day.

Ravenous in Saratoga Springs