Depending on your level of gluten sensitivity, a restaurant visit can
be anywhere from no big deal to an ordeal. There are many restaurants
out there who have attempted to expand business by jumping on the GF
bandwagon, but many do it without research first. I have encountered
restaurants who advertised a gluten-free menu that consisted of a plain
iceberg salad with no dressing, and those who have listed items as
"gluten-free" without actually checking with the supplier because they
didn't actually contain bread.
When
checking out a new restaurant, first try their website. If they offer
an online gluten-free menu it is a good way to see the extent of their
selection. Signs that they may have done their homework include:
* Detailed ordering instructions (i.e. with or without a particular sauce or side)
* Specifics on which flavors of dressing or sauces are GF (meaning they have at least checked with the manufacturer)
* Wide variety, including both sides and dessert options
* Mention of a gluten-free agency such as the NFCA
* Mention of dedicated gluten-free fryers or equipment in the kitchen
*
Gluten-Free flags on the primary menu, instead of having a separate
allergens menu (more likely that the servers are gluten-aware).
Red flags that there may be a problem include:
* Extensive legal disclaimers about not guaranteeing absence of allergens and "at your own risk".
*
presence of deep-fried foods on the gluten-free menu (such as french
fries) without mention of a dedicated GF fryer (You can call and ask)
* an extremely limited menu that includes mostly salads
*
a primary menu that would require extremely careful handling by kitchen
staff to prevent cross-contamination (e.g. a worker in a pizza place is
going to be covered with flour and it will be in the air; to make a GF
pizza in that environment is extremely tricky)
Check reviews
on http://www.glutenfreeregistry.com/ and http://www.urbanspoon.com and
look for reports of people being glutened. Pay attention to the
reviewer's gluten status, if given (i.e. how sensitive they are).
Once you have evaluated online, call or visit the restaurant during off-peak hours and talk to the manager and chef.
Ask if their kitchen and serving staff are trained in gluten-free food
handling to prevent cross-contamination of the food. Ask if the
gluten-free items are prepared on a separate cooking surface, or what
other measures are taken to prevent cross-contamination. Ask if the
gluten-free status of the ingredients are verified every 6 months or
more with the manufacturer to know they are gluten-free.
A
visit may even be better, because you can also evaluate the cleanliness
of the place. If the food is gluten-free but the booths are full of
crumbs and the plates are greasy, then you are still risking getting
sick. If you ask about the gluten-free menu and the hostess gives you a
blank look or they have to go fetch a separate notebook or print it
from online, that may be a red flag that the corporate office went
gluten-free without telling the staff. If the manager, chef and staff
are knowledgeable and confident in their gluten-free status and you are
confident that they are taking proper precautions, it may be time to try
the food.
The first three times you eat at a new restaurant,
do so on a day when you can afford to be sick. If you work M-F, then
visit on a Friday afternoon so that you can sacrifice the weekend if you
get glutened. If you're a student, try new restaurants on a semester
break when you don't have other plans. I say the first three times,
because we have had a good first experience with a place, only to be
glutened on subsequent visits. The kitchen staff is not the same from
day to day. Only you know how much time you need to allow for a
glutening; for my partner a bad exposure can give him pain and brain fog
for up to three days.
Go to the restaurant on off-peak
hours (either before or after the noon or dinner rush.) We have found
that if we show up at a restaurant between 4pm and 5pm, we get kitchen
staff who have the time and energy to be careful. They aren't rushed
off their feet or exhausted from the dinner rush.
Afterwards,
take the time to post reviews on gluten-free registry and other
resources. Mention your level of gluten-sensitivity and whether or not
you were glutened by the food. This will help others better evaluate
the restaurant.
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