Wondering About Going Out To Eat? You Still Can

Luckily, the word is getting out that some people just cannot tolerate gluten and some restaurants are getting the message. They offer menus that are gluten-free. Usually the restaurant web site will have “nutrition information” or “allergens information” that you can click on and you will find wheat-free or gluten-free information. Here are the links to some familiar places that advertise a gluten-free food menu:

• Outback Steakhouse www.outback.com/foodandmenus/pdf/glutenfree.pdf
• Chilis www.chilis.com/menu
• Wendy’s www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/gluten_free_list.pdf

However, you cannot always find a restaurant that has a gluten-free menu or staff that even know what that means. Never be shy to explain what your requirements are. Most restaurants want you to enjoy yourself. However, there are some tips on what you can do to make it a pleasant dining experience for you and your companions:

• When calling for reservations, talk to the restaurant personnel, maybe even the chef, and explain your gluten-free needs.
• Go prepared. Call ahead and ask your questions. Perhaps they can accommodate your needs by explaining what’s on the menu and how it is prepared. They could tell you if flour is an ingredient.
• If you do not get satisfactory answers and you must show up for this event because it is uncle George’s birthday, you could arrive for the dining experience on a rather full stomach and order a salad (no croutons and watch the dressing) or have ice cream for dessert.