Gluten Free menu's in Bakery's and Restaurants???

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cjbndtsn
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Gluten Free menu's in Bakery's and Restaurants???

Post by cjbndtsn »

Sorry for all the questions I am having but as I have been out searching for GF foods and items....I found a local bakery that does have some GF products.....i.e....breads, desserts.....etc. I bought some and enjoyed them. I've had friends tell me there are certain restaurants that have GF menu items as well. I thought wow thats hopeful!!!! I went to a grocery store (Hy-Vee) and they have a large section of GF products but I thought it strange that there were none in there bakery. Tonite I went to a store called Fresh Market to explore their GF items and again with high hopes of GF items in their bakery. They told me that all their GF items are mixed in on all the shelves with other items of that nature and they do not have specific area of GF items. Then when I asked about the bakery having any items they told me that they cannot make GF items in the bakery because they would have to have a separate kitchen area to prepare GF items.
Is this true??? If so is my other local bakery safe??? Are any of the restaurants safe??? I'm so new to this GF I really don't know what the rules and regulations are of getting these items out in public.
Thanks again for any input.
Cathy
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Martha
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Post by Martha »

Dear Cathy,

Outback has a gluten free menu. I don't know what the danger of cross-contamination is, but I haven't had any trouble eating there. Red Robin also has a GF menu. I ate there once when I was only GF, so I don't know about their dairy-free and soy-free offerings, if that is an issue for you (as it is for many of us).

I know some other restaurants have GF menus too. I would guess that you would need to get to know the individual restaurant, because even if the chain has GF, that doesn't mean that the particular cooks or waiters will understand about GF.

I'd be a little cautious about a bakery that cooks both gluten-containing things and gluten-free things in the same kitchen. Flour has a way of getting into everything, so it's likely that there will be cross-contamination.

I don't eat out much. The three places I got are In-N-Out Burger, where I order a protein burger and fries (they are cut right in the restaurant and not dusted with flour, or cooked in contaminated oil), Outback, and surprisingly enough, Panera. I can't get sandwiches at Panera, of course, but two of their salads are safe if I don't use the dressing. Panera has a big book that lists all the allergy information, and they kindly photocopied those pages for me.

The Kroger grocery near my son has a small GF section, but my Kroger has it all mixed with the regular food, but not necessarily in the same section as you might expect. But many of the stores (Kroger and Sprouts for sure) have a color-coded tag on the shelf to say the product is gluten-free. I do notice, though, that there are other things that are naturally GF that are not marked as GF. You really have to read labels carefully.

It seems overwhelming at first, but just start with eating things that you know are safe, like vegetables, fruit, rice, nuts, uninjected meat, and the like, assuming you can handle those things. Overcooking veggies and fruits is best at the start, until you have healed enough to eat them without problems.

I myself chose not to eat GF products or bread substitutes, cookies, or cakes for a couple of months. Alternative breads taste a lot better when you haven't just been eating wheat bread and expect the GF versions to taste like the wheat version.

Hang in there. It can be done>

Martha
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Gayle
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Post by Gayle »

when I asked about the bakery having any items they told me that they cannot make GF items in the bakery because they would have to have a separate kitchen area to prepare GF items.
Is this true??? If so is my other local bakery safe??? Are any of the restaurants safe??? I'm so new to this GF I really don't know what the rules and regulations are of getting these items out in public.
Yes Cathy, this is true. Gluten free products can not be made in the same facility as regular baked goods are being made. There is flour "floating" everywhere in a regular bakery, so it's really not possible to make these products in such and environment without becoming contaminated. And so -- also -- NO your other bakery is not safe either.

Did you look in the frozen department at your grocery stores? If you didn't find these items there I would encourage you to ask the store manager about stocking such items. There are several frozen GF bakery products to be found in most markets these days. Udi's and Rudi's are a couple brands that come to mind quickly.

http://udisglutenfree.com/
http://www.rudisglutenfree.com/

Restaurants? Well a couple that come to mind quickly in that department are the Outback Steakhouse and P.F Changs. Depending on your location, there may be other restaurants that can offer some gluten free items on their menu. BUT -- you will always have to ASK, and always steel yourself to leaving the bread and rolls for someone else!!

Keep reading and asking here, You will get a lot of information.

Gayle
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Post by jmayk8 »

The gluten free breads and waffles are in the freezer section of my grocery store. Now a days there are a ton of restaurants that have GF menus. But, with all of them you do have to realize there is cross contamination.
There is an amazing GF bakery in CT (where my family lives) and they are completely GF-they won't even let their staff bring in any gluten items for their lunches!
Jenny
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nancyl
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Post by nancyl »

Hi Jenny,
Where in CT is this bakery? We go through CT when visiting my son on the Jersey Shore and my daughter in RI.

Nancy
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Post by jmayk8 »

Nanc,
Dee's One Smart Cookie in Glastonbury. They are seriously amazing. They are GF, DF SF and EF on most baked goods. They post their daily menus on Facebook every morning.
SO YUMMY!!!!
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Post by humbird753 »

Hi Cathy - It's interesting you bring this topic up about gluten-free bakery goods from a bakery that also makes regular baked goods. I was going to ask that question because I was recently told that a bakery (I used to go to occasionally before MC) now offers gluten-free fresh baked goods on Wednesdays. I haven't tried it because I find it hard to believe they could really be gluten-free. I just settle for what I can bake out of my kitchen.

Paula
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Post by humbird753 »

Jenny - Wish I lived in CT. That sounds great!

Paula
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Post by Lesley »

I posted re: a gluten free bakery in Philadelphia that delivers all over the country.

I want to try them when my finances allow.
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Post by cjbndtsn »

See I knew I could count on this team for leading me in the right direction. The bakery goods I bought on Fri were REALLY REALLY yummy but Sat and Sun were devastating to me.....so I won't try that route again. I did see the SWEET FREEDOM BAKERY that Leslie posted and I must say they look pretty amazing as well. I'm typically not a real sweet tooth person.......like the meat and potatoes and fruit and veggies....but I thought I would try it for a different taste. Seem to be really heavy in chicken and rice and occasional baked potato so it was a nice chg until the next 2 days!!! :sad:
I did not think about checking out the frozen foods section for GF items......didn't even occur to me. I will check that out. I do miss bread occasionally and have been looking for some somewhere.
I again thank you all for the input.........you really do have no idea how much I appreciate finding this site and your knowledge.
Cathy
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cjbndtsn
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Post by cjbndtsn »

Gayle, the 2 websites you sent referring to GF breads were perfect. I actually found that my local Kroger store carries the bread and I'm on my way!!!!! :grin:
Cathy
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Post by Leah »

Yeah, eating gluten free baked products can be a mine field and I find that it is just easier to not have baked goods at all. I do have some Udi's sliced bead in my freezer in case I'm in the mood for toast and I have been baking the Paleo muffin recipe that was posted here and keeping those handy in the freezer. ... I like them best when I switched the measurements around for the carrots and apples. yumm.

Leah
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