<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

My husband and I have just returned from a wonderful trip with Bob and
Ruth's Gluten-Free Dining and Travel Club to the Culinary Institute of
America (CIA) in Hyde Park, N.Y..

It was such a treat to go somewhere and be able to enjoy stressfree
dining,---and what dining it was!  The food was amazing!  I think, as
celiacs, most of us never expect to walk into a restaurant and be able
to eat like that again!  It was wonderful.  I think, for me, it was
particularly special to see my husband enjoy the weekend so much.  I
have personally come to terms with not being able to eat freely wherever
and whenever I wish, but I find it distressing that "my problem" often
deprives him of this pleasure as well.

The students at the CIA are working towards AAS or BS degrees and are
our future chefs.  We were pleased and encouraged to learn of their
familiarity with GF food preparation as this is now a part of their
curriculum at this fine institution.  Our meals apparently were viewed
as a "challenge" and not an annoyance---isn't that different!  The one
chef who created our breads (and I'm embarrassed to have forgotten his
name) came out to talk to us, gave us fresh-baked samples and copies of
his recipes to take home.  After lunch we were each given bags with
additional GF baked goods to take with us.

We came home with regrets that this experience had come to a conclusion
much too quickly but the promise that restaurant dining for celiacs may
be easier in the future.  I'm grateful to both Bob and his wife, Ruth,
for a lovely two days of eating, exploring the area with sidetrips and
meeting some very interesting and caring people from around the country.
 I especially want to thank them for their efforts to increase awareness
about the celiac condition and diet; and for making restaurant dining
easier for all of us.

Coralie in NY