<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Hi everyone,
THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU!!! We just returned (on the red eye)
from our trip to New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California and it was
great. I want to thank all of you that sent helpful hints and
restaurant and store locations to make our trip successful.
In general, It was very hard traveling for 14 days with a 6 year old
celiac son who suddenly decided that being gluten free was "dumb". One
thing that made life difficult is that in almost every restaurant we
went to the wait staff and chefs were spanish speaking and we are not.
Please remember to bring a spanish version of the CSA restaurant card
with you if you plan to travel out west. The people tried very hard to
be accomodating but I was very nervous about cross contamination.
We took a plug in car cooler with us on the trip (checked it on the
plane) and that was a savior. With all your wonderful suggestions we
were able to get gf products at local Trader Joes, Whole Foods,
Albertson's and Basha's and kept the cooler stocked. My son lived on
PB&J on crackers, GF cereal and milk, Trader Joes chicken Taquitos, Amys
cheese enchiladas , corn totrillas, hard boiled eggs and salads.We
bought ketchup packets and Ranch and Reduced Cal French dressing packets
from Mc D's and brought them on the trip with us. Also, one restaurant
had Smuckers grape jelly in individual sealed tins and gave us some for
the rest of the trip. All very helpful!! We also brought EnerG foods 2
slice vacuumed packed tapicoa bread and rolls with us- they travel well
but my son decided he didn't like it if I didn't make it!. We tried to
stay in rooms that had microwaves but if need be we got brave and asked
to use the restaurant or hotel staff microwave and people were very
helpful. In one restaurant we asked them to hardboil a few eggs for us ,
keep them in shell for us to take with us, and we stored them in the
cooler for lunches etc.
I think I can also write a tour book of all McDonalds (GF salad and
hamburger meat) and In and Out burgers in these four states. By the way
- we don't have In and Out burgers in the east but we should! You can
get a protein burger - plain hamburger in lettuce leaf and great GF
fries. My boys even commented on hoew clean these shops are!
After we got over the language issues we did great at Family owned
Mexican Restaurants - in many cases the tortillas are made solely of
corn and fried in dedicated fryers - roll them with salad or cheese, add
a little white rice and you've got a meal. We also looked for Outback
restaurants because my son loves ribs and supposedly they were GF.
However we were dismayed to learn in the last two months they changed
the cooking method. I had written to Outback the week before we left
and they sent me a GF menu that listed the ribs but I need to call and
see if this is still the case!
If you want any traveling tips please send me an email. We did our
best, had a great time and can only pray our son was GF the entire
time!!
Celiac Info For West Trip
New Mexico
Sweet Tomatos in Alberquque-great salad buffet (We went here it was very
good - chef brought out recipe book so we could check items!!!)
Home Town Buffet 1528 Eubank Blvd in Alberquque
Wild Oats - on Juan Tabo and menual (STOCK UP!)
Note:Mission corn tortillas are GF
Arizona
The Fish Market
AJ's in Scotsdale and Chandler
The Hilton in Mesa (buffet)
CamelBack Inn in Paradise Valley (expensive)
Las Sombreros on Scottsdale Rd
Outback Steakhouses (DOUBLE CHECK RIBS -said changed cooking method!!)
Yavapai Lodge Cafeteria in the village at Grand Canyon
Farrs in Flagstaff
Cafe in Sedona
Flagstaff - Health Food Store on I-40
Sedona - Pink Jeep Tours - Broken Arrow - 2 =BD hrs $60 (BEST THING WE
DID THE WHOLE TRIP!!!)
Also take RT 89A thru Oak Creek Canyon
Cattleman's Club - one of the waitresses Mom's has CD
Basha'a Market on Rt 89A. (AWESOME SELECTION!!)
Coffee Pot Restaurant - locals joint. Corn Tortillas in the kitchen
(GREAT MENU- LOts of egg dishes - however will NOT let you bring in your
own food. This was a problem with a 6 yr old that wouldn't eat eggs.
Still - food was good!)
Williams, AZ - Rod's Steakhouse
Nevada
Las Vegas - Mirage - white tigers (GREAT!)
Pirate show at Treasure Island (REALLY GREAT)
Water Show - Bellagio (BEAUTIFUL)
Outback(SAME WARNING!!)Cheese Steak factory
Landrys
The Cavalier
Palace Station
Ballys
California
Santa Clarita - Lassens Health food Store
Beverly Hills
Whole foods on crescent
Acapulco Mexican restaurants - tostadas and grande platters, steak
faijitas. One in westood and one on La Cienga Blvd. (GREAT AND VERY
ACCOMODATING!! - its a chain - check phone books for other locations)
In and Out Burger - burger on lettuce and fries are GF. (VERY TASTY,
CLEAN AND ACCOMODATING> THE ONLY PLACE WHERE CELIAC IS SECOND NATURE)
Xian -chinese
Shanghai Gardens - Chinese - will substitute rice noodles - bring on soy
sauce
San Francisco
Myas(415-543-2928) (COULDN"T LOCATE)
Fish Market restaurant on Pier 39 - very accomodating -my son had
unseasoned ribs and a great salad.
San Luis Obispo
Stores
Foods for the Family
New Frontiers * (Nice selection)
Restaurants
McClintocks
Taco de Mexico (carne asada tacos)
Covina
Stores
Wild Oats
Covina Vita Foods
Trader Joes in San Dimas=20
Restaurant
Femino Trattoria in Glendora (626-963-4588) Ask for Minno Fmino or wife
Paula - tell them that Barb from the school district sent you.
Los Angeles
Whole Foods - Brentwood 11737 San Vincente Blvd
West LA 11666 National Blvd=20
Restaurants
Outback
TGI Fridays
Stewart Andersons
Marie Callendar
West LA - Erewhons near West Hollywood
Alain's Bakery (go in am -do a gf run
Carmel - Il Fornaio - great risotto-make sure do not use wheat to thicken
Montery/Seaside - Turtle Bay taqueria - 1301 Freemont street in seaside-
awesome Mexican foodENJOY!!
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