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Try saying I am allergic to wheat, and if I have any wheat even a crumb, my
throat will close up and I could die.  I use that if a restaurant cannot
seem to get what gluten free is.
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My daughter goes to some Thai and Chinese restaurants. At the Thai
restaurant they have no flour in the place. They don't use it in
anything. They use cornstarch for thickening and for sauces etc...
Authentic Chinese works the best since they have not prepared the
authentic dishes with an American twist, like adding flour as a
thickener.
She goes out for Mexican food at Azteca and gets the dishes made with
corn tortillas, beans, cheese, lettuce, etc...Since they don't use flour
as a thickener the biggest risk would be  flour tortillas but it seems
doubtful that a tortilla could contaminate another dish. So many of the
dishes are made with corn tortillas and no flour is added to refried
beans etc....She has never had a reaction from Azteca. She has never had
a reaction from PF or PJ Chans--I can't remember the name but it's a
chain of good Chinese restaurants and they are known for preparing a GF
meal for Celiacs.  She has brought home leftovers and they were
delicious.
We stop at McDonalds for a burger without the bun, fries, and one of
those good yoghurt berry parfaits for dessert with the granola left off
the top which they add at the last minute so there is no removal of
granola. A latte at Starbucks and one of their chewy caramels is good and
so is their atmosphere.
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You can't make yourself crazy over contamination issues when you eat out. I
think most of the time, the gluten from the other items on a grill are
burned off. I do not have any trouble sticking to grilled or broiled fish,
chicken or steak, baked potato, simple salad no croutons and no cheese and
only olive oil on the side. Steamed veggies and no dessert.
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EVERY time you eat something you did not cook
yourself, you take a chance.  It becomes a matter of
being willing to take that chance.  After 3 years GF, I
still react strongly to gluten, but I choose my eateries
carefully.  Sometimes I base my choices on past experience.  I choose
carefully from the menu, items that
I think are least likely to be contaminated (baked potato,
salads I can check for crumbs of croutons, prime rib - if
they have it.  I eat out at least twice a month.
    Once a month I eat out with a group of women from
my church who try a new place every month.  I frequently
call ahead to check the menu, or check with the cook/chef on just how things
are prepared.  I'm willing
to take the chance because I like the social event of
eating out with old and new friends.
    I live alone, so I really appreciate not having to cook
every meal I eat.  When I don't feel like cooking, there is
a GF menu for Boston Market that I came across, or I
go to a Burger King that is used to my odd order - and
watch them prepare my food (just in case).
    I occasionally have a problem after a new eatery, but
that is rare, and I consider it worth the risk.  I have other
restrictions, too.  I am GF, no seafood, cheese is the only
milk product I can get away with, and I can't eat eggs
but I can handle a trace of eggs used to make something
else.
    When I went GF, it was at least a year before I could
handle any kind of dairy at all, so dairy might be the last
food group you should challenge.  Fortunately, there are
some very good soy based products made by Galaxy
Foods that I have found in Kroger's, Farmer Jack, and
a Spartan Foods owned Foodtown.  They include
cheese slices in 3 or 4 flavors, mayonnaise, sour cream,
and others.
    My Kroger store carries most of the Amy's Kitchen
line, which is a vegetarian line, but includes GF frozen
dinners as well - enchiladas and enchilada dinners,
Tamale Pie, Shepherd's Pie, and Rice Mac and Cheese.
    Just keep reading labels and asking questions.  I went
through this in the early '70's with 2 celiac kids, and there
was nothing to choose from where we were stationed.  I
was delighted, when we moved to Toledo and found a
health food store that had pancake mix and corn based
pasta.  Up to that point, my kids had their spaghetti sauce
served over rice.
    I didn't start expressing my Celiac Disease until I was
in my 50's.
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I eat out at least four or five times a week.  I must tell you there is NO
way of being positive that you don't occasionally get a gluten crumb.  I
tell the waiter that I have a very severe wheat allergy and I get sick if
anything I eat touches wheat.  I explain that I must order food without any
flout unless they can use cornstarch.  That's all I say.  If I order fish or
chicken, I tell them to please explain to the kitchen that mine is not to be
floured.  If I would like to order something that comes with a sauce, I ask
them to check with the kitchen and let me know how the sauce is thickened.
As for crumbs, I just refuse to live in a hole so I just trust to luck and
the honesty of the waiter.  I have stayed well and I do not agonize.  My
blood test show that I am doing a good job on the diet.  I have not gotten
ill.  I suspect that I am not terribly sensitive as I read letters here
telling horror stories but I have not experienced them.  I was deathly ill
to start with so I am very happy and do not make myself neurotic over this.
If I go to a large catered party such as a wedding or fund raising event, I
call the banquet manager and ask the menu and the ingredients if I have
doubts.  I have NEVER had a problem with them not preparing something for me
in a manner in which I could eat it.  This is even true in a Chinese place
where they prepared special, no soy sauce, dishes for me.  My daughter, who
is also Celiac, eats out for lunch with her law partners every day and at
different restaurants.  So far, almost no problems.  Go for it and don't
sweat the small stuff.
_______________________________________________________
Order a plastic info restaurant card from Gluten Intolerance Group in
Seattle Washington....find them on the internet.  Life has been much easier
for me since I got one of those, which lists the many things for a chef to
watch out for.  (One local restaurant asked for a printed copy of the info
to post in their kitchen.)    Size of a credit card.   CSA has one of some
kind too.

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