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Just thought I would report back to you on my trip to Tampa. Thank you to the person who mentioned Viitals.  Their bread was great and I had a Caprese sandwich which was the best "real' tasting sandwich that I have had in months. The bread is a gf artisan bread baked in  individual small pans.  Absolutely delicious.  It was SO cold now there that I did not venture too far from either hotel. No shopping or sightseeing.  Just cocooned inside the conference hotel and my own hotel so I did not really eat out in Tampa.

The conference was held at the Marriott Tampa Waterside.  I called ahead and was assured that there would be food for me.  When I signed in for the Welcome Reception on Sunday evening, the only thing I could eat was the cheese.  I found the conference planner and she in turn, found me the banquet manager who arranged for me to have some chicken wings and some Pulled Pork that had a gluten free barbecue sauce. Delicious!

The breakfast each morning was continental -- croissants and muffins. Fortunately I was staying at the Embassy Suites and they have an Omelet window so that is what I ate for breakfast each morning -- omelet with spinach, cheese, mushrooms.  Note on this:  they drained their sausages and bacon on bread. When I told them that I did not want bacon drained that way, they made me special bacon.  

Their Trolley Restaurant was not as good.  They were not familiar with gf at all.  I ate one meal there after I explained the whole diet to the chef.  On the last day, I ordered a salad and ended up giving them the Houston Group Restaurant card and told them to hang it up on a bulletin board for the chefs to refer to.

The first day of the conference I had trouble getting a seat in the hotel restaurants so I sat at the bar and ordered a salad with chicken. It came through with breaded fried chicken which I promptly turned in.  Immediately, a manager appeared and discussed the gf diet and brought me out the most delicious salad (with no name) personally created for me.

The next day's luncheon was included in the conference fee and was a very dry grilled chicken breast , carrot/vegetable julienne, and a cheesecake dessert that I could not eat.  All in all, I have to compliment the Marriotte hotel for trying to accommodate my dietary needs.

The last night in Tampa was spent at a Tapas restaurant where the waiter and chef worked really hard to give me gf food.  I had a great time!



Just so you know, I have a 40 year old son who was diagnosed with celiac disease 20 years ago. After going to support group meetings in Pennsylvania for six months, I started the first celiac support group in RI.  I learned everything I could about the diet, counseled many, and did the Do as I say thing.  Now the shoe is on the other foot.  I am trying to eat right but I think I FINALLY really appreciate what my group went through all those years.   It really is not easy to eat out.  Eating home is much easier and I remember telling them that they could plan their meals and eat well and that their diet was healthy. I always told them that Celiac Disease was not a Disability, it was more an inconvenience but they could  do it.   I am trying to do it...

Rosalie




"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain."
—Anonymous


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