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

… the following groceries carry gluten-free items: Country Mart Branson –
Hwy 248; Country Mart Hollister – Off of Hwy 65, in Hollister, MO; Nature’s
Sunshine – Hwy 76 (Branson Heights Shopping Center); and Jubilee Foods – Hwy
76 (attached to Branson Mall). Ruby Tuesdays, Candlestick Inn (with advanced
notice), Florentine’s Italian Restaurant (they have GF Pasta) are all good
bets. Cold Stone Creamery will clean stone for you (just ask) before
preparing frozen treats for you. El Portal will serve corn tortillas, the
chips are safe and they serve veggie fajitas (ask for corn tortilla) not
sure if they still have spinach enchiladas, if they do, they are safe. (if
vegan just ask for no cheese, they have a red sauce).

 

Refusing to feed you a medically required meal in the USA violates the ADA
act.  

 

Sec. 12182. Prohibition of discrimination by public accommodations

(a) General rule

No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in
the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges,
advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any
person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public
accommodation.

 

This is the basic one that covers you – you are at a “facility” that has
“leased out or contracted” to a catering company to provide food which you
should have “full and equal enjoyment” for you AND your husband to eat a
meal and talk to his buddies. Based on your disability of having a medical
condition and only being able to eat certain foods, this is a “service”
provided by the conference you signed up for and the hotel has signed a
contract to deliver, “the provision of meals”, and it should not be denied
to you.  (I verified this as well with an ADA Specialist. --Carol)

 

Whoever sent out the conference registration with the dietary question on it
you should be contacting first as they set the expectation, a gluten free
meal is really becoming a common meal and it should be provided.  I would
ask them how they plan on accommodating you and tell them it is a medical
diagnosis like diabetes and it falls under the ADA act to be provided.  This
actually is Step One that I take.

 

Let them deal with the hotel.  

 

Depending on the response, as in negative, I also have in the past faxed the
company putting on the conference and then faxed the hotel what I want for
my gluten free meal and that I am unable to eat off the lunch/dinner buffet
due to cross contamination and list items for lunch like lettuce with sliced
plain chicken breast, tomatoes, cucumbers, real cheese and lemon slices for
the dressing.  No seasonings and I will salt and pepper the salad myself.
This is Step Two and I include every meal that I will be having and what I
would like to eat (keep it simple and I would avoid asking for lobster and
things like that), that it is to be brought to me, I will identify myself
and then I would like an apple or carrot sticks or whatever for the breaks
and I will ask the server for them.

 

Faxing or e-mailing the conference staff what you want to eat and then
faxing it to the hotel too (and including your name and conference) usually
helps as it outlines what you can eat and also how simple it is to prepare
something as I recently found out that some places even a high end hotel
will just will not touch food for customers that they perceive are allergies
due to liabilities. 

 

It seems that I recall being told that there is a café  in the Radisson
Hotel down the way from your hotel where a lot of veterans go.  In fact, I
think it is called the Veterans Café.  I do not have any gf food info for
them, though.

Breakfast is usually kind of easy, though.  You can always have a fruit
plate and cottage cheese or simply steak and eggs or something like that.  

 

I know that Natures Sunshine carries Udi's muffins and breads and if you
have never tried them, you are in for a treat.  The bread doesn't need to be
toasted to be palatable.  It is absolutely wonderful as it is!  

Their muffins are sinful!  I think they carry Lemon Streusel, Chocolate, and
Blueberry muffins.  They have been trying to get their cinnamon rolls as
well, but haven't gotten the job done yet.

 

Again, Thanks to all!

 

Carol in NJ


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