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Greetings Fellow Celiacs!

    My recent request for restaurant/food information in the Key West area
received little response. My one good reply was that the seafood is so
plentiful, simple preparations could be made upon request. Yes, this proved
to be true.

    Flying to Key West, we had a 3-1/2 hour layover in Orlando airport. As
we began the dilemma of finding food (gluten-free for me, very low-fat for
my husband) and mulling over the fast-food options, we wandered to the main
terminal and found the terminal is actually a part of the Hyatt
Regency...or the other way around? On the second floor, we found McCoy's
Grille. A promising menu and a few tall white hats preparing food, so we
decided to go for it. Our server, Mariette, was very knowledgeable about
the methods of preparation and ingredients; further, she was more than
willing to talk with her chefs to ensure a delicious, safe meal. What a
wonderful meal to begin our vacation! My grouper was served with 1/4 pound
of the freshest green beans and at least that much miniature squash! My
husband feasted on Pasta Reyes with huge shrimp, substituting a marinara
for the cream sauce. The food and service were outstanding. Waitstaff as
knowledgeable and helpful as Mariette give us hope when dining out! Not
only would I highly recommend McCoy's for a delightful meal, in the future
we will go out of our way to plan for a layover at the Orlando Airport!

    On to Key West, The Natural Food Market at 107 Simonton Street down
near the waterfront has the best assortment of gluten-free products I've
found under one roof! Some varieties of products I have not found
elsewhere. The deli uses their own stock of organic/natural ingredients to
prepare dishes, many of which would be safe for celiacs (I did not try any
prepared foods). The old standby of Ener-G Rice Bread (frozen) was the only
bread option. Many mixes, crackers and cookies, various flours, as well as
a great variety of organic/natural products.

    We stayed at La Concha Holiday Inn on Duval Street and enjoyed a couple
of good meals in their restaurant (conch chowder and breakfast omelet and
grits with Folger's decaf coffee). About a block away is Fausto's, a market
that carries specialty and gourmet foods (so it is advertised). Well, they
have LOTS of gluten-free specialty items: the first Soy Nuts I have found
(avoid the BBQ or Mesquite; they are not GF), Blue Diamond Nut Thins, Rice
Crunch 'Ems, Cabot Cheese, Edwards & Sons Crackers, Boar's Head deli meats,
and much more! Fausto's became a daily stop (had deli turkey, crackers and
cheese for lunch with fresh fruit!).

    At Pier House Restaurant, the sunset, cool breeze, and dramatic view
are an immediate gratification; but, the food and service were as
stupendous! I feasted upon grouper spirals with Peruvian blue potatoes,
steamed asparagus, creme brulee, Mondavi White Zinfandel, and decaf coffee.
One of the more expensive meals, but I totally convinced our server that
being celiac did not mean doing without!

    Antonia's on Duval Street served me a tremendous plate of shrimp and
grouper, garlic potatoes, braised swiss chard, and decaf coffee. I had too
much food to indulge in the (guaranteed) Flourless Hazelnut Torte...but I
think about it from time to time and know it is one great reason to return
to Key West!

    As we departed "the Keys", we could not resist lunch in Key Largo and
were fortunate to find Snook's Bayside in our AAA guide. Melissa was our
helpful, knowledgeable server. They prepared wonderful shrimp scampi served
on glass/mung bean noodles. The creme brulee was a huge temptation, but the
last couple of double chocolate cookies were calling my name in the car!!

    When we arrived in West Palm Beach, I baked my White Bread from the
Really Great Food Company so I would have sandwiches for the following day
and toast during our stay, and their was a large pan of Gluten-Free Pantry
brownies for me and my 11-year-old Goddaughter (she craves them!!). Because
gluten-free and low-fat do not occur to theme park planners, we carried our
lunch to Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios in Orlando. Once we
arrived, however, we were pleased and surprised to see there is a new Hard
Rock Cafe, Margaritaville, Emeril's, and a few other real restaurants that
would have been possible for us to find lunch. We will remember that for
future trips.

    We have all found it is a little work to find good food and it is not
inexpensive. I also admit to taking along a stash of double-chocolate one-
bowl-type cookies that served me well! Fresh fruit and low-fat corn chips
supplied great snacks (it's getting easier for my husband to pass up those
high-fat airline snack mixes). Bottled water is a lifesaver, as is the
addition of Starbuck's to the Florida toll-road rest stations!

    This is too long, but I hope it can be of assistance to anyone else
traveling in the Orlando to Key West areas. Please contact me if I can
provide any further information. Celiacs DO help Celiacs!

Good Health & Good Eating!!

Glenda Tyler, Virginia Beach, VA USA