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

My thanks to everyone that responded to my e-mail.  

My original request:

Having been recently diagnosed with celiac, I am struggling with where I can safely eat when I am on travel.

I have recently learned that two restaurant chains, PF Changs and CA Pizza Kitchen, have separate prep areas, ingredients, utensils, cookware, training for their staff, etc. for the preparation of gluten free food.  I have never gotten sick eating at either of these places due to gluten contamination, even after eating there more than a dozen times, at restaurants spread around the country.

Are there other restaurant chains that have similar set-ups and knowledge of how to prepare gluten-free dishes for us?

Thanks for any tips you may be able to provide.


I have summarized the responses below.


I love PF Changs and CA Pizza Kitchen and eating there.  One thing I learned recently though is that the CA pizza kitchen only has a seperate area for their pizza's.  The salads and other foods that are marked GF are not prepared seperately so there is a high chance for cross contamination.
Noodles and Company is very careful!! 
Red Robin and Outback Steakhouse. 
You might try Outback.
I have had very good luck with Red Robin. The one in my area has separate prep area and utensils, etc. It is always a good idea to speak with a manager to let them know the seriousness of your condition.

Outback and Carrabbas.Lot's of others but you have to call and check with the manager.
Red Robin but avoid the french fries even though gluten free.  They are suppose to cook them in a special oil only for GF but I learned the hard way.
Be sure to stress that you have serious affect from contamination.
Here is your information. You can also Google this restaurant. The owners are a couple with a child who is celiac. They prepare all gluten free offerings in a dedicated area. The restaurant is casual. It is like a European bistro. They have a full gluten free menu, as well as daily offerings on the bistro board that can be made GF. They always have homemade GF soup. They serve DELICIOUS cornbread, brownies and lemon cake from their bakery section, that is GF. I eat here any chance I get. During the holidays, I order a half flat of cornbread for family Thanksgiving and the family inhales it!
Country Gourmet, American Bistro
1314 South Mary Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA
Phone: 408-733-9446
Hours most days : 8 am to 9 pm
Parking is right in front. You can stay and chat and linger over coffee, wine bar or beverage.
If you ever get to the Dallas area, try Palio's Pizza - several of them.  There pizzas are wonderful - one of the employees told me the gf crust is so good he never eats the wheat one.  Also, Local Oven - a woman in the area found out she had celiac disease 3 or 4 years ago.  She devised a gf hamburger bun, hot dog bun, biscottis, and other products.  Go to localoven.com - they're selling to restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals all over the country.  The best hamburger bun I have had in 20+ years.   They don't make bread per se because of the places they sell their products. 
Another pizza place is Fireside Pies - upscale and not inexpensive but they'll also make you a gf dessert and their salads are wonderful.  There are only 3 or 4 of them around the DFW area.  Also Sonny Bryans BBQ - they're branching out.  I believe Dickey's BBQ is also branching out - they both use Local Oven hamburger buns.  Good luck.  There are so many gf items out there now - when I was diagnosed in 1992 I didn't even know which ketchup I could use.


*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC