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My original posting:

I ordered the low-carb crustless pizza this week at a local
Cici's.  It came in its own foil pan, looked OK and tasted
great, but hit me within 1 hour.  Does anyone have experience
with eating at Cici's?

Thanks to all who sent the following responses:

*1*
We do not eat there often but have been to a few soccer parties
there and had no issue.

One problem is that restaurant staff has a high turnover rate
and it is even higher in these chain places.  So, you may well
have been served or had your pizza prepared by someone who was
not familiar with the cross contamination issues.

*2*
Several of us from the support group in Dayton, OH, eat at
Cici's often with no problems.

*3*
I have eaten at the Charlotte area CICI's a couple of times.
With the crustless, I ask for light red sauce and some meat
and vegetables.  The salad bar is always risky.  I have often
asked for fresh items if the bar looks contaminated.  It would
not be my first choice, but my grandchildren love it.

If you are reacting within two hours, that is an allergic
reaction rather than gluten intolerance.  It doesn't get to the
villi that fast.

*4*
The problem with the carb free pizza is with how they make it.
If it is made up front by the person who makes up all the
pizza's the probability of cross contamination is 100%.  When
I've had good luck I have asked the manager to go in the back
any make it from new ingredients.

*5*
Most GF pizza in Europe / Scandinavia are rice flour based.

*6*
I've eaten the crustless pizza at CiCi's, and come to think of
it, I tend to get indigestion afterwards.  One thing I didn't
think to do was to ask if there is any flour in the tomato sauce
to thicken it.  Did you think to do that?  [no]

*7*
YOU WERE CROSS CONTAMINATED.

*8*
I eat at CiCi's once a week and have never had any problem.
I've eaten in Ohio, Arkansas and Tennessee also.  I take my own
gluten free crust (Kinnikinnick) from the local health food
store and take it in and tell them what all I want on the crust
- I am a plain eater and only have light sauce, ham and extra
cheese.  Maybe you had some additional ingredients that you
cannot tolerate.  I was diagnosed in 1999 and found out about
CiCi's about two years ago.

*9*
I called and spoke to Pat at the CiCi's corporate office.  She
said that besides the obvious, we should stay away from the
beef.  There were also a couple of sauces she mentioned, but
they are exclusively used on pizzas we can't have anyway, so I
don't even remember the names of them.  All the other meat
ingredients, e.g. pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, and the
veggies, are fine for us.  The regular pizza sauce they use for
the crustless pizza is gluten free.

Perhaps it's just the combination of items that gets us.
Perhaps it could be some cross contamination, with flour
dropping in from the air.

*10*
I usually take in my own crust, unopened and ask them to put
foil on the pan before cooking.  My children and husband are the
celiacs, but they are not that sensitive.  I have a friend who
works at CiCi's who told me that some of the veggies for the
salad bar/pizza are prepared by the same person who makes the
dough, I think I remember onions and the green peppers.
Supposedly, the only meat that is safe is the ham.  I don't know
if you asked the person who prepared your pizza to don new
gloves, or wash well before handling your toppings.  And, as
always, eating out is a risk taking venture.

***
My additional comments:
You order it from an attendant at the buffet area.  I asked for
sausage and cheese (and red sauce).  They prepared it in a foil
pan about 1 inch high and 6-7 inches in diameter.  It was
prepared, baked and served to my order.  It looked like a pizza
but had no crust.  $4.79 including salad.  The salad bar was
pretty basic.

Gordy in Raleigh

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