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

Thank you to all who responded to my request!  Here is what you recommended:

Check out the Canadian Celiac Association website at www.celiac.ca.  The
link to the PEI Chapter in Charlottetown recommends two restaurants and also
provides considerable information about purchasing gluten free food at
supermarkets in PEI.

In Charlottetown, the Piece of Cake restaurant (2nd level of the
Confederation Mall on Grafton St) is a good bet because its owners have a
daughter with celiac and I believe they have a gluten free rice pasta dish
on the menu, plus they would be able to knowledgeably answer any questions.

Also in the Charlottetown, the Superstore (corner of Belvedere and ) and
Sobey's (on Buchanan Ave across from Canadian tire) have gluten free
sections, both dry goods and in the freezer section.  I assume this is true
of these stores in Summerside, but I have not shopped there for gluten free
items. 

Superstore's dietitians are very well trained on gluten free diet and they
offer a gluten free cooking  class once a month where they serve a great
meal and give recipes for $10.00

There is a booth at the Charlottetown Farmer's Market across from the
university that sells gluten free foods..the owner is Karen LaRonde and her
company is called EatWell catering. The Farmer's Market is Wed and Sat and
is on Belvedere across from the University

I have also heard that Swiss Chalet across Canada has a gluten free menu if
asked for..

Other restuarants in Charlottetown that have gluten free items if you ask
(ie not on the menu) are Cedar's Eatery (lebanese food), SeaTreat, Wendy's
has a list of foods that are gluten free and they keep a deep fat fryer
clear of gluten containing foods.

In general I find that local restaurants have a good sense of the celiac
diet.

The Galley Restaurant in Cavendish.  1-800-665-2352  Their menu clearly
stated last year that they could cater to all food allergies, but I would
call to reconfirm.

Both the actual Superstore & the larger of the 2 Sobeys in Charlottetown
have a good selection of GF stuff. Also the local health food store on Burns
Ave. in Charlottetown [can't recall the name right now] & the Bulk Barn
carries packaged GF stuff. 

The timing is perfect for fresh produce & there is lots of seafood here so
you should be easily able to find food to prepare. Also, there are several
very good Farmer's Markets here - in Charlottetown, Kensington, Montague,
and I *think* there is now one in Summerside. Also, Karin Laronde has a
booth at the Charlottetown Farmer's Market specializing in GF meals. 

In Kensington [and you'll likely go through there on your way to West Point;
it's about 30 mins west of Ch'town] there is a good home-cooking restaurant
[I think it's called the Old Home Place or something close to that]. They
have some GF stuff in their freezer, according to Mom. A tip might be to
call ahead regardless of where you're eating. Also, be sure to visit the
Tourist Information Centers as they have lots of brochures, directories,
etc. & it's their job to help you out:-) 

In Charlottetown, avoid the more commercial spots including the restaurants
in the Rodd's Hotel chain [and they are found across the Island BTW], and
those restaurants owned by the Murphy Group [includes the Gahan House & Old
Broadway in Ch'town]. Both businesses use a lot of already prepared food &
give their chefs little freedom. Good places would be the Harbour House or
the Pilot House in Ch'town; also the Sironella which although it specializes
in Italian pastas, does have other foods and has a good attitude toward
their customers' needs. That's really the key thing, which is why the
smaller places with in-house chefs are generally better. And I'd expect the
new restaurant in the Confederation Centre would be suitable. The Swiss
Chalet in Ch'town also is used to GF diets. 

In Dalvay, there is Dalvay-By-The-Sea; and nearby is the Dunes - both
expensive relatively speaking but  great if you can afford it!

If you are in the area of North Rustico, the Blue Mussel is a great place.
Less expensive than some of the others mentioned.

Neither Bay Fortune nor West Point should be a problem, though you may want
to phone ahead. There are a couple of wonderful places in Bay Fortune area
[Inn At Bay Fortune is one that comes to mind]. The lighthouse at West Point
has been developed by the local tourism committee and they put a lot of
emphasis on customer service, so I would expect they'd do everything
possible to accommodate you. 

"... dinner at Harbour House was wonderful. One of the best
lunches was here at Piece a Cake (best fish chowder). It was very exciting
for
me to have fish chowder in a restaurant. at home it's mostly thickened with
flour. here(in atlantic canada) most places , if they thicken it at all, do
so
with rice flour, corn starch, potato starch or just cream.at the root cellar
i
bought Rachel's homemade cookies, which were individually wrapped and i
enjoyed
very much 'on the road'.dinner at the culinary institute of canada was
super.
a stop at karen laronde's booth at the farmers market we picked up chick pea
and artichoke salad which gave us a head start on lunch provisions.as we
headed for bay fortune, we stopped for lunch at windows on the water in
montegue
where the salads were delicious. at the inn at bay fortune, dinner was
fabulous.
on route to dalvey we lunched in Mt. Stewart, a very tiny village with a
very
delicious lunch at the Trailside Cafe. at dalvey by the sea, we had a
spectacular dinner. as we headed toward cavendish, we stopped and purchased
delicious
homemade gf fudge from the lighthouse cafe  in the cute little village of
north rustico.  although it was recommended by one of you, we passed on the
blue
mussel cafe in north rustico since it was not lunchtime yet. at the Landing
in
Tyne Valley i ate the one thing on the menu that was gf-the mussels.
everyone
else enjoyed their fried oysters. stayed the night at the West Point
Lighthouse and had dinner there as well. "

I can also recommend the Elmwood Heritage Inn in Charlottetown as a
fantastic place to stay.  The owner provides bountiful breakfasts with
complete gluten free offerings.  They were discreet about my diet as there
were always other travelers at our table and I cannot wait to go back!

Thanks again for all the helpful information!

Susan


 

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