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

Bill Elkus asked me to offer some tips on eating out.  I'm no expert, but I'll
mention some things that work for me in the hope that others will pitch in with
some of their own.

First, Chinese restaurants.  Anything brown has soy sauce.  Just assume the soy
sauce has wheat, no matter what.  But anything white is thickened with corn
starch, not flour.  So, just ask if the dish is prepared with soy sauce or not
and if they say it's not, then double check to ask if it's in a white sauce.
Of course, asking if it's thickened with flour also helps; they will usually
tell you about corn starch and they will usually be happy to check with the
chef.  Also, anything sauteed is likely to be sauteed in soy sauce.  You can
ask them to prepare it without the soy sauce; they usually do.  Remember, lots
of people ask for it without MSG, so you're doing something fairly familiar.
I especially like Chinese restaurants for their soups (not the hot & sour,
which has soy sauce), vegetables, and, of course, steamed rice.  (Fried rice
has soy sauce; it's brown.)  Oh, yes -- I always ask them to bring a BIG dish
of rice and usually have it refilled by the end of the meal.

Mexican restaurants serve lots of corn based stuff.  The chips on the table are
corn.  The tacos are corn.  The tamales are corn.  The tortillas are corn or
flour, so just tell them which you prefer.  The enchiladas are corn.  The
quesadillas are flour, so watch out.  The chicken is chicken; the lettuce and
tomatoes are just that; and the rice and refried beans have never given me a
problem (other than what they will give everyone).  One can even order a
margarita; tequila is GF.  Now, the various salsas they put on the table
probably contained distilled vinegar; that hasn't bothered me either.
Of course, as usual, always ask about whether things are corn (maiz) or
flour (harina).  For dessert, there's always flan.

Those are two to start.  Let me mention something else to make the social
and personal experience of eating out a little easier.  Order for the celiac
last.  Then the celiac order (and person) isn't holding up everyone
else's order with all those questions.  And do ask the server to ask the
chef and check everything for SURE with a smile because, of course, we don't
want anyone to get sick right here, do we?

Fast foods? Most McD's have a chunky chicken salad.  Many places also have a
salad bar, as someone mentioned.  Oil and (red wine) vinegar is often available
for a dressing.  But at most salad bars I find it just fine to go with
sunflower seeds and raisins instead of dressing -- even if there's oil and
vinegar around.  BTW, the last time I checked the vanilla shakes at McD were
GF, but less nutritious than the orange juice or milk and higher in calories
than the Diet Coke or coffee.  Plenty of choices.

Well, that's just some stuff that works for me.  I'll be very interested in
what others offer, too.  I'm always learning from fellow celiacs; they are
so creative and adaptive!

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