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Thanks for all of your lovely suggestions.
Clearly, there is nothing to worry about when seeking GF food in Italy.
Here is a summary of the responses I received.
Pete
www.silly-yak.com
+++++
We were in Rome and Tuscany last summer for three weeks, and it is one
of the easiest places to be Celiac. In Rome, I'd highly recommend
Osteria Dell'Ingegno in Piazza di Petra. If you eat on the patio, you
are in front of ancient columns. Make sure to talk with the chef about
your needs. They were incredibly accommodating.
Then, in Florence, you can't go wrong with Ciro & Sons, one of the
first restaurants in all of Italy to embrace gluten-free dining. The
main dining room still has the remnants of century old frescoes on the
walls, and the food is fabulous. If you want gluten-free pizza at
Ciro's, you have to reserve a day in advance. They make up gluten-free
pizza crusts each day only for those who have reserved.
The best meal we had was in Milan, which sounds like is out of your
plans. But if you go, a tiny, neighborhood place called Osteria dei 5
Sensei is magnificent. We were the only non-neighborhood people eating
there, but they are fully trained on gluten-free needs.
***
By contacting the Italian celiac association you will find all sorts
of good advice. I had no trouble in Italy at all. Every Pharmacia
has a gluten free section.
***
Four years ago I took a bicycle and sight-seeing tour of coastal
Tuscany and two days in Florance. I brought the Triumph Dining Card
for Italy and a letterhead from the Italian Celiac Association. All I
had to do was show those to the waiter or chef and he would say
something like, "Ah, Celleaccia. I'll fix you something nice". And
he would. It was usually GF pasta with a fresh tomato sauce, with
meat and perhaps a vegetable. Delicious. This happened each place we
ate. The Europeans are must more aware of Celiac Disease than
Americans.
I have to say, I ate better in Italy than I did elsewhere in my
travels. They are very aware about gluten-free food. You can walk into
any pharmacy (farmacia) and buy Schar and other GF products. I
actually almost cried when I was sitting outside of the Vatican,
drinking Italian wine, and eating GF pasta. It was amazing to be so
"normal"
My daughter, who has celiac, has been studying in Italy this
semester. She arrived the end of January and will be there until
early May. They are based in Certaldo, which is a town in the Tuscany
region. They have spent time in Rome, as well as many other cities in
Italy. She has had an amazing experience with eating gluten free.
There is one particular restaurant in Certaldo that she really likes.
I will forward your email to her and ask her to be as specific as she
can for you, regarding naming restaurants. Her professor that is with
her, also has celiac and travels to Italy frequently. I'll ask if she
can provide some input, as well.
***
http://www.gfguideny.com/homegfguideitaly.html
***
They are very aware of celiac in Italy. They test all the children
there before entering school. If you have travel cards in Italian,
you should be fine. They also sell great GF pasta in the markets.
Save room in your luggage to bring some home.
***
Below are links to articles posted on about traveling in Italy.
They need updating, but should get you started.
The first is a basic "how to" eat gf in Italy:
http://wayoftheceliactraveler.blogspot.com/2007/11/eating-gluten-free-in-italy-primer.html
This one has lists of restaurants:
http://wayoftheceliactraveler.blogspot.com/2007/11/celiacs-guide-to-eating-in-italy.html
An article about Rome:
http://wayoftheceliactraveler.blogspot.com/2006/11/reflections-of-rome.html
This one focuses on Florence:
http://wayoftheceliactraveler.blogspot.com/2006/11/florence-has-it-all-including-gluten.html
***
Triumph Dining Cards, comes with 10 cards in 10 languages:
http://www.triumphdining.com/products/gluten-free-dining-cards
Enjoy Tuscany. It's beautiful!
***
Italy was really gluten free heaven if you can believe it! Like Erin
said the Farmacias are amazing with their selections of packaged
food...the bread is great and shelf-stable and they even had gf
chocolate crosissants! I wish I had had extra room to take back all
the food I found there. I also found if you let your hotel know ahead
of time they would have gf breakfast, one place even gave me a loaf of
bread that I took around with me for the rest of the trip! and when we
went for lunch at a small family-run winery/restaurant in tuscany the
owner took my bread and made me bread soup!
Although the book is a little scattered and you need to do some
additional research, I do recommend the Gluten Free Italy book...it
lists all regions and gluten free and gluten free friendly
restauarants....
If you can believe it there is a 100% gluten free bakery in
Florence..I didn't know where to start...they have bread and pastries
and pizzas....I wanted to buy the whole place! It's called Il Fresco
Senza Glutine...it's a little out of the way but definitely worth
making the trip....it's on Viale Spartaco lavagnini East of the train
station on the North side of street.
In Rome we found a pizza place, but I just dont' recall the name right
now...However, even when we walked into a random place we had not
researched, everyone knows what celiac is and will be able to tell you
what is safe to eat...just say "senza glutine" and for lunch a lot of
the times we went to a butcher shop or supermarket and got some sliced
meat and cheese and made sandwhiches with the bread we
bought...definitely a time saver and delicious!
Grom gelato shops (which they also have in NY) list all flavors that
are gluten free as well and I had heard that you could find gf cones
at some places but I never found one
Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC
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