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Sorry for the delayed summary. I had asked for restaurants in some midwestern cities and towns where my daughter was visiting colleges. A few gems emerged from our trip and listmembers' generous suggestions:

In Madison, Wisconsin, Bunky's Cafe is not to be missed! www.bunkyscafe.net   Extensive gluten-free offerings and a staff thoroughly familiar with gf requirements. Menu is Italian and mediterranean. Every pasta and pizza on the menu can be made gf. The pizza (with crust from nearby Silly Yak bakery) was unbelievable!! Looked, "felt," and tasted exactly like a gluten pizza. Fish and meat offerings also abound on the menu. The waitress told us they even make a gf tabbouleh, but we were too full to try it.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, go out of your way if necessary to track down Cooqi Bakery, on Marshall and Cretin Streets.  www.cooqiglutenfree.com This is a fully gf bakery with a display case full of mouth-watering delights. My daughter was overwhelmed with joy at the selection. We bought bread and rolls for our road trip that stayed well for several days without refrigeration, did not need reheating, did not crumble, and were delicious. The multigrain rolls were amazing. Also cookies, cupcakes, brownies... The kitchen is open and we got the chance to meet and thank the baker/owner.

In Grinnell, Iowa, we had a wonderful lunch at the Phoenix Cafe. No gf menu, but the Egyptian owner and staff know their ingredients well (many of them locally grown and/or organic) and can accommodate the diet. The cafe is open for lunch and dinner, and serves wonderful Turkish coffee among other delights. http://www.pergl.net/phoenix/

And if you're in Chicago and have a car to get one of the western suburbs, do not miss DaLuciano's www.dalucianos.com in River Grove, IL! The Italian owner has four celiac children and has devised incredible recipes. The gf menu is online. Mouth-watering ravioli, lasagna, garlic bread, etc., and five gf desserts including cannoli and tiramisu. They're hoping to make a dedicated gf kitchen upstairs next year and then begin mail-ordering their food, so watch for news about that.

Thank you to those who wrote. Your suggestions made our trip much more fun than it otherwise would have been. This list is a life-saver.

Amy
Columbus, OH

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