CeliacAndCfsCrusader

Recently paid a visit to both Maggiano's (Downtown) and PF Changs (S Aurora) and I'm happy to say that I had ZERO issues.

Both servers were VERY educated about Celiac, I didn't have to scold or worry a bit.

The food at Maggiano's was good, but I can do better at home (custom Alfredo dish, pretty "gloppy" with the rice noodles, but tasted good).

The food at PF Changs was as good as any pre-diagnosis Chinese I used to have (General Tsao's Chicken).

Try 'em!

Well this is new to me. I ate chipotle once and absolutely hated it. I can't remember now if I got sick or not. My ex's mom loved chipotle. She told me that they used soy sauce as their secret ingredient so I have yet to go back and try it. I might give it a shot after these reviews

SOY sauce @ Chipotle? LOL

The makings of a great urban legend....

A manager actually showed me their ingredient list to be "sure". Nothing to worry about, unless you're unlucky.

I will make one observation, I've been to a few in Texas and they were pretty dirty. The locations here in CO are uniformly spotless. Maybe use your common sense.

LONG LIVE CHIPOTLE!

Sorry to say I concur about the CC in a pizza joint.

Not only the flour in the air, but the utensils, cutting services, mixers, ovens themselves ....it's just a CC nightmare.

We have a chain here in Denver that offers it, but I'm not willing to take such an obvious chance (esp. when such a small amount gives me a reaction). We also have a nice bakery that does their best to do both gluten and gluten-free, I had a reaction my first and last visit. It's impossible to "clear the air".

Can't wait to try the recipe earlier in this thread!

If you have a Whole Foods, here in Denver the Brown Rice Spaghetti runs about $3.30, normal price.

Brown Rice IS best.

I do the "no boil", cover on method and it never overcooks. Instructions on front of package.

Lucky enough to live in Denver, so Udi's is available to me.

Hands down, Udi's Sandwich Bread is the ONLY bread I've tried that I'll eat (including just about every other brand out there). Slices are quite small, but just make two sandwiches. Great grilled ham and cheese! In fact, I've eaten more sandwiches the past month than I have eaten for the past 2 1/2 years, I just threw in the towel.

Pamela's is uniformly good to excellent with all of their products, although using their "universal" mix for bread means you'll be eating sandwiches that taste like pancakes. However, the muffins and pancakes are good and can be easily customized.

Kinnickinnick makes good donuts, hard to find though. Mi-Del cookies taste pretty close to real (make sure you buy gluten-free, packaging looks similar). There's a brand of really good coconut macaroons too (yellow can, forget the name).

Tinkyada is my stand-by choice for pasta, best is brown rice spaghetti, do NOT overcook!

Chex cereals are a godsend.

The new Betty Crocker gluten-free Brownie mix is really good.

McCain Tater Tots will do in a pinch when you're over rice and other potatoes.

Great luck at Outback Steakhouse, but you need to be diligent.

It's not easy, but health will substantially improve as the diet is adhered to. Best advice is to read EVERY label, you'll be surprised. Don't rely on it being labeled with "wheat" or "gluten", still not true.

Lucky enough to live in Denver, so Udi's is available to me.

Hands down, Udi's Sandwich Bread is the ONLY bread I've tried that I'll eat (including just about every other brand out there). Slices are quite small, but just make two sandwiches. Great grilled ham and cheese! In fact, I've eaten more sandwiches the past month than I have eaten for the past 2 1/2 years, I just threw in the towel.

Pamela's is uniformly good to excellent with all of their products, although using their "universal" mix for bread means you'll be eating sandwiches that taste like pancakes. However, the muffins and pancakes are good and can be easily customized.

Kinnickinnick makes good donuts, hard to find though. Mi-Del cookies taste pretty close to real (make sure you buy gluten-free, packaging looks similar). There's a brand of really good coconut macaroons too (yellow can, forget the name).

Tinkyada is my stand-by choice for pasta, best is brown rice spaghetti, do NOT overcook!

Chex cereals are a godsend.

The new Betty Crocker gluten-free Brownie mix is really good.

McCain Tater Tots will do in a pinch when you're over rice and other potatoes.

Great luck at Outback Steakhouse, but you need to be diligent.

It's not easy, but health will substantially improve as the diet is adhered to. Best advice is to read EVERY label, you'll be surprised. Don't rely on it being labeled with "wheat" or "gluten", still not true.

Add me to the list of those who have had a reaction.

I spent $12 for the best gluten-free oats, only to have a reaction that mirrored being "glutened".

I may try one more time to be sure, I'm a cheapskate and stubborn, but it's probably a no-go (actually, that's probably a bad choice of words.....)

Over the past 2 years, I've tried just about all of them and some are downright disgusting.

Tinkyada certainly isn't "like the real thing", but it's the best I've had, especially their brown rice spaghetti or angel hair (seems to hold up a bit better). Other shapes seem to have some issues.

I haven't tried a couple of the other brands mentioned here, because I refuse to pay $8.00 pound for dried pasta (and I grew up in an Italian neighborhood!).

One key to success is NEVER to overcook any gluten-free pasta. It can happen in an instant and your whole pot will be broken, pasty noodles. I DO rinse in cold water for a couple of seconds, it does take some of the slime off (but doesn't affect the taste one way or another). Also, I have ALWAYS had good luck using the "off the heat" cooking method shown on the front of the package.

Amazon does carry it if you can't find it locally.

Tell your hubby that you ALWAYS have to read the labels.

Things that you never would have thought had gluten in it, often do.

Hormel makes many gluten-free meat produts, including excellent Deli meat (Hormel Naturals I think). The problem with a regular deli is that their SLICERS and prep areas will almost certainly be contaminated.

As a point of illustration, Honey Baked Ham has wheat in the glaze. Never would have thought Xmas could be ruined that easily.

Keep reading and researching, it gets easier!

Sorry to say that I can't agree on "most" of the supposed gluten-free bakers who sell at the Cherry Creek Farmers Market. We shop there regularly in season and most vendors have their gluten-free goodies on mixed tables with gluten items, uncovered and zero attempt to avoid cross contamination. Again, the one you specify may be the exception, but if the others are this careless in FRONT of us, imagine what happens in their kitchens.

BTW, Pei Wei is related to PF Changs, maybe an alternative for those without Pei Wei.

Chipotle is the reason I haven't lost my mind since being diagnosed! I live here in Denver, where Chipotle started. I've been diagnosed for 2 1/2 years and my doc says that he has NEVER seen a patient show zero gluten in the follow-up blood tests like I have. I have never knowingly cheated and I take zero chances with one exception; Chipotle.

I eat at Chipotle easily 2-4 times per WEEK and I believe I've only been CC'd once, and that's a maybe. I never ask them to change gloves, but I do keep my chances lower by keeping it simple. I order the same thing every visit: a Bowl with Meat (all are ok), black beans (pinto ok too), fajitas, rice and a little cheese. Nothing else but the occasional bag of chips (it's the only thing they fry, so no cc).

I have traveled the US and visited other Chipotles and quite frankly, some are a bit dirty. Here in CO they are almost always spotless.

When I was first diagnosed, a Manager was keenly interested in how they could help. She even went back into the kitchen and showed me ingredients so that I could read them myself. The ONLY things that are "iffy" is obviously the tortilla, the red sauce has vinegar and the warming presses obviously are all CC's (so be careful if you order corn, they'll use foil if you ask).

Eating out often sucks for us, but Chipotle makes it suck far less!

I've had dry, itchy, sometimes sore skin on my elbows (only) my whole life.

gluten-free for 18 months, elbows have slowly improved. Now, it's really not an issue.

Definitely some sort of link.

FYI for those of you that have other food sensitivities. I'm a Celiac with allergies to certain fresh fruit ingredients, but I'm not allergic to the FRUIT...I'm allergic to a PROTEIN associated with the fruit.

In other words, you may not react to cooked bananas, but you may react to a raw one. Larabars use a raw date base, that's a problem for me.

I'm told that this is a pretty rare condition, but if you feel your tongue tingling or throat closing up (hoarseness), you may have a similar condition.

Hope this info helps some of you, especially due to the confusing nature of our bodies.

Don't forget that you MAY be able to deduct some food expenses on your Federal taxes, IF you have enough deductions to itemize and get the medical costs deduction (7%?).

Good luck.

BTW, Italians get 140 Euros a month food allowance AND 2 days off a month to "shop for gluten-free food". True.

Seems to be on sale often, but Target gets half our business for being consistently lower on many items.

Kinnickinnik doughnuts

Chipotle chips (but corn)

Larabars

Chex cereal

Sweet Potato chips (Terra brand)

Lundberg Chips

Panda cereal

Pamela's cookies

Cheesecake (use combos of Pamela's for crust)

Various power bars

Almond, Cashew butter (on KK English Muffins)

Pamela's baking mix pancakes

Homemade pizza with Hormel pepperoni

I eat at Chipotle 3x per week, for 18 months.

Never once glutened. Multiple states and locations.

don't get the tortilla (obviously) or the red salsa (possibly contains non-gluten-free vinegar.

All else is NO problem, just avoid cross-contamination at assembly. THIS part is up to YOU, not just them.

Weird left eye issue? CHECK

Peripheral Neuropathy? CHECK

Brain Fog? CHECK

Weird mark between my eyebrows? CHECK

"Pinking" of my skin? CHECK

Memory Loss? CHECK

Feel like I might faint when I don't eat? CHECK

"Trembling Hands" occasionally? CHECK

I've been diagnosed 18 months, but I was diagnosed with CFS in '89.

I'm not sure about the crossover of the two, but I DO know that I always felt my CFS was some sort of chemical reaction issue in my body. Never could put it all together until my wife Googled my symptoms (after a series of doctors telling me I was nuts).

Much better off the gluten, but my doc said I had really damaged villi. Will re-do the biopsy at the 2 year point.

Long story short, it's a long and permanent journey. Give in. Learn. Slowly cope. When you don't have a choice, it's only occasionally hard.

The most important lesson I can give you? GET TO KNOW YOUR BODY. You're the only expert on how you feel, learn to read it, communicate it and never give up your curiousity.

Good luck.

Their entire company/operation is gluten-free, so it has to be something other than a gluten thing.

Good luck!