20 Austin Restaurants Perfect for Celiacs

Wanting to share an updated list of the 20 places where our family can be found dining around Austin on the regular! As everyone prepares for summer vacation, check out these locations that have proven safe for this Celiac time and time again. You can show up at any of these restaurants, mention Celiac Disease and they will take care of you - easy peasy.

Click for link to menu.
(G-free either marked or separate menu - most have a button on their ordering system to alert the kitchen of a food allergy/Celiac.)

Alamo Drafthouse Mueller

American

• Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas (multiple locations - g-free pizza, chips/queso and sandwiches)
• Chez Zee American Bistro
• Flower Child (multiple locations)
• Galaxy Cafe (multiple locations)
• True Food Kitchen (soon to have two locations)

Asian

• Koriente
• Thai Cuisine (almost everything is g-free, try the pad thai!)
• Thai Fresh

BBQ

• Salt Lick (everything except bread and dessert are g-free)

Indian

• Clay Pit
• Tarka Indian Kitchen (multiple locations)

Italian

• Brick Oven (multiple locations)



True Food Kitchen

• Taverna (multiple locations)

Pizza

• Austin's Pizza (multiple locations)
• Via313 (multiple locations - the brick and mortar are safer vs. food truck)

Steak/Seafood

• III Forks
• Vince Young Steakhouse

Tex-Mex

• Fonda San Miguel (almost everything is g-free!)
• Maudie's (multiple locations)
• Tacodeli (multiple locations)

Enjoy!

G-Free in the City Expansion

Friends, family and followers...I've decided to expand my restaurant and community contacts outside of the city of Austin and will start soon reaching out and researching menus. There are a few reasons why I want to expand. First, as part of my MBA program I am required to do a summer internship so I could end up at a company outside of Austin (most likely actually), secondly I'm working on my official website (www.gfreeinthecity.com) that will have a nationwide mapping feature hopefully within the next 6 months or so, and finally I want to start helping others everywhere! I know that there are cities that seem to have a better grasp on gluten-free than others, these include Chicago, New York, San Francisco and San Diego so I'll hit these up later on down the line. The goal for the current list is to aim for cities where it's a little more challenging...

Please feel free to provide suggestions on other cities that you'd like to see, or send me a message if you know of restaurants that would be a good addition to the site. My goal includes at least 20 unique restaurants in the following cities:

- Seattle, WA
- Denver, CO
- Minneapolis, MN
- Columbus, OH
- Atlanta, GA
- Tampa, FL
- Phoenix, AZ
- Knoxville, TN
- Charleston, SC
- Pittsburgh, PA

Wish me luck and again feel free to send any menu pics, suggestions or lists to jaime.sutton@gmail.com!

Favorite G-Free Video Clips!

Okay, so you come across some interesting clips on the internet...YouTube, Facebook, who knows. So, I wanted to share some of my favorite gluten-free video clips, both serious and silly. Enjoy!

Reading Gluten-Free Labels:

First gluten-free commercial I've ever seen in mass media, go General Mills!

Adam Carolla Rant on Dieting and Gluten-Free:

Top 5 Tips for Gluten-Free Kids:

Haha...Sex and the Celiac:

My G-Free Future...?

This week we have finals for the full-time MBA program, which is the unspoken signal that we should start to think about summer internships and future careers. Most of the individuals in my class are switching careers, industries and even discovering brand-new opportunities, which leave us all feeling a little lost and overwhelmed by the potential we've got. They tell us a top 20 program will get us in the door, but first we need to decide what door we wish to knock on.

When I started my MBA application I was dedicated to going back into higher education (I was working for www.myedu.com) but then I got diagnosed, right before completing my essays. After a month I realized that this is what would now drive my life, I switched all of my essays around, and I not only dealt with it but became truly passionate about learning and teaching others how to make the best of this crappy diagnosis. At that time I started my blog and have been pondering how to make gluten-free a "career" ever since.

In a world dominated by doctors and dieticians I feel as if an MBA could make an impact that wasn't originally foreseen by the people who run Living Without and Celiac.com so I've made it my mission to get into lifestyle marketing for the gluten-free community. The question is...how? I've had the opportunity to speak with and conduct informational interviews with individuals such as Kim Koeller with GlutenFreePassport.com, individuals from Enjoy Life Foods and Mary's Gone Crackers and even dietitians in the Austin area.

What I've realized is that I have the personal experience, a lot of marketing background and about .25 of an MBA so I could provide a lot to this industry in some way or another. Ideally, I'd love to take G-Free in the City to the next level (and am in the works) but I've decided that my summer internship should be dedicated to learning the business and market side of things from within the walls. So my goal is to find one of the special dietary CPG companies, a large conglomerate who has a goal of expanding their product line, a local business or an amazing publication that serves the community and convince them to take me under their wing for the summer.

That being said, I've got an uphill battle. Such a niche industry takes a lot of hard work to break into, but I'm dedicated and determined so wish me luck!

One-Year Later...

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my Celiac diagnosis. I feel like I accomplished something this year...not just a gluten-free diet but an entire life change that has effected not only myself but also my friends, family, co-workers and various restaurant staff members.

After my diagnosis one year ago I was lost and unsure of how I would handle this on top of everything else that occupied my time, however, I discovered the world of blogging and everything took a turn for the better. My biggest challenges are were those within myself. Feeling self-conscious, annoying, out of place, frustrated...I could go on. Blogging has allowed me to step outside of my head and put my feelings out there with an added bonus of helping others along the way.

On July 31, 2010 I could have never imagined that Austin would have over 80 locations with gluten-free options (and growing) or that I could find friends and acquaintances that are struggling with the same lifestyle as I am. This diagnosis has made me realize how much everyone I surround myself with cares about me. I never could have guessed that I would receive the amount of support I've gotten: calling restaurants, sending me g-free food, mentioning g-free menus and simply being there when I've gotten upset and overwhelmed by a situation.

My own confidence and security isn't the only thing I've gotten from this experience, I have had the pleasure of teaching people everyday about Celiac disease and the gluten-free lifestyle. You don't know how many times people have asked me to elaborate, explain and teach them about what it means and how to handle it. That expansion of knowledge and learning can only help with the development of menus, products and even someday...a cure.

I'm about to embark on a new journey this year as an MBA student, which means I have another 300 people to teach about Celiac disease :) As some of them already know, I will have to bring my lunch every day, call ahead when we go out, and bug the McCombs staff for information group outings...but I feel so much better about it now. I no longer fear that I won't find anything to eat, will starve or will not be supported by those around me. My goal is to continue blogging and expanding my knowledge base through my blog and Twitter account, as well as establish some connections to move into the gluten-free world "officially" when I graduate school.

Thank you for all of the support from my best friends to my readers. It has meant the world to me and I hope what I have shared has made a positive impact on you.

Weed as a means to alleviate gluten mistakes?

I will start with a disclaimer in that I am simply sharing some information, not advising anyone!

Okay, so I know you are reading this because I said weed in the title, but seriously...what is the best way to alleviate symptoms when you 'get gluten-ed'? There are a number of medical marijuana states that say Celiac Disease diagnosis qualifies you for a card. I know this is a controversial topic, but it's worth sharing because let's face it when you get sick you will do almost anything and it isn't talked about much. According to the PharmCannabis.com website marijuana can be used to treat many symptoms including nausea and pain and can even slow down the digestive system to provide some relief. There have also been a series of articles justifying the same.

I found this information when I was trying to figure out how to avoid being stuck in the bathroom after eating a very unfortunate meal. I have never smoked weed and do not plan to start, but it could be a viable option for anyone who cannot seem to find other alternatives and live in a state where it is legal to alleviate symptoms in this way. Here are a number of forums that discuss the topic:

The Ann Arbor Chronicle
MedHelp
Celiac.com
Celiac Home Test
Yahoo! Answers

Now that the debatable topic is out of the way I also wanted to share other remedies that I found from fellow Celiac patients while perusing the web, these include:

- a shot of tequila
- digestive enzymes (not well defined what this means)
- forced vomiting
- Mint Tea
- Ginger
- Cider vinegar
- Slippery Elm powder
- Marshmallow root
- Benadryl/Claritin

As you can see there is no easy solution and no easy remedy except trying any or all of the above and waiting it out. Hopefully down the line a pharmaceutical company will save us all with a pill that works quickly, efficiently and can be found in the drug store!

If you are reading this and have found a great solution, or one of the above that works well please comment and help us all!

Off the Menu: Galaxy Cafe

Galaxy Cafe has a couple of Austin locations...closest to us is the original on West Lynn (see map in sidebar). They have a decent gluten-free menu and everything I've had off of it is pretty good except the rice wrap of which I was not a huge fan.

Just a side note...you will see on their website that they have a sister restaurant, Zocalo. I've contacted them a few times to see if I could get some solid answers on gluten-free options and they really don't have any. Their tortillas are warmed on the same surfaces, etc. so I would avoid until they create a menu and make some changes to the kitchen.

Breakfast:
American Breakfast - scrambled eggs, bacon and rice bread
Mediterranean Breafast - scrambled eggs, tomato, feta cheese and basil - served with rice bread and cup of fruit

Wraps (served on rice tortillas):
Grilled Fish Wrap with a Side
Veggie Wrap with a Side
Club Wrap with a Side

Sandwiches on Rice Bread:
Mozzarella Sandwich with a Side
Turkey and Brie Sandwich with a Side

Salads:
Greek Salad
Hot Shrimp Salad with Baby Spinach

Kid's Menu:
Grilled Chicken with a Side
G-Free Pasta (only during dinner)

Sides:
Fresh Fruit
Seasonal Veggies
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Soup Cup
Side Salad

Dinner (ONLY during dinner hours):
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Roasted Tomato and Prosciutto Grilled Chicken
G-Free Pasta with Homemade Marinara
G-Free Pasta with Lemon-Cilantro Butter

Dessert:
Flourless Chocolate Torte
Creme Brulee

Enjoy!! Dinner menu is best :)

Off the Menu: Chez Zee American Bistro

Last night a friend and I went to Chez Zee. I had heard they had gluten-free options but hadn't yet given them a try. I've gone there many times for happy hour ($2 off wine, and all night on Wednesdays for ladies) but not normally to eat. It's a little on the $$$ money-side but the atmosphere is worth it. Last night I had the gluten-free pasta with chicken and it was great, here is the rest of the menu:

Brunch:
- Eggs Sardou
- Portabellino Benedict Platter
- Fresh Spinach and Mushroom Omelet
- Smoked Chicken Omelet
- Goat Cheese and Tomato Omelet
- Steak and Eggs

Lunch:
- Gluten-free Garden Salad
- Grilled Steak Salad
- Tuna Nicoise Salad
- Gluten-free Pasta (garlic white wine sauce)

Dinner:
- Pecan Crusted Salmon
- Grilled Pork Chop
- New York Strip
- Portabella Plate
- Gluten-free Pasta (see above)

Sides (had to work my way through the menu on these):
- Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms
- Sweet Potato Pudding
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Grilled Asparagus
- Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Definitely some good options..check it out!