Survey Result - Mo's Diner - Downtown Raleigh

I previously mentioned the survey I am conducting with restaurants in the local area to gauge their Gluten Free Friendliness.
I heard from Mo's Diner this morning and thought I would share with you.

Mo's Diner is located in Downtown Raleigh @ 306 E. Hargett Street near Moore's Square. Mo's has been in business for nearly 10 years offering up white table cloth dinner service in a 1886 restored home. Mo's is the perfect place for a romantic date or special occasion. Don't let the name fool you on this one - this is one of the nicest restaurants in downtown Raleigh.

Here are the results of the survey.

1. Please provide the following: -Your name -The name of the Business you are representing -The type of Business (restaurant, bar, etc...)
Holly Mohajer @ Mo's Diner Restaurant

2. What is your position at your business?

Owner/Operator

3. Have you heard of "Gluten Free" or Celiac Disease before? Do you understand all the ingredients in your menu items that are not Gluten Free? Do you understand the Cross-Contamination issues when cooking/preparing Gluten Free food?

Yes to all questions.

4. Do you currently offer a specific separate Gluten Free Menu?

Yes

5. Have you ever had any patrons in your business who requested Gluten Free items/menu?
Yes
Comment: Many times and we have numerous options for them.

6. If you do currently provide a Gluten Free Menu, please describe the easiest way for patrons to find it (website, need to call ahead, need to ask when arriving).

www.mosdiner.net reservations suggested for all parties I will gladly make a note on reservation for a gluten free diet

7. If you do not currently provide a separate Gluten Free Menu, would you consider creating one in the future (with or without the assistance of the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog)?

N/A

8. If you do not currently offer a Gluten Free Menu, is your business capable of preparing Gluten Free items for your patrons? If yes, what is the best way for your patrons to request these items?

The best way is to let us know about your Menu requests when making a reservation. I am the hostess as well as the owner, so please remind me when I am seating your party that one of your guests needs a Gluten Free Diet.

9. Anything further you would like to provide about your business?

We have many Gluten Free guests weekly. All of our menu items are cooked to order. All menu items except for just a few can or are Gluten Free. It is our pleasure to accommodate our guests will any of their dietary needs or restrictions. Thank you for considering Mo's Diner for your survey.

Sounds like Mo's Diner is a pretty Gluten Free Friendly place - check it out and let me know.
You can email Holly at mosdiner@aol.com for more information.

Fast Food Restaurant Listing - Allergen Statements and/or GF Menus

Here is a list of what I have so far on fast food franchises around the Raleigh area.

• McDonald’s
• Wendy’s
• Burger King
• Subway
• Chic-fil-A
• Chipotle
  
• Moe’s Southwest Grill
• Bojangles - Nothing Found
• Arby’s
• Hardees
• Boston Market
• Dairy Queen
• KFC
• Qdoba
• Quiznos
• Sonic - Nothing Found
• Taco Bell
• Steak n Shake
• Five Guys - Nothing Found
• Panera Bread - Nothing Found
• Jersey Mike’s - Nothing Found
• Jimmy John’s - Nothing Found
• Char-grill - Nothing Found
• Long John Silvers

Please feel free to add more to this and/or provide feedback.

I have also added this to the Useful Resources section on the right and will maintain in the future.

Gluten Free Sit-down Restaurant Listing

Greetings - I was on a Gluten Free trip out of town the last few days - it's always an adventure when you leave your Gluten Free home base. I realized that there are a lot of chain restaurants out there with either a complete Gluten Free menu or good information on their Web sites about allergens. With this knowledge, I ventured to Outback Steakhouse on Sunday and had a great experience. I won't be writing a review about this Outback because it was not in Raleigh and I want to save these for local franchises. I do plan on going to a local Outback soon.

I have been discovering these places over the last few months and have also received a ton of feedback from readers who have been doing this for a long time so I decided I would post about what I had found so far. So here is what I have to date - these are mostly national or regional chains that all have locations in the Raleigh area and not by any means an all inclusive list. These are not focusing on local Raleigh restaurants either (like Vivace and Bella Monica).
Whenever I find new ones, I will pass along.

• Outback Steakhouse
• Carrabba’s
• P.F. Chang’s
• Subway
• Chic-fil-A
• Chipotle
• Moe’s Southwest Grill
• Ruby Tuesday - Pull down General FAQ option – see “I have Celiac Sprue disease…”
• Biaggi’s
• Bonefish Grill
• Boston Market
• Carino’s Italian - Click the Gluten Free link on the left
• Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
• Lonestar Steakhouse
• Pei Wei Asian
• Red Robin
• Macaroni Grill
• Shane’s Rib Shack
  
• Steak n Shake
  
• Ted’s Montana Grill
• Uno Chicago Grill
• Chili's
  

I have also added this listing to the Useful Resources section on the right hand side of this blog and will keep adding to it as time goes by.

Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment if I missed any!

Some Updates

Just wanted to fill everybody in on a few updates.

• I attended last night's Celiac Support Group meeting and met a ton of great people with a lot more Gluten Free experience than me. I hope to continue to learn from these folks, many of which have been doing this for a long, long time. I intend to post some meeting minutes so that the people who could not attend last night can still know what went on. More to come on that.

• I have been making some progress on finding Gluten Free items at Carolina Hurricanes home games at the RBC Center. The hockey season is quickly approaching. I have been in contact over the last few weeks with the Director of Food and Beverage as well as their Executive Chef. I will let you know more about what is decided for those of us who require/request Gluten Free food and beverage as soon as possible. At this point, things are looking pretty good for us!

• I have also been working on the folks at the NC State Fair which is coming up in a few weeks. In the past, this has been one of my favorite events to attend and I love the food. I estimate that I usually end up consuming somewhere around 7,000 calories in about a 2 hour period (yikes). At this point, I am trying to see if any vendors at the fair can claim to be Gluten Free. This will be a difficult maze to navigate, but many vendors have meat, vegetable, fruit or dessert items that have potential. The main concern here will be cross-contamination. I will let you know what I find out there. I am bummed to have to stay away from the elephant ears and fried snickers bars though - oh well. Maybe I can still get my London Broil sandwich, sans bun. UPDATE 9-20-08 @ 8AM - I heard from the folks at the NC State Fair this morning and they are currently in the process of querying their vendors about Gluten Free Items!

• Lastly, I am a formulating a strategy on how best to contact the many restaurants in the Raleigh area about their Gluten Free friendliness. I plan to start in the Downtown area where there are over 100 restaurants and then work my way out. I have come up with a Online Survey that can best gather this input to at least get the ball rolling. I intend to contact each place and share the feedback that I gather in the Survey. This may get information out a little quicker than everyone waiting for me to eat at each place. More to come on this definitely! UPDATE 9-20-08 @ 8AM - The first 40 surveys were emailed out to restaurants last night. I am starting to get some responses and will provide this feedback to you ASAP. For the other 60 restaurants Downtown, looks like I'll be pounding the pavement on those. Wish me luck!

Thanks and have a great weekend!

NBC 17 Interview

I was recently contacted by NBC17's Health Reporter, Julie Henry. In an effort to continue to get the word out about this blog and the difficulties of being Gluten Free, I sat down with Julie on Monday afternoon. As I have stated before, it is my goal to make the Gluten Free Maze easier to navigate in the Raleigh area. Thanks for helping to spread the word Julie!

You can take a look at the article and video from the story here.

Story can also be found on NBC 17's Web site here.

Twin's Kitchen Update

I have received via email the latest Twin's Kitchen menu and thought I should share. This is a great way to try out their food without doing the full Personal Chef route if that is not your thing or if you are not sure it is your thing. You just order like you would a restaurant, yet everything is made to order and made just for you. Usually, about 2 days notice will be required.

Click here to see the menu. Is that pizza I see on the menu?

In addition, they mentioned that Twin's Kitchen has menus that are more fresh based (to be consumed that week) and/or menus that are for freezing (so enjoy them at your convenience).

Useful Resources - Gluten Free Communion?

I have had several folks contact me about issues with Communion so I did a little research. As always, if you have ideas for topics on this blog, feel free to drop me an email and I will do my best to find you an answer.

Communion is a practice that is meant to be observed over and over throughout the life of a Christian. Communion is practiced in the following denominations; Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Roman Catholic and Baptist. From About.com, it is a holy time of worship when we corporately come together as one body to remember and celebrate what Christ did for us. If you are Christian and have taken part in this practice, you know that it involves Bread (meant to represent the body of Christ) and Wine (meant to represent the blood of Christ). For those of us who are Gluten Free, the Bread is an obvious no-no. So what's a good Christian to do?

Without getting into anything too religious here, I thought I would contact at least one of these denominations to inquire about Gluten Free Communion. I contacted the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh for more information. I received the following official response verbally "The altar bread is always made only from wheat and water. For those who suffer from Celiac Disease and cannot tolerate wheat gluten, specially prepared hosts with a minimum of wheat gluten may be obtained, or these individuals may choose to receive only the Precious Blood. It is not possible to use breads rice flour or other grains." I was directed to the following Diocese of Raleigh website for more information. The specific quote was found in the pdf file entitled "Review of the Norms Part IV".

It can be assumed that most Priests in the Catholic Church will tend to follow the above guidelines which were set forth by the Bishop of Raleigh in August of this year. I have heard rumors of certain priests who may be a little more flexible, albeit not "officially". If you are Catholic, I would suggest the following and you may have a little luck. If you speak with your Priest you can probably work out an arrangement where you can purchase GF Communion wafers and bring them to mass with you in a small pyx. If you give it to the Priest before Mass, they will bless it during Mass along with all the other regular Host. You must make sure you get in that Priest's line for Communion and he will recognize you when you come up and give you the GF Host you provided.

Word of caution - the wine may be contaminated as others who have received the regular Host have then drank from the chalice before you. Your Priest may also provide a separate chalice just for you to resolve this issue. As I say, it never hurts to ask, right?

Here is an additional article from Living Without Magazine on this topic.

Feel free to leave a comment or email me if you have had experiences around this topic at your church of preference.

UPDATE - 9/19/08 @ 1:50 PM
I have found the following link and link from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) which is the official statement from the Roman Catholic Church.

Here is the Web Site for the Benedictine Sisters for more information on low gluten altar breads.

Here is the Web Site for the Catholic Celiac Society for even more information.

Here is more information from Celiac-Disease.com.

Twin's Kitchen - Full Service Gluten Free Company

I have briefly mentioned Twin's Kitchen in some previous posts but would like to go a little further this time. I first discovered the Twins when I stumbled onto their Twin Cake's Bakery items at the Moore's Square Farmer's Market in Downtown Raleigh this summer. The Twins (twin sister/business partner/best friend duo), also known as Lori and Michelle Corso, have been living Gluten Free for the last 2 years after experiencing medical issues for most of their lives. They are not medically diagnosed as Celiac but are 100% committed to living the Gluten Free Lifestyle. I tried a few of their delicious dessert items (chocolate cake, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc...) and was blown away. I have tried just about all the GF dessert options from grocery stores in the area (I have a huge sweet tooth) and was NOT impressed. On most occasions, I can immediately tell when something is Gluten Free just by its taste and texture, especially dessert items. This is NOT true for Twin Cakes Bakery items. Click here for a sample menu of what they offer. It seems like they can make just about anything to satisfy your sweet tooth.

I have had the chance to meet the Twins on several occasions and have had interaction with them via email and phone conversations. They told me in a recent conversation that "Twin Cakes came about when we noticed that there really was no place here in Raleigh or the surrounding areas that baked fresh, natural, allergy friendly desserts. Although we cannot accommodate every allergy, our bakery's focus is always to provide gluten, egg, dairy and peanut free desserts, as well as using only natural sugars (nothing processed) and providing some soy free items. We wanted a place where anybody, food allergies or not, can come and find something that they can enjoy. Even non-allergy suffers have enjoyed our delicious treats. We bake our goods in small batches while using high quality ingredients that have been approved by the twins. Our state inspected kitchen is a dedicated gluten, egg, dairy and peanut free facility!".

They went on to state "Our mission is to show others through our food and desserts that having a gluten, egg, dairy, and peanut free lifestyle can be full of flavor, variety, deliciousness and satisfaction. We want to show people, whether you chose or medically have to be gluten free or vegan, the meal options are endless. Not only will you be supporting a local company, but by incorporating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables (from local farmers), and eating less food out of a box, you will be saving the environment by creating less waste. Here at Twin Cakes, we use biodegradable containers and use local and organic ingredients whenever possible". Lori and Michelle have dreams of opening a retail outlet for their Twin Cakes Bakery at some point in the future.

As I did more research on their website, http://www.twinskitchen.com/, I discovered that the Twins also offered many other Gluten Free food services. They are for-hire Personal Chefs who will help you plan meals for you and your family, do the grocery shopping and actually prepare the meals in your home for you. In addition, I noticed that they also offer catering services for events like Birthday parties, Baby showers, Romantic dinners, Anniversaries, Holiday get-togethers, Fundraisers, Cocktail and dinner parties, Girls' night (Grey's Anatomy Night), Movie marathon, etc... They will take care of all the menu planning, shopping, cooking, set up and clean up.

They recently told me the following about their Twins Kitchen concept "We want to create an ultimate dining experience at home by creating dishes that use high quality ingredients. We offer different meal packages where a person or family can get a week, two weeks or even a month of prepared meals. Let us do the menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and provide all the dishes that are used for meal preparation, so you gain more time to do what you love or enjoy. Having a personal chef is a cost-efficient alternative to dining out. Have you ever calculated how much time and money you may spend eating out, picking food up, making trips to the store, and preparing food or throwing food away? Let Twins Kitchen create healthy meals that are individually packaged to provide a quick healthy alternative to your average food choices. We believe in high customer service where we do our best to customize our food offerings to each person's needs. We strive to make unique menus that can be enjoyed by all, not just gluten free, vegan eaters. We use gluten free whole grains, natural sugars, local and organic produce, and a variety of seasonings to create good healthy food that is uncompromisingly delicious".

Sounds good to me!

Here is a sample menu from their website for their personal chef option.

• Raw Thai coleslaw salad
• Sautéed spinach and mushrooms with garlic and crisp shallots on top
• Goat cheese arugula salad with roasted walnuts
• Roasted squash medley served with quinoa
• Butternut squash and chickpea stew served over amaranth
• Tarragon zucchini pizza with goat brie
• Lemongrass Risotto
• Mini spinach burgers

While I have yet to give the Twins Personal Chef or Catering service a try, I encourage you to try Twins Kitchen if you get the chance. This Blog is about providing exposure to local companies who cater to our specific dietary needs and this company seems to provide the most comprehensive services for Gluten Free diets in this area. If you have already tried them out or plan to do so in the future, please leave a comment about your experience. I will provide a follow-up in the future once I know more.

If you are wondering about their pricing (Personal Chefs sounds expensive doesn't it), see the following from their FAQ page.

Is it expensive? No. Compare the cost of grocery shopping combined with all the days you either eat out or grab fast food and food that ends up in the trash. Also take into account all the time wasted driving to and from the store or restaurant. By hiring Twins Kitchen as your personal chefs, you can relax and enjoy affordable home-cooked meals in the privacy of your own home.

Do you offer any discounts? Yes, we offer 20% discount off your first service with Twins Kitchen Personal Chef Service.

As I have mentioned before, you can give their Twin Cakes Bakery options a try at the North Hills Farmer's Market held each Saturday from 8am to noon.

Please contact the Twins for more information via email at customerservice@twinskitchen.com or call 919-306-5304. Feel free to also check out their blog at http://twinskitchen-news.blogspot.com/.

ENJOY!

WORD OF CAUTION - Lucky 32 in Cary

I have received some emails about Lucky 32 in Cary offering a Gluten Free menu option. I had been to the location in Raleigh a few years ago before it closed and always liked the food so I decided to do a little digging.

The following is a warning about what I found out about Lucky 32's menu as well as information given to me by their Executive Chef, Jay Pierce.

If you have been to this restaurant in the past, you may have noticed something interesting about their menu. See the following webpage for yourself. Beside some of the menu choices are little GF logos. Somebody like myself automatically assumed that meant Gluten Free, right? WRONG. If you look down at the fine print you will see the following.

GF - Say "Guilt Free" and we'll modify the receipe to reduce sodium and fat. For other special dietary needs, please inform your server.

YIKES - as you can see from this, GF is not Gluten Free at Lucky 32. Once I saw this I contacted Jay to inquire further. I would hate for any people trying to order Gluten Free to be misled. Jay's prompt response is below...

From: Jay Pierce jpierce@qwrh.com
Date: Sun, Sep 14, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Subject: RE: Gluten Free Question
To: GlutenFree Raleigh glutenfreeraleigh@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your email. We do train our staff to offer gluten-free options on menus, because we do have recipes on hand for everything that is made in house, and most things are. We will not call anything gluten free that contains wheat, soy sauce or mustard, which I learned from a celiac-centric web site causes problems for some folks but not all.
As for our GF designation, I will definitely run your suggestion up the ladder. I do know that the symbol you are referring to is a registered trademark that we have been using for quite a few years to designate items lower in sodium and fat.

Once again, thanks for your observations, and feel free to asks questions about menu items of our good folks there in Cary when dining in, or email me when planning a trip there; I’d love to help out.

Jay Pierce
Executive Chef
Lucky 32
1421 Westover Terrace
Greensboro, NC 27408
p: 336-370-0707
f: 336-574-0037
jpierce@qwrh.com
www.lucky32.com

So there you have it. As I always recommend, proceed with caution at ANY restaurant, even the ones that have GF all over their menu.

Reminder: Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is this coming Thursday, September 18th at 7pm at Rex Hospital. The Chapter's medical advisor is scheduled to speak and answer questions about Celiac Disease and being Gluten Free. Additionally, Enjoy Life Natural Brands has provided the group with samples of a variety of their products. I plan on being in attendance and look forward to introducing myself to other group members as well as gaining feedback about how to make this blog better.

If you would like more information, please see my earlier post about this group here. Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

Update 9/16/08 @ 7:00 AM
The group's medical advisor has rescheduled for the October meeting due to a scheduling conflict. More group discussion time will be allotted instead.