Emotions of dining out GF

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:19 pm

Katie, these are great thoughts - I am totally jazzed about Legal Seafood. I used to eat at the original hole-in-the-wall, in Cambridge, MA, when I was a kid, and it was a post-college treat where a girlfriend and I would go and make dinner out of a couple of appetizers and a glass of wine. (Maybe more than one glass of wine...)

Sorry about losing those Lara Bars - I hadn't thought of those as a potential weapon ;) I have been thinking about making my own, and I bet those are even less likely to get through airport-type security. We did bring a home-roasted chicken on an airplane recently. I would have been pretty sad if they took that away on an 8-hour flight!

Bon appetit to all!

Sara

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:12 am

not quite the same as eating out but i have found a great way to socialise and eat with friends at their place.

it is winter here so hot meals are easy....

I take my good quality baking dish and we have chicken pieces (on the bone) and veges, cooked in the oven, my cooking style is a bit of rice bran oil, some sprigs of rosemary and a bit of salt.
my friends cook their chook and veges in their baking dish(s) and flavoured it with whatever they want.
i have my tongs, they have theirs, there is no risk of contamination.
when we served the meals, my meal looks the same as theirs.

I have been blessed with great friends that 'get' my MC world, and the importance of contamination free cooking and that eating out is not stress free.
Bringing my own safe dish for cooking made it stress free for all. (she even washed my dish seperate to hers with a new cloth so there was NO contamination)

we did this on saturday night with my dear friend Maria who is my best friend and her hubby and her two children (she is also my awesome naturopath).

for desert, we made my Gabes adaption of the Orgran Vanilla cake (replace some of the water with pure cocoa butter and some coconut oil) the kids an her hubby had seconds!
this is an itailian family where the two grandmother's make amazing cakes, sweets, deserts, so a cake that is worthy of seconds gets a thumbs up!

we do a very similar thing meal wise with my friends that have the train carriage house.

on this occaision it worked out better than eating out, as i was able to eat dinner in my jim jams! I wasnt feeling 100% and jim jam pants was the most comfortable pants i had

MaggieRedwings · Post by **MaggieRedwings** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:05 am

Legal Seafoods is the best GF restaurant I have found when I rarely eat out. However, not one close to home but go in VA when we visit friends. They really know what they are doing.

Frank & I rarely eat out and it probably stems from the many, many years we were vegan because people don't get that diet either as well as GF. When we do eat out it is simple, simple for me and never a dessert unless at legal seafoods or a place called Coastal Flats - also in VA.

It is better to feel good the next day and not indulge.

Love, Maggie

nancyl · Post by **nancyl** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:31 am

Good information about eating out. Thanks for sharing with us.
I went to a surprise birthday party last Sunday night. This was at an old colonial inn in Massachusetts. When I got there I was told we had a choice between steak, chicken (stuffed) and fish (breaded of course). I informed the person in charge of my intolerances and she said "no problem". They brought me some grilled chicken. It was a bit on the dry side, but better eating that than getting sick. I was sad that I couldn't eat the birthday cake, but my DH said that it wasn't that good.

I also just found out that California Pizza has gluten free pizzas.

Nancy

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:37 am

Hi Gabby, and a belated

I have more problems than most eating out because of my myriad of intolerances. And eating out used to be one of my hubby's and my favorite activities. Post MC it was difficult changing mindset from eagerly reviewing all of the menu options and narrowing it down to one....to looking frantically for any one thing that might be safe. Initially I was embarrassed, too, and even now I feel uncomfortable when my dining companions (especially my girlfriends) make a big deal of it. They are only trying to help me find something safe, but I hate to have any focus on me and my food issues.

At times I have taken my own full meal on a plate (and nuked it just before leaving home), and I am no longer embarrassed to do this. I just explain to the waitstaff that there is nothing on the menu I can safely eat. Occasionally, another diner will walk by, glance at my plate, and ask me where on the menu I found my food choices, because they would like to order the same! LOL! (Proof that a restricted diet can look delectable!).

Gabes,

That's a great way to handle meals with friends! I have mentioned before that I have a girlfriend, who is a wonderful (contest-winning) cook/baker, and who has taken me on as her "special project". She is always looking for recipes that she thinks will be safe for me, and she always wants the other girlfriends and me to come over for dinner so that she can surprise me with a special meal. Of course, there is no way she can understand all of my intolerances (especially since MRT when I learned about additional sensitivities to celery, carrot, sesame, vanilla, chocolate, yellow squash, cucumber, mustard, etc.). I can hardly keep up with it all myself! Tee Hee! Anyway, I am going to suggest your idea for the next get-together. Thanks.

Love,

Polly

Gabby · Post by **Gabby** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:18 am

Thanks everyone for a great discussion and lots of good tips. I wish I could go out to dinner with one you pros and see how it is done.

And by the way I think the PP family is such a great group of people. You all have been so wonderful and it is great to see how you care for each other and welcome new people.

Gabby

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:43 pm

Hi Gabby it looks like I may be in your area in just a handful of weeks, if your interested in a 'PP ambassador' visit let me know. Are there any other members in the Phoenix area?

Joe

Gayle · Post by **Gayle** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:19 pm

Hi Joe,

I am in Phoenix Nov-April. Minneapolis May-Oct. Shucks!!

Would love to meet with you if your travels ever mesh with my schedule.

But what I really wanted to tell you about spending time in Phoenix is that, if you get a chance, you might like to go check out the Gluten Free Store in Gilbert. Think you might find it fascinating, and I'm sure you would enjoy talking to Gary, who is one of the owners there.

Also, if time for 1/2 days sightseeing ... the MIM is fantastic!!! Newly opened this year, so not a lot of folks from around the country know about it yet. It won't be a secret for long.

Gayle

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:22 pm

The word is definitely getting out about the MIM! It's definitely on my bucket list.

Have a great trip, Joe... (not flying through NYC, by any chance?)

Love,
Sara

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:37 pm

Sara I would love to but I don't think so this trip, I will be taking military transport direct from Hanscom AFB. During any future travel I will keep that in mind.

Ok Gabby what is the MIM... Are there any good Tex/Mex restaurants that are MC friendly?

I'm looking forward to the visit, I haven't been in the southwest for quite a while now

Joe

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:37 pm

Oh goodie!

Joe is going on another PP ambassador trip. At this rate we'll have to make him a paid employee of our website! I so enjoyed reading about his last trip - will be looking forward to hearing about any Phoenix visits and, of course, seeing photos. What a great way to learn more about our family members. Gabby, if you meet up with him, you'll be in for a treat. My hubby (Scott) and I so enjoyed our dinner with him during his last PP ambassador tour in early June. Scott can't wait to get together with him again! It was if the 3 of us had been good friends for decades.

Love,

Polly

Gabby · Post by **Gabby** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:10 pm

The MIM is the Musical Instrument Museum. They have a large collection of musical instruments from around the world. It is a beautiful place to visit. Check it out at www.themim.org

Gabby

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:12 pm

Thanks Gabby, I'll send you a note... Sounds like a lot of fun.

That's great info on the museum and it looks interesting.

Joe

patc73 · Post by **patc73** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:49 pm

Yesterday, I went on my first restaurant foray since my CC diagnosis (which was May 18th). I love to eat out, but I hate being sick, so it took courage to try a local pub with my friends. Being new to this and naive, I did not specify GF/DF when ordering; I just ordered a meal on the menu I thought would be "safe". It was a romaine salad with walnuts and dried cherries, and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. At home, ninety minutes later, I was home being a "potty person". Could it have been the dressing contained gluten? Or maybe I overdid the larger-than-usual romaine and walnut salad? Anyway, now I've learned...I'll always ask in the future.

Post by **tex** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:01 pm

Pat,

Sorry that you had such a reaction. I'll bet you're right - it was probably the dressing. Many salad dressings, sauces, and gravies, etc., contain gluten.

Tex