Gluten Free Travel Blog

Two More Pizza Chains Offer Gluten-Free Crust!

For all you fans of pizza who agree that the gluten-free variety is hard to come by -- and mediocre at best -- I wanted to make sure you knew about two mid-sized chains who've recently taken on the commendable task of offering a gluten-free crust to patrons of their restaurants. Disclaimer: Neither chain is located in our area, so I have not personally tried either! A neighbor in the food service/franchising industry recently brought to my attention an Everett, Washington-based chain called Garlic Jim's Famous Gourmet Pizza. They currently have 48 locations across 10 states, with expansion planned to another 15 states (including my own state of Virginia, so I can't wait to take my son there!). Garlic Jim's CEO Dwayne Northrop was motivated to take on the development of a gluten-free crust based on the volume of requests they received on their website. Since the launch of the gluten-free pizza across the entire chain on July 31, sales and feedback have exceeded his expectations.

And for all you Canadians out there -- or for anyone visiting Canada -- you may already know about Pizza Pizza and its new gluten-free crust. This Toronto-based chain introduced its gluten-free pizza in 380 of its 600+ locations earlier this year, and it already accounts for a significant percentage of its sales.

I'm sure you would agree that this is a wonderful trend -- and just goes to show the power of effective lobbying by Celiacs. It pays to talk to store managers and lobby your favorite restaurants, be they chains or small independent family-run entities. In this challenging economic climate, it's also in restaurants' interest to broaden their market and court the Celiac community, which is still way too under-served. And because we are so under-served, we tend to be extremely loyal to those companies who make the effort to serve us. It's a smart business move and great outreach to a growing population all in one. Now that's what I call a win-win all around!

Don't forget to share reviews of your favorite pizza place that serves gluten-free crust -- or any of your favorite restaurants, resorts, or grocery stores -- on GlutenFreeTravelSite.com, our sister website. Don't assume others know about all the restaurants in your area that have gluten-free menus...they may not. And, of course, there are always countless travelers looking for good advice on dining gluten-free when visiting your city. Let's help them out. Why not Submit a Review now...it just takes five minutes!

Gluten-Free Meals...Ready to Cook

OK...we can all admit it...there are some nights when you just don't have the time or desire to tackle the perennial question of "What's For Dinner?" But picking up take-out or microwaving a frozen dinner isn't always an option when you're eating gluten-free (or should we say...the options are pretty limited). That's where a great service I've recently discovered -- comes in. GF Meals by Your Dinner Secret offers a large range of options of ready-to-cook meals and will ship anywhere within the U.S.

After recently trying -- Your Dinner Secret's GF Meals -- I was pretty excited. They really are the next-best-thing to a homemade gluten-free meal, and I feel like our family finally has some of the convenience so many families eating "regular" food have at their disposal. Don't get me wrong...they aren't as easy as "pop it in the microwave," and you still need more than a few minutes to cook the food. But at least you've eliminated the planning, shopping, and prep work involved.

I ordered their Deluxe Package, so our family could sample many of their entrees, as well as some side dishes and desserts. I also added on an order of chicken nuggets. My total order was about $200, which included a pretty hefty shipping charge (due to the foods being frozen), but we probably have gotten about 9 meals out of that for our family (2 adults, 2 young children). So all in all, I felt it was a pretty fair value, given the quality of the food and the convenience. We haven't tried everything yet, but what we have made, we've enjoyed (and we have a couple finicky eaters in our family!) The entrees are inventive (Autumn Chicken was a favorite), healthy, and easy-to-prepare. Keep in mind, though, the food still has to be thawed and fully cooked (usually this just involves pouring the item into a baking dish and baking for about 30-40 minutes), so some advance thought and time is required. In other words, you can't get home from work, take the food out of the freezer and have a meal ready in 10 minutes -- sorry!

What I really like about this service is that they also give people following gluten-free diets an option when traveling. If you're worried about the gluten-free options available to you when visiting friends or staying at a hotel or resort, this is something you could have shipped in advance of your stay. Then you won't be as preoccupied scouting out gluten-free food at grocery stores or restaurants. GF Meals ships nationwide to your door and offer individual menu choices, as well as specially priced packages that allow you to sample a variety of foods, so give them a try!

Chain Restaurants Serving Gluten-Free Food

Welcome to the Gluten Free Travel Blog, an offshoot of GlutenFreeTravelSite.com, the first website focused exclusively on user-submitted gluten-free travel reviews. Whether you're looking for a restaurant, hotel, resort, cruise ship or grocery store that accommodates your gluten-free diet, you can do a search by geographic region to find the information that's relevant to you.

But what about the ever-increasing list of wonderful "chain" restaurants -- many with locations in many states or even many different countries -- that are so graciously taking the time and making the effort to develop gluten-free menus? That's what I wanted to focus on today.

Most of you are probably well aware of some of the first restaurants to embrace Celiacs and others following gluten-free diets: Legal Seafoods, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Uno Chicago Grill, P.F. Changs China Bistro...

But recently I learned from a family member in the food service industry that a 75-restaurant chain called Pizza Fusion, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, has a new CEO with Celiac Disease. He became interested in the chain after learning that they offer a full range of pizzas on gluten-free (and dairy-free) crusts. They also have gluten-free salad, dessert, and beer offerings. Their menu can be found on their website. Apparently, their plan is to open 500 franchised restaurants throughout the U.S. over the next five years. Visit their website for locations...even if there isn't yet a location near you, seek them out while traveling. And then please post a review for that particular location at GlutenFreeTravelSite.com so others living or traveling to the area can read all about your experience!