Gluten Free Travel Blog

Gluten Free Restaurants Omaha: Lazlo's Brewery and Grill

Don't miss our Featured Review for February that was just posted on GlutenFreeTravelSite. This month, we chose to showcase a particularly enthusiastic review from a Celiac diner who frequents Lazlo's Brewery and Grill in Omaha, Nebraska once per month. She raved about the many delicious choices on their 2-page Gluten-Free Menu (unfortunately not posted on their website, but available upon request at the restaurant). In her words, she said, "It is obvious eating there that their staff has had significant training about Celiac and gluten issues. Every time our waiter or waitress brings our order to us they always make sure to mention it has been prepared gluten free and they ask me to look at the dish before they leave and make sure it appears as I expected." 

So if you live in Omaha or find yourself there visiting family, friends, or on a business trip, be sure to check out Lazlo's. Hey...isn't there something important going on in Omaha on May 5, 2012? Oh right...it's the annual shareholder's meeting of Berkshire Hathaway. Tens of thousands of people flock to Omaha each year for this "Woodstock for Capitalists" event and the chance to hear Warren Buffett speak. And some of them are bound to be gluten-free, right? If you know anyone who's gluten-free and attending this year's meeting, be sure to tell them about Lazlo's! 

Another once-in-a-lifetime Gluten Free Travel Opportunity

I recently learned of an amazing Gluten-Free Getaway being planned by Jovial Foods. If you aren't familiar with Jovial Foods, you'll be interested to know they make what I consider to be one of the best -- if not THE best -- gluten-free pasta.  I first had the opportunity to try this Organic Brown Rice pasta this past summer at Camp Celiac in Rhode Island where my son was a camper and I volunteered as a parent counselor. Jovial Pasta looks, tastes, and feels just like the "real thing." 

Now, Jovial Foods is hosting a spectacular 7-day/6-night Gluten Free Getaway from May 27-June 2, 2012, in Lucca, Italy -- the heart of Tuscany. It benefits the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, with 25% of the proceeds of bookings going to NFCA and its fantastic programs to build awareness about Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity.  

You'll stay in an 18th century Tuscan villa and participate in three hands-on cooking classes with noted author and blogger Shauna James Ahern (a.k.a. Gluten Free Girl) and her husband, chef Danny Ahern. How fun! Imagine...being able to relax in the beautiful Italian countryside and learn gluten-free cooking techniques and tips from this dynamic gluten-free duo! If Shauna's company is as warm and entertaining as her book, you'll have an incredibly enjoyable time! And you'll be using the best-tasting pasta from Jovial Foods in preparing these authentic Italian meals. 

The price of the getaway also includes a Welcome Dinner with local pasta artisans and daily breakfast -- in addition to use of the villa's pool and hiking trails. Of course, there's much to explore around Tuscany, and this is a great place to base yourself, knowing you will be in good hands for many of your gluten-free meals. 

For more details as well as room rates, visit Jovial Foods' special page on their website. If you attend the Getaway, be sure to tell us all about it when you return -- and submit a review or two to GlutenFreeTravelSite detailing any other local "GF-friendly" restaurants you discover in Tuscany!

 

Butterfly Bakery Offers Wonderful Gluten-Free and Sugar-Free Treats

I'd never heard of the Butterfly Bakery until recently, when they offered to send me some of their gluten-free goodies to try. 

Butterfly Bakery is a special bakery founded by Brenda Isaac in 1998 in Clifton, New Jersey. Her dream was to create sugar-free baked goods that her diabetic mother could enjoy. The company has since evolved to serve people on gluten-free diets as well. Brenda offers both a Sugar Free line of products and a Gluten Free line of products (and is working on a line that is BOTH gluten and sugar free!). 

The items we tried were the Gluten Free Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins, and the Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies. Both were quite delicious. The mini muffins tasted identical (in our opinion) to any "regular" blueberry mini muffins you might remember. And the oatmeal cookies were SO good...I can't quite put my finger on what I liked so much about them, but they had a really nice and unique texture and taste. A bit different from typical oatmeal raisin cookies, but perhaps even better. Brenda uses whole greain Teff flour in her gluten-free recipes, so you are not only getting a product that's great tasting and gluten-free, but healthy as well. Whole grain Teff flour is naturally sweet, light, and moist -- and full of potassium and fiber. It even has 14% more protein than wheat flour. 

I was reassured to find out that Butterfly Bakery designates a separate area of their faciltiy as "Gluten Free" to avoid the potential for cross contamination. 

If you happen to have any friends or family members that need "no sugar added" or "sugar free" products due to diabetes (or just a desire to reduce sugar in their diets), you may want to tell them about Butterfly Bakery. If their Sugar-Free and No-Added-Sugar lines are as good as their Gluten Free line, they're in for a treat. Unlike many other sugar-free baked goods that contain artificial sweeteners, Butterfly Bakery's Sugar-Free products contain milk-based lactitol as a sugar substitute. Apparently, it imparts a rich and creamy taste with no digestive side effects (it's even considered a "prebiotic" and has fewer calories per gram than sugar or other sugar substitutes). For their No Sugar Added line, they rely on fresh fruit nectars. Items in these lines include angel food cake, muffins, creme cakes, cookies, mini cupcakes, and "brownie nuggets."

Butterfly Bakery has certainly tapped a large market with the lauch of these lines...currently over 25.6 million people aged 20+ have diabetes in this country. If "doing good" while enjoying great products is your thing, you might want to try their adorable Sugar Free vanilla and chocolate Mini Cupcakes with pink icing. Butterfly Bakery donates the profits from this product to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for its efforts to find a cure for breast cancer. 

The Butterfly Bakery's products are currently available at specialty stores and select supermarkets like Dierburgs, Lunds, and Albertsons -- as well as on Amazon.com.You can also order directly from Butterfly Bakery. Items I'd like to try in the future include the Gluten Free Lemon Citrus Sliced Creme Cake, Espresso Sliced Creme Cake, and White Chocolate Coconut Cookies (yum!). 

Have YOU seen Butterfly Bakery's products in your local stores? If so, I'd love to know what you've tried...and how you've liked them. Hit the Comments button below and let us know what you think!

Take a Moment to Complete NFCA's Survey of Gluten in Medications

Last November, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) announced that it would conduct a first-of-its-kind research study on gluten in medications, funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). NFCA, partnering with St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, is conducting this research in two parts. The first part of the study is happening now: a survey of the Celiac and gluten sensitive populations.

NFCA urges all people who are following a gluten-free diet to participate. Participants will be asked about their experiences taking medicine. They will also be asked to share information if they think they might have had a gluten-related reaction to an over-the-counter or prescription medicine. Results from the survey will guide the second phase of the study: our team will test some of the medicines identified in the survey to see if they contain gluten.

This critically needed preliminary research aims to validate or nullify the anecdotal adverse experiences associated with gluten in medications that have been reported by people with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. It is a first step to determine if more investigation is needed, which may lead to additional research, labeling, and safe use guideline initiatives. More information about the Safe Use Initiative can be found at www.fda.gov/safeuseinitiative

The NFCA is looking to generate as MANY responses as possible to strengthen their research. They need YOUR help in this effort. We ask that you circulate this message and invite all those who are gluten-free to complete the survey on their website. The survey takes between 4-15 minutes to complete. It closes on February 28, 2012.

Thanks so much for your support of this crucial research study.

 

Gluten Free Travel-US Organizes Gluten Free Trips and Customized Itineraries for Individuals

It's so nice to see companies finally catering to gluten-free travelers, and nowhere is it more important than in the planning stages of a trip. While sites like GlutenFreeTravelSite are a great starting point for gathering ideas about where to stay, shop, and dine when traveling, sometimes you want to go a step further and have someone handle the research and planning for you, including contacting your hotels and restaurants in advance of your trip to ensure the chef understands your needs. And sometimes you just want someone to plan the whole trip, including pointing you towards the best accommodations when traveling domestically or abroad.

That's exactly what GlutenFreeTravelSite's new Site Advertiser, Gluten Free Travel-US does. They'll take care of all your travel needs and ensure your gluten-free expectations are met -- and even surpassed. Since owner Ellen Morse is gluten and dairy free, she is acutely aware of the challenges faced by the traveler with food allergies. She has been creating customized worldwide itineraries for travelers for 14 years. Now, with the services of Estelle Chandler, gluten free consultant and chef, she is able to extend her expertise to the gluten free traveler.

Gluten Free Travel-Us plans "gluten-free friendly" cruises and trips to destinations around the world. They also are happy to plan individual, customized itineraries that allow gluten-free travelers to choose their travel dates, itineraries, and companions. Whether it’s a family trip, destination wedding, or honeymoon, Gluten Free Travel-Us will attend to every detail, including ensuring all your meals are gluten-free. Check out Gluten Free Travel-US for all the latest in 2012 itineraries. Be sure to join the mailing list to hear about the latest itineraries. They'll take good care of all GlutenFreeTravelSite clients!