Gluten Free Travel Blog

Chuck E. Cheese to Offer Gluten Free Pizza and Cupcakes

Great news! Chuck E. Cheese's has announced in a Press Release that they will be test marketing a gluten free pizza and gluten free cupcakes at their Minnesota locations -- and will consider a nationwide rollout if all goes well. 

Unlike Domino's Pizza, which has been met with VERY mixed reactions over the past week based on the introduction of their own gluten-free pizza (which, by their own admission, is NOT Celiac safe, due to the very real potential for cross-contamination), Chuck E. Cheese's  will use gluten-free pizza by Conte's Pasta, which comes frozen in a pre-sealed bake-in-bag that remains sealed when cooking and will be served with a personal pizza cutter at the family's table. Done correctly, this reduces any potential for cross contamination. Gluten free chocolate cupcakes from Fabe's All Natural Bakery will also come in pre-sealed, single serve packaging. 

I, for one, am thrilled. While I can only tolerate the noise level at Chuck E. Cheese's so often (!), it is great to know my husband and I might be able to take BOTH our sons there -- or send them to birthday parties there -- knowing our younger son with Celiac Disease will have something safe to eat -- and not feel left out. 

It sounds like Chuck E. Cheese's is taking this one step at a time, and hopefully the taste of the pizza and cupcakes -- and support from the GF community -- will allow for a nationwide rollout sometime in the not-too-distant future. 

What's YOUR reaction to this announcement by Chuck E. Cheese's? I'd love to hear your comments below! 

Fresh To Order adds a new Fall Seasonal Entree Salad to their Gluten-Free Menu

Regional restaurant chain Fresh To Order, with locations in Georgia and Tennessee, has added a new salad to their Gluten Free Menu. You won't find this "Fall Seasonal Salad" mentioned on their website, but it's gluten-free and consists of arugula, goat cheese, candied walnuts, roasted butternut squash, house-made spiced pear chips, and citrus viniagrette. 

To view Fresh To Order's full Gluten Free Menu -- and access "Buy One, Get One Free" coupons for entrees and salads -- visit their page on GlutenFreeTravelSite. 

Gluten Free Concession at Washington Nationals Stadium

Wow! My husband took our kids to a Washington Nationals baseball game last week, and here is what he found: 

And apparently, he wasn't the ONLY one snapping a photo! He said there was a lot of buzz and excitement around this Gluten Free Concession Stand at Nationals Stadium, including other people taking pictures. What a sight for sore eyes!

Located in Section 135, the Gluten Free Concession Stand offers gluten-free hot dogs on gluten-free buns (although curiously they do not offer hamburgers), gluten-free pizza, gluten-free mac-n-cheese, gluten-free burritos (that's a nice addition you don't typically see), chips, Cracker Jack's, and gluten-free Redbridge beer. My husband reported that there weren't any desserts offered at this particular stand but said Edy's ice cream and Gifford's ice cream were offered in other areas of the stadium. Both are gluten-free with the exception of obvious flavors containing brownie bits, cookie dough, or other "baked items" mixed in. 

A BIG thank you to Nationals Stadium to having one of the best gluten-free concessions at any ballpark, arena, or sporting venue. Keep up the good work...this is a fast-growing market, so you are making a wise business decision, as well as making MANY adults and kids with Celiac (including my own) VERY happy fans! 

Sam and Louie's joins Gluten Free Restaurant Menus list -- and offers coupons!

Sam and Louie's, an expanding chain of pizza restaurants currently in Nebraska and Iowa, now offers gluten-free New-York style pizza at all its locations. They have been added to GlutenFreeTravelSite's Gluten Free Restaurant Menus page. You can click on their link within the alphabetical list, or go directly to their "landing page" on our site, which includes information about their restaurants and links to their extensive gluten-free pizza and salad menu, locations, and coupons for $2-$3 savings on their gluten-free pizzas. So spread the word to your friends in Nebraska or Iowa, or visit them yourself if you live in or are traveling to the area! 

Burger King Unveils Gluten-Free List

Earlier this month, Burger King put out a Press Release and unveiled a Gluten-Sensitive List for guests with "gluten sensitivity."  Along with the burger patties, fries, salad, tacos, shakes, and soft-serve ice-cream, they also have their Tendergrill Chicken Breast Filet on the list (no bun of course). There are plenty of breakfast choices as well. 

I'd still like to call on Burger King and other fast-food chains to look into stocking gluten-free hamburger buns so people on gluten-free diets can eat a burger the old-fashioned way like everybody else. There's no need to "reinvent the wheel" and formulate their own gluten-free buns, either.  There are many varieties of good gluten-free buns available (Kinnikinnick, for one), and it would simply entail having them on hand (even in the freezer) to quickly defrost when a gluten-free guest requests their burger with a gluten-free bun.