P.F. Chang's has always been one of our family's go-to restaurants for a reliable, safe, and delicious gluten free meal. So my son and I were happy when my aunt treated us to dinner at their Natick Mall location in the suburbs of Boston last Friday night, right after we concluded our annual week at Camp Celiac in North Scituate, Rhode Island (this was my son's fourth year attending, and I volunteer as a parent counselor). My aunt and her friend were craving the Philip's Better Lemon Chicken, one of our favorites, too. However, upon being seated, we quickly discovered the Philip's Better Lemon Chicken was no longer on the menu. It had been replaced by Cantonese Style Lemon Chicken, which is described as, "crispy chicken breast sliced and drizzled with warm lemon sauce and chilled broccolini." We asked our server if we could get the chef to make the Philip's Better Lemon Chicken instead, because I'd remembered they often honored customer requests for this dish during a brief period a couple years ago when they'd taken it off the menu. However, we were told they weren't able to do that, because they did not have all the ingredients required... Read more →
August 2014
You may have heard me discuss how cruises have become one of the best options for gluten free travel. Providing you enjoy the idea of cruising, it can be a wonderful experience that typically allows you to have ample choices for gluten free meals -- while limiting the amount of time you'll have to take to explain your diet each day of your trip! Most major cruise lines now have policies for gluten free travelers whereby they request that you note your dietary needs at the time of booking. You can do this yourself or through a travel agent. Some of the cruise lines will even have you fill out a questionnaire with your dietary needs and/or preferences prior to your trip. This should all be done as far in advance as possible, so that the cruise ship has time to order any special items you may require. Most cruise lines stock various gluten free staples (in addition to being able to prepare many meals that are naturally gluten free), and you may even be able to request specific items or brands (again, your chances of getting them to stock something special depend on which cruise line you're traveling on,... Read more →