Gluten Free Travel Blog

I'm excited to announce that our website, GlutenFreeTravelSite, has added enhanced search and mapping features. Previously, users had been able to select a geographic region (i.e. a U.S. state or European country) when searching gluten-free dining and travel reviews. However, as the site has grown, many locations now have so many reviews that scrolling through the search results to find places in a more targeted area became cumbersome. So we've now added the ability for users to narrow their search to the city/town or zip code level. And best of all, the list of results appears with all the Celiac-friendly restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, and resorts marked on an adjacent MAP. Just click on any of the markers on the map to read the detailed user-submitted dining or travel review. Of course, you can still search "the old way," by going to Search Reviews and choosing your geographic region. Then you can either scroll through the summary list of establishments OR narrow your search further by clicking on the link at the top of the page. With over 800 places reviewed on our website, these new features should help you find the reviews most relevant to you...in the most efficient... Read more →

At GlutenFreeTravelSite, we've received several reviews of Sambuca Restaurant on the West Side of New York City, so I thought it was only fitting we give it a try while in town for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. As those of you who live in or travel to New York City know, there's a large and growing number of independent neighborhood restaurants (as well as large chains) that offer gluten-free menu options. (You can Search our Reviews of New York establishments or our list of national and regional chains with gluten-free menus at GlutenFreeTravelSite.) When I called to make a reservation at Sambuca, which was fortunately open on Thanksgiving, they confirmed that they did indeed have an extensive gluten-free menu and asked me if we'd be ordering a traditional Thanksgiving meal, which they'd be serving that day, or if we'd like to order from the Italian (regular or gluten-free) menus. Our family decided that we'd might as well try their Italian fare...after all, turkey is turkey, but only really good restaurants can pull off gluten-free Italian! So we decided to have our traditional Thanksgiving meal the next day at home. Our reservation at Sambuca was at 2 pm,... Read more →

I was reminded tonight just how easy it is to have a delicious and fun experience dining gluten-free at a Japanese Tepanyaki-Style restaurant. This is where the specially trained chefs cook your food on a griddle, called a hibachi, in the middle of your table. Because the food is simple (meat, seafood, rice, and vegetables), it lends itself well to the gluten-free diet. The only request you typically have to make is for them to cook the food without soy sauce. This is not a huge sacrifice, as the food is still extremely tasty cooked with just a bit of oil, butter, salt and pepper. Everything is so fresh, and it's fun to watch the chefs do tricks with their utensils while they prepare your meal (our kids especially get a kick out of this). Another option is to check with the restaurant to see if they have gluten-free soy sauce (or bring your own). So whether you seek out a tepanyaki/hibachi style Japanese restaurant in your area or while traveling, it can be a unique and fun naturally gluten-free experience. For my full review of Kochi, the restaurant where we dined, visit GlutenFreeTravelSite.com's Virginia reviews. Read more →