Red Robin

So my daughter said that the new gluten free bun at Red Robin was really good, and so did my sister, so I decided to go and try it. Needless to say I was very sceptical. My Guacamole burger came and at first I was a bit confused...the bun did not look gluten free. It looked different than their normal buns but it looked to light and fluffy to be gluten free. Sure enough when I tasted it, the bun was just like I remembered regular bread to be. What? A gluten free bun that tastes just like a wheat bun? Who makes this thing and where can I buy them? Upon hounding Madi, she figures that it is probably Weston's Bakery that makes them, so I will have to search. I go out to eat for food that I can't make as well at home, and apparently that now includes burgers.

nick 9/10

PGTV

Well I'm supposed to be on PGTV tonight for this blog. They came and asked me some questions, and then watched me eat while they filmed me. It was a very strange experience. What was embarassingly funny was for one of my filmed bites, I took to much and my eyes were watering trying to swallow it down (or course I forgot my water bottle). I only found out at about 10:30 am this morning, so no wardrobe changes and or course I didn't have a chance to shave this morning. Oh well.... We'll see if my ugly mug makes it on the news. What's the saying? Any publicity is good publicity?

Nick
wardrobe 4/10
eating skills 3/10
camera presence ?/10 (we'll see)

Update: here it is! (click here)

The Cariboo

Our Staff Christmas Party is at the Cariboo this year, and i am looking forward to going. Normally, staff parties are not the easiest due to a limited diet and I usually end up eating before (or I get stuck with a chicken caesar salad). This year however, the manager was worried about meeting my dietary needs so asked that I come in and meet with her. She was friendly and helpful, and wanted to ensure that my food was not cross-contaminated (always an annoyance when people down-play this). We decided on a steak, baked potato and green salad, and I think she was surprised at how easy it was to accommodate someone with Celiac. I would love it if more restaurants just met with me to work out what gluten free eating at their restaurants looks like. Their are a ton of restaurants I would love to try in PG, but phone calls don't usually help, and it is a big commitment to go in and try to talk to a manager or cook unannounced. So good job to the Cariboo for their forethought, and I will let you know how the food was on the weekend!

Boston Pizza

Okay, so Boston Pizza came out with a gluten free pizza for all us Celiacs. I have been there a few times and tried some different ones, and I appreciate the effort that they have gone through to become more accommodating (and give me more options than just a chicken salad. That said, The pizza would be better if they just used a Udi's pizza crust (you can buy at Save-On). Their pizza's are decent at BP, but not nearly as good as I can make at home. Needless to say, if I want good pizza I just make it, but if the family wants to go out for dinner, it is an option that I am thankful for.

nick 5/10
madi 7/10

Parkwood Save-on-Foods

Not impressed. After a year of having the College Heights Save-on, my new store is frustrating. The never have the good crackers (cheese, plain) and only have the vegetable (barely edible). The Deli staff still have no idea what is or isn't Gluten free, and last time I was there the deli employee (will not name her) complained when I asked her to wipe down the slicer so that my food would stay gluten free. I have talked to the store manager (who also has Celiac disease) so I am hopeful, but they better change soon or I will just drive farther and go to another location.

nick
4/10

Ave Maria

I like Ave Maria health foods for their whole row of gluten free foods and helpful staff. I would like to express a frustration however, that they are the only store (that I have found so far) that sells a gluten free bun that is a perfect hamburger bun and they are always out of stock. Of the 5 or 6 times that I have gone there, they have had the buns (in the back freezer section) only twice. So I am almost always disappointed, and no other buns really even come close to the flavour and texture.

My opinion may change in the near future, but for now:
6/10

Save on Foods

Went into my local Save-on today, and the Deli department has started labeling their products with "Gluten Free" tags. I have talked with Rhonda, the deli manager, several times since we moved here in August of last year and she has been very helpful. I first started by explaining what would be helpful for me when trying to buy items, and we came up with a list. She then went and trained her staff about which products were gluten free. So now that I can just look in the case and pick and choose instead of having to ask each time, I am celebrating. My next step is perhaps to get them to do a quite wipe down of the slicer before cutting my food. But I have confidence that Rhonda will be totally receptive to the idea. As she has started to see, it is not just me that is interested in gluten-free foods and that it makes good money sense to try to cater to us. After all, we are the ones buying the six dollar crackers and seven dollar bread.

9/10 Nick

5232 Domano Blvd
Prince George, BC
V2N 4A1