Author: Diane

Local Institutions: Eating Gluten Free When You Can’t Choose Your Food

At our June meeting we had a discussion about being in a hospital and the availability of gluten free food.  Luckily none of us had recent experience.

If the hospital admission is planned, you can check with your doctor about when you will be able to eat and the hospital dietary department about their gluten free practices.  You may even want to bring your own food.  The last thing you need is to have gluten-exposure issues when you are recovering from illness or surgery.

But what about local schools?  And rehab facilities?  And nursing homes?  What if you are incarcerated?

How well do institutions in Northeast Ohio anticipate the needs of those of us eating gluten free?

Feel free to share your experience by adding a comment.

 

Hello Bistro

Beachwood. Celiac beware.

Disappointing.

That’s Hello Bistro, a new restaurant concept from Eat’n Park that recently opened up at the Beachwood Mall complex below The Container Store.

It is a fast-casual style restaurant with a salad bar with a build-your-own salad option featuring more than 50 toppings, several proteins, and a variety of different salad dressings. Their Salad Sherpas will build it, chop it, and dress your salad to order.

The menu also lists suggested salad combinations, several of which carry a GF designation.

There are also burgers, sandwiches and soups. Gluten Free rolls are available for 75 cents.

The menu has this disclaimer:

We work fast and furious around here so we can’t guarantee there isn’t some gluten somewhere; but, if you let us know, we will make every effort to prevent cross-contamination. If you have an allergy or another dietary concern, please ask to speak with the manager.

Sounds good on paper and I was excited to give it a try.

Your order is placed with a cashier who informed me that separate mats and utensils would be used. I asked about cross contact from the gluten containing salad ingredients and she called over a manager.

The manager said the ingredients from the general line would be used and no separate ingredients were available.  He said cross contact was likely.  And if I had a severe reaction, I shouldn’t eat there. So I left. Disappointed.

I went down the street to Piada where the manager/chef happily made my salad from ingredients not out on the general line. It was delicious!

Here’s how to find Hello Bistro, if you are brave:
2101 Richmond Rd.
Suite 821
Beachwood, OH 44122
216-342-4843

CoreLife Eatery

Strongsville, Mentor, Fairlawn

CoreLife Eatery is all about healthy eating.  Luckily for us they think that means its (almost) all gluten free.

The menu features bowls of greens, grains, rice and broth and power plates.  Pick one of their suggestions or create your own.

I had the Greens and Ancient Grains Bowl: Warm quinoa, shredded kale + arugula, tomatoes, corn, chickpeas, broccoli, shredded white cheddar. You watch the bowl being made and can customize as you’d like. The dressings are all gluten free. I had the greek yogurt bleu cheese which didn’t add much flavor. The salad ingredients were the freshest of the fresh.

My dining companion had Shiitake Mushroom & Roasted Tofu Broth Bowl: Vegetable broth, shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, shredded kale, roasted tofu, sprouts, ginger, lemongrass, sliced almonds. Perfect for a chilly day.

My only complaint is that they only offer complimentary gluten filled bread. It is the only thing that contains gluten in the restaurant but I wish they had a gluten free option or, even better, served only a gluten free bread choice.

I lunched in Strongsville. There’s also a location now in Mentor and soon-to-open in Fairlawn.

Jersey Mike’s

Multiple locations

I had a good feeling about Jersey Mike’s even before entering the restaurant.  A large poster in the window advertised gluten free subs on Udi’s bread.

The friendly staff clearly knew their gluten free stuff.  They recited the disclaimer: we are not a gluten free facility and then sprang into action – changing gloves, wiping surfaces, getting special condiments and fixings from the back, reaching for a clean knife.

You watch them make the sub sandwich and the team cheerfully responded to my ongoing questions.

It is thrilling to be offered a choice in sandwich size.  I chose the regular size which by itself made 2 meals for me.  But just knowing I could have had the giant size sub . . .

I recommend the Turkey Breast & Provolone which came piled high with turkey.  The Udi’s roll held up well even making it to my enjoyment of the “leftovers” later in the day.

Being able to enjoy a sandwich while out and about makes me happy.  I’ll return for more happiness.

I ate at the Mayfield Village location and Jersey Mike’s has many other locations around.