Gluten Free
 

I will be traveling to Vancouver/Victoria this summer. I have Celiac Disease (CD) and must maintain a gluten-free diet - no wheat, rye or barley. Does anyone have recommendations for restaurants? I know Canadians are much more informed about this diet than my fellow Americans (I buy all of my bread from Canada). Last summer I traveled to San Fancisco and was so very disappointed in the food. All I ate was mashed potatoes. HOPEFULLY I'll be able to do better in Vancouver although I'm quite sure I won't be able to enjoy High Tea in Victoria (at least not the 'eating' part).

Linda
Savannah, Ga

I might actually ask this question on Chowhound.com (Western Canada forum) or on eGullet.org (Vancouver forum) because the people that post there, if they're not already in the local restaurant industry, seem to know it inside and out.

I can't make any recommendations for restaurants, but I do know that you can find gluten-free foods at Choices (http://www.choicesmarket.com) and Capers (http://www.capersmarkets.com).

I also found this link which lists many restaurants and bakeries around town which offer gluten-free options. Perhaps once in town you can contact the ones you're interested in, and they can tell you what they'd prepare for you:

http://www.foodvancouver.com/restaur...&need=glut

Thank you so much. I'll check out these links. I appreciate your helpfulness.

Linda
Savannah, GA

Here is a website for what you are looking for in Vancouver.
http://www.pannerizo.com/about.htm

In Victoria the RE-Bar Restaurant just might carry gluten free. I know it is readily available in a lot of stores (Thrifty's) My SIL has CD and I am able to buy gluten free products.

usf - I meant to mention that the website I gave you lists the stores where you can buy their products as well. Good Luck.

usf.
I live in Victoria. I am not gluten free but I am casseinate free and dairy free. Not to the point of choking to death, but to the point of puking on the sidewalk. My addy is randdottournerattelusdotnet.
I eat a lot of sushi and fries with burger patties etc. Email me and I can help you sort this out.

Linda,

I was introduced to Panne Rizo the last time I was in Vancouver and still think about how wonderful it was, especially the grilled panini sandwiches. It's a bakery/deli with a small café in front rather than a restaurant so it's more suitable for lunch than dinner but I'd happily eat there any time.

Panne Rizo is on Corwall Avenue not far from downtown and I discovered that I could easily get there by bus from downtown, eat lunch and return on the same fare which was good for 90 minutes. Or I could pick up a take-out lunch and join my friends by the harbour. A non-celiac friend who ate lunch with me there one day really enjoyed the food as well.

Traveller 69 already provided the website link but here it is again: http://www.pannerizo.com/

A few thoughts for Victoria;
Il Terrazzo
http://www.ilterrazzo.com/
has
MANZO Char-grilled medallion of beef tenderloin topped with a compound butter of herbs and garlic.
Served with fried potatoes and grilled vegetables $ 16

RISOTTO con MELANZANE Creamy arborio rice cooked with tomatoes, fried eggplant,
roasted shallots, arugula, pine nuts and asiago cheese $ 12

Japanese Village
http://www.japanesevillage.bc.ca/
A popular place where they dice the meat of your choice and veg and grill in front of you and serve it with limitless bowls of steamed rice. No potatoes here.

There are dozens of sushi places.

Most Tai places have rice noodle options from ok to omygod hot.

I can walk into any of the 'pubs' in town and order a steak sandwich, hold the bread, with fries and a side salad with no eyebrows raised.

Are you getting hungry yet, or do you need more.
You can walk up to the deli counter in the market on yates or thriftys and order a tub of good potato salad to go, (both use real mayonaise). If you label check, you will find that Freybe salamis etc use corn starch, not wheat as thickeners.

Just a tip for those who think 'sushi' when they think gluten free: it is more of a challenge than you might think because of the soya sauce. If you check the label, most sauces are fermented using some sort of wheat product...for the most sensitive this is a problem. You always have to ask your server as so many of the dishes contain soya sauce.This I found out the hard way!

Wow LJ. I never thought of that level of sensitivity. Considering that most gravies and sauces are thickend with flour, all bets are off. For that level of sensitivity, I can only recomend an apartement with kitchen and grocery stores. Foodstuffs here are labelled, but strangely, since beer is not a foodstuff, you do not know if it is wheat beer or hops beer until you have drunk it.

Great responses everyone.....I'll check out all of the links provided. As I reported in my first post, all I ate in San Francisco was mashed potatoes. Canada has GOT to be better. And yes, Soya Sauce is a BIG problem for me. I have to be careful, even w/Sushi....But I DO NOT want to cook while on vacation. Eating is a major part of the fun of traveling. It looks like I'll be able to find GF food more readily available in Canada than the US.

Thanks again, L

Goood for you. We leave for London / Paris in a couple of weeks. My wife is resigned to the fact that I will be heading for the gutter a couple of times. It is simply a fact of life. It does not bother me nor her anymore.

Hi all,

Well my trip to BC is getting close and my mouth is already watering!!! I can't wait to try all of the wonderful suggestions you've given me via this forum. Thanks so much and for those of you who are also GF and VERY sensitive, I'll report back.

USF

usf,
I don't know if this will help, but my gluten-free friend always brings a slice or two of her own bread in a little baggie when we go out for lunch or dinner. She asks the restaurant to toast it for her or use it for her sandwich and she's never had anyone balk or refuse. They're always happy to do it for her. Of course, she's happy to pay the regular price for the sandwich, so it seems to be a good deal all around.

In Victoria, The Market on Yates has an extensive array of gluten free foods and if you go to the customer service desk they will give you a list. They also have gluten free products highlighted on the shelves. It can be found at 903 Yates Street (at Quadra St) easily walkable from downtown and is open 7am - 11pm. Happy Eating!!

Again, thank you for your posts. Amygirl, that's my daughter's name - Amy. Thanks for the tip regarding the market on Yates Street. I'll be sure to check it out. And yes, I often travel w/my own bread and I'm happy to pay full price for a sandwich.....many restaurants in the US are getting 'squirrly' about letting me use my own bread. I'm happy to hear that I will be able to do so in Canada. Can't wait.

USF