RE: Santa Cruz/ Valley Restaurants

[Guest guest]

I don't know if there is one in the Santa Cruz area, but you can order

Chinese food at P.F. Chang's off the GF menu. Their sister restaurant

Pei Wei also has a GF menu but is not located anywhere nearby, darn it.

DH Loves Chinese food so when we got together I was highly motivated

to learn how to cook Chinese food so he wouldn't feel like he was

" missing out " and so we wouldn't spend a lot of time in Chinese

restaurants. Some people have luck ordering dishes with clear,

cornstarch or potato starch thickened sauces or steamed vegetables,

but I find those kinds of dishes so boring I'd rather not bother and

make my own flavorful food at home. I've also had trouble getting

glutened at Chinese restaurants, even with friends explaining the

situation in Cantonese to the wait staff. (And this from supposedly

plain wok-fried Chinese peas in salt). Woks can be contaminated, and

you have to be very careful of MSG as MSG imported from China or

Taiwan will generally be made from wheat.

If you get a chance to make it to San Francisco, Zadin vietnamese

restaurant has a great GF menu and I am personally DYING to go there.

I know it's not exactly what you wanted, but I think it will be good!

In the meantime, here's the URL of my blog with all my Chinese

recipes. They are vegetarian and (mostly) healthy but you can add meat

to taste, obviously. I hope this helps!

http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/category/chinese

Also, beware of soy sauce or tamari. Most, if not all, contain wheat

and restaurant varieties undoubtedly do unless it is a specialty place

with wheat-free tamari. For home use, I use San-J wheat free, low

sodium. Some people use La Choy, but I think flavored water has more

flavor, so I don't buy it unless I'm really stuck. Bragg's liquid

aminos are also GF but have a very " earthy " flavor that is great for

vegetarian/vegan dishes but a bit overpowering in a Chinese dish.

I don't know about groups in your immediate area, but we have a Celiac

group that meets in the Sunnyvale area that you are welcome to join

anytime. Here's our forum URL

http://forum.celiacsf.org/

Have you been to New Leaf?

(http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/turning-over-a-new-leaf-on-a-gluten-free-picnic-2\

10.html)

Also, Harvest House is not especially nearby or convenient, but it IS

the best place around to try GF products. They have huge selections of

Kinnikinnick in their freezer case and tons of other packaged mixes.

It's the best!

As far as general dining, Japanese sushi is fairly safe- just stick

with simple rolls, not the ridiculous ones with cream sauces and fish

eggs and everything else but the kitchen sink. I like avocado, salmon,

or tuna. Bring your own GF soy sauce. Avoid any noodles, california

rolls (fake crab is made from wheat!), tempura rolls, etc and beware

of " mugi cha " , barley tea.

Hope this helps! Happy dining and best wishes,

--- In , " Deb Matsuoka " <kdmatsuoka@...>

wrote:

>

> Hello-

>

> I am new to the group and I was recently diagnosed. I was wondering

> if there are any restaurants in the SC/SV area that have GF menus or

> are supportive to this type of cooking.

>

> I am craving Chinese food, any suggestions of what I can order, so far

> all I can figure out is rice.... anything else safe?

>

> Also, is there a support group that meets in this area?

>

> Any suggestions would be great!

>

[Guest guest]

We are going to Zadin tonight! Can't wait to try it! :-DI found a couple of 'black bean' soy sauce varieties that are completely GF, inexpensive, and very tasty:http://flickr.com/photos/sanbeiji/476789274/

They are both available at Asian grocery stores. We usually get them at 99 Ranch. I like them better than regular soy sauce, and I confirmed through Taiwanese brand Guan Ping that they even lab test their product to be GF. I'm finding more varieties of black bean soy sauce all the time.

-JoeOn Feb 9, 2008 10:12 AM, seamaiden399 <seamaiden399@...> wrote:

I don't know if there is one in the Santa Cruz area, but you can order

Chinese food at P.F. Chang's off the GF menu. Their sister restaurant

Pei Wei also has a GF menu but is not located anywhere nearby, darn it.

DH Loves Chinese food so when we got together I was highly motivated

to learn how to cook Chinese food so he wouldn't feel like he was

" missing out " and so we wouldn't spend a lot of time in Chinese

restaurants. Some people have luck ordering dishes with clear,

cornstarch or potato starch thickened sauces or steamed vegetables,

but I find those kinds of dishes so boring I'd rather not bother and

make my own flavorful food at home. I've also had trouble getting

glutened at Chinese restaurants, even with friends explaining the

situation in Cantonese to the wait staff. (And this from supposedly

plain wok-fried Chinese peas in salt). Woks can be contaminated, and

you have to be very careful of MSG as MSG imported from China or

Taiwan will generally be made from wheat.

If you get a chance to make it to San Francisco, Zadin vietnamese

restaurant has a great GF menu and I am personally DYING to go there.

I know it's not exactly what you wanted, but I think it will be good!

In the meantime, here's the URL of my blog with all my Chinese

recipes. They are vegetarian and (mostly) healthy but you can add meat

to taste, obviously. I hope this helps!

http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/category/chinese

Also, beware of soy sauce or tamari. Most, if not all, contain wheat

and restaurant varieties undoubtedly do unless it is a specialty place

with wheat-free tamari. For home use, I use San-J wheat free, low

sodium. Some people use La Choy, but I think flavored water has more

flavor, so I don't buy it unless I'm really stuck. Bragg's liquid

aminos are also GF but have a very " earthy " flavor that is great for

vegetarian/vegan dishes but a bit overpowering in a Chinese dish.

I don't know about groups in your immediate area, but we have a Celiac

group that meets in the Sunnyvale area that you are welcome to join

anytime. Here's our forum URL

http://forum.celiacsf.org/

Have you been to New Leaf?

(http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/turning-over-a-new-leaf-on-a-gluten-free-picnic-210.html)

Also, Harvest House is not especially nearby or convenient, but it IS

the best place around to try GF products. They have huge selections of

Kinnikinnick in their freezer case and tons of other packaged mixes.

It's the best!

As far as general dining, Japanese sushi is fairly safe- just stick

with simple rolls, not the ridiculous ones with cream sauces and fish

eggs and everything else but the kitchen sink. I like avocado, salmon,

or tuna. Bring your own GF soy sauce. Avoid any noodles, california

rolls (fake crab is made from wheat!), tempura rolls, etc and beware

of " mugi cha " , barley tea.

Hope this helps! Happy dining and best wishes,

--- In , " Deb Matsuoka " <kdmatsuoka@...>

wrote:

>

> Hello-

>

> I am new to the group and I was recently diagnosed. I was wondering

> if there are any restaurants in the SC/SV area that have GF menus or

> are supportive to this type of cooking.

>

> I am craving Chinese food, any suggestions of what I can order, so far

> all I can figure out is rice.... anything else safe?

>

> Also, is there a support group that meets in this area?

>

> Any suggestions would be great!

>

-- Joe http://sanbeiji.com/

[Guest guest]

There's a place, but i cant remember the name. My coworker lives in s Valley and was out to eat and told me about it being very GF savvy and should try it, she's not a celiac but was dining next to one (i think someone may have mentioned this place on this forum before but i cant find the email) I'll ask her Monday and get back to you, unless someone else knows the name : )

From: on behalf of Deb MatsuokaSent: Fri 2/8/2008 9:47 AM Subject: [ ] Santa Cruz/ Valley Restaurants

Hello-I am new to the group and I was recently diagnosed. I was wondering if there are any restaurants in the SC/SV area that have GF menus or are supportive to this type of cooking.I am craving Chinese food, any suggestions of what I can order, so far all I can figure out is rice.... anything else safe?Also, is there a support group that meets in this area?Any suggestions would be great!

[Guest guest]

I live in s Valley and there are a few restaurants that I haven't had any issues with. Jia Tella's is very good Cambodian cuisine. The owner is usually working and is willing to work with you to ensure your meal is gluten free. I eat at both sushi restaurants on a regular basis. I just watch what I get. I love sashimi, so it's kind of difficult to mess that one up. I get the Niner roll at Yamamori's and that seems to agree with me. I get the Crazy Horse roll at Rumble Fish and haven't had any problems their either. I guess Bruno's Barbecue is a good place to eat as well, although I haven't checked it out yet. I love to barbecue and usually do so myself. I was diagnoses with Celiac about two years ago, so I'm sure there's more places I haven't been brave enough to try. Wallace <AWallace@...> wrote: There's a place, but i cant remember the name. My coworker lives in s Valley and was out to eat and told me about it being very GF savvy and should try it, she's not a celiac but was dining next to one (i think someone may have mentioned this place on this forum before but i cant find the email) I'll ask her Monday and get back to you, unless someone else knows the name : ) From: on behalf of Deb

MatsuokaSent: Fri 2/8/2008 9:47 AM Subject: [ ] Santa Cruz/ Valley Restaurants Hello-I am new to the group and I was recently diagnosed. I was wondering if there are any restaurants in the SC/SV area that have GF menus or are supportive to this type of cooking.I am craving Chinese food, any suggestions of what I can order, so far all I can figure out is rice.... anything else safe?Also, is there a support group that meets in this area?Any suggestions would be great!

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[Guest guest]

Jia Tella’s, that’s the place!

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Christian

Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008

8:42 AM

Subject: RE: [ ] Santa

Cruz/ Valley Restaurants

I live in s

Valley and there are a

few restaurants that I haven't had any issues with. Jia Tella's is very good

Cambodian cuisine. The owner is usually working and is willing to work with you

to ensure your meal is gluten free. I eat at both sushi restaurants on a

regular basis. I just watch what I get. I love sashimi, so it's kind of

difficult to mess that one up. I get the Niner roll at Yamamori's and that

seems to agree with me. I get the Crazy Horse roll at Rumble Fish and haven't

had any problems their either. I guess Bruno's Barbecue is a good place to

eat as well, although I haven't checked it out yet. I love to barbecue and

usually do so myself. I was diagnoses with Celiac about two years ago, so I'm

sure there's more places I haven't been brave enough to try.

Wallace <AWallaceeastonbellsports>

wrote:

There's a place, but i cant remember the

name. My coworker lives in s Valley and was out to eat and told me

about it being very GF savvy and should try it, she's not a celiac but was

dining next to one (i think someone may have mentioned this place on

this forum before but i cant find the email) I'll ask her Monday and get

back to you, unless someone else knows the name : )

From: on behalf of

Deb Matsuoka

Sent: Fri 2/8/2008 9:47 AM

Subject: [ ] Santa

Cruz/ Valley Restaurants

Hello-

I am new to the group and I was recently diagnosed. I was wondering

if there are any restaurants in the SC/SV area that have GF menus or

are supportive to this type of cooking.

I am craving Chinese food, any suggestions of what I can order, so far

all I can figure out is rice.... anything else safe?

Also, is there a support group that meets in this area?

Any suggestions would be great!

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try

it now.