The title of this entry suggests that I eat at the restaurant in question quite often.
Actually, I don't.
I was at the hotel for four nights, but only ate at the restaurant twice.
That's how I survived it without compromising my gluten free diet.
The point of this article is not to rant against the hotel, but to illustrate what can go wrong at a restaurant, and how to deal with it and remain gluten-free.
The Problem with the Restaurant I was a hotel attending an intensive course to help me with the direction of my life and my business.
Because I have a gluten allergy and given that there would be no time to look for food outside the hotel, and expecting challenges in finding food to suit my allergy requirements, I mostly brought my own food.
I ate at the restaurant twice, and this was not a happy experience.
Because the course I was attending involved a lot of people, they had a buffet arranged for us.
Before buying tickets for the buffet, I told the hotel staff what my allergies are, and asked if I could be accommodated.
I was told this was possible.
Luckily, I only pre-purchased the dinners.
When I showed up at the buffet, it turned out that I could really only eat the salad! The first night, Cindy, a really service super-star, was able to arrange an alternate meal for me.
The second night she was not there, and the staff came up with something that technically I could eat, but really was pretty unsatisfactory.
Bringing My Own Gluten-Free Food Breakfasts and lunches did work really well because I brought my own gluten-free food.
I do not eat gluten, but I can eat oatmeal.
I brought a one-cup immersion heater to boil water, and added that to a bowl of instant oatmeal.
Adding walnuts and almonds made it a pretty good and complete breakfast.
For lunch, I brought rice cakes, and canned meat (which I found at an Italian store in my home town).
The cans have pull-tabs, so they are easy to open, and don't stink like fish, so that worked very well.
Planning for Next Time I have another similar trip coming up in March.
This time I will bring dinner as well as breakfast and lunch.
I have not planned my meals yet, but I have purchased a single-burner electric stove which I can fit in my suit-case.
Some camping pots and implements will complete my kitchen.
I will probably have rice with something out of a can - not exciting but better than restaurant food.
If I can, I will try to come up with something interesting, but it will all have to work as airplane luggage, so there will be challenges.
I'll add more when I have worked out the details.
More About Immersion Heaters A few people have been asking what an immersion heater is.
You put it in to a cup or mug of cold water, plug it in, and it heats up.
After a time, the water will boil.
Actually, I don't.
I was at the hotel for four nights, but only ate at the restaurant twice.
That's how I survived it without compromising my gluten free diet.
The point of this article is not to rant against the hotel, but to illustrate what can go wrong at a restaurant, and how to deal with it and remain gluten-free.
The Problem with the Restaurant I was a hotel attending an intensive course to help me with the direction of my life and my business.
Because I have a gluten allergy and given that there would be no time to look for food outside the hotel, and expecting challenges in finding food to suit my allergy requirements, I mostly brought my own food.
I ate at the restaurant twice, and this was not a happy experience.
Because the course I was attending involved a lot of people, they had a buffet arranged for us.
Before buying tickets for the buffet, I told the hotel staff what my allergies are, and asked if I could be accommodated.
I was told this was possible.
Luckily, I only pre-purchased the dinners.
When I showed up at the buffet, it turned out that I could really only eat the salad! The first night, Cindy, a really service super-star, was able to arrange an alternate meal for me.
The second night she was not there, and the staff came up with something that technically I could eat, but really was pretty unsatisfactory.
Bringing My Own Gluten-Free Food Breakfasts and lunches did work really well because I brought my own gluten-free food.
I do not eat gluten, but I can eat oatmeal.
I brought a one-cup immersion heater to boil water, and added that to a bowl of instant oatmeal.
Adding walnuts and almonds made it a pretty good and complete breakfast.
For lunch, I brought rice cakes, and canned meat (which I found at an Italian store in my home town).
The cans have pull-tabs, so they are easy to open, and don't stink like fish, so that worked very well.
Planning for Next Time I have another similar trip coming up in March.
This time I will bring dinner as well as breakfast and lunch.
I have not planned my meals yet, but I have purchased a single-burner electric stove which I can fit in my suit-case.
Some camping pots and implements will complete my kitchen.
I will probably have rice with something out of a can - not exciting but better than restaurant food.
If I can, I will try to come up with something interesting, but it will all have to work as airplane luggage, so there will be challenges.
I'll add more when I have worked out the details.
More About Immersion Heaters A few people have been asking what an immersion heater is.
You put it in to a cup or mug of cold water, plug it in, and it heats up.
After a time, the water will boil.