Wonderland - Gluten-Free Food Options

This post is part of a series of posts about gluten-free food options at a range of tourist/family attractions across Ontario.


Exciting!!

Check out this email response from Wonderland regarding gluten-free options at Wonderland for 2012.  Please keep in mind that she ensured that I point out that this is not a permanent list and options may change!

     Thank you for contacting Guest Services at Canada’s Wonderland. I can provide you with a list of gluten-free items which are available at the park; however these items are subject to change as we do change our food items regularly and is not to be considered a permanent list of gluten free items at the park. If you do post these items on your blog please outline that it is not to be considered a reliable list for the whole season.
     Current gluten-free items include; Gluten Free Pizza with select toppings (Backlot), Naked Burrito (Make sure you ask for this special at Backlot), Ask for a gluten free bun at Backlot Café and Coasters Grill for your fresh grilled burger, steam rice, Stir Fry Veg and Items from Teriyaki Experience without the Sauce, ICEE, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Chippery Chips (plain), Frozen Fries, Fresh Fries, and Gelato. Also gluten free cookies and snack cakes at some of our carts and Backlot Café.
     Please advise your readers to visit Guest Services to receive an accurate list of food items on the day of their visit. Most security guards can also inform you of establishments which sell gluten-free food.

Have a great day!

Please note that food and drinks MAY NOT be brought into the park. Plastic bottled water is permitted. Thank you for your cooperation.

Woohoo!  Sounds like some great options are available at Wonderland :)

African Lion Safari - Gluten-Free Options

This post is part of a series of posts about gluten-free food options at a range of tourist/family attractions across Ontario.


I gotta say... customer service at African Lion Safari is my favourite so far.

I've emailed about a dozen locations and haven't heard much back... but African Lion Safari got back to me within 30 minutes with this response:

 
Good morning Jax!  I just checked with our food service department and we are selling gluten free soft serve ice cream and cone at Kanga Kool Treats.  The ice cream can be served in a plastic cup instead of cone as well.  They are trying to get more gluten free products in.  

Sincerely, Linda Kowalchuk


African Lion Safari opened in 1969.  I've always wanted to go... but sadly have not been yet.  Maybe this summer ;)

UPDATE: August 25, 2012

Linda sent me another email to inform me that on the Dining Page of their website, you can view PDF files of their Food Ingredients by Location and Food for Special Dietary Needs.

UPDATE: July 29, 2012

I just received this email this afternoon and had to update this post:

Good afternoon Jax!  African Lion Safari has some more gluten free items.

HOT DOGS: PILLER'S ALL BEEF HOT DOGS - beef, water, modified potato starch, salt, spices, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, smoke.

O'DOUGH GLUTEN FREE HOT DOG BUNS - AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST ONLY AT MOMBASA MARKET RESTAURANT: - water, potato starch, soya, tapioca flour, sunflower oil, baker's yeast, whole grain rice flour, chickpea flour, cellulose fibre, glycerine, salt, xanthan gum, organic evaporated lime juice, baking powder, baking soda. Contains soya.

SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM-Available at Funnel Cake Factory (in a cup), or at Kanga Kool Treats in a cup (gluten free cone available upon request). VANILLA - milk, cream, sugar, modified milk ingredients, corn syrup solids, mono and diglycrides, guar gum, sodium phosphate, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, artificial flavour. CHOCOLATE - milk, sugar, cream, modified milk ingredients, corn syrup solids, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, sodium phosphate, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, artificial flavour. Vanilla only is available at Funnel Cake Factory, Kanga Kool Treats has both Vanilla and Chocolate.

JOY SUGAR CONES ( GLUTEN FREE) - rice flour, brown sugar, corn starch, tapioca flour, vegetable oil shortening (soybean oil or canola oil, modified palm oil, soy lecithin), cellulose, salt, xanthan gum, natural flavour. Contains soy.

Mombasa Market Restaurant also provides Renee's gluten free salad dressing. * Please check for availability.  

CN Tower - Gluten-Free Options

This is part of a series of posts about gluten-free food options available at select tourist/family attractions in Ontario.

I sent an email to the CN Tower in Toronto asking about gluten-free options in the 360 Restaurant at the top of the tower.  I have never been up the tower but I hope to soon!

I was a little disappointed with the lack of a direct list of options available.  As a vegetarian, it is sometimes hard to judge if I will just be stuck with a salad... and it's always nice to have a gluten-free pasta option or bread as a side.  No mention of any rice dishes either.

Anyway, here is the response directly from the Sous Chef at 360 Restaurant:

Hi thanks for your question.
Most of our dishes can be modified to be gluten free, as our jus are made in house and do not contain flour wheat or barley. If A dish like prime rib for intents is served with bread pudding  we do substitute it for mash or baked potato. 95% of the menu can be ordered, just be sure that you inform your waiter about your food allergy.
Looking forward to see you in 360  at the CN TOWER

Have a nice day

Stefan Gohlke                                                                        
Sous Chef, Sous-chef                                                         
CN TOWER | LA TOUR CN www.cntower.ca                       
301 Front Street West | 301, rue Front Ouest                    
Toronto, ON M5V 2T6         

Rattray Marsh - Mississauga

This post is dedicated to my dad.

I went with him to Rattray Marsh and found out he is an avid reader of my blog and I had no idea.  I should mention that he's not gluten-free :P He just wants to be supportive of what I'm doing.

So here ya go... here's some pictures I took of Rattray Marsh on Friday, May 18 with my dad.  Not bad for a smartphone ;)

Sponsor - Sarah Maughan B.A. RHN

The following is a message from my new sponsor, Sarah Maughan, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist located in Toronto:
 
If you're gluten free and ever finding it difficult, Sarah Maughan is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist consulting in Toronto who can help make it easy! Gluten free herself, she specializes in providing individualized plans and information to help cater to your lifestyle, your taste buds and your nutritional needs. 

Individual consulting can help if you still experience upset stomachs, low energy, need to gain/lose weight, reach an exercise/athletic goal, or if you are in need of some fresh and delicious recipes and ideas or a structured meal plan - now's the time to book because all assessments for people who are gluten free are $20 off for the Month of May in honour of Celiac Awareness Month! Click here to book.

Don't forget to follow Sarah on twitter: @holistic_gal

Thoughts on Domino's (Not Quite) Gluten-Free Pizza

Alright, since everyone seems to be up in arms about Domino's disclaimer that their gluten-free pizza crust is not meant for those with Celiac Disease because they can't guarantee no cross-contamination, I figured I'd put in my two cents.

My first thought is...

     Duh.

You think a chain with thousands of locations can make a guarantee there will be no chance of cross-contamination? And that all employees will follow the proper procedures 100% of the time?  Of course not.  That's just asking for trouble...

In the sue happy world we live in, making a guarantee would mean people can sue for getting sick.  Or for not getting sick.  What's the chain gonna do, ask to see a biopsy slide showing damage?  If someone sued the chain, they would likely give in, settling out of court, so they don't get bad publicity.

I, for one, am happy they have this disclaimer.  They leave the choice of whether or not to risk the chance up to the consumer rather than making a false guarantee.

I think just about any restaurant offering gluten-free items will have a warning that there is a chance of cross-contamination.  If they don't, I think they are setting themselves up for problems.  Even the most experienced chef can't make a guarantee.

I've even read comments online about those with Celiac Disease saying they themselves have made mistakes in their home with gluten eaters and have glutened themselves.  If it can happen in your own home, it can happen anywhere.

In conclusion, I think people need to realize that any restaurant without a dedicated gluten-free kitchen is going to have a disclaimer that gluten may contaminate the food.  There's just no way around it... unless of course, you expect them to outfit all Domino's with a special gluten-free kitchen with separate ventilation to eliminate any possible risk of flour settling on your food.

:)

Milestones Gluten-Free (Take 2)

I first want to apologize for being a little MIA on this blog... I was taking a little breather. But I am back and we're good to go ;)

Back to the matter at hand... I love when restaurants offer gluten-free options.  I appreciate the effort to accommodate us so I really don't like complaining.  Sometimes it's necessary.  Here goes...

On Saturday, I visited Milestones in Toronto.  My dinner date (who is also gluten-free, what are the chances?!) ordered this burger with a gluten-free bun.

The burger looked great.  (Yeah, a vegetarian just said that.)  I should point out that I had heard some negative comments regarding the bun but figured it couldn't be that bad.  Oh, but it was.  It crumbled.  There was no holding this burger together.  I ate a small piece of the bun and wasn't too impressed.  Dinner date actually tossed the bottom half of the bun because it turned into a soggy mess.  He is familiar with gluten-free breads so it wasn't just a matter of not liking gluten-free food.

Come to think of it, I had emailed Milestones a few months ago after reading numerous complaints about the buns online, asking which brand they use and offered to make some suggestions for a more palatable bun (like, I dunno, say Kinnikinnick's new line of soft buns?).  They sent sort of automated response [and called me Mr. Wilkinson... I'm pretty sure I am not a dude] and said my comments were appreciated and would be passed on to the appropriate people.  I never heard any more and they are still using the same buns apparently.

Maybe they were offended by my email. Maybe they don't really care about customer's feedback.  Maybe someone from Milestones is reading this blog post right now.  Maybe they wish to contact me..?  (Contact Jax - please don't call me Mr)

Anyway, I ordered the spaghettini and really enjoyed it.  Yes, this is the same thing I ordered last time... there's a lack of vegetarian gluten-free options there.  It was this or salad.

When the plate first arrived, I noticed the bread touching the pasta and had a mild freakout. Bread?!  On my gluten-free pasta plate?!  No worries... turns out, it was gluten-free and tasted pretty good.  The pasta was delicious, as it was the previous visit.

And dessert...

I was full from dinner but decided I had to get dessert after remembering how good it was.  Yum!  I suggest you get the Ganache torte on your next visit to Milestones.