Tag: Gluten Free

A Four Day Taste of New York City

On January 16, 2018

So, what do you do when a family member goes to a conference in New York City for 4 days and offers you the second bed in the room for free? Well, you hop Metro North to Grand Central Station. Even though it was late January (2017), with warm clothes and boots, NYC is still a great place to explore. At the time I came in, it was just as easy to walk to the hotel and with my backpack suitcase, I didn’t have to worry about rolling my luggage.

We stayed in the Hilton Hotel near Times Square – much nicer than my usual hostel digs. The first night I roamed around Times Square and had dinner with my family member at Friedman’s near Penn Station. If you have to eat gluten free, Friedman’s is a great find. There are several locations, each with a different menu, and they are a real safe haven for people with celiac disease. The food is so good, even those who don’t need to eat gluten free will love it.

The next day, it was snowing, and I hopped the nearby subway for the trek down to the Financial District to go to the 9/11 Memorial. Living in Connecticut, with its close proximity to New York, 9/11 was an emotional event for me, and I wanted to spend time at the Memorial and the Museum. I couldn’t see much of the Memorial because of the snow, but the Museum was excellent and well worth the time.

In the afternoon, I stopped by Chelsea Market. I love large indoor and outdoor food markets and this one doesn’t disappoint. I picked up something for dinner and breakfast the next morning and had a late lunch at the Friedman’s in Chelsea Market.

The third day was sunny and relatively warm (from a winter in NYC perspective). I took the subway to 81st street and Central Park West and walked across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5th Avenue. The park is beautiful in any season and there were no shortage of walkers, runners, and bikers on the trails. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a classic NYC museum. They recently moved to a mandatory fee for people who are not New York residents, but don’t let that stop you – it’s worth it.

I walked home along 5th Avenue until 57th Street and then up to 7th to go to Fresh & Co to pick up dinner. They have a good variety of organic seasonal food with some gluten free options. It’s a good place to pick up gluten free muffins for breakfast as well.

If you are interested in snagging some discounted same day tickets for Broadway, stop at the TKTS Times Square Booth. The available shows are listed online and you can purchase them at the booth on a first come, first served basis. The booth is only open certain hours and you may need to wait in line when you get there.

The morning of my last day, I walked a couple of blocks to the Museum of Modern Art. I always like looking at modern art, although I can’t say I understand much of it. It was fun to go through. In the afternoon, I walked back to Grand Central Station for the train to CT. Grand Central is a destination in itself. The architecture is amazing, and it has a great food market downstairs. I enjoyed roaming around while I waited for my train.

For a reasonable budget (no lodging), I spent 4 days in the city visiting museums, walking around, and eating good food. If you are going to share a room with someone (especially if you aren’t paying for it), make sure you are a considerate guest. Stay out of the way when they are trying to get out in the morning and let them dictate when the lights go out at night. Respect that they may need some quiet working time, so bring a book or other quiet activity. Who knows, you might get invited back the next time they are in the city.

Traveling With Food Allergies

By Pam Q.

On November 13, 2017

In Lifestyle, Other, Travel Tips

I have Celiac Disease and cannot eat anything with gluten (primarily wheat and wheat based products) without getting quite ill. I also have friends with serious allergies to shellfish and nuts. It’s hard enough to eat safely in your home area with the ability to ask questions in your primary language, but traveling, especially to areas where I’m unable to understand the menu and ask questions in English, can be a challenge.

Fortunately, the internet has a plethora of information to help people with food allergies when traveling. But, it is important for you to be an advocate for yourself, asking necessary questions and making informed decisions about whether you consider the food safe to eat for your dietary issue.

I primarily travel independently, but recently took a trip to Italy with Road Scholar. Road Scholar does a good job of letting you know if they can accommodate for your particular issue, and made arrangements ahead of time for the meals they provided. For the other meals, I turned to the internet to get some guidance.

A simple google search on ‘how to eat gluten free in Italy’ yielded a number of helpful sources. One that I have used before is Celiac Travel . They have Gluten Free Restaurant Cards for many different countries. The cards explain (in the local language) what people with celiac can and can’t eat. You show the card to the server and often they will bring the card to the chef for guidance. The cards are free (with a request for a voluntary donation). Often, useful forums will pop up in the search that will highlight both good and bad experiences with specific restaurants regarding your particular allergy.

Another helpful option is to use Google Translate to translate the menu to English (or another language). For example, the translation might show that the item is breaded and thus should be avoided. Many times, the menu appears online and you can do some advance planning before you get to the restaurant.

My internet search also showed that Italians in general are quite knowledgeable about Celiac disease and many restaurants have undergone training in proper accommodation. For example, in Italy, many restaurants had gluten free pasta that they cooked in individual portions in water separate from the regular pasta. I soon discovered the GROM chain of gelato where I could eat gelato to my heart’s content without concern about cross contamination.

Regardless of your food allergy, it is important to determine what might be your ‘go to’ meals if you have difficulty finding meals on the menu that accommodate your needs to your satisfaction. For me, grilled chicken on a salad without dressing, a fruit and cheese plate, or plain meat and vegetables are usually reasonable alternatives. Many places I’ve traveled also have a dedicated gluten free/allergy free bakery, where sometimes you can find savory items in addition to sweets.

Restaurant owners, chefs, and servers generally want you to have a good experience at their restaurant. Many chefs are well educated in food allergy accommodations. By doing some advance research and making a list of the items you know you can eat (and not eat), you should be able to find something you can eat in a restaurant. If you can’t, politely excuse yourself and try another restaurant.

In many locations, people have access to local grocery stores and other sources of allergy safe foods if they have concern about restaurant meals. I discovered that in Italy, the local pharmacies stock gluten free food in addition to the grocery store, because Celiac Disease is a medical condition. In addition, many of the open air markets have fruit, vegetables, and other allergy safe food.

Armed with knowledge about your condition, the ability to translate the menu (or request a menu in your primary language), the willingness to ask questions of the server and chef, some guidance on the ingredients commonly found in the local cuisine, and some flexibility to substitute known safe foods, travelers with food allergies can travel in many counties and eat in selected restaurants with confidence.