Eating Out: First Watch

The biggest challenge posed to gluten-free eaters is finding trustworthy restaurants to eat and be merry in. When father’s day rolled around last Sunday, our annual tradition of Sunday Father’s Day Breakfast was in jeopardy when none of our original haunts offered gluten-free options. After searching high and low, I stumbled upon an article on local restaurants with gluten-free options that mentioned a breakfast/brunch/lunch chain called “First Watch”. The chain had a dedicated gluten-free menu, so we decided to give it a try.

I made sure to mention to our server that I was gluten-free for health reasons, emphasizing the severity of my symptoms should I become glutenated. She very pleasant about the whole thing, and seemed more than happy to relay this message to the kitchen. I ordered a gluten-free Veg’d Out Omelet sans Tomatoes with a side of Fresh Fruit (subbed for an English Muffin and Pancakes) while my dad gorged himself on what looked to be delicious (and gigantic!) pancakes with berry-syrup topping. My plate arrived without too much delay (considering the holiday), and on it rested a delightful looking three-egg omelet filled with cheese, broccoli, onions, and spinach, all seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper. For $7.50, this was about the best gluten-free deal I’d found yet! That was, unless it made me sick…

The flavor was border-line amazing. That omelet was the best I can remember having in recent memory. It was perfectly seasoned, had just the right amount of cheese, and was appropriately portioned. I remember telling my Dad, “I kind of want to order a second one. Not because I’m hungry, but because it was delicious!” There was a slight mixup with the check at the end, but I honestly didn’t really notice. I was just having a delightful timing, eating out in public with my Dad on Father’s Day 🙂

Best of all, I did not get sick! Not even so much as a hiccup. So, First Watch is 1 for 1 at this point. Their gluten-free selections are pretty limited to omelets (there are no gluten-free pancakes or muffins), but that’s more than enough for me.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! TAKE YOUR FRIENDS!

Bento Cafe: Gainseville, Florida

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I went up to Gainseville, FL to apartment hunt. I’ve been lucky enough to apply to the University of Florida Levin College of Law (a school that is questionably just beyond my reach in most standard application cycles) during a year where applications were down 30% as mass hysteria concerning the utility of a legal degree sweep across the nation. So, I got in! This was really my first day trip away from either my work or my home since I started the gluten-free diet, so it was a challenge to figure out how to manage lunch when I didn’t have access to a microwave! One can only eat so many piece of chocolate or gluten-free Nutrigrain Bar substitutes before collapsing. While I did bring some leftovers from my Orange Chicken recipe (posted in the recipe section), I had no way to heat them up. As my boyfriend grew hungry, I found myself at an Asian Fusion joint that had been a standard when I was attending UF as an gluten-consuming undergrad. I inquired into their gluten-free choices, and the girl working the front register (who would not be preparing my food) informed me that all of their Japanese Curry recipes were gluten free if ordered without rice. I felt wary of trusting the cooks in the kitchen to be sure to prepare the chicken and sauce in separate pans, on separate surfaces, and with separate tools than those used to prepare foods with gluten. But, because I’ve only just recently adopted this fairly significant lifestyle change, I felt shy about insisting to know the cooks’ exact procedures. So, I trusted them to simply know what was necessary to avoid cross-contamination (for those of you that don’t know, avoiding gluten isn’t as simple as just eliminating gluten-containing ingredients from recipes. Gluten is a protein that remains on surfaces, in bowls, and on tools used in preparing foods. If these factors aren’t properly accounted for, a cutting board used for a gluten-containing recipe can contaminate what is supposed to be a gluten-free recipe).

I think we all know how this story ends. Today, I woke up with hives on my face and butt! They’re not nearly as bad as those pictured in the “Bucking the Trend” section (I believe the hives get worse as gluten builds up in my body). But I did have a reaction, which indicates that something I ate was contaminated. Since my visit to Bento was the only opportunity I had to consume gluten yesterday, I suspect the well meaning cooks at Bento did not in fact know just how thorough they needed to be to avoid cross-contamination.

Fortunately, my sensitivity is not severe enough (especially after only one instance of cross-contamination) for this reaction to be much more than an inconvenience. However, there are those who may find themselves in the hospital after eating food that’s cross-contaminated! The main lesson here is to trust your instincts, know what signs to look for, learn which kitchens to trust, and stand up for yourself. I’ll be writing guides on how to eat out with a gluten-intolerance as I learn how to do this myself. Until then, I’m going to trust my instincts!