Gluten Free Eating in Monterey, CA

Its been a little over a year since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and I’m continually learning new things. I’m always on the hunt for new recipes, ideas, and places to eat. Eating out is by far the hardest part of being Gluten Free. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to cook. I love to experiment and try new things but there are those days where I would much rather just grab something quick to eat.

When I was first diagnosed I did a bunch of research online and found these amazing little cards called Triumph Dining Cards. These are amazing! They come in 10 languages and I always keep the “American Cuisine” in my wallet. I figured these not only would be good with eating out but also for future travel.

I’ve used these cards quite a bit. I used it last weekend when eating at a Thai restaurant in San Francisco (Khan Toke Thai House). Not only does it help you with picking foods but it also helps the wait staff and chef understand what you can and more importantly can’t eat.

Over the past year I have found a few places that are not specifically Gluten Free, however they are very accommodating. I thought I would take a few minutes to share these places with you.

Chinese:

P.F. Changs – Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA

They have a specific Gluten Free menu, its small but has a good selection. Their Chang’s Spicy Chicken is by far my favorite!

Full Moon – Alvarado Street, Monterey, CA

A small family run restaurant in down town Monterey. They are very accommodating for me. I have brought them large bottles of gluten free soy sauce and they cook all of my food with it. All of their food is cooked to order (except maybe the spareribs which are pre-marinaded). I eat there often (to the point they know me by name and my “usual” orders) so when I first found out they had another customer with Celiac Disease and offered to cook my food with their soy sauce, so I have in turn offered that they can use my soy sauce for any one else with Celiac.

If you have any questions they are very friendly and honest people. I’ve never had to worry about any cross contamination there either.

Sushi:

Ocean Sushi – Monterey and Pacific Grove, CA

Who doesn’t love sushi?! (ok a lot of people, I know) Again, nothing is specifically Gluten Free, however sushi has some great options … AvoEbi Roll (shrimp, avocado), Philadelphia Roll (salmon, cream cheese and JPN cucumber) and Edamame are great choices. There is not extra sauces or tempura to worry about. They don’t provide gluten free soy sauce but I’ve been known to bring my own and they are fine with that. I’ve talked with a few of the staff about Celiac and they are very accommodating to Gluten Free eaters.

Mexican:

Chipotle Mexican Grill – Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA

Here you have to be a little more careful of cross contamination, but I’ve eaten there plenty with out getting sick. On their website you can read all of the ingredients in their marinades, sauces, salsas etc.

As I try more places I’ll update on here, but these are some of my favorites…next up Siamese Bay