Thank you to everyone who shared their wonderful gluten-free experiences with us in our first year of operation. Your contributions have helped to make The Celiac Scene™ the vibrant and dynamic community that it is today! We look forward to celebrating with you every day in 2010!

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WOW! I was so impressed with the info and reception this past weekend in Victoria! Took your Celiac Scene map with me and ate at The Tapas Bar , Le Bon Rouge Bistro, and Wild Saffron at The Swan's Hotel . In ALL cases, waitstaff couldn't have been more gracious, knowledgeable and helpful. The person who waited on us at the Tapas Bar was celiac herself. I also appreciated the Celiac Scene decals in the doorways. On top of that, we had Afternoon Tea at Butchart Gardens and my GF selection was marvelous. Turns out that the "Tea Chef" also has CD. Thank you for this great service to us GF eaters. To date, I've never had such a friendly and knowledgeable reception in the States where I am from. 

We went to Topo's Restaurante and my meal was so amazing; I even had a chocolate mousse desert made with Bernard Callebaut chocolate. Yum, Yum, Yum!!! Bernice

We were in Victoria for my oldest son’s wedding. We needed a restaurant to host 15 of my family members for our rehearsal dinner (6 of us are gluten/dairy free). We chose Nautical Nellie's as it was within walking distance from our hotel and could accommodate us all on a busy Friday night. The waiter who served us requested our table as his girlfriend is celiac and he felt he could give us the best service. He was right! We all enjoyed an amazing meal and even the most sensitive among us enjoyed a safe meal. Bravo Nautical Nellies and The Celiac Scene™! Cathy

Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that we have found a
different way to heat the flour tortillas that will leave the grill
strictly gluten free with no traces whatsoever of gluten. The new equipment should be installed within a couple of weeks. Yea! Tamara of Hernande’z Restaurant

I recently traveled to Calgary for a dance competition. Before I left I checked The Celiac Scene™ to look for restaurants that were within walking distance of my hotel that could provide GF options. I ended up going to the Redwater Rustic Grille. The service was great and the wait staff were very knowledgeable. I ordered from the pasta menu, as they could substitute GF corn pasta for wheat pasta. The waiter wrote down my allergies and double checked with the head chef that everything that I ordered was GF and dairy free. When complimentary bread and antipasto were brought out to the table for the others, I was served GF corn chips and antipasto on a separate plate. The meal was fantastic!!! This was the first time I had had a pasta dish at a restaurant since going GF 4 years ago. As with every time I eat out, I am always skeptical of my meal, even after all the precautions. I can tell within 10 minutes of eating a meal whether or not it was contaminated with gluten. After the 10 minute mark, my stomach was getting full, but the signs I experience with gluten contamination were not there! My meal was delicious AND safe! I returned to the restaurant the next night for the exact same dish! I highly recommend trying this restaurant for a delicious GF meal! Stephanie

We ate recently at Bistro 161 in Duncan. Celiac friendly, a very nice place to eat. Barbro

Another great restaurant! Blues Bayou. Our waiter’s knowledge of celiac disease was very reassuring. He was able to give confident recommendations about what I could and couldn't eat without my having to educate him. The food was spicy and the evening was fun! I highly recommend Blues Bayou! Judy

My department at work had their Christmas lunch at the Duke of Dublin Irish Pub in Abbotsford last Friday. I emailed the General Manager and he assured me that they could provide a gluten free meal so that I was able to join the rest of my department for lunch. He suggested I contact the chef the morning of the lunch to make the arrangements. I called the chef and was pleasantly surprised by his knowledge of Celiac Disease and gluten-free foods. He suggested the Bangkok Chicken Stir Fry served with Basmati rice (instead of chow mein noodles). He told me that they are more than willing to accommodate food allergies at the restaurant as he suffers from an allergy to seafood. The meal was fabulous - grilled chicken, lots of fresh vegetables with a wonderful curry peanut sauce served over basmati rice. The bonus: I had no symptoms of any gluten contamination. If you are looking for a restaurant in the Abbotsford area where you can have a wonderful gluten free meal I highly recommend the Duke of Dublin Irish pub, both the food and the atmosphere are fantastic. Rosemary

Café Ceylon was amazing! The waiter was wonderful, the meal was very very delicious, and Tamara's husband came out to talk to us at the end to make sure everything went well with our meal. He was extremely gracious! Two Thumbs up for Cafe Ceylon! Bernice

Origin Bakery started when two friends, Tara Black and Marion Neuhauser, realized that friends with dietary restrictions were having a hard time finding tasty, wheat-free baking.

They became determined to combine their discerning taste with high quality, natural and organic ingredients and after a summer selling their delicious, wholesome wares at Bastion Square, Tara and Marion are about to sign the lease on Victoria's first dedicated gluten-free bakery!!
As they cross the t's and dot the i's, it is still possible to order your favourites on Saturdays for pick up on Mondays.
This week's features!
How to order
About our ingredients
More about Tara and Marion
Be in touch

Beth Armour of Cream Hill Estates used a combination of The Scene's™ GF Grillers© to do a presentation recently at Acadia University.

"My guest lecture was about the precautions that people in foodservice industry have to take into consideration to safely serve gluten-free meals to customers from hospitals to restaurants to schools.

I received an email from the professor today - this question was on their mid-term and they all did well - thanks for the well thoughtout GF Grillers©! Very useful!"

Beth Armour, P.Dt., M.Ed.,
Co-President
Cream Hill Estates Ltd.
Your trusted source of pure oats!™
info@creamhillestates.com
Cream Hill Estates

Print out our GF Grillers along with your maps - to go!

GF Grillers for Restaurants
GF Grillers for Cross Contamination
GF Grillers for Manufacturers

The Celiac Scene's ripple in the gluten-free community continues! Intelligent, discerning celiacs are finding us and sharing the joy of discovering the only celiac-friendly restaurant resource in Canada. Check out these brilliant sites:

GFreeCommunity.com
BeFreeForMe.com
Gluten Aversion
Sandra Childress

Everyone seems to want a piece of the gluten-free dollar and the supplements industry is no different. However, it should be noted that "There are no NHPD Canadian standards for the maximum amount of gluten allowed to make a gluten-free claim."

Celiactivitist® Val found this out shortly after she began experiencing symptoms of gluten ingestion 6 weeks after she began taking supplements recommended by her naturopath.

While she received assurances from manufacturers' customer service representatives, Val invested in Eliza Technologies EZ Gluten home test kits and was able to determine that the supplements recommended by her naturopath scored above 20 ppm!

She informed the manufacturer of her findings who went on to test the batch themselves, with the same results.

Manufacturers often download the responsibility of ensuring that a product is gluten free onto their suppliers. While suppliers do test their products, the tests are for impurities, foreign objects, heavy metals among other things, but not for gluten.

It is in this loophole that gluten contamination can creep. If the supplier does not test for gluten, or processes an ingredient on a shared line, and manufacturers do not test for gluten pre or post-production, the consumer is at risk.

The fact is that gluten-free testing is not required of the manufacturers of supplements in order to label their products gluten free. This is a self-regulated and largely unaccountable industry, in Canada at least.

The onus is still on the consumer to determine if the product is safe for their consumption. But one needs to ask the right questions. Below, find out how to navigate the stock answers that customer service representatives provide as a way to appease your concerns.

Their answers were not good enough for Val. If they are not good enough for you, make your concerns known to 1-613-952-9906. This is the first step to making Health Canada aware that there is a problem and that we want them to do something about it.

GF GRILLERS FOR MANUFACTURERS©

INGREDIENTS
• Are the product's ingredients gluten free?
• How do they know?
• Do they or their suppliers test ingredients for gluten?
• Which tests are used? 
• Are the tests done in-house or by an independent laboratory?
• Do they test randomly, on a regular basis or each Lot?
• If each Lot is tested, what is a Lot size?
• Do they make their results public and / or share them with consumers?
• Could they forward a copy / copies of results?
• If they do not test, how how do they stand behind their claim that their ingredients are gluten free?


FACILITY
• Is the product processed / manufactured in a dedicated facility?
• Does their facility also handle gluten containing ingredients?
• Is the product processed on the same equipment or share production lines with gluten?
• If so, what precautions do they take to minimize / prevent the possibility of cross contamination?

FINISHED PRODUCT
• Do they test the finished product for gluten?
• Which tests do they use? 
• Are the tests done in-house or by an independent laboratory?
• Do they test randomly, on a regular basis or each Lot?
• If each Lot is tested, what is a Lot size?
• Do they make their results public and/or /share them with consumers?
• Could they forward a copy / copies of results?
• If they do not test, how how do they stand behind their claim that the finished product is gluten free?
 
GENERAL
• Do they have a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and / or an Allergen Program in place?
• Do they follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)?
• How do they train staff to follow good practices to minimize / prevent cross contamination?
• How do they determine that procedures are being followed?
• Has the manufacturer  / this product ever been subject to a recall regarding gluten in a product labelled gluten free?

Tell me about it.

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Again, if the answers you receive are insufficient or unsatisfactory call 1-613-952-9906

Are there really any?

Proactive restaurant certification programs offered by advocate organizations such as the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America® and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness are helping to create awareness in the hospitality industry and inspire restaurants everywhere to cater to our needs.

Ultimately, celiacs and the gluten free still need to take responsibility for their own diets. Unless you are partaking at a dedicated gluten-free restaurant, you cannot abdicate all responsibility and completely download it onto the shoulders of the restaurant who, with the best training and every good intention, are still preparing your meal in a gluten setting.

Sadie Amanda of the Seattle Gluten-Free Food Examiner said it beautifully in her recent post. I liked it so much I wanted to share it with you:

"ALWAYS REMEMBER: The only way to guarantee a gluten free meal is to cook at home with fresh ingredients on a gluten free surface. All restaurants that offer gluten free meals will do their best to prepare your meal without gluten, although they cannot guarantee that your meal will not be exposed to incidental cross contamination. For those who have absolutely zero tolerance for gluten, please be aware of this possibility when dining out."

Dining out is something we all love to do and it is only natural that celiacs want to be a part of it. But if you are looking for a guaranteed GF meal, the only way that you can be absolutely certain of what you are eating is to follow Sadie's advice. Otherwise, while organizations like GIG & NFCA and enlightened restaurants are doing the best they can, this is our reality. Time to step up and stop complaining.

Last week told you that Kelly's 15 year old son was diagnosed a year ago and she and her family were traveling for the first time on a holiday since his diagnosis. To say she was nervous was an understatement.

THIS JUST IN: "We are in Vernon, BC now. Your site recommended KTs restaurant in downtown Vernon. Wow! My son had his first apple pie in two years and the pizza was great! There was a lot of choice and the staff was very helpful!

THANK YOU!"
Kelly

This just in from Janet in Red Deer, Alberta:

Message: Just got back from a trip to Victoria and The Celiac Scene was a Godsend!!

When I went to Victoria I went on the Chapter's website and used the link to get to www.theceliacscene.com.

Ate at several of the places listed on your website which were easy to find with the maps – very handy!

I ate at The Joint Pizza place (twice!!) and The Noodle Box once - although should have eaten there more it was fantastic!

Also bought GF baking from Origin GF Bakery set up in Bastion Square on Saturday.

Fabulous! Keep up the good work!

Thank you, Janet!!

Message: LOVE your site!

My 15 year old son was diagnosed 1 year ago and we are traveling for the first time on a family holiday since his diagnosis. To say I am nervous is an understatement. Then I found your site.

THANK YOU!!! We are coming to Victoria and he can't wait to try out all the great tasty places! We are from a small town near Edmonton and our choices are slim pickins!

I'll shout loud and long to our celiac friends about your fabulous web site!

Great job. BC here we come!

Kelly

It was great to hear you talking about The Celiac Scene on the radio this morning. I think your idea is fabulous.

Eating out was a great pleasure in life before being diagnosed. Road trips were fun for checking out restaurants along the way. Alas, my first road trip after diagnosis found me eventually going to a clinic for help in stopping the vomitting and diarrhea. In retrospect, I perhaps had caught a bug, but at the time it just scared me about eating "away".

Since then I have experienced being told there wasn't anything for me which pushed my rejected and survival buttons both and basically I had dreaded having to travel to care for or visit family.

Thanks for your doggedness in getting celiac disease in the news and giving hope to those of us who love to eat out and survive it!

Judy

Based on the maps that we have created for Peterborough, operators of a tour bus company there are making inquiries of the restaurants we list to see whether they would be able to accommodate their groups in the event that gluten free meals are required.

I was proud to say that the restaurants come recommended from the most reputable of sources - local celiacs who dine there themselves.

This is another example of how the sharing of this important information can improve the lives of so many others.

Thank you celiacs for so generously supporting one another!

Becky Crooke, winner of The Scene's™ US Recommend-a-Restaurant Contest is a natural in her role as Branch Manager of the GIG Mid-Williamette Valley
support group.

Her success in creating greater celiac awareness in restaurants in Salem, Oregon were featured in an article written by Michelle Andujar, "Catering to Health, " in the June-July-August edition of "Mid Valley EAT."

Here is an excerpt that shows how communicating our needs helps both celiacs and the restaurant who are only too happy to serve us!

Bravo Becky!!

"Gone are the days when people with special dietary needs were forced to cook at home and spend long hours at the grocery store planning for meals. In Salem, a number of restaurants cater a rich variety of gourmet cuisine to people following a gluten-free or a macrobiotic diet.

'If I am at a restaurant that's not careful, I get contaminated, and I react. Just a crumb and I get severely ill and I look like I am nine months pregnant, " said Becky Crooke, celiac sufferer and branch manager of the Mid-Williamette Valley Gluten Intolerance Group.

Gluten Sensitivity, whether celiac disease or a grain allergy, is a serious issue for those who live with it. For these people, going gluten-free isn't just a diet choice, like low-carb or low-fat; it's absolutely imperative, and going completely gluten-free is tougher than one might think.

Aware of the possible consequences, Marco Polo's owner Jackie Cheung takes every precaution: 'All of our employees are trained to serve customers following a special diet. We have a special section in the kitchen with all the utensils and ingredients for the gluten-free menu. It's important not to mess up the orders, because the body knows better.'

Last month, Marco Polo started offering gluten-free specials every Monday night, with European style creations such as chicken artichoke pasta, carrot cake and beer.

Crooke now makes regular visits to Marco Polo. 'It's my favourite restaurant,' said Crooke. 'They changed their menu to cater to us. They even came up with a gluten-free cookie to substitute for their fortune cookies. They serve gluten-free meals on round plates and non-gluten-free dishes on square ones in case two people order the same food. That's above and beyond to do that."

At The Celiac Scene™, you are always in the driver's seat!

We have been receiving requests for a map of all the restaurants in a particular city on a single, all encompassing map. Skip the districts, please!

Give the map of Victoria, BC a test drive !

Use your cursor to astral project over hill and dale, then try the satellite setting for an extra thrill! Click on a red dot in your preferred area and zoom in for a closer look.

This race model comes without a restaurant listing, so if you want the full meal deal, head to the districts for your downloadable map.

Let us know how she rides!

Thanks!

Winners of The Celiac Scene's first International Recommend-a-Restaurant Competition posted at News on The Scene!

Celiac Scener™ Dan is dishing out the good news!

"The Little Thai Place in Shelbourne Plaza. Fabulous Thai restaurant near UVic that can do everything gluten free. I've eaten there 4 or 5 times, no problems, helpful, friendly and good value."

Check Shelburne Plaza or Cook Street ! Tell them that Dan from The Celiac Scene™ sent you!




http://www.theceliacscene.com/map40-British-Columbia-Victoria-Shelbourne.htm

Sunbeam Café, Queen Street, Charlottetown – this is a very small café that serves lunch. They feature vegetarian and vegan meals, and offer gluten free bread for all their sandwiches (for an additional cost of $1.75 per sandwich)

They do make the sandwiches in the same area as their regular meals, but they insist that they clean the area first and use a fresh knife.

I had curried tuna on toasted gluten free bread one day, and mozzarella and tomato another time.

Delicious!

News flash from Tash!

The Joint has GF cheesecake now and it is FABULOUS!

Not only do they make great GF pizza, The Joint is becoming a destination for coffee and a gluten-free treat. Check out Keeley's very generous GF brownies. No need to pack a lunch when you head downtown or the inner harbour!

The National Conference of the Canadian Celiac Association in Kitchener-Waterloo held May 29-31 is awash in memories of eclairs, chocolate-dipped strawberries, El Peto waffles and the odd presentation or lecture between meals and snacks. The KW Chapter kept the formalities to a minimum so that delegates could kick back and enjoy themselves and learn at the same time. Delegates, the general public, Chapter Presidents had a good first look at the maps of their cities posted on The Celiac Scene™ and I look forward to a long and happy collaboration providing users with easily accessible information about the restaurants they trust.