Gluten-free tourism: A celiac guide to Edmonton

When I travel, the most nerve-wracking thing to plan is where I’m going to eat. This is because I have celiac disease. For anyone who’s not familiar with it, celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the upper intestine that makes it impossible to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and sadly, because of cross-contamination, oats. If someone with celiac disease ingests gluten, the villi of the small intestine atrophy and stop absorbing nutrients into your body. So in addition to awful bowel problems that last about a week, your body begins to starve itself.

Eating out when you are celiac can really suck. Lots of waiters are still unfamiliar with it and the procedures it entails. There’s a very long list of dos and don’ts for preparing gluten-free food to ensure that the diner doesn’t accidentally ingest gluten. Having been diagnosed almost three years ago, I’ve made my way around to the city’s gluten-free restaurants/shops and these are some of my favorites:

 CULINA (Mill Creek Location): They have a really awesome NEW gluten-free menu, in part because their new chef has celiac disease. So that means in-house, fresh-baked GF bread (so good) and dishes like calamari in coconut curry sauce, pork tenderloin with chimmichurri on quinoa and flourless chocolate cake that’s so dense it will put you in a sugar coma.

TONY ROMA’S (everywhere): Yup, this is my favorite old GF stand-by. Many of their sauces are gluten-free, and you can make a really good meal out of ribs, coleslaw and rice. So tasty, and it’s good value, especially if you’re dining with a large group.

THE DISH (Stony Plain Road and 124 st): This is the only place in the city that I know of that makes gluten-free sandwiches (DO YOU KNOW HOW *#%@ING HARD IT IS TO FIND A GOOD GLUTEN-FREE SANDWICH IN THIS CITY?). Their fare also includes delicious lamb stew and sweet potato Shepherd’s Pie. Any sane gourmande will also spring for the white chocolate raspberry crème brulee.

THE GREENHOUSE (87 ave and 112 st): This is right on campus. My only complaint is that it’s a bit over-priced, but the guys who work there are very knowledgeable about the gluten-free diet and I have always felt safe eating there. If you’re nervous, go for the make-your-own-salad option, which gives you more control over what you put in the salad.

KINNIKINNICK (120 st and 109 ave): If being celiac were a religion, Kinnikinnick would be it’s church. We are so lucky to have the HQ for the company in our city, because they are the most comprehensive gluten-free food retailer in Edmonton. You can find almost anything there, including wedding cakes (say whaaaat?!) This place is kind of a big deal for celiac people.

For more info on celiac-friendly restaurants in Edmonton check out the Edmonton Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association: http://www.celiac.edmonton.ab.ca/restaurants.html