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Post by Silly Yak on Feb 9, 2011 19:20:38 GMT
Eating GF in Italy Martin Ridout ( from UK Coeliac board) Here's a positive experience of eating out in a foreign country. I've just returned from a short holiday in Florence and had no problem with eating out. Before I went, I found a website for the Italian equivalent of the UK Coeliac Society ( www.celiachia.it/ ) which has a page devoted to restaurants in various provinces ( www.celiachia.it/ristoratori/ristoratori.asp ) , and towns within each province. Restaurants must comply with certain requirements before being listed www.celiachia.it/ristoratori/ris ... sp#english . For Florence, I found ten restaurants listed, five of which were within 15 minutes walk of my hotel. I tried three, and was offered a special gluten free menu at each, plus advice about what was OK from the main menu such as grilled meat or fish. The staff seemed to be aware of the Coeliac condition, and, for example, all knew that French fries were off-limits (contamination in the cooking oil). There was never any feeling of being an 'awkward customer'. At each I was given a small plate of GF bread!!!!! Unheard of in UK. There was also GF pasta or GF pizza available (pizza in one of the tested restaurants only). ....
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Post by Silly Yak on Feb 12, 2011 10:39:31 GMT
Florence Has it All - Including Gluten Free Food …………Shopping where the locals shop for food offers up another type of cultural experience. The temperature inside the immense two-story enclosed Mercato Centrale (central food market) is so cold that we can see our breath. But the sight of boar’s snouts and various internal animal parts I can't imagine eating, wheels of parmesan cheese, bushels of dried porcini mushrooms, and endless rows of cold-weather produce is irresistible. Groceries become our tasty souvenirs. A small number of food stalls also sell fully prepared meals, and I enjoy an inexpensive gluten free lunch of sliced yellow corn polenta smothered in a rich homemade Bolognese sauce. A glass of local Chianti completes the meal…. Shopping at the farmacia on the corner by our hotel yields additional treats such as gluten free chocolate croissants and a gluten free chocolate panetone. Bi-Aglut gluten free beer is also available…. Aside from indulging in the chocolate croissants purchased at the farmacia, I avail myself of the hotel's daily breakfast buffet that includes yogurt, fruit, cheese, juice, and coffee. For lunch, colorful salads with tuna, eggs, or ham are plentiful, or, with gluten free bread I can make a sandwich of local deli meats. The Italian Celiac Association provides a booklet to paying members that lists gluten free items by store, brand, and category. This information is also free on their website, but it's not as easy to decipher. The Italian Celiac Association also provides a list of restaurants, broken down by region, that can prepare gluten free meals. These are great places when I want pizza or pasta. Otherwise, I have yet to find any restaurant in Italy daunted by my gluten free request, as many Italians have at least heard of celiachia. Even when I ask our hotel desk clerk for restaurant recommendations, she hands me a menu from a place that serves gluten free meals. Unfortunately, this particular eatery is out in the countryside and not an easy commute on a dark wintry night with sleet beginning to fall. commute on a dark wintry night with sleet beginning to fall. Instead, we walk down the street to a neighborhood restaurant, Ciro & Sons, and inquire if getting a meal senza glutine is a problem. The answer is that of course it’s no problem, as they have a gluten free menu and are on the Italian Celiac Association restaurant list. Overwhelmed by my choices, I order a plate of gluten free spaghetti with homemade pesto sauce, and select a bottle of wine to share with my husband. I’m giddy before the first glass. (December 2005) Helpful Information To get the most out of a visit to Florence, and to be within walking distance of the major sights, stay in a centrally located hotel. We stayed in the Hotel Bellettini, Via de’Conti 7. Tel. 055-213-561. www.hotelbellettini.com. Ciro & Sons, Via del Giglio 28r. Tel. 055-289-694. www.ciroandsons.com/. With 24-hour notice, they can prepare gluten free pizza. Italian Celiac Association. www.celiachia.it/. www.wayoftheceliactraveler.blogspot.com/ **************
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