Category Archives: The Gluten-Free Life

Post-5K Eats and Drinks at Victoire

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310717_10101941522794604_1948470766_nThis past Saturday I ran my first 5K- the Color Vibe.  I’ve never really enjoyed running.  I signed up for Color Vibe 5K because of peer pressure – all my friends were doing it!  Once I signed up though, it became serious.  I trained for the 5K like runners train for a marathon, working my way up to those 3.1 miles slowly over periods of weeks.  When I woke up Saturday morning to a windy combination of rain, hail, and  snow, I thought, “Really, Universe? How is this supposed to motivate me”?  But strangely it did.  I was determined to conquer this race.  My friend Alissa, an experience half-marathon runner, set the pace and I followed even though I was huffing and puffing on the brink of collapse during our last half-mile sprint.  But, I did it!  I ran the race in under 30 minutes which was my goal and I felt awesome.  Really awesome.

7572_10101926734066334_1767894334_nAfter we all crossed the finish line, gave high-fives, and took photos, we decided to celebrate with some bloody marys.  We went to Victoire because it was the only bar in the neighborhood that was open at 11 am!  Victoire specializes in Belgian beer and food. I had a great experience at Victoire, despite being a place where a celiac could potentially have NO gluten-free options, I had plenty. Not only do they carry Green’s Endeavor Dubbel Ale, a Belgian gluten-free beer, but three interesting cider options, and a Raspberry Kombucha Beer, which is made from hops, kombucha, and raspberries – therefore gluten-free.  I had the latter on this occasion and while it was too sweet for me, I was just happy to have an interesting drink option at a beer bar.  For food, I really wanted fries.  Obviously, there was a slim chance of this being a possibility because of cross-contamination.  However, I this to my server and she asked the chef who confirmed that the oil was new and I was able to enjoy their signature Belgian frites with different dipping sauces.  Victoire was the perfect end to my first 5K experience: cosy atmosphere, delicious frites, and ample drink options.

 

Support for a Celiac

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In New York City, after finding out I had celiac disease, I immediately joined the “meet-up” group.  I thought it was a great way to meet other gluten-free folks and eat some good gluten-free food.  But I was shy,  I didn’t feel comfortable going to an event by myself.  In the two years I was a member, I attended one happy hour where I brought my husband and we sat at the bar and didn’t introduce ourselves to anyone.  Later on, I got bolder and attended a dance show but this time I brought my husband, roommate, and her boyfriend.  We gorged on the free pizza and had forced conversations with two women that had come alone.  And that was it.  I still get updates from the group and I realize now what a wasted opportunity that was.

I guess I came out of my shell while being abroad; I think you have to when you are in a strange place and don’t know anyone.  In Vienna, I joined the American Women’s Association, American’s in Vienna, and the Vienna Ex-Pat group.  And it was great: I made friends and had a instant social life.  So when we moved to Rochester, the first thing I did was look for something to get involved in.  I not only joined the Greater Rochester Celiac Support Group, but I volunteered to be the Health Fair Coordinator.

Last night, I attended my first group meeting.  Since I was technically a “newcomer” to the group, I attended an orientation.  The orientation seemed like it was geared t0wards the newly diagnosed since there were packets on the table about what to eat and what to avoid, cross contamination and dining out.  This is all great information, but I figured I already knew it all.  I was wrong.  As Mike, the orienter, read down the list of sources of gluten, foods to avoid/foods that are safe, dining out, and resources, I found myself noting down things I didn’t know before.  Toothpaste can contain gluten, and now I know to tell my dentist when I get a cleaning.  Most importantly though, at the bottom of the list it said, “DON’T CHEAT.”  I am so used to being frustrated while dining out and trying to explain my disease I sometimes let things go.  This was the ultimate reminder.  Having another celiac tell you not to cheat and remind you gluten IS poison was really powerful.  Thanks Mike.

I came out of the meeting with new information, a new community, and a new outlook on being gluten-free in a gluten-filled world.   I joined the support group because I wanted to advocate for the gluten-free community, but I didn’t realize that in turn, the group would be advocating for me.

 

Is gluten-free friendly the new norm?

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While I was abroad in Austria, being a celiac was hard.  Not only is most of their traditional cuisine breaded or drowned in flour-based sauces, gluten-free wasn’t a thing that had really caught on yet.  Most restaurants did not know what gluten was and I would have to explain what I couldn’t eat very carefully to be able to dine safely.  We cooked a lot, but even that wasn’t fabulous.  The gluten-free section at the grocery store covered only basics like breads and some cookies.  I got used to being disappointed regularly at meals – a sad life for a foodie.

Here, in Rochester, I have found that my options are pretty wonderful.  Walking through Wegmans the first time, I felt like a kid in a candy store while walking down the gluten-free aisles (plural!!).  There were breads, pastas, snacks, beers, frozen food, and many brands and choices within each category.  Dining out has also been a good experience.  I have opened menu after menu with GF clearly labeled, and when its not, the server almost always knows how to accommodate my needs.

I thought Rochester must be unique, but then, I went to Boston and to my pleasant surprise, dining was no problem.  I ate Japanese with gluten-free sauce, tapas from a gluten-free menu, and burger dish that was created sans bun!  The phrase, “please inform your server of any allergies” was everywhere, even at a coffee shop.

 

I have to wonder, am I just particularly aware of the changes in living with a food allergy because of my experience abroad, or is gluten-free friendly becoming the new norm?  What do you think?

Welcome to My New City!

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Hello Rochester!

After a fabulous year abroad, we’re back in the States.  Upstate, that is.

My location has changed, but my goals have not:

1. To educate the community about the celiac disease and being gluten-free  

2. To advocate for the gluten-free community

3. To navigate the world of gluten-free dining for the celiac and gluten-free community

Rochester, New York may have only 1/8 the population of New York City, but it has a lot to offer in terms of gluten-free and I’m excited to tell you all about it.

p.s. hope you like the new look!

Update!

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I feel pretty terrible.  I’ve neglected this site for five months.  I haven’t written anything, not updated my platform, and didn’t check my email.  I did this intentionally.  In August, I moved from New York City to Vienna, Austria.  While I mentioned that in this post. I thought that perhaps I’d continue Gluten Free and the City in Vienna, but change my focus to Vienna, instead of New York City.  But after a while I realized I’d rather just write about my new experience here in a foreign city and country rather than focus on being gluten-free.   So, I stopped posting.  I stopped checking email.  I started German classes and have been doing other side projects.

Then, today I decided to check my email.  I had an email from a woman who was traveling to NYC in December and wanted to know of a place to eat in midtown near the Christmas-y sites.  I felt terrible.  I had just left her hanging without a response.  And, I knew of a place as well.  Then, I checked my google analytics, and was surprised to find that more people actually visit my site than before even without anything active.  I had given up on my site, but others hadn’t given up on me.

So, I’m writing this as a “sorry it’s been so long, can we still be friends?” kind of post.  Even though I’m not living in NYC anymore and therefore can’t really write anything current about living the gf life in the Big Apple, I am still happy to answer your emails about my experience living there, gluten-free.  I promise that I WILL check email!

Thanks everyone for reading!

Claire