While gaining more understanding and acceptance by chefs and wait staff, maintaining a gluten-free diet while eating out can still be relatively tricky. Cross contamination of foods can easily occur, and ingredients that may include gluten (wheat, barley or rye) may mistakenly be used.
Unless a restaurant is certified gluten-free – a designation given by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) – it is imperative for an individual who has Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance to inform a restaurant’s chef of their allergy. And while the GFCO has started a Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP), searching the database for restaurant locations in Lincoln, Neb., did not query many – one.
However, on a recent trip to catch the Big 10 home opener for the Nebraska Cornhuskers (they won 34-27 against Ohio State), some quick research found a significant number of restaurants and small businesses that cater to the gluten-free lunch and dinner crowds. The venues are located throughout the city, from downtown to near the University of Nebraska campus and across to the south part of town.
Here are a handful of places offering varying cuisines (traditional American, pizza, contemporary American, and Mexican), along with some tips to make sure your meal is truly gluten-free.
Carmela’s Bistro & Wine Bar
Walking into Carmela’s Bistro & Wine Bar, patrons are welcomed by a sense of home, but are often taken back by the main dining room’s expansive walls of wine. While wine may be Carmela’s forte, the cuisine – traditional American (a little bit of everything for anyone’s palate) – is also top notch. Upon introduction with the server, mention that gluten-free will be needed. The menu does not currently have gluten-free items designated, but will in the future (it changes seasonally, and they reprint them). To accommodate questions, the chef – who has Celiac in his family – came out and walked through each menu item. Feel free to bring your own gluten-free crackers or bread to enjoy the cheese flight and charcuterie plate. Open for lunch and dinner.
Valentino’s
As any native Nebraskan knows, it’s hard to find a pizza like Valentino’s. Upon entering the Italian buffet, before even seated, place a gluten-free pizza order and it will be delivered to the table. Additional gluten-free items on the buffet line are limited, outside of the expansive salad bar. And unlike any of the other buffet items, patrons who cannot finish a whole gluten-free pie are welcome to ask for a to-go box. Open for lunch and dinner.
Green Gateau
A place that can be easily mistaken for a quaint French bistro, the Green Gateau is a neighborhood restaurant that delicious flavors with an inviting atmosphere. The restaurant's name is French for "cake,” was inspired by a green cake from the cooking journals of artist Claude Monet – as you are seated, take a glance at the cake in their pastry case. Their traditional menu offers a variety of beef, chicken, pasta and seafood dishes. When seated, ask for a gluten-free menu. While items are limited, but the wait staff is more than willing to work with any of the menu items. Open for breakfast, brunch lunch and dinner.
Dish
Walking into Dish, be prepared to be wowed, and that’s not just because the restaurant is located downstairs in a downtown building. Upon entering, ask for a gluten-free menu and you will be surprised. With abundant options from appetizers to soups and salads to the entree (vegetarian selections, as well), you will need time to decide. The wait staff is exceptional and when asked, will offer up their favorite dishes. And save room for dessert and enjoy either crème brûlée or chocolate boudin. Open for lunch and dinner.
Mazatlan
Traditional Mexican food isn’t the easiest to find, but Mazatlan offers some of the best Mexican food around, including several gluten-free items. Take some time to examine their diverse gluten-free menu, which features several beef, chicken, pork and seafood entrees at reasonable prices. The portions are big, and the wait for food is nearly nonexistent.
Frequent traveler? For additional gluten-free dining options in Washington, DC, consider Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan or Chinatown.
