Tom Yum Thai -- Restaurant Review

For over a year I've been meaning to share this hidden gem with Cary celiacs and their families. Located in the Village Square Shopping Center on Cary Towne Blvd., near the mall and Cary High School, Tom Yum Thai has no gluten free menu, but the friendly and attentive owner will recommend dishes and ensure your food is prepared with gluten free soy sauce, if you speak with him directly. The pleasing atmosphere, with dark cherry and jade colored furnishings, soothing East Asian background music and nature sounds, and plenty of room between tables, makes for an enjoyable business lunch or dinner out before movies at the neighboring Galaxy Cinema.

Our family had dined at Tom Yum in pre-diagnosis years, and shortly after my daughter received her celiac diagnosis we brought our own bottle of gluten free soy sauce and cautiously asked the owner if there was anything he could prepare without wheat. As always, we explained that even the smallest amount of cross-contamination would make her sick. Tom Yum, it turned out, had another customer who was also gluten free, and the owner was familiar with the intolerance. He recommended several of the stir-fry dishes (available with a choice of chicken, beef, pork, tofu, vegetables, or shrimp), which he said he could prepare with the gluten free soy sauce. For months, we brought our own gluten free soy sauce with us each time we went to Tom Yum, but now the restaurant keeps gluten free soy sauce in stock especially for their GF clientele.

Our daughter has stuck mostly to two dishes she loves: chicken with fresh ginger shreds prepared with chicken, peppers, baby corn, mushrooms, onions, scallions, carrots, and ginger; and chicken with Thai cashew nuts, made with chicken, scallions, carrots, peppers, nuts, and celery. Non-celiacs would be remiss not to try some of the delicious but non gluten-free curries and authentic Thai soups, but I think it's important to say that we've been to other restaurants that have promised to prepare gluten free food and our daughter has gotten violently ill from hidden gluten or cross-contamination. We've been to Tom Yum once or twice a month for almost two years, and she's never gotten sick afterwards. What's more, we've always enjoyed our meals there.

Tom Yum Thai

Village Square Shopping Center

685 Cary Towne Blvd.

Cary, NC 27511

919-463-5523

www.tomyumthaicary.com

Hours

Monday-Thursday	11:00AM - 2:30PM 5:00PM - 9:30PM
Friday	11:00AM - 2:30PM 5:00PM - 10:00PM
Saturday	12:00PM - 3:00PM 5:00PM - 10:00PM
Sunday	5:00PM - 9:30PM

Directions

Gluten Free Evening @ Whole Foods

Monday, September 19th

Gluten Free Evening 5-7:30 FREE

Are you gluten free? Dont miss out on your opportunity to taste some of our gluten free products and take a gluten free tour of the store. Tastings start at 5 and the tour is at 6:30. We have made some changes to where our GF products are so this will be a good refresher for some of you regular gluten free shoppers. Sign up at customer service or just stop by.

Cary, NC Bloggers Needed

Live in Cary, NC?

Live the Gluten Free Lifestyle?

Interested in helping others in your city?

If you have any questions or interest writing about Cary, NC please email me.

Gluten Free Tour @ Whole Foods Cary

Thursday, July 14th

Gluten Free Tour

6:30pm FREE

Learn to Shop Gluten Free! Sign up at customer service or just stop by.

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cary/store-calendar/

Gluten Free Tasting and Tour at Whole Foods Cary

Tuesday, June 21st
Gluten Free Tasting and Tour Tastings start @ 4 Tour @ 6:30
FREE

Need help shopping Gluten Free? Join us for an evening free of Gluten with tastings and meal ideas from Demo team member Bob, and a store tour by our Health Starts Here Specialist Anna Maria. Sign up for the tour at customer service or just stop by. While you are here enter to win a Gluten Free gift basket courtesy of Smart Treats.

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cary/store-calendar#46820

Tribeca Tavern

I recently tried to be festive with a friend and visited Tribeca Tavern in Cary. They were serving green beer and corned beef for the St. Patrick's Day holiday. The place was packed and had a 45 minute wait as the weather was warm and sunny and they offered outdoor seating. I tried to be a trooper and not subject my friend to the same dining establishments, yet again, that offered a separate gluten-free menu. I thought to myself ahead of time, "I can handle this. I can successfully manage to order a gluten-free meal from the menu, enjoy it, and not get sick." Well, my experience did not match my original thoughts. Our waiter had no idea that gluten-free beers existed and told me that past diners had just ordered hamburgers without a bun. If I had just been recently diagnosed, then I might have made the same mistake. But, I have been on the gluten-free diet for over four years now, so I knew better. I asked the waiter if he would check with the chef about the specific ingredients in the menu items - I thought I would tackle the issue of cross-contamination and the grill separately. He assured me that there was no gluten in the chicken salad served on lettuce. I hesitantly opted for that option and proceeded to get sick. I sincerely hope that the restaurant will reach out to someone in the gluten-free community for advice on how to properly service our needs. We represent a rapidly expanding market that is very profitable for those who address our needs carefully.

Cary Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Festival - March 19th & 20th

Cary Whole Foods Market will host a Gluten Free Festival - March 19 & 20^th

Where: Cary, NC Whole Foods Market

     102 B New Waverly Place

                 Cary, NC 27511

When: Saturday, March 19^th – Tastings, 11:00am - 3:00pm

                              Grocery Isle Tours, 12pm & 1:30pm

  Sunday, March 20th – Tastings, 12:00pm – 4:00pm

                             Grocery Isle Tours, 1pm & 2:30pm

Details: There will be product sampling from several gluten free vendors including the WFM Gluten Free   Bakehouse. Lee Tobin from our GF Bakehouse will lead GF grocery isle tours. We will discuss strategies for adapting to the GF diet as we walk the store isles highlighting a variety of GF options. Please register for these 1 hour tours at the customer service desk, or call 919-816-8830

Please let me know if you have any questions. Sorry for the short notice on the Cary event. We just finalized the schedule this week. Thanks,

Lee Tobin

Team Leader

Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Bakehouse

2800 Perimeter Park Dr Suite C Morrisville, NC 27560

919-467-1602

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/gluten-free-bakehouse.php

Super Bowl, Gluten-Free Style

Family get-togethers and parties of all shapes and sizes are always fun, but can be a veritable torture chamber for anyone struggling with a gluten intolerance, allergy, or Celiac's disease. With it being Super Bowl weekend, I thought I'd share some good recipes and places to get the ingredients for you football loving fans.

Dessert first, because really, if you're going to have a party you should go all out. Betty Crocker makes some really great baking mixes including the yellow cake mix and the brownie mixes. Wal-Mart, Super Target, Harris Teeter and Whole Foods all carry these, which is fantastic. The brownies can be a bit dry, so I always add some Reeses peanut butter chips, which add moisture and a great surprise to them. The yellow cake mix is okay on its own, but it has amazing potential. If you follow this recipe (ignore the cupcake bits, and don't put in the sugar) with the cake mix and bake it for 27 minutes then let it sit in the fridge for 1-12 hours you can make the world's richest most delicious gluten-free red velvet cake (and your gluten eating friends will love it to, I promise).

But, what's the Super Bowl without snacks, appetizers, and junk food, right? But just because you can't go out and buy the average frozen meatballs and wings doesn't mean you can't have delicious snacking food. Ian's make really great chicken nuggets, fries and pizza for kids and kids-at-heart. Nachos is an easy choice, seeing as most Tostidos are gluten-free. Kiddie friendly with just shredded cheese or add meat, olives, lettuce and you can have a taco salad that's quick, easy, and your gluten-eating friends will love, too! One of the best things to do when you're on a GF diet is to think outside the box. Don't discount recipes with gluten in them before figuring out how to do it yourself with your GF ingredients.

Also, when traveling to friends' house for a party you can bring your own things, surely, but don't feel bad telling them your concerns! They won't mind, especially because if they know you, they know you're GF and they'll be lost if you don't give them a few tips on what to do. Think about how confused you were when you started!

Finally, for you guys who just want to hit a sports bar or restaurant for the game, here are some great places in Cary and the surrounding areas:

Cafe Capistrano isn't really a sports place, but it is delicious and with corn tacos that are to die for and the flam that's sinful you can't go wrong, plus the owner there is very willing to change things around to make more things on the menu GF.

Chili's has a great GF menu, so friends looking to just "chill" come game time can all gather there.

Rosie's Plate is a dedicated GF and other allergy free kitchen, so you'll know you're in good hands. You can order these things and they'll be ready the following day at 3:00- this makes parties and dinner easy as GF pie!


Have a great Super Bowl everyone!

Keep eating!

Gluten-free for less

It is becoming increasingly easier to find gluten-free items. The good news is that our food is now available in more locations with varying price points. One of the new alternatives is the grocery aisle at the Target in Cary on Walnut Street. I was completely amazed when I visited recently and found lots of gluten-free bakery items, pancake mixes, cereal, frozen Kinnikinnick products, and lots more! Many of the items cost considerably less than you would find at Whole Foods or even Kroger. I encourage you to check it out and add it to your list of weekly grocery shopping destinations.

Carolina Hurricanes: 2010-2011 Gluten Free Update

I have previously written about Gluten Free options at the RBC Center during Carolina Hurricanes games over the last couple seasons.  See below for the 2010-2011 season update.

Whole Foods Gluten Free Tour - 10/14/2010

Check out the Cary Whole Foods for an upcoming Gluten Free Tour!

Thursday, October 14th
Gluten Free Tour

6:30 p.m. free pre-register

If you suffer from gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease, or you just want to know about our gluten-free products, then this tour is for you! We will show you where to find our various gluten-free options, as well as direct you to other resources. Along the way we will stop in our different departments to sample some yummy and satisfying gluten-free nibbles. Everyone who takes the tour will be sent home with a goody bag of our gluten-free products. Space is limited so we ask that you pre-register at our customer service desk.

Store Information
102B New Waverly Place
Cary, NC 27518 USA
Phone 919.816.8830
Store hours:
7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a week.

Hurricane Prep, Gluten-Free Style

With Hurricane Earl closing in on the East Coast and evacuations underway in parts of the Outer Banks, here in Cary it's time to mad rush the grocery stores. All forecasts predict we'll be far from Earl's wrath, but we're properly trained in better-safe-than-sorry and won't be caught off guard without the essentials: water, flashlight, batteries, blanket, radio, bread??? Hmmmm. How different should our emergency kit look now that we have a daughter with Celiac disease?

My husband and I have talked about this at length since V was diagnosed this past January, although we've never come to any real conclusion. If we had to evacuate, not necessarily due to a hurricane, but for whatever reason, the chances that we would find gluten-free food "along the way" would be next to nil. So what portable GF foods should we pack and how much do we need in the emergency kit?

I always keep a spare case of Kind Bars in the house. Resembling granola bars at first glance, they come in a variety of fruit and nut combos with or without yogurt; they're high in protein, low on the glycemic index, and of course gluten-free (not to mention tasty). But are twelve energy bars enough food to get a child with Celiac through a real evacuation? Have your thoughts about emergency preparedness changed since Celiac entered your life? What's in your gluten-free emergency kit?

Stay safe and dry...

Whole Foods Cary - Gluten Free Tour

Thursday, July 22nd

Gluten Free Tour
6:30 p.m. Free, pre-register

If you suffer from gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease, or you just want to know about our gluten-free products, then this tour is for you! We will show you where to find our various gluten-free options, as well as direct you to other resources. Along the way we will stop in our different departments to sample some yummy and satisfying gluten-free nibbles. Everyone who takes the tour will be sent home with a goody bag of our gluten-free products. Space is limited so we ask that you pre-register at our customer service desk.

Cary Food Lion stocks Gluten Free products

The Cary Food Lion at the corner of Kildaire Farm Road and Maynard recently added an end display, four or five shelves, devoted entirely to Gluten Free Products. Among the products are Glutino pretzels, a staple in our house, Glutino Lemon and Glutino Chocolate wafer cookies, Gluten Free pastas, and Gluten Free baking ingredients. Some are priced lower than elsewhere.

The manager told me these products are slow movers, so if you are in the neighborhood, please consider picking up a few items so they continue to stock gluten free groceries.

The gluten-free religion

It was lunch time and we were hungry. The mall wasn't crowded, so I spoke with a kebab vendor, we'll call him kebab vendor #1, who assured us that the skewered chicken and rice could be prepared gluten-free.

I could see that he was just throwing pita slices over the kebabs as they cooked on the grill, so I asked him to cook ours separately, which he did by setting the skewers on the unused, low heat side of the grill. They took longer to cook because the heat was not as high. Just before the kebabs were done, another employee, kebab vendor #2, innocently grabbed the skewer and stuck the chicken on high heat, right where the pita had been seconds before.

I think I probably cried, "Nooooooooooooo!" Winces all around. My freakout factor related to food preparation would have been unimaginable six months ago. Blood tests at the three month mark indicated that our celiac daughter was still getting exposure to gluten from somewhere, exposure that even in minute quantities damages her small intestines, makes her sick, and puts her at greater risk for malignancies and osteoporosis.

After I explained that my daughter can't have any contact with wheat, kebab vendors #1 and #2 jointly put a fresh kebab on the 'clean,' low-heat side of the grill. It took ages to cook. In fact, my husband finished eating before ours was ready. While we were waiting, the woman came over and asked if she could ask a personal question.

Did my daughter not eat wheat, kebab vendor #2 wanted to know, because of our religion?

I am still trying to imagine the religion that would forbid the eating of wheat.

Raleigh Cel-kids event May 15

Attention families, this is going to be a great picnic event!

Join the Raleigh Cel-kids group at Baileywick Park on Saturday, May 15 for Gluten Free pizza(!) from Mellow Mushroom and dessert (!) from the Moonlight Bakery.

The event is from 4-6pm.

Be sure to RSVP by May 10 to raleigh.celkids@gmail.com, and check the Cel-kids website for more information and directions.

Road trip - South Beach Grill, Wrightsville Beach

With the hot weather, thoughts turn east to the beach, but if you're like us, you may have heard about a supposed dearth of gluten-free choices in the Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach area.

We've only been gluten-free since January when our daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, so even a short trip to the coast induces a mild panic about how to handle meals. Which is why I am so excited to tell you about South Beach Grill on Wrightsville Beach. It's right next door to Wings.

We ate at South Beach Grill a number of times during our pre-GF days (those halcyon days of yore) and always loved the combination of great cuisine and casual atmosphere, so on Saturday afternoon I stopped in and spoke with Chef James "Firetruck" Rivenbark to see if he would be able to accommodate us that evening. With assurances that the Grill made it a priority to safely serve people with food intolerances, we were able to enjoy the afternoon without worrying about dinner.

South Beach Grill does not have a specific gluten-free menu (yet), but many offerings can be prepared gluten-free upon request. Chef Rivenbark recommended the sage chicken for our daughter, which was delicious. It's a boneless breast prepared with boursin cheese, mushroom, sundried tomatoes, and basil stuffing. The chicken is ordinarily dipped in flour before pan searing, so it's imperative that you speak with your server and specify gluten-free.

If you are interested in learning more about South Beach Grill, check out their website or Fish N Pickles a blog written by the Grill's general manager, Chris Kronenwetter.

South Beach Grill
100 South Lumina Avenue
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
(910) 256-4646
Open for lunch and dinner starting at 11:00 am