Update on Z Pizza in Cary

Good News!  The Gluten Free crust drought is over!
Their supplier received a new shipment from the producer and diverted a truck to Cary with more than a week's supply.  As of Thursday at dinner, they are back in Gluten Free business.

 

Call Ahead for Z Pizza in Cary

I got an email from the manager of ZPizza in Cary today.  He asks that people call ahead to check for availability of the Gluten Free crusts this week.  He says that they are low on GF crusts but are expecting shipments later this week.

919 465-9009

Here is the full email:

My name is Ken Alexander.  I'm the manager of Zpizza of Cary at the Stone Creek Shopping Center.
We've been delighted at the response from the community now that we offer a 10" gluten free crust for our pizzas.  It's so rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of people who haven't enjoyed a pizza "out on the town" for years.  We'll do out best to continue to provide a quality dining experience to our patrons.

The response has been particularly strong this past week.  We find ourselves very low on the gluten-free crusts.  We'll get a case in by air on Wednesday the 25th, and five cases more on Thursday the 26th.  In the meantime, could you please ask your readers to call ahead to check the availability of our gluten-free crusts?  I would hate for anyone to make a special trip only to be disappointed.

We'll do our best to maintain a comfortable supply of gluten-free crusts on hand, so that your members will have a place to enjoy a tasty, and healthy, pizza.

Thank you for your help.
 
Ken Alexander
Manager
Zpizza of Cary
Stone Creek Shopping Center
Cary, NC  27519

Restaurant Review: XIOS Authentic Greek Cuisine

XIOS, located in the Peakway Market Square at 800 W. Williams Street (HWY 55) in Apex, offers fantastic Greek food. Although they do not have a separate menu with Gluten Free items, I met with Chef Niko last week and he wrote out all the items that do not have gluten in them.

Appetizers:
Dolmathes: Stuffed Grape Leaves
Tzatziki: Cucumber Sauce
Melitzanosalata: Eggplant Salad
Fasolakia: Green Beans with Olive Oil, Tomatoes, Onions, and Herbs
Hummus: Chickpea dip (without the pita)
All salads

Entres:
Mythia: Mussels
Garides Souvlaki: Shrimp Skewers
Souvlaki: Lamb, Chicken, Pork Skewers
Loukaniko Psito: Grilled Sausage
Kotopoula: Grilled Chicken
Arnisia Paidakia: Lamb Chops
Melitzana Iman: Grilled Eggplant

We have had varying success with explaining to the wait staff about Gluten Free dining. However, my daughter has never had any problems after eating at Xios because we have learned what is "safe." Be sure to talk with your server and the chef about your needs.

As the weather gets warmer and the days longer, enjoy a lovely dinner outside on their patio.
Other than the great food, XIOS also has belly dancing on the 1st and 3rd Fridays! Check out their website for events and specials.

http://www.xioscafe.com/

Petition to the Raleigh City Council - Food Allergen Poster

Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking about new ways to improve the lives of those with Celiac Disease and/or another food allergies. Dining out in restaurants is a big issue for the estimated 12 million Americans with a food allergy. For those of us on a Gluten Free Diet, we are well aware of the dangers of eating out.

About this same time, I saw an interesting article about something the City Council of New York City did. The NYC City Council actually passed a law which requires restaurants to display a food allergy education poster and will fine locations $100 for non-compliance. I thought this was a great idea and would be a good starting point in the education of food service workers in the food allergy arena. Of course this does not guarantee that food allergy sufferers can have a safe meal, but it is a start down that path. Food service workers need to know what the allergies are and how to prevent cross-contamination.

So, I decided to email the Raleigh City Council about the issue and my proposal. I offered up my services on the creation of the poster and anything else they would need. I have not heard back as of yet. In the meantime, I created an online petition to gain a little more ammunition. Please take just a few minutes to read the petition and to sign it. The more signatures, the more the City Council will take this issue seriously. Thanks for your time and support!

Click here to sign the Food Allergy Education Poster Petition to the City Council of Raleigh, North Carolina.

15,900

15,900 - That's my estimate on the number of Celiac's in Triangle area.

15,423 - If you go by the NFCA's estimate that 97% of Celiacs are undiagnosed, this is my estimate of undiagnosed Celiac cases in the Triangle.

So here we are, 477 of us - with more coming each day thanks to increasing awareness and better diagnosis. From the statistics kept on visitors to this blog and the number of RSS subscribers, I would estimate that about 120-140 of the 477 are reading this blog each day.

I didn't just make these numbers up of course, new information was released today (see this article from the N&O) about Triangle population estimates. The Raleigh-Cary area now tops the nation in growth.

The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area, which includes Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties, grew by 4.3 percent from July 2007 to July 2008, and is now home to close to 1.1 million people. It well outpaced its closest rival, the Austin, Texas, area, which grew by 3.8 percent, to become the national leader.

The national growth average was just under 1 percent.

The Triangle has been near the top of the nation's growth chart for more than a decade, as newcomers poured into the area to take jobs in technology, tourism and academia. The resulting building boom, and the jobs that came with it, drew hundreds of thousands of new residents.

The Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area, which includes Durham, Orange, Chatham and Person counties, didn't make the Top 10, but its population continued to swell at a steady 2.5 percent, up slightly from the year before. Just fewer than 490,000 people live in that area.

So there are 1.59 million Triangle residents. Some estimates say that 1% of the population in the US has Celiac. So what does this mean to all of us? The Triangle has a formidable number of Celiacs and this information should help drive the market for Gluten Free products. I hope to see more and more restaurants, grocery stores, etc... catering to us in the future. With almost 16,000 of the most loyal customers ever created, how could they not?

Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness Review and Giveaway!

This beautiful warm weather brings on cravings for sweet cool treats. Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness http://www.ritasice.com/with five locations around the Triangle offers a variety of Gluten Free options to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Rita's has ice cream, custards, Italian ices, shakes, and coffee drinks. You can check out their allergen information at http://www.ritasice.com/uploads/documents/Allergen_Chart_12.30.08.pdf

Obviously, we avoid the flavors with mixed in dough, all the cones, and most of the toppings.

My daughter likes to pick the brightest colored Italian ices... but Rita's has plenty of choices for those who don't base their food decisions on a particular shade of pink!

If you live in Apex and received the free Apex Monthly mailer for March, look on page 13 for two coupons for the Rita's located at Beaver Creek Commons.

Also, each year for the last sixteen years, Rita's has given away a regular size Italian Ice to every customer on the first day of spring.

Celebrate Spring at Rita's in :

First Day of Spring, March 20

FREE Regular Italian Ice to every customer
from noon until 10pm!

http://www.ritasice.com/events-and-promotions/first-day-of-spring.aspx

Locations:
APEX
Beaver Creek Commons Shopping Center 1011 Beaver Creek Commons Unit 304 by Office Max

CARY
8204 Tryon Woods Drive suite 112

MORRISVILLE
McCrimmon Corners Shopping Center 4141 Davis Drive

RALEIGH
The Shoppes at Oberlin Court 1028 Oberlin Road Suite 228

DURHAM
1125 W. NC Highway 54 & Highway 401

PEEPS

More and more manufacturers are indicating Gluten Free on their labels.  I find it so reassuring to see those ten little letters!

Yesterday at the super Target in Apex, we walked by a HUGE display of technicolor PEEPS ( http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/) on sale .  My daughter flipped one of the packages over and announced:

"It says Gluten Free, so we have to buy it for me!"

Enjoy the very sweet marshmellow spring-time treat.  I am always happy for my daughter to be able to enjoy a "normal" treat that other kids eat.

Restaurant Review: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

If you have never been to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, get there as soon as possible. The first Five Guys restaurant opened in the Washington, DC area where I grew up. When Five Guys started showing up here in NC, I teased my parents by telling them that I didn’t “need” to come home anymore because I could get Five Guys here! They didn’t think that was very funny!

Five Guys burgers are perfectly juicy and the fries are outstanding. They only use 100% beef and their fries are 100% potatoes fried in peanut oil. Just order NO BUN and your choice of free toppings. You will receive your burger wrapped in foil and a brown paper bag of hot fries. Delicious!

When ordering, keep in mind that a Little Hamburger or Little Cheeseburger is one beef patty and a Hamburger or Cheeseburger is two beef patties.

The front page of their website, http://www.fiveguys.com/index.aspx , proclaims:

Zero Gluten, except for our buns.

I always appreciate any restaurant that makes it clear what does and what does not contain gluten. Plus, it helps get the word out about gluten!

Currently, there are 300 Five Guys locations in 25 states. We are lucky enough to have 5 of them in our area:

• Cary at Stone Creek Village 1856 Boulderstone Way
• Cary at the Barnes &Noble Plaza across from Towne Centre Mall 712 SE Maynard Rd
• Durham at The Streets At Southpoint Mall 6910 Fayetteville Rd.
• Raleigh at North Hills 4120 Main At North Hills St
• Raleigh at Brennan Station 8107 Creedmoor Road
  

Five Guys is always a hit with our family. The laid back atmosphere and the bulk peanuts to snack on while you wait for your burger makes for a fun dining out experience.

The staff at the two Cary locations and the Durham location were very accommodating and did not think it was "odd" to order a bunless burger! (I have not been to the Raleigh locations).

*Five Guys realizes that some people are extremely allergic to peanuts and has signage to warn patrons about the peanuts available in the shells in bulk in all their stores as well as their use of peanut oil.

Restaurant Review: On The Border Mexican Grill

We can always rely on a safe place to eat at On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina. They have a location in Cary at 1102 Walnut Street and a location at Plantation Point in Raleigh at 3351 Cypress Plantation Train. (In addition, they have locations in 37 states and even Egypt, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.)

Talk with your server and they will bring you the Gluten Free menu which is also available at http://www.brinker.com/gr/allergens/otb%20allergen.pdf

Concerns about cross-contamination are addressed in the list of suggested beverage and menu options:

We have prepared this suggested list of beverage and menu options based on the most current ingredient information from our food suppliers and their stated absence of wheat/gluten within these items. Please be aware that during normal kitchen operations involving shared cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil, the possibility exists for food items to come in contact with other food products. Due to these circumstances, we are unable to guarantee that any menu entrée can be completely free of allergens, including tortilla chips and enchiladas.*

Over the past few years, we have noticed that the servers are more and more familiar with Gluten Free. It used to be a struggle to explain what we needed for our daughter and ordering usually took a significant amount of time. However, it is much easier now.

Special thanks to Jason Helms from the kitchen at the Cary location for always taking the time to talk with us about our daughter's needs when eating out. He never made my daughter feel uncomfortable about being different; he has always made our daughter feel special and important! He is one of the reasons that we keep going back to On the Border.

Typically, we create a meal from side items and the kids menu for our daughter. However, the salads and fajitas are flavorable and filing for adults and older children.

As a related note, you can also get allergen information about egg, fish, dairy, peanut, shellfish, soy, and tree nut from the website.

Accidental GLUTEN

Well it happened... my daughter accidentally ate something at a birthday party that contained gluten.  The result was upset tummy, fatigue, and a few pretty bad days. Afterwards, she got every cold that she came in contact with... So, it has been a rough few weeks.  Sorry for the lack of posting lately...but, now we are back to healthy.

Do you have similar symtpoms when you accidentally eat something with gluten?

GF Blueberry Muffins at Harris Teeter

What a lovely surprise to find Gluten Free Blueberry Mini Muffins at Harris Teeter this week. They are made with Eragrostis Teff flour--something that I was not familiar with.  A little online research taught me that Teff is a tiny grain sometimes called "lovegrass" that is very important in Ethiopia.  It is high in fiber and protein. 

 

The muffins were moist and delicious.  My daughter has had them with breakfast every morning this week.  

At the Apex Harris Teeter on Hwy 55, the Gluten Free Blueberry Mini Muffins by eragrain are available in the bakery section.  Look for the small green Gluten Free tag on the shelf.

Grocery Review: Cary Trader Joe's - Part 1

I love the funky feel of Trader Joe’s in Cary at 1393 Kildaire Farm Road.  I also love the prices—some pretty great deals throughout the store!  They have an extensive list of “No Gluten Ingredients Used” (it is seven pages long). The list is available online at http://www.traderjoes.com/Attachments/NoGluten.pdf or you can ask for one at the store.

You will find this information at the top of the list:

"Our dedication to you as a valued Trader Joe’s customer is to provide you with helpful information to make informed buying decisions because we know that you have specific dietary concerns. We have made every effort to be accurate and cannot be held responsible for individual reactions to any product (Private Label or Branded). Please use this guide at your own risk. Unless a brand name is specified, it is Trader Joe’s Private Label.

Please Note - this guide is a sampling of many of the products we carry in which No Gluten Ingredients are used, but it is not a comprehensive list. We do our best to keep the information as up to date and as accurate as possible, but we do introduce and discontinue products all the time, and some products may be available based on season or region, so keep your eyes open and always read product labels. To contact us with product inquiries visit the Trader Joe’s website at www.traderjoes.com.

A set of universal dietary guidelines for Celiac Disease does not exist. The Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) uses criteria based on the latest scientific research and advice from its’ Medical Board of Advisors. For information about Celiac Disease please contact the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) at (818) 990-2354, via email at cdf@celiac.org or on the web at www.celiac.org.

• Our suppliers follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s) to segregate ingredients on shared equipment and/or in the facility.
• Always read the label - ingredients and suppliers may change.
• Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and their derivatives such as malt or spelt.
• As a general rule of thumb, dairy, juice, meat and produce do not contain gluten or any gluten derivatives.
• Under Trader Joe’s Brands, ingredients listed as “natural flavors” or “spices” do not contain gluten or gluten derivatives.
• Use common sense and remember the motto: When in doubt, leave it out.

I like the last bullet point: “When in doubt, leave it out.” 
I think that will replace my regular response to my daughter: “I’m just not 100% sure about this…”  

Today, I just ran in to get some supplies for our Valentine’s Day Dinner and dessert.  I do want to point out that the Flourless Chocolate Cake which appears on the No Gluten Ingredients Used list has the following note on the package:

"Made on equipment shared with wheat and tree nuts." 

I didn’t notice this until I got home and am wondering about the rest of the items on the list.  I will go back on a fact-finding mission to report on the rest of the items.

 

Happy Gluten Free Valentine’s Day to everyone!

Gluten Free Pizza Update - ZPizza

I have previously written about a pizza place called Z Pizza which was rolling out Gluten Free Pizza choices. I have spent the past few weeks working with the franchisee of the ZPizza locations in Raleigh and Cary to further discuss their GF Pizza offerings. I met with the owner recently and was walked through the entire process of making a GF Pizza and would like to share the details with all of you. After reading this, I hope you'll feel safe about eating at ZPizza. They have taken some extra steps to get it right that some other local places have not yet taken. Let's hope ZPizza can be an inspiration to them and a safe place for us.

ZPizza is a California based franchise with over 100 locations in the US. They have been in the Raleigh market for about 3 years.

Ordering
From the time you order at the counter until the time you are delivered your GF Pizza, meticulous attention is paid by the staff at ZPizza. Their Point of Sale computer system has a special marking for Gluten Free which causes your order ticket to be printed with a Gluten Free label. The cashier then goes to the kitchen staff area and highlights the Gluten Free label on the ticket to make it stand out further. They then notify the manager (or owner if he is present) about the Gluten Free order. The manager/owner will either make your pizza or directly supervise the entire process.

Gluten Free Crusts
Gluten Free crusts are pre-made using all GF ingredients (including Damato Living Flour) and are sent to the store and kept frozen on site. No GF dough is mixed or made at ZPizza. In addition, to reduce cross-contamination issues when regular wheat pizza is prepared, all wheat flour in the restaurant has been replaced with rice flour. When wheat pizzas are pressed/tossed and prepared, it is using rice flour. This eliminates wheat flour from entering the air and eventually landing on your GF pizza and making you sick. Also, the dough for the wheat pizzas is not made on site further reducing the risks. Wheat flour was replaced with rice flour for about a month before any GF Pizzas were made in the restaurants. The kitchens were also thoroughly cleaned after the switch.

Preparation
Cooks are instructed to wash their hands and put on brand new latex gloves before beginning the preparation. Then a special sealed box is retrieved from the cooler which contains all the necessary tools for making the GF Pizza. It contains pizza pans, cutters, tongs, GF Cheese and GF tomato sauce (along with some other ingredients). Next, your GF crust is taken from the freezer and placed into the GF pan. GF Ingredients are added (they have many choices for pizza - not just cheese!) and the pan is placed in the oven in a dedicated area to the side. A separate paddle is used to place and remove the pizza from the oven. All kitchen staff are notified when a GF pizza is placed in the oven so they do not place wheat pizzas near it. When cooking is finished, the pan is removed and the pizza served.

Ingredients
ZPizza Corporate has thoroughly analyzed all their ingredients and know which are GF and which are not. Any veggies you would like on your pizza are kept in the cooler area and not pulled from the main area where wheat pizzas are topped. ZPizza has a large list of GF ingredients/toppings at the store so please ask when you arrive. Toppings include pepperoni, sausage, cheese and numerous veggies. They also can offer tomato sauce, pesto sauce or chipotle pesto sauce. They are currently working on developing a GF Menu which will be available both online and in the store.

Other items of note
The GF pizzas only come in 10" sizes at this time and cost about $3 more than their wheat pizza counterparts. ZPizza is also looking to add other GF items to their choices including salads, desserts from the Whole Foods Bakehouse and Gluten Free Beer like RedBridge. Please provide feedback to the staff when you visit about what other options you would like to see offered.

My experience
During my tour of ZPizza, the owner made me the following pizzas - Pepperoni with Peppers and Mushrooms, Chipotle Pesto Sauce with tomatoes, corn and roasted red peppers and finally a pesto sauce and cheese pizza. All 3 pizzas were excellent. ZPizza uses high quality ingredients which taste great. For the GF crust, it was very thin and crispy but had a nice flaky, buttery taste to it. Overall, it was a great pizza and I would dine at ZPizza again.

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness - GREAT program
Please see my earlier post about the NFCA's GREAT program here. ZPizza as a franchise has gone through the GREAT training program and has been verified by the NFCA. Look for the window decal when entering the store. See my previous post for all that is included in this verification/certification process.

ZPizza Information
Web site - http://www.zpizzatriangle.com/

Raleigh location
9630 Fall of the Neuse Road
Falls Pointe Shopping Center
(Next to Starbucks)
Phone - 919.844.0065

Cary location
96 Cornerstone Drive
Stone Creek Village
(Corner Davis and High House)
Phone - 919.465.9009

Bella Monica Flatbread Company Update - Whole Foods Cary

Exciting news for Bella Monica Flatbread Company and their fans... I have just received word that their Gluten Free Pizzas are now available in the Cary Whole Foods location on Waverly Place in Cary! This is good news that they are expanding and will become more widely available to Raleigh area consumers. This is a sign of a successful product! Looks like they will also be moving into the other Raleigh area locations very soon - Stay tuned for those release dates!

See my previous posts about their GF Pizzas here.

Grocery Store Review: Whole Foods, Cary

We do most of our GF shopping at Whole Foods in Cary located in the Waverly Shopping Center at the corner of Tryon and Kildaire Farm Road.

Whole Foods has a green label on the shelves for items that are advertised as Gluten Free. They often have gluten free information right at the entrance. Their brand, 365 Everyday Value, has many gluten free offerings (including our favorite bread machine mix).

 Terrific selection of GF items are easy to find in the Freezer section, Cereal and Chips aisles, Baking aisle, Cookies and Pasta aisles, and Meat and Produce.

 An entire freezer of baked goods: sandwich breads, corn bread, cakes, pies, biscuits, and muffins is located on an end cap in the freezer section.  Some of our favorites are the corn bread and the pies. In addition to these items, gluten free pizzas, waffles, chicken nuggets, and fish sticks are available in the freezer aisle. 

In the cereal aisle, we stock up on Panda Puffs and other EnviroKidz products.  They are reasonably priced (much cheapter than Glutino) and they also have a wide selection of cereal bars (berry rice, peanut butter rice, peanut butter and chocolate rice).  These bars are great to have as snacks or to put in lunches.  Many cereals are clearly labeled gluten free and the selection is pretty extensive.

We often indulge in Glutino pretzels. They are relatively expensive but they taste great and even friends and family who do not require GF foods like them!

The baking aisle has lots of Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking mixes and flours.  They also have a variety of brands of bread machine mixes, cakes, frosting, and cookie mixes.  The only problem is that the selection goes fast. 

Did you know about buying by the case at Whole Foods? If you buy things by the case, you get a discount. Check out the label on the shelf. For instance, if you see 8/16oz, it means a case is 8 of the 16 oz packages. Just be sure to get 8 of the exact same item.  I believe this is why it is sometimes hard to find a large selection of the baking mixes—people buy a case at a time (I know we do!). 

 In the cookie aisle, we can choose from Nana’s Cookie Bars (banana, chocolate, berry), Glutino’s chocolate and vanilla cookies, and a range of GF animal crackers, pecan cookies, and macaroons. 

The pasta selection has grown in the past few years.  Our favorite brand is Tinkyada PastaJoy Ready.  Great taste, texture, and variety.  They even have “fun” shapes for kids, which is unusual to find!

And of course, a beautiful meat selection and an extensive produce and cheese section lets us do all our shopping here.  Although some items at Whole Foods can be expensive, often prices are comparable or even cheaper than other grocery stories. Look for signs that compare prices to let you know you are getting a good deal.

Also, be sure to check out: the whole deal newsletter that can be found at the entrance of the store.  The recent issue (January-March) highlights the 365 Everyday Value Gluten Free Pancake Mix.  In addition,  you can get coupons for:

$1 off EnviroKidz Products

$0.50 off Nut-Thins

The best thing about Whole Foods is that the employees know what Gluten Free means. No one looks at you like you are speaking a foreign language. They will help you find items and even look for items in the back to complete a “case.”

Restaurant Review: Qdoba

Qdoba Mexican Grill is a fast food restaurant located at 2222 Walnut Street in Cary and in Beaver Creek Commons in Apex. In addition to a very complete listing of common allergen information (including Wheat and Other Glutens) http://www.qdoba.com/Allergens.aspx, they provide a comprehensive list of ingredients (even indicating that maltodextrin is from corn) http://www.qdoba.com/Documents/allergen.pdf .

From their website:

At Qdoba, we care about giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about eating. Food intolerances make these decisions even more important. Ingredients like wheat, soy, milk, eggs, nuts and fish are found in certain food items served at Qdoba.

We have found that the employees (and especially the manager) at the Apex Qdoba truly live up to their statement on their website. When we order, we inform them that our daughter cannot have gluten. The employees will change gloves and accommodate our special needs. We typically get a cheese quesadilla made with a Soft White Corn Tortilla and Black Beans. They have a wide selection of salads, meats, and salsas.

GFRB Health Network Welcomes Personalized Nutrition

Allow me to welcome Personalized Nutrition to the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog (GFRB) Health Network.

Personalized Nutrition, Inc. is located in Apex, NC and offers individual, couple and family counseling for weight management, food allergies, intolerances, wellness, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cholesterol, eating disorders and sports nutrition. Their clients range from premature infants to toddlers to retired adults. Your treatment plan is personalized and created together with your registered licensed dietitian. Their staff has and is currently counseling numerous Celiac Disease patients and/or folks living the Gluten Free lifestyle.

Click here for their packages and rates.

Click here for their staff. Shelly Wegman will most likely be your contact when dealing with Celiac Disease.

For more information, please contact Personalized Nutrition using the following information.
Personalized Nutrition
307 South Salem Street, Suite #302, Apex, NC 27502
Web site
Email Owner Cathie Ostrowski
Email Shelly Wegman
Phone: 919.367.0677