Brunch down the Road in Chapel Hill, Weathervane-Restaurant Review

This weekend some friends  and  I traveled the short distance down 15-501 to Chapel Hill for brunch at Weathervane Restaurant which is located in A Southern Season Store.  It had been several years since I had eaten at Weathervane and was happy to see that their brunch menu denoted items that were gluten free with the GF symbol. They also note dairy free DF, Vegetarian V and Vegan V+ options. .

My gluten free options  for the Saturday brunch menu were limited to the salads and soups available on the menu.  I selected the combo salad platter for 12.99 and chose the almond chicken salad, the black bean-corn salad and the Asian glass noodle salad.  BUT please note after further conversation with my server I learned that the Asian Glass noodle salad actually has regular soy sauce as one of it's ingredients and thus is REALLY NOT GLUTEN FREE.  Instead I chose a gluten free tomato soup option.  This was just another reminder that those of us who need to follow a strict gluten free diet, must still ask those necessary questions even when something is labeled gluten free. My meal was great and I would recommend eating at Weathervane; I think perhaps they just had their menus printed too quickly and then realized that "aha most soy sauces actually contain wheat" and they have not updated their brunch menu to reflect this.  A look at the lunch and dinner menus also offer a variety of other gluten free options available for patrons. 

 A Southern Season is a well known specialty store that carries gourmet food items, wine, housewares, as well as some gluten free goodies.  A quick walk through the store and you spot: gluten free pasta, gluten free cookies and various baking mixes .  A  Southern Season also offers various cooking schools, and may offer some opportunities for gluten free cooking or baking classes. 

Store Information:

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
8am - 9pm / Monday - Thursday
8am - 10pm / Friday

Brunch & Dinner
8am - 10pm / Saturday
10am - 9pm / Sunday

University Mall
201 S. Estes Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919.929.9466

Navigating the Gluten Free Diet with Confidence- lecture at UNC Wellness Center

Please consider joining me for a learning opportunity on Monday, November 8,2010 6:30-8:00pm at the UNC Wellness Center, Meadowmont This is a free event to members and non-members of the wellness center but pre-registration is required call 919-966-5500.
As a dietitian I have given a variety of "diet instructions" to clients over the years. It has been my own diagnosis with Celiac Disease and then later helping my teenage daughter navigate this in her own life that has really given me the expertise to speak about the many facets of the gluten free diet. Using my professional education and life experience I have had the opportunity to train other health care providers, speak to community groups, and serve as the camp dietitan at gluten free week/Camp Kanata for 4 years. I am looking forward to returning to the UNC wellness center to share my passion for following a healthy gluten free lifestyle!

Navigating the Gluten Free Diet with Confidence
Debbie Jongkind, RD,LDN
Monday, Nov 8, 2010
6:30-8:00pm
UNC Wellness Center,Meadowmont
100 Sprunt St, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7811
(919) 966-5500

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

I want to mention three Upcoming learning opportunities to help you increase your knowledge regarding the gluten free diet, Celiac Disease, and gluten sensitivity.

1. NFCA Webinar:It's Not Just in Your Head the Psychological Impacts of Celiac Disease, Sunday October 17, 8 pm Eastern time. The NFCA website describes this webinar by saying:

Join NFCA as Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, PhD, Training Director at Bay Area Family Therapy & Training Associates, goes beyond the physical and explains how celiac disease can affect us mentally.

If you read this post after the class, the website generally archives these Free webinars. To register or read more information, click here.

2. Gluten Free 101,Saturday Oct 23, 2010, 1:00-3:30 This class is presented by Zach Beker,(Gluten Free Raleigh) and will be held at Rosie's Plate in Raleigh. A description from the Rosie's Plate website reads:

If you've just been diagnosed with Celiac or wheat allergies this class is for you. Learn firsthand from someone who's been there. Taught by Zach Becker from the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog, you'll learn how to segue your kitchen to a gluten free lifestyle with tons of information from transitioning your kitchen to Celiac-friendly restaurants in the Triangle area. Note there is a $45.00 fee for this course(a portion donated to Camp Kanata)

To register contact Rosie's Plate.

3. Navigating the Gluten Free Diet with Confidence, UNC Wellness Center, Monday, November 8th 6:30-8:00. I (Debbie) will be returning to the UNC Wellness Center in Meadowmont to speak from my experience as a registered dietitian and someone who lives a gluten free life due to my own Celiac Disease. The UNC Wellness description of the class states:

The gluten-free world can be challenging when food shopping and eating out. This presentation will help you to learn about the reasons for choosing a gluten-free diet, learn about how foods are labeled as gluten-free, and how to choose the appropriate foods within the gluten-free diet.

Free for members and non-members
Please pre-register at the front desk or call 966-5500.

Increasing your knowledge, gathering tips from others, and keeping up on the latest scientific recommendations helps make following the gluten free diet much easier.

Resource for Going to College Gluten Free

Are you sending a gluten free child to college for the first time? Perhaps you are a student trying to navigate the food filled atmosphere of dining hall food, pizza and bagels? This can be an overwhelming feeling but with some pre planning, gluten free food orders and education this transition can go smoothly. My GF daughter will be heading back to school today for her second year and we both have more confidence about this move than we did last year at this time! I have learned of an upcoming web seminar sponsored by NFCA(National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) that may help equip those with needed information on navigating the gluten free diet in college:

Wondering how the gluten-free diet will affect your college experience?Register for NFCA's "Back to School" Webinar
Heading Off to College with Celiac Disease
Sunday, August 29 at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PT
Join NFCA as Rebecca Panzer, MA, RD, LD, offers professional guidance for college-bound celiacs!

Points covered will include:

Explore the challenges young adults with celiac disease may experience living on and off college campuses.
Answer common questions of college-bound celiacs and gluten-free teens.
Suggest ways to best navigate college administration, dining services and social challenges.
Celiac advocate Deb Mailand, a senior at Tufts University, will also join us to share her firsthand experience and explain how gluten-free can be a success away from home and on campus! Register Now
For more information, visit NFCA's Webinar page.

Great Harvest Bread offers Gluten Free Bread

My gluten free UNC student alerted me to the fact a few weeks ago that the Great Harvest Bread Company in Chapel Hill is offering gluten free bread on Thursdays. I called and spoke with the owner, Rebecca McCorkle, to gather further information. She informed me that they offer both a plain sandwich loaf and a cinnamon raisin variety, each for $5.95. She also explained that they understand the importance of limiting the risk of cross contamination. Thus, the gluten free loaves are baked first thing in the morning in machinery that has been clean and sanitized. They are baked in disposable pans. The gluten free loaves are also stored with a paper covering over the top. I contacted the Dieitian, who serves as a nutrition consultant with with the corporate Great Harvest Bread Company and received the following information: That many of the franchise stores have begun to offer Gluten Free Bread, the basic recipe includes: Water, Cultured Buttermilk, Tapioca Flour, Honey, Brown Rice Flour, Eggs, Buckwheat, Flax Seeds, Cornstarch, Butter (Milk), Yeast, Xantham Gum, Salt, and White Wine Vinegar. NOTE The Chapel Hill Store is offering their bread as both GLUTEN FREE and DAIRY FREE. They have modified their recipe to substitute the buttermilk with rice milk and replace the butter with canola oil. So what about Cross Contamination? The email from the corporate dietitian reads: "Please keep in mind that Great Harvest is a whole grain bread company and that we have lots of flour dust in the bakery. We cannot guarantee a completely gluten free product." Rebecca, from the Chapel Hill Store, seems very motivated to meet the needs of those needing to consume a safe GF product and is willing to consider testing for the presence of gluten in their product. I plan to provide them with further information on reliable testing of products. My daughter and I have tasted both varieties of their bread without any noticeable negative reactions. The quality of the bread is very good and the slices taste good both toasted and freshly sliced. If these products test less than the 20 ppm level, they will make a nice addition to a gluten free diet.

Location and Hours:

229 S. Elliott Road
Chapel Hill, NC
27514

919-932-1112


Great Harvest is open:

Tuesday-Friday 7am-6pm
Saturday 7am-4pm

Gluten Free Students at UNC Chapel Hill-part 2

From my previous post, some will recall that I will be sending my GF daughter off to college this year at UNC Chapel Hill. We have learned a few more tips for navigating a gluten free college experience this summer that may be helpful to others attending UNC or just visiting Chapel Hill. Although the dining hall staff was helpful in my email and phone communications it was evident during our CTOPS (freshman orientation) experience that a meal plan was not going to be a viable option, unless she wanted to live on the salad bar, and hope for no cross contamination issues. We were happy to see a gluten free/vegan peanut butter pudding dessert being offered one night on the dinner menu during CTOPS. I received some helpful comments from current gluten free UNC students who mentioned that if one chooses to join a sorority that the chefs cooking for smaller numbers are often very accommodating. One student also shared her favorite gluten free restaurants on Franklin Street including: McCalister's Deli and Chipotle Mexican.

So my daughter and I hit Franklin Street today and visited several restaurants, picking up menus and asking questions. The following is a brief review of some of the information we gathered:
Qdoba Mexican Grill: Order a naked burrito (note the corn strips, corn taco shells and chips may contain gluten due to them being fried in the same oil as flour containing products)
Jimmy John's: Order an unwhich (see my previous post about ingredient warning)
Panera Bread: some salads and some soups
Lime and Basil : Is a Vietnamese Restaurant, although we did not get to eat here today, this would be worth checking out, as Vietnamese cooking is often gluten free.
R & R grill: extensive menu with salads, burgers, steak, salmon options
Ye Old Waffle Shop: eggs
Biski's Tortilla Wrap Grill: Although their tortilla's are wheat, we were told if you brought your own GF wrap into the restaurant they would be happy to use it and you also could order the fillings without a wrap.
Artichoke and Basil: Chicken, burgers, salads
Pita Pit: no allergy information listed on their website or print media, but you can order their fillings "fork style" as a salad.
Sugarland: awesome gluten free gelato!
Locopops: several gluten free frozen treats

Options on campus at Lenior Main Street include:
Jamba Juice: all smoothies are listed as gluten free except for the Jamba Power Boost and the Cold Buster
Sushinara: all sushi listed as gluten free
Chic-fil-A: char-grilled chicken salad, waffles fries (if using designated frier as used in other Chic-fil-A locations), char-grilled chicken

I am sure we will learn of more options as time goes by, if you have a helpful tip please let me know. Also check out Lauren's updates over at Gluten Free Chapel Hill for other options in the Chapel Hill area.

Gluten Free Students at UNC Chapel Hill

It is getting closer to the time when I will be sending my daughter off to college to navigate the gluten free world on her own. With August only 4 months away I have begun gathering information to make this transition healthy and smooth. She is excited about her acceptance to UNC, Chapel Hill and I am happy to know it is a straight shot down 15-501! I have talked with the food service department about their menu options for gluten free students. I have also made contact with the dietitan who works in the student health area. Both, have been very supportive, but also very honest in the fact that there is not much in place for gluten free students and that as a UNC student you are not bound to have a meal plan. The cafeteria does have some type of rice bread, but no GF toasters. I am awaiting an email that is suppose to send me menus to review. So my focus and goal as a mom and a dietitian is to work with UNC to educate them, provide resources for others who may be coming to the school and feel confident that my daughter will not have to worry about what she will be eating. More to come on this topic.....