A couple of days ago my dad and I were walking around Kirkland for a bit of distraction before he headed to a trade show in Seattle. After coffee we decided to get lunch there too, unwilling to leave the slightly sunnier, always adorable center of Kirkland, or “little California” as my husband calls it. After narrowing our lunch choices down to “Mexican” we wandered into Cactus right in the middle of Park Lane. The atmosphere is slightly more upscale than a family style restaurant, though it is casual and I watched a young mom having lunch with her toddler a few tables over and they looked completely at home in the setting. After we sat down I started my usual gluten-sensor skimming that counts as menu reading when the waiter informed me that they have a seperate gluten free menu, oh yes! You know you can trust a restaurant when they take time to make a separate menu for the gluten intolerants. The waiter continued to be extremely helpful, somehow knowing I was vegetarian before I even said (was it the Birkenstock clogs?) and had a great recommendation for me which I never would have thought to get on my own~ Butternut squash enchalidas with spinach and mole sauce. She did bring my dad the wrong item, but he liked it anyway and later she insisted on bringing us a dessert to share because “it was our first time there” but probably actually because of the messed up order. Whatever the reason it was a thoughtful touch and we enjoyed the food and experience thorougly. Great find in Kirkland and they have several more restaurants in Seattle.
Category: gluten free lifestyle
Gluten free symptoms
When I was first diagnosed with gluten intolerance, my physician said that once I got all of the gluten out of my system and out of my diet for a few months I might be able to reintroduce small amounts and tolerate it. This was great news at the time, but after years of a gluten free diet I can tell I have become more sensitive, not less so. I’ve talked to other gluten intolerant people who have had the same experience, so I wonder if anyone ever successfully reintroduces wheat back into their diet? It would be so nice to go out to eat and not worry about the soy sauce used and such, but honestly, I’m not sure I’d want to be able to eat all the wheat I wanted anymore. Having to think a bit more about every thing I put into my mouth has made me make healthier choices, and honestly, I rarely even buy or make gluten free bread anymore. I eat more salad and soups, and (probably way too many) corn chips and rice crackers. Just because I’m gluten intolerant doesn’t mean I can’t still be a carbo-holic, unfortunately! But generally, I eat far healthier than I used to, but I feel far ickier when I do eat some smidgen of errant gluten. I’d really like to explore more more traditional diets, like in that book, The Jungle Effect, to get more ideas on foods, because one thing I do miss is the ability to trust food out and about, so I end up mostly only eating what I make, which is limited. Maybe some cooking classes are in order.
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