Gluten Free Guide to Atlanta, Continued

Kroger near Ansley Mall: This Midtown location of the massive grocery chain has really expanded their gluten-free offerings. The prices aren't really any less than Whole Foods, but if you want to do all of your grocery shopping in one store, it doesn't get much better than this. Gluten-free offerings include frozen meals and pizzas, pastas, sauces and dressings, and snacks.

Return to Eden: Located in the Cheshire Bridge Road area of Atlanta, this natural food supermarket features a large selection of health supplements, organic and diet-restriction friendly food products, health education and cooking classes (including gluten-free), and positive involvement in the local community. Ask for Jennifer Harris, who serves as the store's gluten-free product specialist. She can provide you with a tour of all of the gluten-free products that Return to Eden offers, and can offer candid opinions on whether she liked or disliked a particular product, along with helpful tips on using the various gluten-free baking mixes. Every Tuesday, there's a senior discount- customers age 62 and older will receive and additional 5% off their shopping bill.

Rainbow Natural Foods: Located in Decatur, this is one of the Atlanta area's oldest health-food stores, having been in business since 1976. I was not that impressed with their gluten-free offerings, and the tiny, cramped store makes shopping a real chore.

Atlantis Natural Foods: Located in Dunwoody, Atlantis has served Atlanta's health food needs for over 30 years. Their Web site focuses on primarily gluten-free products, with a good selection of the most well-known gluten-free products on the market.

One caveat when shopping at any store is that you should not solely rely on the store personnel for gluten-free recommendations. Study the label, and when in doubt, don't buy it (or at least try it) before consulting the company for verification of the product's ingredients.

Natural Foods Warehouse: Located in Alpharetta. Offers wide selection of gluten-free products at discount prices.

Gluten-free beer:

As of mid-2007, two gluten-free beers are available in Georgia: Redbridge and New Grist. The latter I've only seen at Whole Foods. Redbridge is made by Anheuser-Busch. While in my pre-Celiac days I was a fan of the independent breweries and high-gravity ales, I have to say I was impressed by the quality of the Redbridge beer. To me, it tasted like real beer, without an aftertaste. It had been two years since I last had a beer and it was nice to partake of a brew again. While vacationing in Asheville, North Carolina, I had a chance to try two other gluten-free beers, New Grist and Bard's Tale. The New Grist would be perfect in warm weather, or for those that prefer lighter-bodied beers. Bard's Tale is a nice, complex, darker brew. Hopefully, all of these gluten-free beers will be made available in metro Atlanta soon, as it would be nice for Celiacs to have a choice.

Atlanta Restaurant Reviews: Food Allergy Friendly:

Beleza: This Brazilian-inspired healthy tapas restaurant located in Midtown really knocked my socks off. The menu is almost entirely gluten-free, as well as entirely dairy free and no refined sugar is used. All of the desserts were gluten-free on my visit- how exciting is that! Even the chocolate tart's crust was made with almond flour. Chef Michelle McKenzie is well versed on gluten-free cooking. The food is fantastic- but that's to be expected, as this is one of two new Riccardo Ullio restaurant projects. He has already impressed Atlantans with Sotto Sotto and Fritti.

I've continued to conduct Atlanta restaurant reviews for the About.com Guide site even while being on digestive-related diets. It is possible, and even easier, to eat a healthy diet while dining at fine restaurants than eating at fast food or casual places. It does take extra preparation, such as a dissection of the menu online, if available.

Also, anyone with dietary restrictions must be proactive in asking about menu ingredients. For someone with a relatively obscure condition like gluten intolerance, there may be a learning curve for servers and chefs, but the best advice is to educate politely, and continue to patronize those establishments that sincerely and reasonably try to accommodate your particular condition. For example, it would be a bit unfair if I, with both a dairy and wheat intolerance, demanded to be served something "legal" at either a brewpub or an ice cream parlor. (Jake's Ice Cream, the local chain, does sell soy-based ice creams and sorbets, and one could stick to hard ciders or hard liquor at a brew pub).

One last note- most soy sauces contain wheat, and can be used in everything from Asian stir-fries, to dipping sauces, to salad dressings.

Noodle: This is hands-down the Atlanta casual restaurant I most frequent. It's a great middle-of-the-week spot for a takeout dinner. I have yet to do a formal investigation of all of the ingredients used in their dishes, so I can not vouch for their adherence to gluten free or dairy free guidelines. However, I've experienced no ill side-effects from the pho ga (rice noodle soup with chicken) and the basil rolls. (Just FYI, a gluten-intolerant person can ingest gluten and not have any noticeable side effects, but still do damage to their intestines.)

Apres Diem: Another personal favorite of mine, the dishes here are very simple, and there's always a fruit and cheese plate to nosh on, though ask them politely to hold the bread. The dried fruit salad is usually safe and delicious, but it does change periodically, so make sure to ask what the current ingredients are. The only downside to dining at Apres Diem with dietary restrictions is having to resist their awesome dessert case. Chances are, none of their desserts will be anywhere close to gluten or dairy free, so sip on a glass of port or another cordial, or perhaps an espresso if you can handle the caffeine. Their sister restaurant, Carpe Diem also comes highly recommended by a fellow Celiac. They sometimes offer a tapas menu in addition to their regular menu and I had plenty of selections to choose from.