Bravo, Bravo!

Today involved a journey into a brave new world - dining out with Celiac. And the journey was an astounding success!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. So my sister, grandmother, cousin and I went out shopping and to lunch. Based on previous correspondence with their management, I knew that Bravo had a gluten free menu. But I still wanted to put in a bit of preparation. I went online and figured out what I wanted. I settled on the Chicken Griglia. Were it not for the IBS, I'd have gotten a salad - Bravo's salads are wonderful.

I called the restaurant first, to let them know I was coming and that I have special nutritional needs. The man I spoke with assured me that they educate all of their staff about cross-contamination and proper procedures. I couldn't believe how knowledgable he was. He even made us a reservation, and noted next to it in the book that I was GF. When we got their, our table was ready with a GF menu on it.

The chicken comes with GF pasta and roasted vegetables. Not wanting to risk anything that isn't naturally GF, I asked for it without the pasta. And I'm glad I did - it was a huge portion of chicken and vegetables, and I never could have finished all of that with pasta. It was flavorful and moist, and the veggies were perfect.

Now for the amazing part - I then went shopping for 3 hours. You see, normally I get nervous after dining out and want to go home in case I get sick. But I didn't feel the slightest bit off, and I wasn't anxious at all.

So a huge, warm, heart-felt thank you to Bravo. They made my first experience dining out GF easy, welcoming, and delicious. They've always been one of my favorite restaurants, and this cements it. I recommend them to anyone.