We confess that we weren't entirely sure what celiac disease was or what its full implications were dietary-wise, so we did some research and here's what we found.
Turns out celiac disease is one of the most under-diagnosed common diseases in the U.S., affecting at least one in every 133 people. It's a congenital and chronic disease that basically consists of a permanent intolerance to a component of wheat protein and related alcohol-soluble proteins (called prolamines) found in rye and barley. In genetically susceptible individuals who eat these proteins, the condition leads to an autoimmune disease, whereby the body's immune system starts attacking normal tissue and continues as long as these foods remain in the diet. Symptoms of the disease typically can include anemia, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and osteoporosis.
Having either a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance doesn't necessarily mean you have celiac disease, but both still require a gluten-free diet to avoid nasty side-effects, such as rashes, gassiness, wheezing, abdominal pains, and worse.
The under-diagnosis and lack of common knowledge about all these conditions have made dining out a difficult and often hazardous activity for those with an intolerance to gluten. While researching this answer, we came across a horror story from a sufferer whose honeymoon was ruined by eating a (gourmet) Las Vegas restaurant meal that he was assured was gluten-free, but wasn't at all and rendered him sick for days. He recounted all kinds of other tales of fish absent-mindedly coated in flour, barley lurking in the bottom of bowls of soup, and non-gluten-free seasoning on steak.
Having experienced such trouble communicating the seriousness of his dietary requirements to various kitchens, this sufferer has produced a series of information cards, in numerous languages, that you can give to your server to pass to the chef, explaining exactly what you can't eat. The cards are free to anyone to print, but if possible, he asks that you make a small donation ($5), just to cover the costs of running his site. If you'd like to print yourself off some of these cards, visit www.celiactravel.com/restaurant-cards.html.
As covered in a previous QoD (09/13/2006), Las Vegas is not especially vegetarian-friendly, so we weren't too hopeful of finding gluten-free dining spots. However, it's getting better, and we were pleasantly surprised with what we found -- with the help of the Las Vegas Celiac Support Group. The following is what we hope is a useful list.
