The following comments on stores were made by our members. They are not presented in any special order. Typos were corrected, names of people were deleted, and the business name or city was added in some cases, but the comments are otherwise verbatim. If you haven't already done so, please read our Disclaimer.

The Durham Coop Grocery. 1101 W. Chapel Hill St, 490-0929. Carries many of the same items found at Wellspring, often at lower prices. A friendly, intimate place, they are happy to special order products, which often provides an additional discount. Organic vegetables and other products, including vitamins, at relatively low prices.

As I'm sure some of you know, Passover is a great time to buy gluten-free food. While we in the south don't have the great gluten free bakeries of Brooklyn, we do have Eshel Kosher Market ar 5540 Atlantic Springs Rd. in Raleigh, where several foods made especially for Passover are available. If you go, be SURE that everything you get is "non-gebroks", which is to say, made WITHOUT matzo meal, cake meal, or any other derivative of matzoh. When I was there today, Mike had various GF candies, potato starch, Pasketz crumbs (for breading or making "matzo" balls), macaroons, potato chips and sticks; Rokeach GF gefilte fish (Old Vienna), mini croutons for soup or salads, and EGG NOODLES; potato and cheese blintzes, kishke (don't ask!), kielbasa, salami, bologna, turkey breast slices and pastrami; Osem soup cubes, and many more things like olives, pickles, ketchup, etc.

Last week I happened across the Oriental Store at 3601 Capital Boulevard (and Old Buffaloe) in Raleigh, and got some rice flour and noodles. The rice flour had a finer texture than that at WellSpring, and made for much better cake.

Carly at the Wellspring in Chapel Hill... makes great GF goodies. I've had her make biscuits and cranberry/orange scones so far. Not cheap, but well worth it when you want something to pull out of the freezer.

Wellspring in Durham is where Wellspring started. This store is just north of the corner of Main and Broad Streets, one block from the Ninth St. shopping area.

I would highly recommend that you do some shopping at Wellspring Grocery at 3540 Wade Avenue (near Ridge Road). They have a lot of gluten free items, flours, waffles, breads (frozen), pasta.....the people that work there are especially helpful and the Triangle Gluten Intolerance Group has even had meetings there.

I wanted folks to know the Kroger at Lynn and Creedmoor (in Raleigh) is doing a great job stocking gluten free products. In their natural foods section (by the pharmacy) they have a number of Bob's Red Mill products (bread mix, brownie mix, pancake mix, etc), specialty flours, Xantham gum, gluten free frozen waffles, crackers and cereal that I have discovered. They also have Kitchen Basics brand of stock (Chicken, Beef or Vegetable) in the soup aisle that says it is gluten free (I use the 8 fl oz size with some rice noodles thrown in for quick chicken noodle soup). 18 Nov 2003

Triangle Nutrition is a small store in North Raleigh that sells quite a few glutano and enerG products. I haven't been in a while but last I heard they were planning on getting in some Miss Robens mixes. Triangle Nutrition, 8801 Leadmine Road, Raleigh NC 27615, 919-847-8498. 2 Jan 2004

The following comments on restaurants were made by our members. They are not presented in any special order. Typos were corrected, names of people were deleted, and the restaurant name or city was added in some cases, but the comments are otherwise verbatim. If you haven't already done so, please read our Disclaimer.

Akai Hana Sushi Restaurant -- west edge of Carrboro. Low key elegance is the decor of this excellent sushi bar and restaurant, which also serves other Japanese dishes, such as tempura and teriyaki. But the sushi reigns here, with beautiful cuts of fresh fish and vegetables arranged in rolls and draped over sweet, sticky sushi rice. This may be the freshest, tastiest sushi in the Triangle, and the prices are very reasonable. My partner and I shared a $12.95 sushi combination platter, and added an appetizer each, then finished up with the Japanese bean paste desert and green tea. Delicious, interesting, and a very different evening, and cost us less than $13 each with tip. Sit at the sushi bar if you're fine with a bit less privacy, and you'll enjoy a really interesting show as the varied sushi trays are prepared before your eyes. Most of the menu is gluten-free, if gluten-free soy sauce is used. I have deposited a bottle of Garden of Eden wheat-free Shoyu (a type of soy sauce) at the restaurant, and explained to the manager about gluten-free diets. This is not a 'fully-educated' restaurant, however, so make sure your server understands your needs. You may want to go armed with your own gluten-free soy sauce, in case they can't locate the bottle I left with them. Also, avoid the smoked eel, which while delicious, is pre-basted with a sauce containing generic soy sauce.

All Things Good in Lenox Square Shopping Center in Chapel Hill is really wonderful. They have a wonderful selection of foods from more salad/deli type to "take it and fake it" for dinner party food. I believe they have a website. They do special orders, special holiday fare and cater. They have not tackled bread items as Lee has at Wellspring. Perhaps with a little encouragement...

Anotherthyme in Durham: 109 N. Gregson St., one block north of Brightleaf. 682-5225. Mary Bacon's venerable restaurant offers more vegetarian entrees than many. Mary's recipes form the backbone of Pyewacket's menu, owned by ex-husband David Bacon.

Here is a message forwarded by one of our members from the chef at Aurora: Thank you for choosing to dine Thursday at Aurora. I presume that you have printed or have access to our menu because your Email came from Citysearch, so I will refer to sections of it. I can Email or Fax you the menu otherwise. Under the Second section of our menu, all of the dishes can be prepared without wheat. Those that do use a reaux for thickening can be altered by using corn starch without compromise to any of the flavors. Unfortunaltely, we make our pasta with wheat flour, so the primi piatti section would not be suitable. The polenta with crab is made with corn meal. Although some of the dishes in the Antipasti, Insalata and Minestrone sections may require slight modifications, all of them with the exception of the Bruschetta and the Focaccia would be avialable. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

Blue Corn Cafe in Durham: a lovely little place with Latin American food, 716 Ninth St. 286-9600. Most Latin cultures use corn extensively, rather than wheat. The food here is a cut above most Mexican restaurants, with inventive, tasty twists, and fresh ingredients. The staff either knows the ingredients of each dish, or is happy to ensure that a dish is gluten-free by checking with the kitchen. Very good flan for dessert. See also Francesca's Dessert Cafe, a few doors north.

The chef at the Blue Ridge Cafe at the NC Museum of Art was familiar with the diet & was helpful in selecting/preparing a delightful brunch for me.

My favorite place to eat is Dalat in Mission Valley shopping center off Western Blvd in Raleigh. It is oriental, but the Vietnamese food is delicious and rice based. It is inexpensive, but has had good review in a gourmet food column.

Elaine's on W. Franklin in Chapel Hill has been very very helpful as well and has excellent food. I call ahead and check specials (esp desserts!) and if it doesn't seem to GF oriented, I ask if they can alter (which they always have). Beautiful/trendy/chic but can get noisy. More expensive than some but a nice place for a romantic treat, date, special occasion. Also very easy to sit at the bar and order if you don't want to wait for a table.

Francesca's Dessert Cafe on Ninth Street in Durham: Nip into here for coffee, freshly made gelato ice cream, or baked goods. The staff will check the recipe cards to tell you which of the baked goods does not have wheat flour in it. This is difficult when the place is busy, however, so I am going to suggest to the owner that gluten free items be marked right in the case. Their chocolate raspberry decadence is a flourless chocolate cake, and it is fabulously intense. If they have it the day you're there, celebrate. See also Blue Corn Cafe, a few doors south.

The Grill (next door to All Things Good) is another place we have found to be extraordinarily helpful and delicious. They have been very forthcoming about ingredients. They always have several items to choose from, including excellent desserts. I have never eaten lunch there. It is one of my favorites for dinner when I want something a little more special but not fancy.

Still can't beat the Grill at Glen Lenox for quality, quantity, accommodation. The sauces are almost always reduced, never thickened. There are generally gourmet mashed potatoes or risotto which can be substituted for something not GF. The presentation is beautiful. The desserts are awesome! They always have a creme brulee, a sorbet/ice cream and occasionally have other flourless goodies. For quieter elegant atmosphere, great seafood, steaks and meat, great desserts, helpful wait staff-can't be beat. I always take my CD siblings there when in town.

Kim-Son Vietnamese Restaurant in Durham: 2425 Guess Rd. 416-9009. Turn south and go 1/2 block from I-85. This is a little gem that doesn't look like much from the outside. It is very pleasing and quiet inside, and the food is made to order by the owner, an incredibly nice Vietnamese woman who married an American soldier during our 'police action'. Tell her you can't have any soy sauce. She'll point out the many dishes that use other sauces. Very inexpensive, fresh, tasty food. Especially recommended: the rice noodle 'buns' (a meal in a bowl), the phos (soups).

I like The Lantern, a new restaurant on W Franklin across from Elaine's. It is a Pan Asian/Fusion restaurant. It is small enough that they can be very accommodating. It is fairly new, so I would not overwhelm them by asking for special favors on a Fri or Sat night. I had a steamed grouper that was really excellent. I needed to have my own soy sauce with me there.

For a special occasion, Magnolia Grill at 1002 Ninth St. in Durham will highlight safe foods on your menu; just call the day before you go there.

Neo-China at 4015 University in Durham is accustomed to making dishes with your own soy sauce; all white dishes (except house soup, which has surimi), are safe. The GF menus are still there. HOWEVER, we ate up all the soy sauce provided by TGIG, so please bring your own GF soy sauce (available at Wellspring Groceries) with you. Also, if you want soup, please bring a can of GF broth (e.g., Manichewitz) with you, OR call the restaurant in the morning and ask them to make broth for you from chicken bones. IF YOU ORDER HOUSE SPECIAL SOUP, be SURE they omit the "crab stick" (surimi), which is not GF.

Nikos Taverna in Durham: in Brightleaf Square, on Main St. just west of Gregson, 682-0043. Excellent food at moderate prices in a wonderful setting. Try the marinated lamb steak, a house specialty, or the fish dishes. Lunch offers many unusual salads. The chicken or lamb stew, on the menu as served over orzo (a rice-shaped pasta), can often be provided on a bed of rice instead. One caution: delicious hot, crusty bread is brought automatically to the table unless you request otherwise.

There is a fabulous new Asian restaurant in Durham--Pao Lim, on 2505 Chapel Hill Blvd, Tel. 419 1771. I just had dinner there Friday night. They have wheat-free tamari! The manager was ***extremely*** helpful. When I started asking about sauces and told him I needed to avoid wheat, etc, he said they have many people with the same special diet needs, they only use cornstarch, now keep wheat free Tamari in the kitchen and can modify nearly anything on the menu to meet a customer's needs. he will say the the black bean sauce and the spicy bean sauce come commercially as a base so he suggests something simpler with ginger, scallions, rice vinegar, wheat-free tamari, etc. on the steamed fish dishes. The waitress got a little confused, I told her to go talk to the manager and he told her exactly what to write and tell the chef. I was really impressed at how hard they are trying! I had steamed Chilean sea bass and my friend had an incredible fried scallop dish that the manager said was perfectly safe for me to eat. They have rice wrapper vegetarian spring rolls (not fried). They also have a large selection of vegetarian dishes. No GF desserts (unfortunately) that night. It is really pretty/nice atmosphere. A dress up or dress down place (but maybe not too casual-however, you can slip in and order at one of the many nice tables in their well-decorated bar area). We need to frequent this place and reward them for their efforts.

Pyewacket at 431 West Franklin St. in Chapel Hill is a long-established vegetarian and fish restaurant; the "Plaki", made with whatever fish is best that day, is excellent, served with brown rice and freshly cooked veggie. Creme caramel for dessert.

I don't know how many people know that the Indian restaurant Sitar Palace (I may be getting the name wrong, it's the one next to Kroger's, near South Square Mall) has many GF dishes. Since it features southern Indian cooking, many of the dishes are made with lentil flour, and they don't use flour thickeners for their sauces. It's Rebecca's favorite joint, and we have eaten there many, many times, without a single negative incident.

Sushi Tsune: a little tiny jewel of a Japanese restaurant at the corner of Avent Ferry and Hillsborough in Raleigh. On Hillsborough between the gas station and Arby's. The owner is usually behind the sushi bar. He always looks at my bottle of wheat free soy sauce and asks questions (do you need low salt?? I explain). The waitresses speak better English than he does. I love Waraji and Akai Hana but this place may be the best kept sushi secret in the Traingle. We are often the only occidentals in there and many of the patrons speak Japanese at their table. Tells you something!

Wellspring in Durham is where Wellspring started. This store is just north of the corner of Main and Broad Streets, one block from the Ninth St. shopping area. The cafe serves lots of tasty GF foods.

My family and I ate at VIN in Raleigh some time ago, and they took special care to make sure that my entire meal was gluten free. The chef was incredible and understanding, and my meal was a gourmet feast. They have the most extensive wine list I've seen (thus the name Vin), and have tastings as well. The food prices are on the high side, though the wine prices are reasonable. It was well worth it for me to have a custom-made, safe, gourmet meal. We are going there this Monday night for our anniversary. Finally, a gf food experience that wasn't a hassle.

Successful GF dining in Raleigh/Durham area: PF Chang and Mariott. I made a short visit to the Raleigh/Durham, NC, area last week, and successfully dined GF. I had two breakfasts at the Mariott in Research Triangle Park (address is 4700 Guardian Drive, Durham; this is really just off S. Miami Blvd. just north of I-40). I phoned ahead and spoke with the chef, Jon Kendrot. I also had a pleasant dinner at PF Chang's in the Crabtree Valley Mall (Chang's at 4325 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh), taking my cue from the fact that the local support group just had a meeting there. Chang's had a gluten free menu, and I and the rest of my group shared some enjoyable dishes from it ("family style"). 4 Nov 2003

Most Outback Steakhouse restaurants have a gluten free menu. You can ask your server for it. The menu is very specific as to what you can and cannot have and it tells you what to tell your server. There is also A LOT to choose from. The menu is also posted on their website www.outback.com under the menu option. 2 Jan 2004