The soft soothing sounds of Italian opera filled the air, while a light crowd lingered over lunch. The man standing before me gazed deeply into my eyes, and I anxiously awaited the words he surely wanted to say. As we perused the menu together at Romano’s Macaroni Grill, I finally could stand the silence no more and gave voice to the man’s thoughts with the assertion that I really wasn’t crazy. Even though I had just confessed that I could not eat pasta, or anything else made with wheat, barley, rye, or oats, in this Italian-style restaurant, I insisted there were many other foods I could eat. And I implored him, the chef, to help me make a few selections from the menu.

Eating out can be tough, especially at chain restaurants such as Romano’s Macaroni Grill that mainly stock processed foods and are not known for being celiac friendly. In fact, my recent inquiry with Macaroni Grill’s corporate office about gluten-free menu items produced the standard reply of, “We sympathize with your situation…our restaurants stock many items that contain ingredients excluded from your diet…we cannot recommend menu items that are gluten free….” The reply did suggest, however, speaking with the manager or the head chef of a local establishment to see if they could suggest and prepare a meal to meet my dietary requirements. I took them up on the suggestion.

Dallas A recent trip to Dallas had me zigzagging around every major highway of the city, traipsing from my son’s band competition, to the hotel, to the Galleria, and eventually to Six Flags Over Texas. Just outside Six Flags my family met up with some friends who live in the area and we had lunch at Romano’s Macaroni Grill. The place was not yet busy, so I informed the hostess I needed to speak with the chef or manager about my special dietary needs. No sooner had we sat down than Dusty, the chef, pulled up a seat alongside me.

Luckily, Dusty knew about gluten, and did not think I was crazy. Instead, he was up to the challenge, his eyes dancing from ingredient to ingredient along the prep line in his head. He suggested grilled chicken breast with a honey balsamic glaze, but because Macaroni Grill serves only marinated chicken, Dusty had to pop over to a neighboring restaurant to “borrow” some of their non-marinated chicken. The standard glaze is not gluten free, so he prepared my glaze with only the ingredients to which I gave my approval. My friends eyed my specially prepared meal with envy, even the double helping of steamed broccoli and carrots that replaced the ordinary serving of pasta.

San Antonio The chef at Romano’s Macaroni Grill on North 1604 in San Antonio did not know about gluten, but he was eager to please. As I described the particulars of the gluten-free diet, he listened as attentively as I wish my husband did! The waiter seemed a bit miffed that chef Chris Snider was personally handling our order, and other people wondered why we were getting such personalized treatment. Chris and I tossed a few suggestions back and forth, and he darted off to the kitchen a couple times to check ingredients. At one point he even brought me the label of their creamy salad dressing base which he had just torn off, and which – in my opinion – had questionable ingredients.

We finally agreed that Chef Chris would whip up a simple balsamic vinegar dressing to top my perfectly grilled salmon on a bed of fresh greens. He had offered to prepare the special of the day, Portobello Salad, from scratch, but I felt uncomfortable with the ricotta cheese and was not sure how it would turn out minus the breadcrumbs, blue cheese, and creamy Italian dressing. Besides, I’m not a mushroom fan.

Near the end of our meal, manager Patrick Bean stopped by our table and we chatted about the requirements of the gluten-free diet. I gave him one of my celiac dining cards, and we discussed future dining selections. For example, antipasti dish Mozzarella alla Caprese, which consists of imported buffalo mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes with basil and balsamic vinaigrette, might be a good choice, as would the Spinach and Garlic Salad with pecorino cheese and lemon. All ingredients should be verified, however, when placing an order.

Patrick further explained that all the chicken at Macaroni Grill arrived pre-marinated, but that the veal, pork, steak, and seafood did not. Some of these selections are later marinated on-site, but if a customer calls ahead to request, for example, non-marinated pork chops, the request can be accommodated and undue delays at the table avoided.

Patrick added that celiacs are welcome to bring in gluten-free pasta but must provide cooking instructions, such as the need to use separate pans and utensils. The pasta can then be topped with their gluten-free tomato sauce. The asiago cream sauce, gratinata, and roasted garlic cream sauce all contain flour or hydrolyzed gluten derived from corn, wheat, or soy and must be shunned. Remember, though, to bring along some gluten-free bread for the olive oil dipping sauce.

Alabama Alamo Celiac Database Chair Deborah Holladay says she was “delighted” with her own experience dining at a Romano’s Macaroni Grill in Alabama. Initially, just the mere name of the restaurant had her convinced the only offering suitable for her would be a plain salad. A thoughtful family member did an Internet search for Debbie, however, and found reviews that helped her determine the grilled shrimp in garlic butter sauce, with grilled vegetables substituted for the pasta, would be a safe bet. Debbie said, “The dinner was delicious, and I suffered no ill effects from it. What a happy surprise.”

It is easy to see why Romano’s Macaroni Grill’s corporate office replies with the standard disclaimer when it receives gluten inquiries. Indeed, very few of their menu items can be eaten safely “as is” by celiacs. With a little charm, and a bit of knowledge about food preparation, however, it is possible to work with the chefs and managers at the individual restaurants to obtain a gluten-free meal.

In the future, dining at any restaurant owned by Brinker International – the company that owns Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Chili’s Bar and Grill, Corner Baker Café, On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Cozymel’s Coastal Grill, Big Bowl Asia Kitchen, and Rock Fish Seafood Grill – may get easier. Though apparently conceived solely as a reaction to bad press from the Celiac List, this self-proclaimed “trend-setting” company is working on an allergen matrix for all of their menus and plan to provide allergen training and education for their cooks and servers. Maybe one day none of us with celiac disease will ever again be thought of as crazy when we go out to restaurants like Romano’s Macaroni Grill. (MP June 2003)