Charlotte Celiac Connection - Event #19
When? Saturday ~ October 21, 2006
Time? 1:00 pm
Where? BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA ~ at North Lake Mall
RSVP By: Thurs. 10/19
When? Saturday ~ October 21, 2006
Time? 1:00 pm
Where? BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA ~ at North Lake Mall
RSVP By: Thurs. 10/19
BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA
6851 North Lake Mall Drive
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 597-1455
~ gluten-free menu is available at restaurant & on restaurant page {click here}
www.bestitalianusa.com
Directions: At North Lake Mall (I-77 at W.T. Harris Blvd.)
6851 North Lake Mall Drive
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 597-1455
~ gluten-free menu is available at restaurant & on restaurant page {click here}
www.bestitalianusa.com
Directions: At North Lake Mall (I-77 at W.T. Harris Blvd.)
Summary
The Restaurant & Lunch
Today’s lunch at Bravo! Cucina Italiana was incredible! We had 25 people, which was one of our largest
turnouts since I started this group over 1-1/2 years ago. I had several people ask me what is the
attendance each month. It does fluctuate depending on everyone’s schedule and holidays but I thought
it would be fun to calculate an average (the accountant in me). Today was our 19th meeting, 93 members
(not counting spouses) and we average 15.5 people per luncheon (with an upward trend). O.k.. now back
to the really important stuff!
Barbara, the manager of Bravo at the North Lake Mall restaurant is in a league above the rest. You
may recall from my prior note that it was from a personal dining experience a few months back that
propelled Barbara to go above and beyond. I shared information with Barbara about celiac but she was
already aware of it (amazing in itself)! I let her know about our group and how we visit restaurants
that provide a gluten-free menu, etc., etc. Anyway, Barbara told me at that first visit she would
identify the menu items that are gluten-free and create a menu for us. Barbara kept her commitment
and sent me the menu. Well, if you haven’t seen the menu then you must take a few minutes to look it
over. You would never know it was a gluten-free menu! I think almost all of us ordered something with
pasta. For most us, it was our first time to have pasta at a restaurant since diagnosis. I think we
were all a little in shock when the food was as good as it sounded and we had pasta! Finally, let me not
forget our two servers, Edith and Mark. They were wonderful, courteous and were knowledgeable on
what gluten-free meant (what we could or could not have). Now, for all you celiacs reading this and not
living in Charlotte, just be patient. Barbara sent the menu to the corporate office and they are now
working on an official gluten-free menu that will be distributed through the Bravo network.
Welcome to New Members
We had a few new members as well as some members we haven’t met yet. We welcomed Amy, Julia and
Charlotte. We also had a couple, Becky & Kurt, visit with us from Ohio. They visit various cities in
search for the perfect city to live that also has four seasons. Of course, we all know Charlotte is the
one and only!
Celiac Hot Topics
As usual, we always have tons of information and tips to share. Here are a few tidbits:
Rebecca Says…
Well…a superb meal once again with the celiac bunch! I preferred my father’s meal to mine, so I
switched. His creamy tomato pasta sauce was such a delight to my hungry stomach. The delicious
dessert made my mouth water for more. I can’t wait to come back again. See everybody next time..
Closing Notes…
I hope everyone had a great time this afternoon. We will definitely be circling back around to Bravo as
a group! If you’re thinking of going there with family/friends, then you might want to call ahead just
to make sure they have the GF pasta on hand (just in case). Our next meeting is confirmed for
November 18th at noon – @ Red Bowl in Tega Cay (Fort Mill). Details are on my web-site and notes will
follow in a few weeks.
Have a Great Month! Warm Regards, Janet
The Restaurant & Lunch
Today’s lunch at Bravo! Cucina Italiana was incredible! We had 25 people, which was one of our largest
turnouts since I started this group over 1-1/2 years ago. I had several people ask me what is the
attendance each month. It does fluctuate depending on everyone’s schedule and holidays but I thought
it would be fun to calculate an average (the accountant in me). Today was our 19th meeting, 93 members
(not counting spouses) and we average 15.5 people per luncheon (with an upward trend). O.k.. now back
to the really important stuff!
Barbara, the manager of Bravo at the North Lake Mall restaurant is in a league above the rest. You
may recall from my prior note that it was from a personal dining experience a few months back that
propelled Barbara to go above and beyond. I shared information with Barbara about celiac but she was
already aware of it (amazing in itself)! I let her know about our group and how we visit restaurants
that provide a gluten-free menu, etc., etc. Anyway, Barbara told me at that first visit she would
identify the menu items that are gluten-free and create a menu for us. Barbara kept her commitment
and sent me the menu. Well, if you haven’t seen the menu then you must take a few minutes to look it
over. You would never know it was a gluten-free menu! I think almost all of us ordered something with
pasta. For most us, it was our first time to have pasta at a restaurant since diagnosis. I think we
were all a little in shock when the food was as good as it sounded and we had pasta! Finally, let me not
forget our two servers, Edith and Mark. They were wonderful, courteous and were knowledgeable on
what gluten-free meant (what we could or could not have). Now, for all you celiacs reading this and not
living in Charlotte, just be patient. Barbara sent the menu to the corporate office and they are now
working on an official gluten-free menu that will be distributed through the Bravo network.
Welcome to New Members
We had a few new members as well as some members we haven’t met yet. We welcomed Amy, Julia and
Charlotte. We also had a couple, Becky & Kurt, visit with us from Ohio. They visit various cities in
search for the perfect city to live that also has four seasons. Of course, we all know Charlotte is the
one and only!
Celiac Hot Topics
As usual, we always have tons of information and tips to share. Here are a few tidbits:
- One member takes a pizza crust to her local Papa Johns. The manager will top it with her
favorite gluten-free toppings and bake her a pizza! I thought this was a great idea and pretty
darn close to the real thing. However, you probably will want to have a discussion first with
your local pizza shop manager to find out if they are willing to work with you and to identify the
gluten-free toppings. It may also mean your flexibility as to the times of day or night they
would be willing to do this for you. - We talked about the other health issues we face as a celiac. Other allergies,
osteopenia/osteoporosis, fatigue, etc. It’s battle everyday to keep on top of our health and
keep our energy high. We also need to stay up with on the latest news & research! Just like
the recent news about celiac having a four times increased risk to Tuberculosis (TB). They
think it’s the vitamin D deficiency so make sure you get this (sometimes included with your
calcium – which is another must). - Joyce recently had a scary bout of pneumonia and went to the emergency room at Northeast
Hospital in Concord. She is fully recovered (and looks great!) but she bragged about how the
hospital was so familiar with celiac. In Dr. Green's book, he mentions that patients recently
diagnosed with celiac are initially more susceptible to pneumococcal pneumonia (page 174). - When visiting family for Thanksgiving, think about bringing your own GF bread for dressing and
a GF dessert. Do not scoop out the pumpkin filling of a regular pie because you will get
contaminated! Eat more turkey (but do make sure the turkey is gluten-free…we only eat celiac
turkeys) - Whole Foods – we had a lot of discussion around how do we can encourage them to continue with
their plans to build a store in Charlotte. Apparently, they are starting to have second
thoughts. After hearing about all the wonderful baked goods that Whole Foods offers, I think
the other grocery stores need to worry a little if they do come here. We also talked about
making a special 2-hour trip to Chapel Hill just to get their baked goods! Maybe we all need to
write them a letter and BEG! - New York New York! Yes, a few of us are heading to the Celiac International Symposium in
November. The latest update said there are over 1,000 people already registered and the hotel
is booked! It will be another 14 years before it circles back here in the USA. We will also try
to fit in a visit to "Cafe Baldo" (on Long Island) which, according to Rebecca, is absolutely the
best restaurant in the country. The gluten-free choices abound from pasta, pizza, cazzones,
cannolis, etc. - When dining at restaurants that do not have a gluten-free menu, it is very important to use a
restaurant card. Do this even if you make up your own. I created one that I can print four to
a page then cut and fold. You can keep several in your wallet. Since I’ve been using a card, I
think I can say I’ve only had one mistake. The card allows the manager and/or chef to read it
privately and at their own speed. It is a great reinforcement of the verbal discussion and you
don’t risk 3rd party communication error. - Lettuce Wraps! Yes, buy yourself some big Romaine Lettuce Leafs and wrap up your favorite
things for lunch. - Quick Apple Pie Ala mode (for one or two) – Peel and dice one or two baking apples. In a
separate bowl mix a little sugar, cinnamon and potato or corn starch. Mix with the apples and
pour in a baking dish. Top with a few slices of butter here and there. Bake @ 350 degrees for
about 20-30 minutes in a toaster oven. Mix once half way through the bake. Cool a little and
then top with ice cream.
Rebecca Says…
Well…a superb meal once again with the celiac bunch! I preferred my father’s meal to mine, so I
switched. His creamy tomato pasta sauce was such a delight to my hungry stomach. The delicious
dessert made my mouth water for more. I can’t wait to come back again. See everybody next time..
Closing Notes…
I hope everyone had a great time this afternoon. We will definitely be circling back around to Bravo as
a group! If you’re thinking of going there with family/friends, then you might want to call ahead just
to make sure they have the GF pasta on hand (just in case). Our next meeting is confirmed for
November 18th at noon – @ Red Bowl in Tega Cay (Fort Mill). Details are on my web-site and notes will
follow in a few weeks.
Have a Great Month! Warm Regards, Janet
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