Gluten-free dining options in Collier and Lee counties

Here are a few gluten-free options for dining in Collier and Lee counties. Some establishments are well-trained in preventing cross-contamination, but those with Celiac disease should question the chef or server about the possibility of cross-contamination during the cooking and preparation process. This list is a work in progress, so if you know other local options, please email the information to intheknow@naplesnews.com.

■ Aurelio's Pizza

All Aurelio's locations now carry a gluten-free personal size pizza. A 9-inch round cheese pizza is $9.75.

Naples: Coastland Center; (239) 403-8882.

Estero: Gulf Coast Town Center, (239) 274-8446

■ AZN Azian Cuizine

9118 Strada Place, in Mercato, just north of Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples, (239) 593-8818

AZN Azian Cuizine sushi menu († Gluten Free)

Menu's gluten-free selections are marked with a red cross, but patrons can speak to the chef for more options that can be tailored to be gluten-free. Warn the chef or waitress you can't eat gluten. Restaurant also offers gluten-free soy sauce. (Tell the sushi chef you are a Celiac or can't eat gluten to ensure there is no cross-contamination in the kitchen area due to tempura, eel and soy sauce with wheat; restaurant offers wheat-free soy sauce)

■ Bha Bha, a Persian Bistro

865 Fifth Ave. S., Naples (239) 594-5557

Bha Bha menus. Ask for assistance.

■ Bistro 821

821 5th Ave. S., Naples, (239) 261-5821

Ask waitstaff for gluten-free list of menu items.

■ Bonefish Grill

1500 5th Ave. S., Naples Bay Resort, Naples, (239) 417-1212

26381 U.S. 41 S. Bonita Springs (239) 390-9208

Among the best in gluten-free dining nationally and is part of a chain that offers GF menus, including Carrabas and Outback. Chefs also can make some options gluten-free by removing ingredients.

■ Boston’s Restaurant & Sports Bar

Sugden Park Plaza, 4270 U.S. 41 E., East Naples; (239) 692-9294

Boston’s menu offers a gluten-free crust for its regular pizza, available in small size only for an additional $1.99.

The sauce is slightly spicy and the pizza is more expensive than most, but very good and totally safe for those with Celiac Disease. Boston's staff is trained in gluten-free preparation, serving and preventing cross-contamination Boston’s gluten-free pizzas are prepared in a designated gluten-free only prep station, not the regular production area. The gluten-free only station is behind a closed door, away from the flour products, and pizza pans, the cutting board, and other cooking tools are only for gluten-free use. These items are color coded and clearly marked. When a gluten-free order comes in, the pizza chef must wash and sanitize his hands, use a new pair of gloves and change his apron. Pizzas are prepared with new sauce, new cheese and all new ingredients. Gluten-free pizzas are cooked at a temperature of 500 degrees, which completely eliminations the possibility of cross contamination. The pizza is removed from the oven and cut with tools designated for gluten-free use only.

■ BrickTop's

5555 U.S. 41 N., Waterside Shops, Naples; (239) 596-9112

Ask for assistance on gluten-free options.

Menus available at www.westendrestaurants.com

■ Buca di Beppo

8860 U.S. 41 N., Naples, (239) 596-6662

Speak with a manager if you have special dietary needs or if you have specific food allergies. See footnote on menu.

■ Cafe Luna

467 Fifth Ave S., Naples; (239) 213-2212

Cafe Luna pizza menu has 12-inch gluten-free pizza, $13.99 (one size only); additional toppings $1.50 each.

■ The Capital Grille

9005 Mercato Drive, U.S. 41 at Vanderbilt Beach Road, North Naples, (239) 254-0640

Ask for assistance and for a gluten-free menu.

■ Carrabas Italian Grill

4320 U.S. 41 N., North Naples (239) 643-7727

12631 U.S. 41 E., East Naples (239) 774-2965

27220 Bay Landing Drive, Bonita Springs, (239) 949-0981

Offers gluten-free menu.

■ Chick-fil-A

1874 U.S. 41 N. at Coastland Center mall, Naples, 34109 (239) 263-2678

5825 Airport-Pulling Road N., in Promenade at Naples Centre, North Naples; (239) 594-9777

21900 U.S. 41 S., Estero; (239) 498-8700

9980 Interstate Commerce Drive, Fort Myers; (239) 437-4800

Chick-fil-A gluten-free options

■ Chipotlé Mexican Grill

9100 Strada Place, unit 2110, Mercato, North Naples, (239) 254-1292

Everything but the flour tortillas and garden blend is gluten free and organic. It's a safe, healthy restaurant for celiacs, but watch the server to ensure that when your order goes down the line of ingredients, the person rolling the tortilla doesn't touch anything on your plate. Ask the server to change gloves first or to use tongs for the lettuce. The chicken burrito bowl is highly recommended, as is the guacamole, which costs extra.

Chipotlé Mexican Grill GF options

■ Chops City Grill

Naples: 837 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 262-4677

Bonita Springs: Brooks Grand Plaza, corner of U.S. 41 and Coconut Road, (239) 992-4677

Gluten-free menu available. Menus ask patrons to alert servers about any allergies, etc.

Bonita menus are at chopscitygrill.com/

Chop's dinner menu

■ First Watch

North Bay Village, 26381 U.S. 41 S., Bonita Springs, (239) 390-0554

Charleston Square, 225 Banyan Blvd. #100, Naples, (239) 434-0005

Berkshire Commons, 7163 Radio Road, East Naples, (239) 304-0746

Granada Shoppes, 1000 Immokalee Road #81, North Naples, (239) 566-7395

Marquesa Plaza, 13030 Livingston Road, Naples, (239) 213-1709

Popular for breakfast. Gluten-free menu available. Complete allergen list for menu items.

■ Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

8985 U.S. 41 N., North Naples, (239) 598-2424

Gluten-free menu available.

■ Mangrove Café

878 Fifth Ave. S., Naples; 239-262-7076

Reservations are taken by telephone only between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Mangrove Café’s gluten-free menu includes seafood, chicken, pork and beef dishes.

■ Moe's Southwest Grill

1016 Immokalee Road, North Naples, 593-4998

6434 Naples Blvd., off Airport-Pulling Road, North Naples, 594-0065

23050 Via Villagio, Estero, 948-9071

13711 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, 415-6637

Gulf Center Town Center, Fort Myers, 415-6637

Menu listing allergens available, lists dishes with gluten

■ Naples Flatbread & Wine Bar

3 area locations:

Mercato, 9118 Strada Place #8170, North Naples; (239) 431-8259

Promenade at Naples Centre, 6434 Naples Blvd., North Naples; (239) 687-3454

Miromar Outlets, 10801 Corkscrew Road, Estero; (239) 495-3528

Naples Flatbread menu has 11.5-inch gluten-free pizza. Prices range from $11.99 for Classico cheese Neapolitan pizza to $17.99 for the Lobster Thermidor flatbread pizza.

■ Noodles Italian Cafe and Sushi Bar

Mission Square Plaza, 1585 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, (239) 592-0050

Gluten-free menu available with various salads, pastas and other dishes. Restaurant won't guarantee gluten-free sushi for Celiacs due to possibility of cross-contamination from tempura or soy sauce. There's no gluten-free soy sauce offered so bring your own. Also able to accommodate the Essylstyn and the Engine 2 plant-based vegan, heart-health diets with brown or white rice or risotto and steamed vegetable dishes; diners can request Bruschetta spices to add more zest.

■ Noodle Saigon

13500 U.S. 41 N., Naples, (239) 598-9400

Vietnamese restaurant. Many gluten-free menu options. Ask for assistance.

■ Olive Garden

1565 5th Avenue S., Naples, 34102 (239) 774-1222

8091 Plaza del Lago Drive, Estero, 33938 (239) 949-1883

12870 South Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, 33907 (239) 936-7770

Gluten-free menu

■ Outback Steakhouse

4910 U.S. 41 N., Tanglewood Market Place, North Naples, (239) 434-7100

27230 Bay Landing Drive, Bonita Springs, (239) 948-3575

Gluten-free menu available, but options mean you can't have certain ingredients and they offer no substitutes, so your dish may have no sauce or other items.

■ Pazzo! Cucina Italiana

853 Fifth Ave. S., Naples (239) 434-8494

Ask for the gluten-free menu.

■ Pei Wei Asian Diner

2355 Vanderbilt Road in Shoppes at Vanderbilt shopping center, Naples (239) 596-5515

Gluten-free menu contains five items and one side.

■ PF Chang's China Bistro

10840 U.S. 41 N., in shopping center just south of Immokalee Road, Naples (239) 596-10874

Gluten-free menu available. One of the first and one of the best national chains to offer a gluten-free menu. Chicken lettuce wraps are among the most popular GF items. Cooks are trained to prevent cross-contamination. Takeout is clearly marked with orange gluten-free labels. Remember to apply for their 10 percent discount card, the Warrior Card at www.pfchangs.com/warriorcard/

■ Pizza Fusion

Bridge Plaza, 12901 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; (239) 337-7979

Gateway of Naples, U.S. 41 N. at Golden Gate Parkway, Naples (opening April 22, 2013)

Pizza Fusion menu has gluten-free crust available in 6-by-9-inch personal pizza (add $3 to regular price) or 9-by-18-inch large pizza (add $5).

■ Pollo Tropical

3777 U.S. 41 E., East Naples, (239) 417-2708

5065 Golden Gate Parkway, Golden Gate, (239) 304-0629

1652 NE Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, (239) 772-1644

See brochure with allergens info, including gluten. Request no bread (in Spanish, no pan) and that employees pick up the grilled chicken with different tongs than they use to pick up the buns. Fajitas can be eaten with no wrap, or bring your own. The chicken is popular and so is the mojo pork and Tropichop platters. The fast-food restaurant is known for its fresh food and is part of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). It's also popular with those on a GFCF diet, a gluten-free casein-free diet.

■ Preston's Steak House

109 9th Street S. Naples, (239) 435-1986

Many gluten-free choices on regular menu. Because seating is limited, reservations are necessary.

■ Real Seafood Co.

8960 Fontana del Sol Way, Bldg. 103, Naples (239) 591-3523

Gluten-free menu available.

■ RedBrick Pizza

6355 Naples Blvd., Naples; (239) 514-3900

RedBrick has gluten-free fire-roasted sandwiches in addition to gluten-free pizza, even a vegan, dairy free, soy free, casein-free cheese version using Daiya "cheese," which is made from tapioca. They also offer gluten-free gelato and sorbet. RedBrick uses a separate bake and prep process, including gloves and utensils, to minimize any potential for cross contamination. Pizzas are cooked on separate slabs in a more-than 1,000 degree brick oven and the process used to make the pizzas and gluten-free sandwiches is certified as safe and gluten-free by the Celiac Disease Foundation. A percentage of the sales of the gluten-free pizzas is donated to Team Gluten Free for scholarships for children on gluten-free diets.

■ The Ritz-Carlton, Naples

280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples, (239) 598-3300

Offers gluten-free menus. Tell the waiter your dietary needs. Ask for gluten-free baked bread and muffins; gluten-free cookies also available. Naples’ Executive Chef, Derin Moore, CMC, understands the need to provide this option for guests. If there's something on the menus that GF guests want, the chefs will try their best to provide a gluten-free option.

■ Roy's

Naples: 475 Bayfront Place, (239) 261-1416

Bonita Springs: 26831 South Bay Drive, Bonita Bay Promenade (239) 498-7697

Ask server for assistance. Footnote on menus says to ask for gluten-free options.

Naples menu: www.roysrestaurant.com/cuisine/menus/menu_FL_naples.asp

Bonita Springs menu: www.roysrestaurant.com/cuisine/menus/menu_FL_bonita_springs.asp

■ Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill

Coconut Point Mall, Estero (239) 498-6430

Ask for gluten-free menu.

■ Seasons 52

Next to Mercato, 8930 U.S. 41 N., Naples, 34108 (239) 594-8852

■ Tea & Wine Loft

2200 First St., The Franklin Shops building, Fort Myers (239) 233-5092

■ Tea & Wine Loft

Unusual wifi lounge and café on the second floor of the Franklin Shops building in downtown Fort Myers that overlooks a shop filled with colorful jewelry and other crafts. Owner Margarethe Thye-Miville, who is from Germany, bakes wonderful gluten-free quiches, including spinach, goat cheese and onion, with potato crusts, a gluten-free fruit tart and other items. The café features blooming flower teas and other unusual teas that are very flavorful. Very low prices. A quiche with a raw carrot and apple salad and a pot of tea was about $7.50. Check Margarethe Thye-Miville's facebook page for updates.

■ Ted's Montana Grill

8017 Plaza Del Lago Drive, in the Coconut Point mall, Estero, (239-947-9318)

Ted's gluten-free menu.

■ Tokyo Sushi Japanese Restaurant

3743 U.S. 41 E., in Naples Towne Centre shopping center, East Naples, (239) 775-3388‎

Tell Sue, the sushi chef you cannot have soy sauce, tempura or eel,

■ Tommy Bahama Cafe

1220 Third St. S., downtown Naples, (239) 643-6889

Very limited, about three items on menu are gluten-free and they prefer to characterize them as gluten sensitive items. Had wonderful gluten-free menu at one time.

■ Truluck's

698 4th Avenue South Naples, FL 34102, (239) 530-3131

Ask your server for gluten-free options.

http://trulucks.com/pages/naples-freshest-seafood-menu

■ Whole Foods Market Cafe

9101 Strada Place, on U.S. 41 North, just north of Vanderbilt Beach Road, in Mercato, North Naples (239) 552-5100

Whole Foods offers a variety of foods for customers with special dietary needs and the prepared foods department, including the hot and cold bars, features select foods made without gluten. (It is not a certified gluten-free facility, but chefs are under strict guidelines to prevent cross-contamination.) The hot bar is a bargain from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a $2 discount per pound. Numerous gluten-free frozen dinners, baked goods, pizzas and snacks also are available throughout the store.

Bella Monica FlatBread Co. pizza is highly recommended, as are the pizzas by Against the Grain, Amy's frozen dinners, Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse Breads and baked goods, along with breads by Udi's, a GF bargain, Rudi's and Wunderbread, which is pricey. Whole Foods GF Bakehouse breads are among the best, and both Udi's and Wunderbread are similar to Sami's millet flax bread, which is not gluten-free and is highly contaminated with gluten (Celiac group tests show more than 5,000 ppm).

Click here for information on gluten-free shopping and a list of products Whole Foods Market manufacturers advertise as gluten-free.

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GLUTEN-FREE FLORIDA

For information on where to dine gluten-free in Florida, go to:

■ Celiac handbook

■ Guide to gluten-free restaurants

■ Gluten-free registry

AREA GLUTEN-FREE SUPPORT GROUPS

To join the gluten-free support group in Naples, contact Brooke or Liisa at NaplesFLCeliac@gmail.com. You also can "Like" the group's Facebook Page, "Celiac Disease Support Group of Southwest Florida," to keep up with new events, meeting minutes, lunch reminders and meeting reminders. The group meets in Naples at Whole Foods Lifestyle Center, 9101 Strada Place in The Mercato, at 11:30 a.m. the first Thursday of each month (during season). Occasionally, the group gathers at various GF restaurants on one Saturday each month. To join the gluten-free group in Lee County and Fort Myers, call Terry Foster, who owns The Skinny Pantry, at (239) 935-5093 or e-mail her at terry@theskinnypantry.com. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at her store, at 11356 S. Cleveland Ave. in South Fort Myers.