My support group is dining at Maggiano's in Atlanta next month. It is a set menu/price and seems like it would be good but I treasure my Saturdays so I wanted to make sure the food would be good before copmmitting to the event. I had a client lunch today and we chose to go to the other Atlanta Maggiano's location. I called ahead last week to pre-order the corn pasta as they don't always have it available (without pre-order) according to the corporate office. They told me ask our server get the chef to our table so he could explain what sauces we could have that were gluten free. We split a huge salad with wonderful gluten-free dressing, and each had the corn pasta with the sauce we each preferred, plus grilled chicken and sun dried tomatoes. It was so delicious and I had enough left over for a full dinner for two! Next time we'd split the pasta too. Oh we also had some salad left over. The chef came back to see how we liked everthing. I felt like crying I was so happy to have this experience....I wish there was a location closer to me.

Maggiano's is a national chain (www.maggianos.com) and you can see if they have a location near you if interested. I have no financial ties to the company....well except for the fact that they'll probably get a lot of my dining out business now . I just can't explain how great it felt for the server, hostess and everyone to treat us the way we deserve to be treated. Like good paying customers with special dining needs, not aliens. Hooray for Maggiano's!!!!

They have good mussels too and they will pan fry regular calamari for you (no breading) -- I really like it like that!

Good sorbetto also...

Oh my....calamari....how wonderful! Thanks for the info!

This is great to hear! I am not sure if I want to come to the meeting because of the family style plates and me not being able to eat dairy and being a vegetarian (which rules out both options). So, I have been thinking about going on my own time and picking my own options. It sounds yummie!

Definitely go on your own and just make sure if you want pasta you call ahead and order it. The chef said they pretty much make everything there so they know exactly what is in their dresssings, sauces, etc. I feel they would be able to give you a lovely gluten-free/df (whatever free) meal. If you go to Buckhead, ask your server upon arrival if the chef Eric is working. He is totally awesome! If you like veggies but no meat in your pasta he'll tell you what they have fresh...I really could not get over the level of service for the price. If I were you I'd share a pasta dish if possible....it was a ridiculous amount of food.

BTW did you go to the meetup dinner on Thursday night? I don't think I met everyone there. It was really good food and I learned a lot from the other diners I met.

I can't wait to go to the luncheon with the support group! I think it will be awesome! I'm so glad you had a good lunch and I'm excited!

Tiffany-
I went there once gluten-free...we threw a party for my parent's 30th wedding anniversary. They did a great job with my meal and gave me an entire bag of their corn pasta before the event to try. Well, corn and I don't get along so well so I have the bag sitting at home still...need to give it away to someone Glad you had a good experience!

Gosh Jen...wish you lived down the street cause I'd take that pasta off your hands! But I buy rice pasta as I think it's more healthy than corn pasta. But it's nice to know if I do want Italian food out every so often, I now have a place to go.

Nini turned me on to making my own gluten-free mac & chs. They sell the Kraft mac & chs powered cheese (gluten-free) at WalMart. I make elbow gluten-free pasta and add some milk and butter and then the cheese to taste. It is just like the real thing. Yea!

Florida,

You have to ask for it. -- Some people can't handle calamari without the breading, but I love it.

They either sauteed it, pan fried it or broiled it (it came with garlic and a little butter and lemon -- FANTASTIC!!)

Well I did have non breaded calamari at some high end place in CA I think once and I loved it too. I would never have thought to ask for it at Maggiano's or anywhere else for that matter so thanks for telling me about it.

BTW did you ever eat at a place in San Diego called Aqua Aldue (not correct spelling)? They have a famous blueberry sauce marinated filet mignon. We didnt' try it but most everyone else that was in their other location came just for that filet..if I ever went back I'd have to try it.

Im so excited to read this, though there are none in ny My future SIL lives in boston and this will be my first summer going to see her and being celiac, ive been searching for gluten-free places in boston, and there's one there!

If anyone knows of anything else in Boston id love to hear about it!

LaURi*

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have been gluten free for over a year now. I really don't like eating out at all. We usually eat at home or rare occasions picazzo pizza and pf changs and had no reactions.

We have a Maggiano's here in phoenix as well. I didn't know that they had gluten free pasta
until the other night when we went out there. I was just going to get a salad and eat later to play it safe since I was in a gluten filled pasta restauraunt.
Until I saw on the menu gluten free pasta available. I got excited. My husband and I asked about it
and she said it was gluten free curly rice pasta. I explained I was a celiac and she knew what it was and made us feel very comfortable. So we ordered some I had Spaghetti with marina Sauce and he had Spaghetti with sausage. He doesn't have celiac like me , but he feels better eating this way.
such a sweetie.. So we dug into our meals and 1/2 into our meals. My husband finds stray straight spaghetti noodles in his bowl.. I looked in horror and I stop eating it. Needless to say I did get a reaction intense itching later that night with bloating. I hadn't been sick for a while.. So I don't think they used a dedicated pot to cook the pasta in or used the same water from the reg pasta.. Live and learn I guess. So to people going to this resturaunt I would suggest making 100% sure they use a dedicated pot and new water.. I don't think I will be going there again.