Marian Wisnev makes the following case when she asks local restaurants to include gluten-free items on their menus.

"Only one in 133 people are gluten-intolerant," Wisnev says. "But we eat out with a lot of other people." And when Wisnev and her husband go out with another couple or a bigger group, they almost always gravitate toward restaurants that can help her avoid problem foods.

"We really like Carrabba's and P.F. Chang's," says Wisnev, in large part because both chains have restaurants close to her home in Creve Coeur. "We also enjoy Bandana's — their barbecued turkey is gluten-free and delicious."

Other of her favorites include Nachomama's, Kreis', Remy's and Liluma. Advertisement

On the fast-food side, "I enjoy the low-carb burger at Hardee's, a marvelous hamburger and all sort of goodies — pickles, onions, etc. — wrapped in lettuce leaves."

Wisnev says more and more restaurants are getting the message and using their gluten-free offerings as marketing tools. In addition, she finds that many restaurant staffers know that even a tiny amount of gluten can lead to serious health issues.

Celiac disease is a genetic disorder that leads to intestinal damage when gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley and rye — is consumed. When Wisnev, 79, was diagnosed 12 years ago with celiac disease, she says she could find almost no resources for maintaining a gluten-free diet at home, let alone when going out to eat.

Tove Klovning of St. Louis County, whose daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease four years ago, credits the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act with making it much easier to shop in the grocery store. The law, which took effect in 2006, required manufacturers to disclose the presence of allergens such as wheat (one form of gluten) on the nutritional labeling of their products. Celiac patients should, however, be careful about the possible presence of barley and rye, which the law does not require to be disclosed.

"I feel that today, we can eat in our house just about the same as what everyone else can eat," Klovning says. She notes that she still has to be careful in reading labels, but "there's so much out there that you can have, that's naturally gluten-free already."

About five years ago, Wisnev set up a discussion forum for living with celiac disease called stlouisalerts. The forum is now hosted by Yahoo. One of its most popular features is a restaurant list, where gluten-intolerant diners describe how local restaurants have addressed their needs.

One favored restaurant is Moxy, 4584 Laclede Avenue in the Central West End. Chef and owner Eric Brenner started adapting his menu for his sister-in-law, who has celiac disease.

"They really, really appreciate it when you can cook for them," he says.

Brenner is keenly aware, for example, of the need to avoid cross-contamination by making sure that counters, pans and utensils used for gluten-free dishes have not had contact with flour or other wheat-based ingredients. (Wisnev notes that she's so careful that she has separate toasters for herself and her husband.)

On Tuesday, Brenner will participate in a cook-off designed to raise awareness of celiac disease while improving food choices available to celiac patients. Matthew Dawson of Peppertini's, Scott Phillips of Provisions Gourmet Market, Robert Huhn of Aramark and freelance chef Marc Felix are also scheduled to compete.

The cook-off, which is hosted by A-B's corporate kitchens and sponsored by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, will team the chefs with local doctors and dietitians. A-B's gluten-free beer, Redbridge, is the "secret ingredient" that the chefs must incorporate into their menus.

Nationwide, the Gluten Intolerance Group, a nonprofit support organization, is sponsoring a project called the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program. The only St. Louis-area restaurants that have registered with the program are Carrabba's and Outback Steakhouse, nationwide chains that are both owned by OSI Restaurant Partners Inc.

Locally, the Bi-State Celiac Support Group also maintains a short list of restaurants. The only locally owned and operated restaurant on that list is Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood. P.F. Chang's and its diner counterpart Pei Wei are also on the list, as are Carrabba's and Outback.

Schlafly currently has one item on its regular menu, bison Stroganoff, that it cites as being gluten-free. The Stroganoff uses gluten-free noodles. In the past, when Schlafly has brewed special batches of gluten-free beer, it has also offered an extended menu of items that it labels as gluten-free offerings.

"One of the big issues with us is keeping the beer fresh," says Scott Smelser, chef at the Bottleworks. "It has a limited market, so we don't always have it on hand."

Such menu shifts make Wisnev's restaurant list all the more timely for participants in her online forum. "I want people to have the information available to them right away," she says.

The Yahoo forum also includes a list of retail stores that sell gluten-free foods. "It used to be that just about the only place out here that had anything was Tong's," a now-gone health-food store in Creve Coeur, Wisnev says. "Now the supermarkets have better and better selections, with whole shelves full of gluten-free items. And places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have also really helped the selection."