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Mimi's Cafe
Last verified 6/08
www.mimiscafe.com

Warning: The menu items listed below were reported by the restaurant. However, they still should only be considered as a starting off place for choosing items. You still must take the responsibility of being vigilant and always reconfirming the GF status of a menu item each and every time.

The following was sent by Charlene Trinidad, Customer Relations, Mimis Cafe (714) 544-4826:

"Thanks for writing inquiring about Gluten Free menu items at Mimi's Cafe. Attached is a copy of our recommendation listing for those with allergies to Gluten. We hope the information is helpful."

RJ's Note: The following information was dated August 2006.

MIMI'S CAFE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE WITH CELIAC DISEASE

Allergies to wheat gluten, caramel color, MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), grain vinegars, etc.

Format: This list shows specifically what can be ordered from each menu category. If it is not on this list, you may assume that it is made with wheat flour, caramel color, grain vinegar, or with a flavoring base that includes HVP or MSG (or both), and it is produced in a facility that manufactures items using wheat gluten.

General Notes:

Avoid all muffins, quick breads, dessert items, soups, sauces, salad dressings and marinades from Mimi's restaurants, as they are made in a facility that utilizes flour and wheat by-products. Food service manufacturers change their formulas quite frequently, so what has no HVP today might have it tomorrow.

Occasionally you will come across a new server who will be unfamiliar with our liberal substitution policy; but our managers are always present and always happy to help. Just ask for a manager if you don't see one. We are always happy to make substitutions for anything. Most of our guests get "creative"; we're very good at fulfilling special requests in the kitchen. Please direct your allergen requirements directly to a unit manager. With the large quantity of menu items at Mimi's, we want to be extra careful to ensure your safety, while providing you with Mimi's own great tasting food and service.

You can order just a side order of anything we have in the restaurant. If you want just a piece of chicken or meat, a wedge of fruit, or a little plain green salad, please ask. It is something we do quite frequently.

It would also be a good idea to take a careful look at your plate when it's delivered to your table. Occasionally, during the hustle and bustle, it's quite possible for a server to pick up the wrong plate by mistake or for a chef to mis-read a hastily entered check.

Bon Appetit! Please don't hesitate to let us know how we can better serve you.

Final Note: The information here is current and accurate as of August 2006. Please note that the companies we buy food products from do change formulas from time to time. If in doubt, please don't eat it. If you have ordered the wrong thing by mistake, please do not be embarrassed to send it back. We will never charge our guests for something they didn't eat.

Sincerely,
Adam Baird
V.P. Food & Beverage

Fried Foods: I have been informed that some Celiacs may be sensitive to foods that have been fried in the same deep fat that floured and breaded foods have been fried in. Many of our items are breaded using flour. For example, if French fries are cooked in the same shortening as breaded shrimp, it is possible that minute particles of wheat flour may still be suspended in the oil and be deposited on the French fries. Unfortunately, Mimi's does not have a separate fryer for French fries. We use the same fryer that is used for breaded foods. Therefore, we do not recommend eating fried items at Mimi's Café.

Griddled Foods: Food that is sautéed on the griddle (like breakfast potatoes) may pick up tiny grains of flour from pancakes that have been cooked on the same griddle. Please check with your doctor on this issue, as sensitivity varies from person to person. We can have griddled foods prepared singularly in a sauté pan and get the same relative cooking effect. Please ask if you are concerned about cross over contamination.

APPETIZERS:

Black and Bleu Chicken Quesadilla – Order them made with corn tortillas, without chipotle sauce. The fresh salsa is ok.

Vegetable Quesadilla – Though not a current menu item, our cooks can make the exception utilizing our seasonal vegetables and corn tortillas.

SALADS:

A Note on Dressings: Our mayonnaise contains "vinegar" as an ingredient, but does not specify what type of vinegar it is distilled from. Also, we use ketchup in some salad dressings (Heinz and Hunt's) and mustard (French's and Gray Poupon), which both contain "vinegar" on their labels, without further specification.

Lemon wedges and bottles of oil & balsamic vinegar are available, or you may bring your own dressing. Mimi's nonfat Sweet & Sour French Dressing will be ok, as long as you can eat ketchup. Our other dressings may contain grain vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and/or caramel coloring. Ranch Dressing is very bad, it contains both HVP and yeast extract, so avoid this.

Cobb Salad – Ok (see note on bacon, in breakfast section), order without dressing.

Zesty Tostada Chicken Salad – Ok, order without Ranch Dressing and without Chipotle sauce.

Chicken and Fruit – Ok, request broiled chicken.

Bleu Cheese & Walnut Salad – Ok, order with selected dressings as mentioned above; can add broiled chicken.

Salads are accompanied by a muffin or roll. You can order corn tortillas instead.

DINNERS:

Accompanied by soup or salad; order a green salad, no croutons and be careful with dressing selection. You can substitute fresh fruit wedges or sliced tomatoes in place of salad. Many dinners have choice of potato or rice. (The rice is natural steamed jasmine rice, with nothing added). For French fries & breakfast potatoes, see "fried food note."

Order: Baked potato, mashed potato or rice. French fries contain corn and wheat starches. You can also substitute tomatoes, fruit, or extra vegetables. In place of dinner breads, you can get corn tortillas.

Roast Turkey Breast – Order no gravy, no stuffing, baked potato or rice ok.

Pot Roast – Order no gravy, baked potato or rice ok.

Meatloaf – NOT OK. The meatloaf contains gluten, as there is a small amount of Japanese bread crumbs used as a binder. Please DO NOT serve this to a Celiac guest.

Center Cut Pork Chops – Ok with baked potato or rice and seasonal vegetables.

Grilled Beef Liver – Order it "no flour", we dip it in flour before sautéing it. If you ask the server to have the cooks "pan fry it with butter", that might be better. That way they won't be cooking it on the griddle, which might have crumbs of flour left on it from previously cooked foods.

Flat Iron and Top Sirloin Steaks – Order broiled, not blackened.

Seasonal Pan Sauce – Ok with any broiled fresh fish.

Sole with Shrimp Creole – Not blackened. Sauce is ok.

Tuscan Chicken – Marinated with "distilled" vinegar, so it may be suspect if you cannot have vinegar. Order no crouton.

Salmon and Today's Fresh Fish - Order broiled rather than blackened. It has been marinated with oil & vinegar. If vinegar is a problem, you might ask a manager if there is any unmarinated fish in the fridge; we'll be happy to make it for you. We recommend you order either type of fish with no marinade (avoid tartar sauce if allergic to mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and/or pickle relish).

Sandwiches:
We'll be happy to make a sandwich "no bread." Don't order any sandwich that has dressing, mayonnaise (if mayonnaise is off limits) or sauce (like the au jus on the beef dip). The roast beef we use does contain caramel coloring, as does the au jus.

Hamburgers:
We'll be happy to make any burger "no bread." Don't order a hamburger that has dressing or sauce. Don't order the meatless veggie burger, it contains wheat gluten.

Blackened Chicken Tacos - Ok, request broiled chicken rather than blackened, get corn tortillas instead of flour. Order without Chipotle sauce. Fresh salsa is ok.

DESSERTS:

Ice cream and fresh strawberries are available, if ice cream is ok.
Also, we can hand-cut a fruit salad for you consisting of melon, watermelon, orange, berries and more.

BREAKFASTS:

Note on Breakfast Meats: Many brands of bacon, sausage, ham, and corned beef may possibly be cured or flavored with HVP – so it is best to avoid them altogether. (Currently, our bacon and ham, made by Farmland, appear to be ok. They contain just water, pork, salt, and nitrites.) We can make a turkey omelette or instead of sausage and eggs you can have a hamburger patty and eggs or a turkey burger & eggs.

Many breakfasts are accompanied by muffins. You can order corn tortillas instead, or substitute fruit for a muffin.

Note on Breakfast Potatoes: See note on griddle-fried foods. Potatoes and pancakes are cooked on the same griddle. Of course, the griddle is cleaned with a griddle scraper before a new food is put on it, but invisible particles of flour may remain. Check with your doctor. You may have fruit or sliced tomatoes instead of potatoes.

Huevos con Tortillas – Ok with corn tortillas

Mediterranean Omelette – Ok

Egg white Fitness Omelette – Ok

Monterey Omelette – Order no bacon, if bacon is a problem

Ham & Eggs – Ok if ham is not a problem

Bacon & Eggs – Ok if bacon is not a problem

2 Egg Breakfast – Ok

Steak & Eggs – Ok

Reviews / Comments

"I dined at Mimi's Cafe in Oceanside yesterday. I eat there frequently and have figured out on my own and with management help which dishes I can eat. The good news is there is a new General Manager who is very familiar with celiac disease. His name is Chris Burke. He used to manage a Mimi's in northern California, and the local Celiac Disease support group ate there frequently. He will gladly check on ingredients of the dishes, make recommendations, and can even have some items such as french fries made in a gluten-free way in separate oil if we just give him enough preparation time. He is happy to accommodate us whether we go there individually or as members of our celiac dine-out group.

Also, he said that at the corporate level, Mimi's Cafe is updating and evaluating their menu and will be providing nutritional and dietary information in the future. He mentioned they are working with one of the national celiac organizations. Two executives have recently joined from Outback Steakhouse so there is even more reason to hope for increased knowledge of the gluten-free diet.

I have found that almost all the servers and all the supervisors at Mimi's Cafe in Oceanside, Santee and northern California to be very accommodating about making substitutions, such as fruit or cottage cheese instead of seasoned potatoes, etc. In the few cases that a server said there would be an extra charge, I just ask them to check with the manager and it's always been done with no surcharge for me."
Jill Easton, Carlsbad 3/07

"We found a Mimi's across the street from Disneyland, which I recognized from this group (SillyYaks). They didn't know about any GF menu when I asked, but after a while he came out with an "allergy book" and let me look at it. Sure enough, there was a whole section specific to celiac disease." From SillyYaks site, 2/06

"When I eat at Mimi's, I order the Chinese Chicken Salad without the wonton noodles and have fruit instead of the muffin. It is very good."
Debbie M., Poway, 6/04

"I went to the location today in Mira Mesa and was quite disappointed to experience the waitress and someone who looked like the manager on duty who had no idea what gluten-free was and no suggestions for me at all except the low-carb and low-fat menu. . . . I ended up ordering a plain broiled chicken breast with a side of cooked veggies, and hopefully the marinades had no gluten or weren't cross-contaminated with other ingredients containing gluten. If so, it was my fault for ordering anything at all. But . . . wouldn't it be super to know that dishes really are gluten-free with a staff that is well-informed."
Suzanne W. 2/05

Locations

Mission Valley
5180 Mission Center Rd. 92108
619-491-0284

Mira Mesa
10788 Westview Parkway 92126
858-566-6667

Oceanside
2177 Vista Way 92054
760-721-8086

Santee
9812 Mission Gorge Rd. 92071
310-326-4477

Temecula
40825 Winchester Rd. 92591
951-296-9970

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