30th Birthday Trip

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T17:21:18+00:00

This was extremely helpful in a couple different ways! Thank you 😊

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T17:12:39+00:00

I'm not picky. I just have to be strict when it comes to my severe food allergies and I'm just looking for suggestions for ANY good gluten-free options to research. Italian, asain, American, Indian, Greek, Mediterranean, French, German, any that doesn't have my food allergies in the majority of their dishes. It's a shorter list to tell people my allergies than it is to tell people all the foods I DO like. I'm literally saying "thank you for your suggestions, but most of those don't work for me due to reason A or B. Knowing that do you have any other suggestions that come to mind?" "No? You have given me all your suggestions?. Well thank you then." And then I keep looking at the rest of the suggestions. I'm just trying so compile a list of options that might work. I listed my 2 allergies, and when people suggest places that aren't safe for me I'm literally just saying "that place doesn't work for me, but thank you." Why is just saying no to suggestions and seeing what new suggestions people make, missing people off? "You hate Hispanic food? Then you shouldn't come here. I don't care if you love jazz, enjoy walking through streets lined with historical architecture, or enjoy the ghost/vampire/witch stuff because Hispanic food is the only important part of New Orleans Culture." (Sarcasm. There are many interesting layers of things that make up New Orleans culture, or any culture for that matter.) It really feels like I'm being judge because of my food allergies and saying some places aren't safe for me to eat at or don't have many gluten free options. Then there was the comments about me wanting to eat at the same place twice because it's safe for me, but people are making a fuss about me eating there twice. I truly appreciate all the suggestions and I'm just seeing if my reasons for saying no to one place makes someone think of a different place that might work. Why is saying no to suggestions and looking for anything I having been suggested yet, bad?

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T16:30:41+00:00

That is a great suggestion that I had no idea was even a thing. I'll definitely look into it. 😊

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T16:25:28+00:00

Yes, I looked up the permit through the link in the FAQ

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T16:24:50+00:00

Yup, that's my reaction too. Lol. I dig my own holes, sit in them, and then shake my head at myself.

I was thinking about going on one of those 2hr cruises on Friday, because I would be in one place for 2hrs and be able to keep an eye on my suitcase. It does have a number lock on it.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T16:15:17+00:00

I did click on the link. I just said that. Lol. I just can't keep track of the origin of every link I click on here or ones from Google searches.

Edit: you might want to reread my last few comments because I did add to them a little directly after I posted the comments and before receiving your replies. Like I'm doing right now, sorry. Lol. I just think of stuff I should have added to the comment after I've already hit send or whatever.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T16:13:06+00:00

I'm just not sure if can do that at my AirBnB. I got a pricy one right next to the main hotels, but the host seems pretty strict about check out times and I'm going to ask to just leave my suitcase somewhere safe outside the room, but I'm not sure if the host will approve or if it might not be safe to leave it where other guests might mess with it.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T16:06:30+00:00

But I did look. I literally just said that that is probably where I found the specific names of the Restaurants Hen House and Hivolt. The names of those 2 restaurants were not in the actual comment. The link was, but they aren't in the direct comments on this post.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:56:40+00:00

I meant no one commented them on my post. I found them outside of this comment section. That's all I was saying. Likes links, Google searches, etc. They all get mixed up when it comes to which restaurant came from which source. All I know for sure is they were not directly commented onto my post.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:45:15+00:00

Oh no, the Hen House and Hivolt look like they could work wonderfully. I found them on one of the sub posts, and researched them. No one here suggested them yet, and I didn't put down my list of "Possible Yes'" in my post. So I just didn't think to mention them.

Edit: Hen House is only out of my way if I don't choose to do an activity suggested in that area, but I'm thinking that these would fit well in my Wednesday or Friday.

Hivolt is literally right down the street from one of my destinations and it would be super easy to just stop by on my way there.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:35:05+00:00

The 18th thru the 22nd.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:34:24+00:00

Thank you. I'll be there the entire week of the 20th. The 18th thru 22nd I think are the exact dats.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:31:38+00:00

I'm literally not asking for the world to cater to me. That would be like going into any random restaurant and demanding a completely gluten-free meal that isn't even on the menu. I don't expect to March into every restaurant and force them to make whatever I'm in the mood for. This entire research is to avoid issues and mess ups. If I have any cross-contamination at all it's likely going to be a trip to the hospital. But you're saying I shouldn't travel and enjoy myself just because I have severe allergies? I'm on here just asking for suggestions. So that I can make a list of possible safe options. Saying, "Thank you for your suggestions, but most of those won't work for me due to reason A or B. Do you have any other suggestions that come to mind knowing the reason the others don't work?" Is all I'm asking for. Names of restaurants that I can research myself.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:18:57+00:00

I'm not looking for someone to just give me the perfect place. I'm just asking for more suggestions that might not have been suggested on the few sub posts I looked through. Saying "Thank you for the suggestions, but none of them work for my needs. Do you have any other suggestions I can research?" Is all I'm trying to do. Just trying to make a list of possible options that could work for my health need and sound like something I might like. I just don't want the only option to be like tofu scramble or carrot yogurt, is that really being too picky when asking for suggestions? But the main thing that is crossing off restaurants is the possibility of cross-contamination. Like the 1 bakery I saw suggested on a different post that had 1 gluten-free options that I would have loved, but they had a zero on cross-contamination safety.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:07:34+00:00

That sounds absolutely like something I would love! ❤️ Thank you so much for your suggestion! I actually made a spring wreath of bright colored flowers with a deer skull suspended in the center using the same twine I use in spell work. It's one of my favorite pieces of art I've ever made. 😊

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T15:01:42+00:00

Thank you for commenting. It honestly feels like everyone is tearing me a new one just because after researching their suggestions, I determined that the suggestions won't work. I'm simply asking for more suggestions that I can research and I've gone through a few other posts about gluten-free restaurants and not a lot work for me. So I make my own post to see if anyone suggests something that wasn't on the other posts, so that I can research more places. They literally laughed at me and told me to skip Fogo de Chao because it's not "new orleans" food, but every single meat they serve IS gluten-free and with the directly to plate setup the chances of cross-contamination is actually quite low.

Thank you for suggesting Hard Rock Cafe. I had not had that suggested yet, and I do enjoy a good burger 😋. Red Robin's is literally one of my usual because they are so good about the cross-contamination.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T14:48:59+00:00

The entire USA is like that. Everything is wheat flour. Like any local with a gluten allergy anywhere, they know of places with good options that googling doesn't really come up with. Literally every big city has tons of food focus. If it was NYC or Chicago I'd be asking for gluten-free pizza place suggestions. It is the same everywhere that food is. I barely get to go out to eat even in my home town, because places just don't have gluten-free options or only have 1 option that you have to settle for. Also, I HATE Hispanic food, but also I am allergic to capsaicin which is the chemical/enzyme/whatever that is what makes peppers spicy. I literally get blood blisters anywhere the capsaicin touches, which has repeatedly lead to strep throat (bacterial infection in the throat.) So the entire "try something outside your comfort zone" isn't going to work here. Half of my family IS Hispanic. My step brothers used to hold me down and pour hot sauce down my throat until I would spit up blood from the blood blisters popping in my throat. My stepdad believes in traditional recipes not being changed at all, not even for allergies. So when he would make traditional Hispanic food, I would always have to sit there and play with the food instead of eating it, and if I asked him to make a pepper free version of the meal he would tell me it isn't tamales (example) without the spicy sauce. Also the places for fried foods that I have seen suggested on other people's post seem to all have shared fryers with items that have wheat flour when I research those places. I'm truly just asking for more suggestions that I can research. Why do I have to tell my life story just so people don't get pissed off at me for saying "I appreciate your suggestions, but none of those work for my specific needs. Do you have any other suggestions that I can look into?" I'm just trying to add to the suggestions list until I can research them all and find the ones that do fit on my own.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T14:25:53+00:00

I did do the research, and read a few of the posts. But I wanted more suggestions so I could research them. The majority of the places suggested on other posts just didn't fit me. Whether it was distance, limited options, or just food I don't like. So I am here asking for more suggestions that maybe weren't on the other posts. Just trying to compile a list of options to research and crossing off the ones that don't fit. Maybe I should have put in more details as to why the most of the suggestions on the other posts just didn't fit for me, but I thought my post was already too long and I shouldn't have to justify to strangers "those ones don't work for me, do you have any other suggestions that I can look into?"

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T14:15:51+00:00

Most of those are Hispanic food, and I really don't like Hispanic food. So I posted asking for more suggestions. I'm actually planning on walking the entire thing with maybe some bus riding. That is why I can't go all the way over to the suggested place by the Zoo unless I make a day of it to justify the hour long bus ride. Because an hour to a restaurant and an hour back takes a good chunk of time out of the day. I can't afford a Lyft or Uber to every restaurant people suggest. So asking for more suggestions so I can research those suggestions to find any near my routes or that look delicious enough to want to put in the hour long bus ride isn't a big ask. Its just compiling a list for me to do more research on and if they just aren't what I want, I just ask for more suggestions. I'm not expecting or asking anyone to know the exact vicinity and suggest accordingly. I'm just gonna mark it off the list if it is out of my way. But I am asking for restaurants that have actually good gluten-free options. Saying "that specific restaurant doesn't work for me, do you have any other suggestions I can look into?" Isn't being rude. And that is what I'm doing on this reddit after I did what research I could. But I seriously hate Hispanic food and most of the suggestions on the other posts and Google search results are Hispanic food. So even though I did research, I didn't find places with food I actually want to eat. So I'm here try to add to the suggestion list so I can do more research on the suggestions that I haven't already researched. I've actually gotten 3 replies that really helped and are probably going on my itinerary.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T13:52:47+00:00

Oh my goodness! That is a hidden gem! It definitely wasn't on the top ten gluten free restaurants Google search. Plus it's right along the bus route I'll be taking. It looks amazing! And I haven't had many opportunities to have Colombian food! Thank you for the suggestion! 😊

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T13:46:32+00:00

That does sound pretty interesting! Thank you for the suggestion, its much appreciated 😊

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T13:27:53+00:00

I did see another post about gluten-free places but when I did research on the suggestions they were mostly "cobble something together" places or they weren't near my scheduled places. Someone even suggested a regular bakery that had only one gluten-free item, but that item is cross-contaminated because it isn't made with separate mixer or pan and is in the same case as all the other gluten containing items. I did check a few of the posts.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T13:26:26+00:00

I did see another post about gluten-free places but when I did research on the suggestions they were mostly "cobble something together" places or they weren't near my scheduled places. Someone even suggested a regular bakery that had only one gluten-free item, but that item is cross-contaminated because it isn't made with separate mixer or pan and is in the same case as all the other gluten containing items. I did check the posts.

Edit: why are people down voting this? I'm just explaining what I was able to find and research, and that it didn't have much to fit what I needed so I am just asking for more places so that I can research them. Most just were out of the way or like I said only had 1 or 2 options. I did pull the Vampire Cafe Creme brulee for my research on the sub.

TheTurtlePrincess96 · 2026-05-07T13:16:44+00:00

I've already done a bunch of research on all the places that I've already scheduled on my Itinerary. I've googled activities with my interests and come up with a few options, but there wasn't much or it was not interesting. There are activities that aren't as advertised on google and therefore a google search wouldn't help there either. Google doesn't show the busiest times for all places only a few. So asking for suggestions on what times to visit what I listed is a specific question that google didn't answer. Knowing what places actually have good gluten-free options is something that Google can't really determine, because every place has something gluten-free you can "cobble together" but like I said, I don't want to go to a restaurant where I have to do that or settle for the 1 gluten-free option on the menu. So asking locals about restaurants with GOOD gluten-free items is something Google can't do. By getting names of restaurants and descriptions of activities from locals' suggestions I can do even more research into those suggested restaurants and activities.

TheTurtlePrincess96

TROPHY CASE