[SteveFromIowa]

I had a couple of good dining out experiences over the weekend when my wife & I along with three of our kids and their significant others enjoyed three days in the big city together. (Des Moines )

I thought I might start a thread to share these with everyone in hopes that as you all find a good meal out on the town, you could do the same.

On Friday, we ate at Red Robin. While my family enjoyed their really good looking burgers, I was absolutely satisfied with a fantastic blackened chicken/blue cheese salad. I skipped the standard western dressing asking for some Italian on the side. This salad is NOT on their regular mene. It was a "special" they have running right now. My BS didn't even notice an hour later.

On Saturday, we ate at HuHot. This is a very unique Mongolian style dining experience. There are three stations. You pick up your bowl and choose your meat/seafoods/starches at Station 1 by filling your bowl with the ingredients of choice there. Then at Station 2, you put your veggies of choice on top of the meat/starches, then at station 3 you pour flavored sauces and oils on top. Then you take your bowl to the chef's who empty the contents of the bowl onto a big grill and cook the contents of your "mixture" in front of you and hand it all back to you on a fresh plate. I skipped the noodles and rice in the starch section and used cabbage from the vegetable station in it's place. After two large plates (you can return to the stations for another round as often as you like), my 1 hour sugar level was 119. It was super delicious and sparked a bunch of ideas I plan to use in my home-cooking.

HuHot's aren't all over the U.S. yet, but I see on their web-site that they cover a large geographical area of the U.S. and seem to be spreading.

So lets hear from you! What successes did you have while dining out recently?

[KentT]

Went to the local Meat and 3 vegetable palace yesterday for lunch with a client of mine (radio advertiser). I go through the line with him, we order our lunch. We eat and I pull out my meter and pump and prepare for bolusing. He pulls out a meter and a pump (I didn't know my advertiser had D). We get our business done and agree to meet for lunch regular and discuss pumps and pumping together and arrange some workouts. I just gained a workout partner and fellow pumper. Some days are jewels.

[KentT]

Went to the local Meat and 3 vegetable palace yesterday for lunch with a client of mine (radio advertiser). I go through the line with him, we order our lunch. We eat and I pull out my meter and pump and prepare for bolusing. He pulls out a meter and a pump (I didn't know my advertiser had D). We get our business done and agree to meet for lunch regular and discuss pumps and pumping together and arrange some workouts. I just gained a workout partner and fellow pumper. Some days are jewels. He's a new pumper at that. Owns a local farm supply store. Our restaurant has a new smaller portion menu and also has sugar free desserts (very nice ones). Service is outstanding.

[macker]

I have been on 2 trips in the last month--Las Vegas and San Antonio--ate all different places--if I had info from a particular place, used it and some common sense and had a great time and kept BS in good vacation shape--never saw a number over 200--I tested more than usual to stop any pumping errors from getting out of hand.

The problem in Vegas had more to do with getting low from the walking up and down the strip--always in search of a good slot machine--I've yet to find one!

[DannyK]

Steve....

From your description, I would love to visit HuHot's. Sadly, the nearest one to me, in the Houston area, is in San Antonio.

Hopefully, one will "pop up" around here soon... Sounds delicious, and fun.......

[Granny Shanny]

Totally agree with Steve about HuHot's . . . splendid mongolian bbq and if you're counting your dollars, go for lunch instead of dinner. Yes, do tiptoe past the noodles station & just load up on the meats, seafood & veggies. The sauces are delicious & if you check their website, I think they give a few hints about various combinations of sauces. After you get your plate of cooked food, there's one more counter of crisp noodles, seeds, coconut, etc., that you can sprinkle on top. It's really outstanding!

If you aren't near a HuHot's, try any mongolian bbq . . . the concept is the same.

Today's "foraging" ( ) took us to The Armadillo, a small chain of restaurants along the Colorado Front Range. We've been fans since the original one opened in LaSalle CO, about 1970-something. I had a half order of their burrito supreme, it was perfect & barely budged my meter.

[Patient254]

Wow - HuHot looks awesome! None in PA though. Although, I'm a native Houstonian and I love San Antonio - next time I'm down there I'll have to try it out.

[Funnygrl]

I like Red Robin cause you can get their burgers made with turkey instead of beef.

[Granny Shanny]

Update on Mongolian BBQ . . . we had lunch in Denver the day we flew out to return home, & found another good one: BD's Mongolian Bbq (BDifferent - Go Mongo!)

[Euched]

Originally Posted by Granny Shanny

Update on Mongolian BBQ . . . we had lunch in Denver the day we flew out to return home, & found another good one: BD's Mongolian Bbq (BDifferent - Go Mongo!)

We have BD's Mongolian here in Cincinnati too... That place is great....pile on the meat and veggies and enjoy... They have tortillas on the table which I usually skip, but sometimes if I think about it I bring along one of my low carb ones from home to enjoy with it. They also offer both white and brown rice on the table, so though they are carbs you can eat a bit healthier if you want the brown rice...

[Gozelle]

I love steak an have found the waitress at the three places where we had gone out to eat have worked with me. I eliminate the potates and ask for a double serving of veggies on my plate or mushrooms and onions. Since I do not see the potatoes, I have less of a battle. Have also learned I can have 2 bites of my husbands dessert.

[inkvisitor]

Aw, I was in San Antonio over the weekend - wish I would have read about the mongolian place before I left!

[SteveFromIowa]

On Sunday in Quincy, IL

1st time at Ruby Tuesday's for us.

Chose a grilled chicken entree with steamed brocolli and I substituted green beans for the potato's. I added the endless salad from the garden bar.

The chicken was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Veggies were great. And the salad was killer good with their house Italian dressing. I stuffed myself and had no BG spike.

I started this thread so everyone could share their good dining experiences. Share your reviews and BG results for any restaurant (chain or local) so we can all benefit from your experience when seeking decent diabetic dining options.

[ShottleBop]

Took our grandkids to Palm Springs for the weekend. (They start school tomorrow; the timeshare we traded into had an awesome pool arrangement with slides, etc.) We left Friday afternoon and returned this afternoon. A weekend of (much) eating out:

Friday evening: Mrs. ShottleBop took a nap; I took GKs to Coco's. I had a Cobb Salad, with plain olive oil dressing. Before eating, BG was 88; 2-hour PP was 100. (Two hours after that, at bedtime, it was 96.)

Saturday breakfast and lunch we bought at Ralph's the night before. Breakfast was my usual: unsweetened almond milk, walnuts, and a low-carb shake. Lunch was salmon (1 pound frozen was $3.99!), sliced provolone, sliced hard salame, and another low-carb shake. (I meant to buy some greens, but forgot.)

For dinner, we met some old friends of my folks at Islands. I had a black pepper burger wrapped in lettuce, with a side salad. Before eating, BG was 88; 3 1/2 hours later, at bedtime, BG was 97.

Brunch today at Elmer's. I had an omelette with chives, bacon, and jack and cheddar cheese, topped with sliced avocado and sour cream. It came with a biscuit and hash browns, which I didn't eat. Before eating, BG was 100 (this was "second breakfast" for me, at nearly 10 a.m., a few hours after my "usual" breakfast; FBG this morning was 90). We drove home, so no 2-hour reading. Before lunch, four hours after eating, BG was 106.

Took one of our sons out for dinner tonight, to Claim Jumper. We split an appetizer of seared ahi tuna, then I had the rotisserie chicken with grilled asparagus and roasted veggies. I gave my biscuit to my son. He had dessert; I didn't. Before eating, BG was 86. Right now, an hour or so after first bite, BG is 104.

[HealthierMe]

I definitely want to try Mongolian now!

My main problem with eating out is the portion size and SALT. Oh, and all that delicious looking hot bread that I can't have - why is fluffy white bread sooo appealing.
So if we get take away I make two or three meals out of some restaurant portions.

favorite take out/ Restaurant food - Logan's baked sweet potatoes and grilled chicken (def. 2-3 meals here) or salmon (3 meals worth) with ceasar salad or vegetable skewer (ask for no seasoning on skewer), Chastain's mahi mahi, Picadilly's broccoli and roast chicken breast and fruit salad (grapes, cantaloupe, and a strawberry) and Mashed Potatoes, Popeye's catfish and mashed potatoes (yeah, I know, but it doesn't raise my bp or my bg), Wendy's mandarin chicken salad with almonds and a plain baked potato (2 meals out of this), Subway roasted chicken breast 6 inch whole wheat with all the veggies and no cheese or condiments, wok delight chinese buddah's delight - love broccoli and carrots and tofu- if I measure out 1/3 cup rice I'm okay.

edited - I forgot to add that Picadilly always has sugar free jello and sugar free PIE, which I looked at but didn't know how to count the carbs!