Get to know us

We are a husband and wife team who co-founded the Montreal Gluten Free Guide. Tania was diagnosed with Celiac disease at the young age of 20, which inspired her to start her journey towards a gluten-free lifestyle. When we first met, Tania was able to consume gluten-free foods with traces of cross-contamination without too much trouble. However, over time, she started getting sick more frequently when eating out and realized that she couldn't continue eating at restaurants that didn't have proper procedures in place to ensure her food wouldn't come into contact with allergens.

Because of this, we started almost exclusively eating at home for some time. We started trying all types of gluten free products and cooking styles. To help other people with gluten allergies and intolerances, Tania started an Instagram account (@celiacinthecity_montreal) dedicated to sharing her gluten-free recipes, restaurants she occasionally ate at, and gluten-free foods she found. As her account grew in popularity, she began to realize just how common gluten allergies had become.

I followed alongside my wife and tried to give my perspective as a non-celiac, creating my own instagram (@married_to_gluten_free).

Wanting to be able to enjoy restaurants together, we started trying out new restaurants again, always making sure that they had proper safety precautions for clients who suffered from celiac disease. And this is where the "Montreal Gluten Free Guide" idea was born: a dedicated website that not only provides recommendations, but most importantly that takes the time to interview restaurant owners, manager and chefs, in order to help provide a certain peace of mind to individuals who suffer from gluten allergies and intolerances.

Although a relatively small amount of restaurants are deemed to be celiac safe in Montreal, we both discovered that many restaurants now take gluten allergies much more seriously than before, and those restaurants should be recognized for the effort that they make to accommodate individuals with celiac disease and gluten intolerances.

Our goal is to help individuals who suffer from celiac disease or any form of gluten allergies a way to feel a little more reassured when they go out to choose a restaurant. Having a home that is 99% gluten free (I can't help my addiction to Ramen!), we also try a variety of gluten free products, as well as experiment with different cooking methods and measurements to try to get the best possible outcome from them (especially gluten free flour!). Not being celiac myself, I try to provide a different perspective when it comes to cooking with gluten free products, because not everyone in a household is likely to be celiac.

We hope to share our expertise and experiences with you, and help you feel safe while eating delicious food in Montreal!

Your safety, our priority

While we try our best to make the safest recommendations, we unfortunately cannot personally guarantee that there might not be a possibility of cross-contamination when attending a restaurant that is not celiac safe.

When we review a restaurant, we will always indicate whether they are celiac safe or accommodate gluten free clients. In the instance that they accommodate gluten free clients, we recommend using your own judgement based on their procedures when it comes to preparing and serving gluten free dishes.

Even if we have personally reviewed the restaurant with an owner, manager, or chef, we recommend that you still inquire about their procedures every single time you attend, as restaurant staff and sometimes even their food supplier and recipes change without notice.

Mike Zarmati B.A, B.Ed

Co-Founder / CTO

Tania Zarmati BSW, M.Ed

Co-Founder / Marketing