In the seven years since I was diagnosed with CD the availability of gluten-free (g-f) foods in neighborhood markets has exploded. At the same time the availability of g-f items via restaurants has gotten increasingly more sketchy.
In 2010 I embarked on a quest to see improvement in dining out options and I have been frustrated in the process and lack of progress. While it is true that there are many more options offered today it is also true that many of them are unreliable at best and dangerous at worst.
What worries me still today;
1. bland and uninspired meals, limited to - grilled proteins - steamed vegetables - salads - and flourless chocolate desserts.
2. naturally gluten-free foods that have been prepared with techniques that add gluten to them so that they are rendered unavailable to CD diners - ie. use of wheat flour for thickeners and coatings, lack of space dedicated to preventing cross contamination, lack of dedicated production equipment.......
3. resistance to 'hear' what the CD community needs or would like - my current struggle is to get good g-f beers in my favorite dining establishments:) I might cry if with the next offering of hard cider:( I know lots of people like hard cider I am just a beer person.
4. the continued lack of awareness among owners/operators of food service operations. Because there is a huge population of g-f diners without CD there is a cavalier attitude about cross contamination. As well there are just too many individuals who do not do their homework and properly educate themselves on the details of what is needed for g-f to be Celiac friendly. - ex. offering oatmeal as an option but not g-f oats, taking croutons off a pre-prepared salad instead of making a fresh salad, offering gf sliced bread at a Fine Dining table, not offering a dedicated fryer/grill/toaster...... it is an endless list of issues that are easily resolved with education.
It is my plan with this blog to provide our community with helpful dining information, recipes, and support for the quest of dining out safely. I hope you, the reader, will find this blog helpful, insightful and purposeful on your quest!
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