Revisiting Gluten-Free Menus
How often do you check in on restaurants and their gluten-free menus? Do the gluten-free menus evolve?
I don't explicitly go looking for menu updates, but in the normal course of going out, I do try to pay attention.
With the growing awareness of gluten-free dining needs, there really is an evolution in the menus.
I am seeing more and more gluten-free sections included on the main menus. This is a vast improvement over a secondary, special menu listing only the gluten-free items.
Often, those separate, special menus don't include drinks or side dishes or even prices! In these cases, I have to ask for both menus. Usually I am only given the special menu. Um, thanks, but if I don't know what drinks are offered and you didn't list them in the special menu, am I supposed to assume that none of your drinks are gluten-free???
Really? No, of course not.
Then, please, restaurants, please list the drinks and the prices and sides and salad dressings on the special menu! Please!
Or better yet, as seems to be the increasing trend, is including everything on one menu. Normal offerings and special offerings. And drinks and side dishes and prices. All together. Happy, happy, happy.
Bonus points if you offer a gluten-free dessert! It's not hard, really. Fresh fruit is always gluten-free, when prepared in a clean, unglutenated area. And if the perishability of fresh fruit is a concern, there's ice cream. Most single-flavor ice creams are gluten-free. Not all, but most.
Good vanilla bean ice cream is a great option. It's not hard. Really.
