C'mon, Bend....

The Grove Market Hall, NW Crossing.

It's been a distressing couple of years for restaurants around the world and in our beloved town of Bend. Hundreds of eateries statewide have closed due to COVID, and many of those that survived still struggle to stay alive.

Spring is here, though. The daffodils herald renewal, giving us all hope and, dare I say, joy. We’re yearning for good health, new beginnings, creative opportunity, and the promise of a future with less fear and more possibility.

With this in mind, I visited The Grove Market Hall in NW Crossing. It inspired me to rev up the GF blog again, but not in entirely positive ways.

If you're able to eat gluten, The Grove is a fantastic space. Nine eateries in a hip, well-designed food hall with plenty of space indoors and out to accommodate the unconcerned or COVID cautious. There's coffee, ice cream and a juice bar, where the gluten-intolerant might be able to find a sip or a snack, but what I really wanted to land on was a quick, safe and substantial gluten-free meal. My choices: Left Coast Burger Company, Sebastian's Seafood, ThaiPas, Bend Breakfast Burrito and Sunny's Carrello*.

As for the latter two, Italian restaurants and burritos have long been off the table for me. I've too many times experienced the trauma of GF pasta touted at an Italian restaurant, that’s accidentally cooked in the same water as regular pasta. Burritos by definition feature flour tortillas so, as a Celiac, best not to dream.

I did try the pad thai at ThaiPas on an earlier visit, which I was told was GF, and had an unfortunate reaction, so I can't recommend. This may be because sometimes fast foods rely on generic sauces bought from restaurant supply chains, the mysterious ingredients of which are vast and vague. Don’t get me wrong, I love food trucks and fast food. Just be sure, if you’re going to call something gluten free, the ready-made sauces put into it are certified GF on the cans or packages you buy.

No wonder we have to ask annoying questions. Menus tell us next to nothing....

For the Celiac and gluten-intolerant that leaves Left Coast and Sebastian's. I will get around to posting about them in future blogs, but I have to admit my Grove outing was demoralizing. Just looking at the menus posted in front of each eatery — barely a mention of GF options. When approaching the counter, clueless stares in response to the most polite and basic questions. It’s almost as if restaurants have just had enough of us to even bother. To that, I refer you to the motto of a restaurant in Seattle I have never forgotten:

"COOK LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN."

I know it takes an effort to have GF items in a regular kitchen. It takes care and thoughtfulness. It takes organization and time. I sympathize, but there are over two million Celiacs and 18 million more with gluten intolerance in the US alone. Multiply that by all of their loved ones who want to have dinner with them. When we go out with our families, we’ve got to have something to eat besides salad. Please!

Sometimes, I think, oh, stop whining. Grab a skillet and cook. Just eat at home. But then, I run into that mom at a dedicated gluten-free bakery in Chicago who has to pick-up treats for her fourth grader with Celiac disease, because the child is too embarrassed to let her friends know.

Defloured, a D-elicious dedicated gluten-free bakery in Chicago.

Or, I receive an email, also from a mom, this time of a recently diagnosed 16-year-old boy who’s trying to heal. The family is coming to visit Bend. What dedicated GF restaurants can I recommend? Uh, the only dedicated GF restaurant in this town is Salud, which is a tasty place, but not every kid wants to eat niche vegetarian.

That is what makes me sit down at the computer.

There are kids whose families want to celebrate birthdays out with them, who want to have a burger with friends. There are couples who want to celebrate anniversaries. There are coworkers who want to get together over a brew. Can’t restaurants in Bend make this more possible?

I refer you to a couple of kick-ass, dedicated gluten-free restaurants and two others that are 95% GF, and have informed, well-trained staff and clearly marked menus:

Mouthwatering fish and chips and a tasty brew (slurp!) at Ghostfish.	Ghostfish Brewing Company in Seattle
Lilac Patisserie in Santa Barbara	Lilac's crisp Belgian waffle with fresh fruit.
An array of delectables at Bamboo Sushi	Bamboo Sushi in Portland
Ariana’s, right here in Bend	A feast for the eyes and taste buds -- Ariana's hamachi crudo.

They don't brag about it. You might not even know they're gluten free, but they sure do give a damn. That's all we're asking.

Look for my next post on how restaurants can take easy steps to include us. I’ll also tell you about some mind-bending GF products, for home or restaurant, that will convince even the most skeptical diner.

Tell me the name of your favorite dedicated gluten-free eatery anywhere on the planet. I’ll put together a list and get the word out.

*I stopped by Sunny's Carello to have a look at the menu which is actually well labeled and offers GF with cautions. Spoke to one of the owners, Courtney Wright, who was informed and helpful. Will give it a try in a future post.