Celiacs applaud new gluten-free menu

Dining out in the Comox Valley has just gotten a lot easier for people with celiac disease, wheat allergies and gluten intolerance.

With more and more people following a gluten-free diet, chefs in the Comox Valley are starting to experiment with new ingredients and creative ways to modify standard dishes. Increasingly, they’re labelling gluten-free items on their menus, learning the medical facts about gluten intolerance and training their staff to provide clear information.

At Union Street Grill and Grotto, Danielle and Mark Duncan have gone one step further. Earlier this month, Union Street unveiled an entire two-page menu devoted entirely to gluten-free choices, including starters, lunch and dinner entrées and even desserts.

“Most people think of gluten-free as a highly restricted diet, but this menu was actually quite easy to create,” says Duncan.  “A lot of the selections are just slightly morphed versions of our standard menu items.”

For instance, all of Union Street Grill’s favourite pasta dishes, like the Smoked Sausage Sicilian, are on the gluten-free menu, only served on rice noodles instead of wheat. Tostadas replace traditional buns on Union Street’s famous burgers, and gluten-free breadcrumbs replace oats in the walnut-mushroom burger.

“We already make everything from scratch, including our sauces, salad dressings and marinades, so controlling ingredients comes fairly easily,” says Duncan. “Plus, I really enjoy working with lesser-known ingredients, like quinoa, that offer our diners new flavours and textures.”

(Duncan and the Union Street Grill were featured in a recent issue of Maclean’s magazine for its use of quinoa, an ancient Andean grain that has been hailed as “wonder food” for its healthful properties.)

 While having fun creating the new menu, Duncan says he’s taken the project very seriously.

“Many people, especially celiacs, simply can’t have any gluten, so not only have I researched all my ingredients thoroughly, I’ve made some key adjustments in the kitchen. We now have colour-coded cutting boards and tongs to keep things separate, and we have a dedicated gluten-free deep-fryer and charbroiler.”

An estimated 1 in 133 Canadians suffer from celiac disease, a condition in which the small intestine is damaged by contact with gluten, a protein commonly found in grains like wheat, rye and barley.

“I’d practically given up on dining out,” says Sarah Vallintine, a Courtenay resident who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2001. “You’re always pestering the waiter with questions, and you’re never sure if you can trust the answers.  Celiac flare-ups can be very painful, so it’s really not worth it.

“I’m definitely going to check out Union Street Grill’s new menu,” she continues.  “It’s hard to believe eating at a restaurant might actually be as easy for me as it is for everyone else.”

Union Street Grill’s new gluten-free menu is available on its web site at www.unionstreetgrill.ca. For more information, call 250-897-0081 or drop in at 477 Fifth Street in downtown Courtenay. 

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