Gluten-free Taste of Chicago
ByWhen we invited our downstate friends to join us at the Taste of Chicago this year, we were a bit nervous to find out that one of our friends maintains a gluten free diet. Not knowing if the Taste of Chicago could accommodate wheat and gluten restrictions, we headed down.
Beverages were the east part. Although there are some gluten-free beers in the market, they were not available at the Taste. No worries, because bottled water, wine and vodka-lemonade were all readily available, are gluten-free and easy to locate.
Entrees and taste portions were around but not always apparent. Being on a gluten-free diet eliminates anything with bread and dough, which takes all sandwiches, pizza and everything breaded out of the game. This means no toasted ravioli, no breaded steak sandwich or fried veggies in sauce. We ate corn from the Abbey, amazing chicken tacos on corn tortillas from Carbon and steak with plantains from Las Tablas. I can’t believe I have not been to Las Tablas or Carbon before the Taste, but they are on my go-to list now!
Desserts were sparse but the ones we found were worthwhile. Reggio’s Italian Ice was tasty and refreshing on such a hot day. Dominick’s offered watermelon, fresh cherries and grapes. I would have liked to see more gluten-free desserts.
Can someone with dietary restrictions attend and enjoy the Taste of Chicago? The answer is Yes! But there is room for improvement. More labeling of gluten-free offerings would be helpful. And I sincerely hope someone engineers gluten-free fried dough, beginets and churros for next year.
