Gluten-free choices have been included on the menu at Bourbon n’ Toulouse since the restaurant opened 10 years ago.Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
Lexington restaurants are paying attention to the dietary needs and preferences of their customers, be they practicing vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, flexitarians, kosher, Edenic or, like Steve Jobs, fruititarians. Gluten-free is huge, whether the choice reflects a serious gluten intolerance or a preference for eating wheat-free. These are not just food fads; they are lifestyles.
Catering to special diets with a flexible, specialty menu is a growing trend, particularly where gluten is concerned. Restaurants are serving a broader selection, often including staples like gluten-free breads, pasta and pizza, and they’re showing a higher level of understanding of special dietary needs. Lexington’s first all gluten-free bakery, Gluten-Free Miracles, recently opened on Burt Road.
Kevin Heathcoat, part-owner of Bourbon n’ Toulouse, said, “In addition to allergies and food sensitivities, people seem to be very conscious of problems with our food system and trying to live healthier lifestyles.”
The Chevy Chase eatery opened 10 years ago with a gluten-free menu. “About 45 percent of our menu items are gluten-free,” he said. They work with Gluten-Free Lexington and were recently honored by Urbanspoon.com as one of the top 100 gluten-free restaurants in America.
Chain restaurants face a bureaucratic challenge to customizing menu items to food trends, allergy needs and specific diets. Frequently, corporate offices control the menu, and local franchisees must deal with the fallout. Noodles & Company, a newcomer to the Lexington restaurant scene, located on Nicholasville Road, executes an interesting solution to customizable food needs: Most of its food is made on site with a variety of fresh ingredients, enabling customers to substitute easily according to their individual needs.
“It’s mostly vegetables, meat, noodles and sauces, and we can change up the combinations as ordered,” said Chris Seltsam, general manager. Gluten-free fusilli is available on request, and rice noodles are naturally gluten-free.
Merrick Inn, long a dining staple in the Bluegrass, has seen an increase in special dietary requests in the past few years, even though the restaurant doesn’t feature any menu items specifically identified as gluten-free. But there is still plenty for those with special diets to order.
“We make modifications to the dishes requested and have frequently added items custom-made that aren’t even on the menu,” said Alex Lennon, private event coordinator.
In any restaurant that offers a mix of dishes and uses one preparation area, cross-contamination is always a risk. Gluten is a prime example. Bourbon n’ Toulouse prepares gluten-free items in the same work area as other items but takes care to ensure separation is complete during preparation and serving. “We’ve done our due diligence and take health and safety very seriously,” Heathcoat said.
Merrick Inn and Noodles & Company prepare food communally and inform customers so they can make informed decisions. Still, steps are always taken to minimize the possibility, the managers said.
With the prevalence of food allergies, associated anaphylaxis and food sensitivities on the rise, these problems are difficult to ignore. Restaurants, grab-and-go establishments, hotels, university dining halls, secondary school lunchrooms and hospital cafeterias are heeding the call to do what they can to be accommodating.
On its website, the National Restaurant Association calls food allergies an important issue for the nation’s nearly 1 million restaurants. Many are training their staff to serve food-allergic guests and to encourage customers to openly discuss their sensitivity concerns and ingredient alternatives.
“We realize that there are people for whom diet is critically important to their health, and I am always bringing that up with my staff,” said Noodles & Company’s Seltsam,
Ultimately, the responsibility for a safe dining-out experience falls in the customer’s lap, but restaurants as responsible businesses are doing their best to make it easy for their customers. All three restaurants agreed that heightened awareness and staff training together with a proactive customer make for a safer and more pleasant dining experience.