For many, cooking comfort food and dining out go hand-in-hand with social connection and community. Dinner and brunch parties bring out the inspiration to try new things in the kitchen and gathering with family at local restaurants brings an opportunity for lengthy chats and connection. But for those with celiac disease, participating in these activities means putting their health at risk.
Celiac disease, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an autoimmune disease triggered by eating foods containing gluten, the protein component of wheat, barley, rye. When someone with celiac ingests gluten, it causes damage to the inner lining of the small bowel, causing pain and discomfort in the short term and and a host of other symptoms that vary from person to person and range in severity.
Because the only treatment for celiac disease is eliminating gluten from the diet, and even tiny amounts can trigger symptoms, The Canadian Celiac Association advises a strict and life-long adherence to the gluten-free diet. This can be challenging, as gluten hides in unexpected places like soy sauce, malt vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, deli meats, broth/bullion, vegan meat alternatives, beer — the list goes on. Surfaces, utensils and cooking tools can also hide gluten contaminants turning every kitchen and dining table into a minefield. As a celiac myself, I understand the struggle first hand.
While awareness seems to be on the rise, so are rates of diagnosis.
That is why I set out to create this guide for gluten-free dining in Kamloops, to help celiacs make informed dining choices.
Cutting Board Bistro and Bakery sets the gluten-free gold standard
Tucked away in the Fortune Shopping Center on the North Shore, the Cutting Board Bistro and Bakery offers a truly gourmet experience for all, one that is also 100 per cent gluten-free.
When proprietors Ashley and Marcus Kharboutli relocated to Kamloops, they were disappointed in the lack of gluten-free options for Ashley, who has celiac disease.
Luckily, Marcus, who is a chef, was looking to get back into the restaurant business, so they jumped at the opportunity to bring something special to Kamloops.
“The community welcomed us right away, it’s been fantastic,” Ashley tells The Wren.
The secret to gluten-free baking is in the blend of flours, with a different optimal mix for each application. There is no universal blend for perfect pastry, buns, pancakes and whatever else. This makes gluten-free baking more finicky, but also more customizable. For those overwhelmed by the prospect of tuning flour mixtures yourself, some of Marcus’s blends will be available to buy in store.
The menu changes frequently, giving customers the opportunity to have a wide variety of options in a single location.
“Part of it is that my husband gets bored, but the other thing when you think about it as a celiac you only get so many options, right? More than half of our celiac customers can’t tolerate any cross-contamination, so we are the only place in town where they can eat. So we try to do things that are not normally gluten-free, and keep it interesting, like today its doughnuts.”
Now dear Wrenfolk this is the part of the story where I lost my journalistic composure, as Marcus brought me a glazed doughnut fresh from the fryer. A real yeast doughnut is something I haven’t eaten since my diagnosis in 2010 and I was not disappointed. The light, springy texture and a subtly nutty flavor were set off by the generous helping of sticky but not-too-sweet vanilla glaze. It brought back childhood memories of Sunday morning doughnut runs with my parents.
I literally teared up.
And that is what I think gets missed in the discussion of celiac and food allergies: the cultural aspect of food. Because sure, we can hole up in our homes eating only things we prepared from scratch so as not to be an inconvenience, but then we are missing out on a simple yet key aspect of human culture: bonding over shared food.
Disclaimer: The restaurants below are not fully gluten-free, meaning there is a risk of cross-contamination. Please proceed with informed caution.
Amsterdam Restaurant
Amsterdam Restaurant has been a local favourite since 2000, when the original owners decided to bring a little taste of the Netherlands with them to Kamloops. Now retired, the business is owned by their son Jeroen Boog and daughter-in-law Karina Soboleva.
“We try to treat every customer as special and accommodate everything we can,” Kalina told The Wren. That is actually how their experiments with gluten-free options started, when around 2008 a friend of the owners was diagnosed with celiac disease.
“Back then there were even fewer options out there for people, so we just started playing around with a gluten-free recipe for the pannekoek [Dutch pancakes],” she says. “It was hard because the batters were very sticky and didn’t flow right.”
They tried adding milk and eggs, but also wanted to accommodate other allergies and vegetarians. After more trial and error they arrived at an option that was both gluten-free and vegan.
The safest option for celiacs are the omelets and pannekoek, since they can be cooked in separate, dedicated pans.
They are still working on more innovations. Recently they perfected their gluten-free waffle recipe. For now they are intended for people who, like Karina, are gluten intolerant but not celiac, because the waffle irons are shared with the standard recipe. If they can figure out a way to fit a dedicated gluten-free waffle maker in their limited kitchen space, they would love to bring celiac safe waffles to Kamloops.
As the restaurant got busier they found they needed a second deep fryer to keep up with the demand for hash browns, but they also saw it as an opportunity to make the restaurant more inclusive.
“Honestly, I think if you love it and you want to try something different, always go and do it,” Karina says.“We [blanch] two cases of potatoes every day for the next day’s service.” All those very cold, fresh hash browns cooled down the deep fryer, which makes it slower to cook the blanched hashbrowns for today’s customers. “So we made a choice to make sure the second fryer is gluten-free by only using it to blanch or cook hash browns.”
Because gluten is highly soluble in oil and is not destroyed by heating, deep fryers are especially dangerous for celiacs. Many celiacs know the pain of being handed a menu full of options labeled gluten-free only to find out they are all cooked in a shared deep fryer alongside panko breaded shrimp and beer-battered cod. Or the pain of not being warned of a shared fryer and ending up sick for weeks.
Karina encourages everyone to “come tell us what allergies you have and we will always try to accommodate it.”
And that is a really key point for dining out as a celiac, communication with the restaurant staff is the key. Most gluten-free options on menus are not gluten-free unless prepared a specific way, if you do not clearly communicate your needs you may find yourself sick and miserable. This goes doubly for someone ordering takeout on behalf of a celiac.
Honourable mentions
Pubfare is not generally something that comes to mind when picturing gluten-free dining, but Frick & Frack is breaking the mold. A member of their staff is celiac, and everyone I have interacted with is very informed about gluten and cross-contamination.
They have the best gluten-free appies in town thanks to a dedicated gluten-free deep fryer!
Their large portions and friendly atmosphere make this my go to place to eat when family comes to town.
Allergy aware sushi at Library Square with a very friendly team who are happy to accommodate. They even have take out packets of gluten-free soy sauce!
This fun and trendy pizzeria offers a bold twist on classic flavours. For celiacs, they can cook your pizza or pasta separately with dedicated gluten-free tools. They also offer gluten-free dessert options like crème brûlée.
This Mexican-American-Colombian fusion experience is not your average taco place. Their unique menu always leaves me craving more.
Take my advice: do not skip the chimichurri!
One of the first and most reliable allergy friendly restaurants in town. They offer gluten-free buns that cannot be beat. Their seasonal specials can often be prepared gluten-free, so provide some nice variety for a bored celiac.
This is just my experience. Have you had positive dining experiences around town? I would love to hear about your big wins and disappointments around Kamloops.
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