Wake Up Missoula!

I have to wonder why Missoula has not joined the gluten/dairy free bandwagon. Bozeman has restaurants with gluten/dairy free menus and while I was living there I went out to restaurants more than I had in the past 4 years! And now that I am back in Missoula, I am really missing my favorite restaurants and stores.

Montana Ale Works ( amazing gluten free penne with chevre, tomato, basil, pine nuts, & chicken)
Sola Cafe ( breads, salads, soups)
Bozeman Community Co-Op
Colombo's Pizza
Chickpea Cafe
Nova Cafe

These are just a few of the restaurants and grocery stores that sustained me and filled me with the pleasure and joy of enjoying a meal prepared by a skilled chef instead of my tired hands.

So I just have to say, "Wake up Missoula!" We could use some gluten/dairy free menus in our restaurants. And incorporating local and/or sustainably grown food wouldn't hurt either. Now if anyone knows of restaurants in Missoula that provide for people with food intolerances, please let me know! I have noticed that some big chain restaurants have gluten free menus, but I don't consider this any big deal, for it is more important that the local restaurants are tuned into the needs and wants of their customers. The problem I always face is that sauces and dressings usually have hidden wheat/gluten and/or dairy. Or they will tell you to order a sandwich without the bread. Umm...how is that a sandwich then? That is like eating macaroni and cheese without noodles! You are left with one soggy mess and a longing for bread that never gets fulfilled. And believe me it gets really old having to order a salad minus the croutons or asking for everything to be cooked naked and bare. But even then, I have to wonder, is there residue or trace amounts that make their way into my supposedly safe food? So usually I end up not eating at all ( just some water please), or stuffing my purse with some random item, like dates or Odwalla bars or if I am really brave my own sandwich! And no matter how many times I do this, I never get used to it. I mean, it's a restaurant, with a waiter and a chef who are trained in preparing and serving food, and all they can do is pour me a glass of water and wonder who this strange girl is who never opens the menu and tries to melt away into the shadows so no one will notice her. Not fun, not fun at all.

So while living in Missoula I find it less worrisome to cook at home. Which gets really boring somedays, but at least I don't walk away from the dinner table with a stomach writhing in pain and the thought that I never want to eat again. Thankfully we have the Good Food Store! I can always find something there to nourish me naturally and tantalize my taste buds.

But really, Missoula needs to take a tip from Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley and start providing safe and joyful dining experiences for the rest of us out here in gluten and dairy free land. Because who wouldn't want to linger over a warming, welcoming meal with good company, real ingredients and the knowledge that what you are eating will sustain not sicken you? Sounds like a delightful experience to me.