The first day of the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo is in the books, and it was a fabulous one.
Sure, my feet are aching from circling the Expo floor multiple times and I ate way too many samples. But, I met interesting people, was excited by some new gluten-free products and learned a thing or two in the classroom.
My day started off with other bloggers, and it was fun to see people in person who I had only "met" previously through social media. We all were treated to an introduction to Holy Crap cereal before the doors even opened to the public.
One of the first things I did once the Expo started was hit the beer garden. It was less about my love for beer and more about the fact that it was at the back of the convention floor and completely devoid of other people. I got to easily talk to the vendors and sample the wares.
Yes, I was throwing back beer at 9:15 a.m. So, what?! It was for research purposes. You'll thank me later.
By nature, Mexican food menus tend to offer an adequate variety of gluten-free foods. Quality dining establishments, for example, will always have corn tortillas as a safe, soft alternative to traditional flour tortillas. Meanwhile, beans, rice and various taco toppings are often gluten-free.
I checked the menu online before going in and saw that it included salads (sans croutons), penne pasta with two choices of tomato-based sauces, and four types of meat and salmon entrees. The non-pasta entrees are low-carb, served with vegetables on the side. I arrived at a local Olive Garden already disappointed that the chain's famous garlicky breadsticks were not available in a GF version, but otherwise resigned to the limited menu.
