TRAVERSE CITY — Do you have celiac disease and are you tired of having to eat a salad when dining out, or are you tired of feeling sick when you get home?
From the rise of “gluten-free” menus to the inevitable risk of cross-contact with unsafe foods, dining out with any type of gluten allergy can be daunting.
There are very few restaurants that have people working there who not only understand the situation and importance of an invisible disease like celiac disease, but also know how to accommodate guests well.
Miranda Decker, assistant general manager and executive chef at Middle Coast Brewing Company, knows this struggle all too well: Diagnosed with celiac disease at age 16, she has made it her life’s goal to educate, advocate and implement mechanisms that help members of the gluten-free community feel less isolated by their diet.
Decker himself remained in denial for about five years until the symptoms and impact of his condition became too much to ignore.
“There’s really five stages of grief, and I was in denial at first, and then I just had to accept it, and there was a lot of anger and sadness that went along with it,” Decker said. “I’m just trying to make it a little easier, and I know that’s much needed.”
When Decker was diagnosed, she had few options, so she quickly began practicing at home and figuring out how to break down stereotypes that all gluten-free food tastes like cardboard or has no texture. After years of experience cooking for herself and also working in commercial kitchens, she applied for her current position when she heard Middle Coast Brewing Company had a dedicated gluten-free kitchen. When she joined staff, the kitchen no longer existed, but that only motivated her to put policies and procedures in place (even a dedicated fryer!) to make the brewery a safe place for gluten-free consumers again.
From fried chicken tenders and pickles to deep-fried ice cream flavors, Middle Coast is well on its way to achieving its goal, and Decker is more enthusiastic than ever.
“For the first five years I had no education, no one to teach me, no one to support me, no one to understand my position, and I think a lot of people who are newly diagnosed have the same issues,” Decker says. “It’s hard to get people who aren’t dealing with it themselves to understand how serious it is. It’s an autoimmune disease, so the swelling may not be visible, but it does a lot of damage. The hardest part is getting people to understand the difference, and that just because someone isn’t having that reaction doesn’t mean it’s not hurting them.”
“My hope is to educate more people and get the word out so people understand that we’re out there and we can be included. I think one of the hardest parts is feeling left out sometimes,” Decker said.
Third Coast Bakery owner Heather Burson echoed the sentiment, having witnessed firsthand the isolation faced by many people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and food allergies.
“Eleven years ago, there was nothing like this on the market. I saw many in my family suffering from diet-related health issues and I was tired of seeing them left out,” says Berson. “So I cleaned out my kitchen, got rid of unhealthy ingredients, and started experimenting and trial and error.”
Starting out simply baking bread in his home kitchen, Burson’s business quickly grew to a commercial kitchen in a storefront near downtown Traverse City. Now, Burson sells locally out of the store as well as ships to customers across the country, and is proud to be a regular vendor at Apple conferences.
“We have an incredibly hard-working team that is committed to raising the standard for the taste and appearance of gluten-free, allergy-friendly and vegan baked goods,” said Burson. “We’re not in this for a fad. Our primary customers are people with a legitimate need for food allergy-friendly, alternative ingredient products, and this need isn’t going away anytime soon, so as long as our customers want our baked goods, we’ll keep baking for them.”
De Food Truck owner Toby Dunn has been on a gluten-free diet since he was 18 due to his celiac disease and has been working from his food truck since 2006. He has cooked a variety of dishes over the years but started his latest venture a few years ago and has received great support from the community.
“As someone with celiac disease, it was easy for me to make 100% gluten-free food. I didn’t want to not be able to eat all the food I made. I cook gluten-free food at home so it was very easy with just a few tweaks. I don’t advertise the fact that it’s gluten-free, I just advertise it for those who need to know. You won’t taste any different and no one will notice,” Dan said.
“I have people who drive from all over the state just to eat my gluten-free food. I even had someone come from Grand Rapids to Traverse City for one night just to eat my food. It’s really nice to be able to cook just for those people.”
As Traverse City’s food and beverage industry makes strides toward becoming an allergy- and celiac-friendly environment, it’s clear who’s leading the way: For those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity and their families, leaders in education (and good food!) can be more than just food options — they can be a saving grace.