ROCHESTER — Eating out can be difficult for people with different dietary restrictions and preferences, but Rochester restaurants are increasingly adapting to the needs of these communities.
Local restaurants are beginning to adapt to restrictions such as gluten-free and dairy-free diets. For example, Twigs Tavern and Grill is known for being allergy-friendly. The restaurant has a second kitchen dedicated to gluten-free meals. However, there are many other restaurants in the area that have adapted their menus to suit a variety of dietary restrictions.
These dietary restrictions can be due to many factors, including allergies, intolerances, cultural or religious beliefs, or simply personal preference, says Olivia Hanson, a nutritionist at Hy-Vee in Rochester. He said there is. Food allergies and food intolerances are often confused because their symptoms are similar, but the biggest difference is that food intolerances do not involve the immune system and do not cause a severe allergic reaction.
One of the most common food allergies is celiac disease. Celiac disease is a disease caused by an immune response to eating gluten, which is commonly found in bread and pasta. It is a genetic disease that is more common in older women. Mayo Clinic physicians treat more than 2,000 people with celiac disease each year, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
“In the case of gluten allergy, also known as celiac disease, gluten must be completely eliminated because it can damage the lining of the gastrointestinal tract,” Hanson says. “So when you go out to eat, you want to keep in mind that there is a possibility of cross-contact when it comes to gluten, so you want to make sure the restaurant knows that there are these restrictions. So even the tiniest bits of gluten… But it can make things worse for people with gluten intolerance, causing problems and damaging the gastrointestinal tract.”
Just because eating out can be a stressful situation for people with dietary restrictions doesn’t mean it has to be.
“Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that restaurants are becoming more accommodating to people with dietary restrictions,” Hanson said. “There are many people who want to go out to eat and have fun, even if they have dietary restrictions.”
She said many restaurants are happy to customize food and accommodate people with dietary restrictions. Hanson suggests calling the restaurant ahead of time to see if an employee can help you substitute an item on your dish.
“You can choose a simple dish, or you can ask the waiter or waitress how they prepare it behind the scenes,” she said.
Eating a full day’s worth of food while on a restricted diet can be difficult, but Rochester has plenty of food options to satisfy everyone’s tastes while still taking care of your dietary needs.
A sample is shown below.
Benedict’s in downtown Rochester is a popular breakfast and brunch spot for locals and tourists alike. There are more than a dozen gluten-free items on the menu.
Some of the more popular gluten-free items include pancakes, Cubano Benedict, and a variety of hash browns.
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Carlos Dominguez Leyva, Benedict’s general manager, said the restaurant sees a lot of gluten-free meals and various allergies, such as seafood and nuts.
“We’re near Mayo and a lot of people like healthy food, so this is more of a community need. So we’re trying to make that happen,” he said. “We have a lot of special instructions. We’re careful about nut allergies and cross-contamination of seafood. We always try to cook separately.”
Benedict’s only has two fryers, so Leyva and her staff make sure to keep them clean for people who may come in with certain restrictions.
He said gluten-free ingredients have become easier to obtain after the pandemic. Despite the increase in item prices, certain items, such as gluten-free flour, are now more readily available in the supply chain. Leyva said during the pandemic, it can take three weeks to get 25 pounds of gluten-free flour, which costs nearly $200.
“It’s more readily available now,” he said.
The only downside to some menu items is that gluten-free versions take longer to cook.
“It takes a little longer than a regular dish, but our customers are happy to wait. Gluten-free pancakes always take at least 10 minutes to cook, whereas regular pancakes take a few minutes, and our customers are happy to wait. ” he said.
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Bloom Acai Cafe, located on Commerce Drive Northwest, opened in August 2022 by Sarah Pacchetti. She was introduced to acai bowls and thought it was something healthy that could be successful in Rochester.
“We wanted healthier options in Rochester,” Pacchetti said. “I totally struggle with that. I wanted something that really tasted good, that I looked forward to eating, and that I knew was good for me. My husband and I also run other businesses. So this was one of those things that I thought could be a really fun business, and Rochester needs something like this.”
In addition to being a healthy option, it’s also gluten and dairy free. Pacchetti has two employees with celiac disease who can dine in with little dietary restrictions.
“Everything we carry is dairy-free, gluten-free and even soy-free if people are concerned about that,” Pacchetti said.
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Acai bowls are made with an acai base and various toppings such as granola, fruit, coconut oil, and honey.
“A lot of people think all our bowls are acai bowls, but they’re actually all superfood bowls,” she said. “I would say that’s just one of our bases. Our bowl is like a frozen superfood salad that tastes like a dessert.”
There are eight types of sorbet to choose from, and a wide variety of toppings. This allows customers to customize their bowls. The store also sells overnight oats, blended bowls, and smoothies.
But Rochester residents and visitors can enjoy more than just acai bowls and salads. Several restaurants in the city offer vegan and gluten-free menus, including burgers and Mexican dishes.
For example, Old Abe & Company near Cook Park offers vegan menu items like banh mi and fish-free salmon. It’s also home to Drift Donuts, a boutique donut maker that makes small batches of dairy-free and egg-free donuts.
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Sorellina’s Italian by Victoria’s, located near Apache Mall, offers many gluten-free options for lunch and dinner. Popular pastas and pizzas can also be made gluten-free.
“A lot of other things haven’t happened that way yet,” says Nadia Victoria, owner of Solerina’s Italian by Victoria. “It’s something you have to request. And the nice thing about our kitchen is that they make everything fresh to order. We prepare some sauces every morning and make them in a big pot. But everything else is made fresh, which allows us to meet dietary restrictions.”
When choosing the menu, Victoria wanted to create a stress-free menu for everyone. Her son has dairy and egg allergies, which limits what he can eat.
“I learned how scary it is to go here as a parent or just a human being,” Victoria said. “After discussing it with our guests, we found out that it’s scary so please double check. When guests have questions, I try to reassure them, but our kitchen is very lenient in that regard. Excellent. Communication from the servers all the way to the kitchen is very good.”
Victoria knows how difficult it is to have meals made a certain way. Asking can be even more daunting if the place is crowded.
“Sometimes when you go to some places and ask questions, you can say as if no one really knows,” she said. “Then you’re like, ‘Okay, I shouldn’t order anything,’ and that’s scary, too.”
Victoria has experienced this first-hand and wants to make sure her customers feel safe in trusting their kitchen with their lives.
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“It can be scary at first when you don’t know where to start, but once you get a little familiar with the items it becomes much easier,” says Victoria. “Then, when I found a place that I felt I could trust, I knew I could trust my kitchen. So when I get a call or I have guests here, I want them to feel safe here. and we will do everything we can to keep you safe here.”
Another dinner option in downtown Rochester is Chester’s Kitchen and Bar. The restaurant’s extensive lunch and dinner menu features gluten-free options including chicken wings, wild mushroom burgers, roasted prime rib, and more.
Blue Duck Kitchen on Fourth Street Southwest also offers gluten-free options for area residents. The menu changes constantly, but most items are gluten-free.
Pasquale’s Neighborhood Pizzeria also offers gluten-free New York-style pizza and vegan ingredients for those who prefer a larger slice of pizza.
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If you’re looking for a sweet treat, stop by a Flapdoodles near you. This popular ice cream shop has two locations in the city, one on South Broadway and one on Northwest 22nd Street.
“We opened in 2011, and I think the only dairy-free options we had were some kind of sorbet, like fruit sorbet,” said Matt Tierney, owner of Flapdoodles. “Since then, we’ve expanded things and our food preferences have evolved a bit as well. We’ve been trying to be more adaptive.”
With dietary restriction-friendly ingredients becoming more readily available, it’s easier to add new options to the menu, Tierney said.
“We are seriously and actively looking for new ideas and new materials,” he said. “We actually have dairy-free cookie dough coming in and we’re really looking forward to it. So we finally have access to it.”
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Additionally, Flapdoodles recently made adjustments to support more dairy-free options in its Southern stores.
“As of a few weeks ago, we actually added a dairy-free cabinet to allow us to expand our dairy-free options,” Tierney said. “The north store is a little busy, so we thought the south store could be a dairy-free location.The north store always has two dairy-free flavors. , In the south store, he has run out of 4 types.
Workers always create and prepare dairy-free options first when making new batches and ensure there is no cross-contact between batches. We will also be happy to stock up on new ice cream containers and new scoops so that everyone who stops by our store can enjoy our homemade ice cream.
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