If I got the situation right, one of the patrons was coeliac, which should not be taken lightly. Its one thing to say “I don’t want gluten because Djokovic doesn`t like gluten” an autoimmune condition is serious. So if the Chef went to check himself and then to show the contents to the table, I see it actually positively, as a transparent way to communicate. Maybe the dynamics were different, but I didn’t read the episode thinking that the chef was passive aggressive.
2 Likes
I think even that is graded with severity. The coeliac I know is pretty much restricted from eating out because she can have a reaction if, for example, a bread knife has been contaminated with normal bread and used to cut gluten free bread. She had a reaction in a hotel once because someone put normal bread through a toaster they’d set aside for her exclusive use. It’s absolutely miserable for her.
Her father was only diagnosed as coeliac in his 40/50s as he had mild-ish reactions but was the stoic type, however the penny dropped when the daughter was diagnosed with more severe symptoms.
2 Likes
Precisely because of this, I hated the “anti-gluten” hype (luckily it has subsided now). It really marginalises and puts real coealiac people at par with hipsters. A professional kitchen really needs to make serious efforts to avoid contamination and of this is for a dietary fad, its truly annoying.
1 Like
As someone has put it, the “gluten thing” is not real, but the fear of gluten is real!* 
But it’s tamed now.
*obviously I’m not talking about people who suffer from the celiac disease.
So I was in Basel and took the chance to try Popeyes. I noticed it had replaced the McDonalds just outside the SBB. I went for the Sandwich Deluxe Spicy.
It was delicious! I’m actually craving another one!
1 Like