Bluff View eateries join growing list of gluten-safe restaurants

A variety of gluten-safe pastries, such as these, will soon be available in The Bluff View Art District. Staff Photo by Allison Carter/Chattanooga Times Free Press

The National Institutes of Health estimates one in every 133 people suffers from celiac disease, an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

After encountering many customers asking about gluten-free items, restaurant managers at the Bluff View Art District decided to take action.

Though they have always tried to be aware of food allergens, said director of operations Michael Vasta, a growing level of concern regarding gluten was the motivating factor for creating gluten-safe menus at the eateries contained in the Bluff View Art District. The Art District restaurants join a growing list of Chattanooga-area eateries with gluten-safe menu items (see box).

“We used to [say] ‘Well, we’ll just have them have a salad,'” Vasta said, “And it’s like, ‘Well, that’s not much fun.'”

Vasta has a personal stake in the evolution as well – he was recently diagnosed with celiac disease.