Friends and Family Help Me Eat Gluten-Free in Denver

Denver Kids Montage, originally uploaded by A Gluten Free Guide.

So while my tour of Denver for Labor Day turned into a gluten-free culinary adventure, my true purpose in visiting Colorado was to spend time with my two dear friends, Farrah and Brooke. My first night in the city, we left behind the husbands and kids (it was like every night for me...) and had a girls’ night dinner at LoLa restaurant downtown.

The three of us shared the fresh-made guacamole made table-side.

The server initially warned me away from the corn chips, as there was a chance that they were fried in the same oil as their flautas. Upon further investigation however, he was able to determine that they were from a new distributor and were indeed gluten-free.

Those are our server’s initials etched in chili-powder at the top of the plate. As three friends who are all big fans of Top Chef, we noted the elegance of the table-side presentation. (Speaking of Top Chef - Did you catch it last night? The ever-charming Brian was eliminated. Now it’s down to Hung, Casey and Dale. While I have a soft place in my heart for Casey and would love to hang out with her – I think Hung has been vilified by the editing process and deserves to win. )

In addition to their 100+ tequilas, LoLa is famous for their roasted corn soup so Brooke, Farrah and I each got our own. Mine came without the fried avocado which was full of gluten (and completely delicious according to the gluten-gluttons). The soup lived up to its reputation – absolutely amazing – even without the avocado. Our patient and helpful server also made sure that my soup was in a different shaped bowl to prevent any confusion regarding its gluten-free status.

I ordered the smoked pork and shrimp asada with a side of garbanzo ancho chili. It was one of the most flavorful and enjoyable meals I have had in a while. While it seemed like a gluten-free miracle to eat at Deby’s and Melting Pot, the spicy yet lighter fare offered at LoLa is more my style.

We tried to go to Cloud 9, a local soft-serve place, for dessert. When they couldn't confirm their ingredients, we opted for my favorite McDonald's sundae instead.

For my next trip to Denver, I will need to add extra time to ensure I get back to LoLa and all of the gluten-free restaurants I missed on this trip. Thanks again to Brooke and Farrah for making my Labor Day one to remember.

LoLa Address: 1575 Boulder Street Denver, CO Phone: 720-570-8686