What to eat, what to drink? This is always a dilemma for those with food allergies. Anything could set off a reaction, and when it comes to dining out, or even going to a friend's house, you have to be wary of what you eat and drink. Thankfully, those who have been living with celiacs or gluten intolerance now have some options. Recently, I had the joy of trying Daura Damm gluten-free beer. As a celiac, once I was diagnosed, I sadly had to cut out beer from my diet. It was one of the things I enjoyed most, and to not have any replacement options at that time was pretty disappointing. Enter Daura Damm!
Daura Damm is a lager that has been carefully crafted to have gluten removed - and has an ABV of 5.4% and the same flavour profiles as a standard non-gluten-free beer. With a gluten level less than 3ppm, it's considered suitable for celiacs.
This week, thanks to my friends over at Branding and Buzzing, I was invited over to Restaurants Canada member La Carnita's new location on John St. in Toronto and was treated to a thoughtfully curated gluten-free meal, featuring Daura Damm alongside it. Check out some of the beautiful photography from the event, brought to us by Jeffrey Chan courtesy of Daura Damm, and a review of what I ate below.
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To be able to eat everything on a menu without fear of getting sick or being subject to cross-contamination was a dream. From the menu, there were some clear winners for me. For an appetizer I indulged in the Scorpion Wings; delicious, crispy things with a kick of spice at the end. The wings, done up confit-style, were just to my liking, and even better when paired with Daura Damm. The trio of dips served along side crispy tortilla chips were classic staples - but I kept going back for more of the spicy bean dip. A definite must try!
Isn't there just something about tacos and beer, together? Following the appetizers we were served a slew of tacos - I know, sounds horrible, right? From the 6 tacos on the special menu (Beef Cheek, West Coast Rockfish, Carnita Taco, Tostada de Ceviche, Cotija, and the Butter Chicken Mole) the West Coast Rockfish Taco was the winner, a corn-battered, tamarind balsamic sauce-smothered, three-bites of deliciousness - I could go back to La Carnita just for a taste of that (and the confit wings again, of course!).
At the end of it all, we were treated to some homemade paletas (Mexican popsicles) and the pièce de résistance, soft serve from Sweet Jesus - a soft serve and espresso bar co-owned by La Carnita's Andrew Richmond.
If you haven't visited La Carnita's third location, LC Central yet, you're missing out! La Carnita boasts an eclectic and thoughtfully planned interior with what I felt like was an 80s vibe - neon lights an all.
Thank you to Daura Damm and Branding and Buzzing for the event - and to La Carnita for hosting. Products like Daura Damm's gluten-removed beer are ways for restauranteurs to offer options to all their customers, including the ones with allergies.
