Grateful for Gluten

Every morning on my way to work, driving Transit Rd. through Depew, I pass Forestview Restaurant. I remember Forestview from when it was but a relatively simple Greek-style diner. A few years ago and (what I would guess) a near-million-dollar renovation later, this place has totally remade itself. Floor-to-ceiling windows, an expansive sports bar, and a welcoming pot-belly stove fireplace greet entrants. The menu features a lot of American favorites guaranteed to please most everybody.

Anyway, Forestview has a light-up sign out front advertising different specials each day. For months I noticed the sign reading, “Gluten Free Pancakes!” With more awareness about Celiac’s disease and a general movement to shy away from the wheat protein gluten, gluten-free foods have become more and more commonplace.

So I decided to order the two pancakes, two eggs, two pieces of meat breakfast. Pretty typical diner fare, only I requested the gluten-free recipe for my pancakes. It is now I should mention that I really enjoyed all of the big-screen HD TVs around the dining room. At that early hour (~6:15am), there wasn’t another diner in the restaurant, and a morning news show was on with very audible volume. It made for a nice diversion while I waited for my food, as I was dining solo this morning.

Anyway, breakfast arrived. The pancakes were probably the closest thing to cardboard I’d ever eaten. They were thick, crispy, leathery, and utterly flavorless. They soaked up syrup faster than a hummingbird on a sugar rush. Too bad I got three of them for some reason; the menu clearly stated two. The poached eggs were barely cooked, cool, and very watery. And the coffee tasted burned too. At least the bacon was good: crispy, not over salty, and relatively lean.

When I received my bill, it had a suggested gratuity of $1.65 on it. So I left my server $2.00 on the table and handed him the balance. I was due $0.76 in change. He replied, “I don’t have any change,” took my money, and retreated to the kitchen. I assumed he was looking for change. Time passed and I’m left standing around feeling like an idiot. So I gave up. Figured I might as well get to work and get punched in and make up the extra $0.76 tip I just gave my server.

All said, Forestview is usually a decent place. I want to try it again. Next time I’m ordering something normal, like plain old pancakes and I’m paying via credit card. It’s nice that Forestview thinks of people who can’t eat gluten, but I’m grateful not to be one of them.