Gluten Free at The Oregon State Fair

Gluten Free at The Oregon State Fair

I started by searching for Gluten Free Oregon State Fair and came up with Minnesota State Fair and a bunch of local Gluten Free Food Fairs....but nothing where I was going?  Like many other people on a Gluten-Free diet, we use search engines and try to map out where we are going to eat ahead of time.  Leaving town is a process!  That's the intention of most of the traffic on my website...to see what's in store when they get here.  Well, lucky for me, this search was just to see if I had any competition.  I was on my way to deliver to Mel's Diner at the Oregon State Fair.  It was a beautiful Summer day.  I had turned out some of the most moist Sandwich Rolls, White Bread and Flatbread.  Packaged, labeled and ready to go, we headed from the beach about an hour East into the Valley.  Travelling into the Valley from the Oregon Coast is a beautifully scenic drive.  Rivers, Mountains, Farms, then the City.  The coastal breeze was cool but I knew we'd be in the Summer heat soon enough.  Arriving to the fair, we were greeted at the gate by a friendly-but-tough guard that lightened up when we told her where our delivery was going.  Everybody knows Mel!

Arriving to Mel's felt like home.  I grew up with her, but she and her staff have a way of making you feel comfortable even if you didn't.  Like they would remember what you ordered last year and every other.  Gluten-Free can be scary for some food vendors and restaurant owners if they do not need it themselves.  Proof's in the puddin.  But this was not a hard sell.  Mel is more than excited, having a network of Gluten-Free friends herself.  She's taken the time to make sure everything is safe and ready to go!

 

Everybody wants to be able to eat...don't they?  Most Celiac's end up just snacking on findings from the grocery store.  It's like torture walking amidst all of the smells of all of the foods you cannot eat!  In lieu of making my way East, I did not eat a large breakfast.  I was anticipating lunch at Mel's.  The menu is pretty simple, and focused on quality.  Nice, fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection.

Mel's friends and family are warm and inviting.  (Mel is not pictured because she was busy running here-and-there).  My order was ready in about 3 minutes flat!

 

 
 With an ice cold lemonade and fresh hot Chicken Fajita in a GF Flatbread Wrap....we sat and enjoyed under the only covered eating area at the whole fair!  This wrap had just the right proportions of meat, cheese, grilled onions and peppers, salsa and sour cream.  Just enough to ooze out the bottom and be sopped up with the flatbread!  Mel really thinks of everything.  She's a seasoned veteran of the Oregon State Fair and it shows.  She's got amazing attention to the details and really knows how to take care of her patrons!

Chicken Fajita in a Gluten Free Flatbread Wrap

 

Gotta love action shots...

 

Spending the day at the Oregon State Fair was wonderful.  The hot sun felt nice.  Cold lemonade galore was refreshing.  The kids and I laughed at the hypnotist show, and ofcourse had to go pet all of the animals.  There's so much more to do that we will be back to deliver later this week....oh darn! 



Lovin the fajita as well...



and has time to stop and smell the petunias...