If you're not gluten free these days you most likely know someone who is given the fact that nearly ten percent of the population has celiacs disease.

Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that for an Italian restaurant this is not good news. For any restaurant that refuses to acknowledge this fact it could mean disaster.

Add to this the fact that at least five percent of the US population choose to eat vegetarian and now you're talking about fifteen percent of the population with just those two special dietary needs.

As chefs and restaurateurs we all want to cook and serve whatever we desire. We want you all to buy our signature dishes, consume them enthusiastically, love every single bite, and then feed our ego by telling us how wonderful we are... just being honest here.

However, since we are technically in the service industry and not in the ego industry, I think we have a duty to at least try to be accommodating to those with special dietary needs. And it's just plain smart business since nearly twenty percent have special dietary needs.

At La Bella Amore Italian Bistro we aren't bothered by special dietary requests since we make things fresh to order. There are a few things we can't change since it's prepared in larger batches like out marinara sauce (which is vegan by the way), our Alfredo sauce (which is gluten free) and our Lasagna (which is full of gluten, meat and cheese).

However, after a thorough review of our menu, with minimal tweaking we are able to prepare 28 of our 40 menu items as gluten free, including our famous Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan and pretty much all of our pasta dishes. We also have a nice variety of vegetarian as well as several vegan dishes available. So bring your family and your special dietary needs to La Bella... we welcome the challenge.

Peace and blessings to all during this holiday season and every day thereafter.