It’s easy for folks with food allergies or other dietary restrictions to feel like they’re stuck eating pale imitations of the “real” thing: the gluten-free version of something that’s supposed to be made out of wheat, or the sugar-free version of something that’s supposed to be sweet. After all, how much deliciousness can you preserve when you strip a food of its essence?
But point-counterpoint: The Grease Box mobile kitchen, an Oakland-based gluten-free food cart, has been popping up at various Bay Area events for the past year — most notably at the First Friday festivities in Temescal Alley. The very name of the cart bespeaks decadence and plenty — not the kind of austerity you might normally associate with a gluten-free (or whatever-free) diet.
More importantly, chef-owner Lizzy Boelter’s mostly-fried offerings are the real deal, especially her bread-and-butter dish: gluten-free fried chicken that has all the crispy, juicy, lip-smacking goodness you could ask for.
Gluten-free fried chicken. Credits: Luke Tsai The $10 combo plate.
