I’m a Kansas City native, but just barely.
I’ve never been able to establish roots in the city the way many people do — through food. I was diagnosed with celiac disease in kindergarten, an autoimmune condition that requires a strict gluten-free diet to avoid not only painful GI symptoms but damage to my small intestine.
It’s easier to navigate now, but growing up in the 2000s and 2010s, gluten-free accommodations were few and very pricey. It took until the 2020s for me to really experience local food beyond a Caesar salad with no croutons…