It's a very sad day in Atlanta

August 18, 3:41 PMAtlanta Gluten-Free Food ExaminerTiffany Janes

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It seems like just yesterday that my dinner club member Ashley told me about this great guy named Tom Propp in Roswell, GA. The proprietor of the Outback Steak house and his celiac manager Julie Arens had started experimenting with gluten-free coconut shrimp. Ashley suggested that we take the dinner club there for an event. Not one to enjoy most chains before or after my celiac diagnosis, I really didn't have high hopes for this place. It was in fact, still an impersonal chain - or so I thought.

Luckily for me - and most importantly the entire gluten-free community here - Tom and Julie both treat their customers as they should be treated. It matters not if we require extra attention to be fed safely. To them we are simply paying customers and it's their job to make us happy, period. We had our dinner club event there last July and have enjoyed countless amazing meals there ever since.

When Julie asked me last December what they could do to rock our world for our annual gluten-free goodie swap, I told her to have Tom make us gluten-free funnel cakes. Though I was half joking, I knew Tom liked a challenge. Sure enough, I arrived to find hot fresh beignets, dusted with powdered sugar. Several of us teared up as we realized we were having our first ever gluten-free Krispy Kremes. OK - they are better than Krispy Kremes but you get the point.

My fellow Examiner from Atlanta recently announced that Tom Propp is moving to Tallahassee, FL. Today is his last day at the Roswell, GA store. Though I realize this is a loss for our community, the staff is well trained and the extended gluten-free menu will continue. Please leave your comments on the above article to thank Tom yourself.

We will miss seeing Tom - or most of us will. With two celiac family members in Tallahassee, I could not be more excited! The Outback down there does not even know they can't pick croutons off a gluten-free salad - for real. Finally people with celiac in "Tally" can find a decent gluten-free meal. Even if Tom does not implement his extended gluten-free menu (which is hard to do without a lot of gluten-free business), people who can't eat gluten can relax and trust that Outback with Tom Propp at the helm.

Tom - thank you for all you did for us. Many of my dinner club members regained the confidence to eat out without our group because of you and Julie. Of course we will all miss you tremendously but I'll be seeing you when we're in Tallahassee visiting family. Maybe you'll have the gluten-free Bloomin' Onion down there by Christmas? Continued success to you - no one deserves it more!

For more info: Austin, Texas seems to have won the vote for who deserves the next gluten-free Bloomin' Onion but the corporate office is not denying or confirming if it's in the works or not. Thanks to all who took the time to be heard!