I was so excited to watch Top Chef last night and see Chicagoan Stephanie Izard win top honors. I'm a big Top Chef fan (and have posted about them before). But what the heck is up with the "braised pistachios" in Stephanie's lamb dish? I'll have to take Tom Colicchio's word for it that this use of pistachios was "surprising" (and frankly according to the enraptured way that the Top Chef judges responded, it looks like consuming braised pistachios is a life altering experience). The judges said something along the lines of "I thought I'd eaten everything and then you come along and braise pistachios, which I've never seen done before, and now life is worth living again."
OK, I exaggerated the last bit (but just a tad).Much as I was rooting for Stephanie, the last thing the world needs is chefs thinking up more ways to use pistachios.
Obviously, my daughter isn't at an age where she is frequenting gourmet restaurants and partaking of the type of food cooked on "Top Chef." But I do think about her future and where she will be able to eat safely when she's older. I even worry about dating, "peanut" kisses and all the rest of it.
I'm sure a lot of parents in a "nut-free" lifestyle are stumped when we enjoy all types of food, enjoy eating at different restaurants and heck, even wouldn't mind going out with the family to a "gourmet" restaurant now and again. In a city like Chicago, especially, there are plenty of great choices to be had.
After last night's episode I envisioned chefs across America thinking up ways they can add braised nuts to the menu. Yikes!
Now for the good news. For the food-allergic foodies out there, there is a wonderful site that talks about enjoying restaurants and life in general as an adult with nut allergy. I have the link on this blog: "Please Don't Pass the Nuts."
The blog's author is a food-allergic adult who has wonderful and witty ways of dealing with food allergies in restaurants and has even created a "club" of food-allergic adult diners. As the mom of a daughter with a nut allergy, this makes inspiring, entertaining reading.
For example, I learned that Tom Colicchio's N.Y. restaurant, craftbar, does not have peanuts on the menu at all. After watching the peanut/tree nut-happy cheftestants on "Top Chef," whodda thunk it?
Showing posts with label food allergies in restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food allergies in restaurants. Show all posts
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Restaurant Roulette Part II
I recently wrote about visiting restaurants safely and I have some new info (just gleaned from my info-packed FAAN newsletter) that I want to share.
A lot of times people don't want to "annoy" waiters by asking for special treatment in restaurants. I've certainly felt that way myself. To paraphrase the newsletter article, you can't assume that restaurant staff will take a food allergy seriously. Don't feel like all you have to say is "If I tell the waitperson that my child can't eat (insert food here) then they'll be OK. I hate to make a fuss."
They suggest that you be specific and say something like: "If my child eats peanuts, even a small amount, he/she will get very sick."
FAAN's website has a Chef Card template that you can use. I downloaded it--it's not a bad idea to take one of these when you go to a restaurant. It allows you to fill in your specific food allergy and it also suggests to the staff how to keep things clean and free from cross-contamination.
Now, not all restaurants are created equal. Will some folks look at you like you're insane if you hand them one of these? Possibly. But I think most (respectable) restaurants will either honor your request or tell you that they can't, in which case it's better to know ahead of time. Keep your standards high when eating out with a food-allergic person.
A lot of times people don't want to "annoy" waiters by asking for special treatment in restaurants. I've certainly felt that way myself. To paraphrase the newsletter article, you can't assume that restaurant staff will take a food allergy seriously. Don't feel like all you have to say is "If I tell the waitperson that my child can't eat (insert food here) then they'll be OK. I hate to make a fuss."
They suggest that you be specific and say something like: "If my child eats peanuts, even a small amount, he/she will get very sick."
FAAN's website has a Chef Card template that you can use. I downloaded it--it's not a bad idea to take one of these when you go to a restaurant. It allows you to fill in your specific food allergy and it also suggests to the staff how to keep things clean and free from cross-contamination.
Now, not all restaurants are created equal. Will some folks look at you like you're insane if you hand them one of these? Possibly. But I think most (respectable) restaurants will either honor your request or tell you that they can't, in which case it's better to know ahead of time. Keep your standards high when eating out with a food-allergic person.