# Special Needs. Not quite a rant. But quite long.



## prairiechef (May 22, 2010)

We care. Honestly, we do. We care that you can't eat shellfish, or gluten. We care that you are allergic to onions in all their variants, and we care that you can't eat pepper.

We care.

But we also run a business. We could make our business all about taking care of special needs, but the fact is, you aren't the only one with a special need. For every coeliac, there's a diabetic, or someone with crohn's. We simply can't keep you all happy. We need to move food… we can't have ingredients sitting in the cooler past their use-by date, and we can't dedicate 10% of our menu space to an item that only gives us 2% of our sales.

Where do we draw the line? Do I need special tables for the very tall? Special seats for the very heavy? Tiny tables for Little People? Perhaps large print menus for those with failing eyesight and braille menus for the blind?

There is a limit to what we are capable of as a business. We need to remain profitable. Unfortunately, it seems that every individual that has a "special need" thinks that if only my restaurant would cater to them, it would be the secret to untold riches. That every coeliac would beat a path to my door, if only I would have more gluten free items. That I would be mecca for diabetics if only I would change my offerings.

It simply doesn't happen. I have seen the stat that 1 in 133 people has some form of coeliac's disease. So let's explore this stat, as it sounds quite high. ( I am going to use coeliacs disease as my example since it's simply the most common comment I hear)

In a city of 800,000 people, that means 6015 people are coeliacs. Spread over (in my case) 9418 squared km. I'm going to speculate that the average diner doesn't want to drive more than 20km to eat (I know I don't), so that means I can draw my customers from 400 square km. Using the average of .64 coeliac's per square km, I've got about 256 possible Coeliacs within "regular" range. How often are they going to come into my restaurant? Once a week? Let's say I get ALL of them in once a week. That would be 1/6 of my customer base. So a decent share of menu space should reflect this. If I have 24 items on my menu, 4 should be gluten-free. My actual menu is 43% gluten free (12/28 items). So, judging by what the average Coeliac says in online forums, I SHOULD be packed with coeliacs. I see about 2 a week. 2/1500. I other words… 0.001% of my customer base. Here's the kicker. I STILL get coeliacs that complain that I don't offer enough choice. Why? Because I don't have the exact item on the menu that they wish I had. 

It's not worth it. I need to cater to the other 99.999% of my customers. Now, that said, that other 99.999% don't seem to mind the GF items, and many quite like them. Great. But, if I replace my GF penne with wheat penne, they aren't going to bat an eye, and I can make more money by doing so. 

We do care. But please, don't berate my staff, or try and "educate" them about your specific requirements. It's boorish and pointless. If you come to our restaurants and can't find anything to eat, please remember, we are a business, not a public service. We have no legal requirement to ensure that we can cater to everyone's individual needs, and we make our choices based on sound financial evidence. Make your voice heard to the manager.. tell them, politely, that you live or work nearby and can't find any decent GF (or diabetic, or vegan etc) items and that you'd become a regular if only there was a bit more. It's the manager's job to crunch the numbers and see if it will work. If not? Well… we're sorry.

In the meantime, I'll keep working on my business plan for my "GF,vegan, diabetic, big and tall, short and small, wheelchair accessible, scent/peanut /shellfish/flower-free, low-calorie" restaurant . I'll be raking in the dough when I open it, right? 

(sorry for the late edit... the deaf don't need braille menus... the blind do.  oops)


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## chefboyarg (Oct 28, 2008)

I agree with you in that it is not up to you to cater to every need out there and people should never berate service staff because a request could be accomodated.

That being said, I do not think it is that unreasonable to have menu items that accomodate the more common allergies/needs. It is not that difficult to come up with a starter/entree for people with celiacs or with something like a shellfish allergy.  An allergy to something like onions or pepper is much more obscure and would be a bit of a stretch. Desserts for people who cannot consume gluten or dairycould be a bit more of a challenge as well.

It would also be more challenging if you operate an establishment that uses a lot of processed foods, as it seems that they tend to contain gluten in one of its many incarnations.

Just my two cents.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

Prairie-that's beautiful.

I love that you did all that number crunching-priceless.

Our shop sells lots of organic, no-sugar, low sugar, alt sugar, juices, smoothies, nutri-boosters and such which seems to draw every dietary and nutri-wacky person in NY.

I wish I coulde please all of them but it's hard to keep up with every diet trend of the moment.

It might be karma, I used to be that way kinda


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## guts (Jun 22, 2011)

Crohn's represent.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I had a salesman come and try and sell me low fat, healthy pasta at about $1.25 a pound (about 3 times as much  what I pay for normal pasta wholesale.) He explained all the good points to me and how it would keep everyone healthy and in top shape .( I'm thinking,If you are sick stay home and eat.)

 My reply to him was""very nice however I am running a food service facility not a health club  or a hospital " He looked at me  thanked me said 'I understand " and left.  Prairie chef, I agree wih you!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

I always thought of it as a challenge to make a buffet or event that would cover...GF, Vegans & omnivores.  One of my best friends has severe gluten allergies and so if she is having an event, I make sure the buffet is all GF.   Rice crackers, corn chips, dolmas, panko in crab cakes, dips/dunks, salads, veg platters.....nothing that would cross contaminate a communal dish....easy enough and most people don't realize that it is in fact GF.   

Probably the biggest challenge was a GF vegan wedding @ a synagog.  Was the middle of summer, so lots of fresh produce was available.....I discovered Earth Balance, decent alternative.  EVO covers a whole lot of ground.

Many times a gluten free person chooses the restaurant for the whole group....and shares with their gf friends, doctors etc....it's another marketing tool too.

But, I'm with you on rudeness....so not cool to tie up waitstaff or a kitchen being extra whiny.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

oh yeah, sorbet or poached fruit crosses a whole lotta needs.....dieters, GF, diabetics, etc.....Sounds lame, but I've sold a ton of poached pears with caramel sauce and amaretti for high end events...works well.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

S


PrairieChef said:


> There is a limit to what we are capable of as a business. We need to remain profitable. Unfortunately, it seems that every individual that has a "special need" thinks that if only my restaurant would cater to them, it would be the secret to untold riches. That every coeliac would beat a path to my door, if only I would have more gluten free items. That I would be mecca for diabetics if only I would change my offerings.


OOohboy do I hear you. Everyone has a suggestion, and if I don't adopt their wunnerful ideas immediately, I'm a lousy business operator. So I smile and nod, but inside my opinions are screaming to get out.

*Q: Y'know, you should have organic/fairtrade chocolate"*

_(me, thinking).... Y'know, I don't think you know what orifice you are talking out of. If I go f.t/organic, my bulk chocolate cost will go up by almost 90%, and the taste isn't really all that great But then, what's the sense of using organic couverture if the rest of my ingredients aren't? So, let's say I go all-out organic, now my costs are well over 130% from my original sales price. My packaging will not accomodate that kind of a price jump, I have to go high end to reflect that kind of price increase, so new packaging too. And don't you think I can survive with just walk-in customers, the bulk of my sales are with the indie stores, they'll drop me like a festering dog turd if I increase 130% overnight... _

But no, what I say is " Yes, that's something to consider"....

*Q: Why don't you sell brand x packaged chocolates? * I get this one alot from sales reps

_...Because, you moron, everyone else is: All the chain drugstores and supermarkets, heck, even most of the convienience stores--you should know, you sold 'em that stuff. Those boys buy by the pallett, and pay far cheaper than what I can get it for. So if I did sell that stuff, I'd have to compete on price and I'd loose, big time...._

"Ah, that's an idea, but not at this time"

*Q: How come you don't sell vegan milk chocolates? *

_...Doh!! you (deleted) (deleted)! What's the first (deleted) word in Milk chocolate? Are you just looking for an excuse to back out of buying something, or are you really that stupid? _

"No vegan milk chocoaltes yet, but try the 70% dark, no dairy in those."

*Q: So, how's business?*

_...Gee golly whizz! Pull up a chair and I'll tell you all I know! But first, tell me a little about yourself: What's your visa #? How much do you have stashed away in the ol' savings account? Do you own your own home??????_

"Business? Never a dull moment"

*Q: What kind of chocolates are those with the little pistachio on them?*

_...Y'know, I have to quote Bill Watterson on that one: "Boy, Suzie, your hairstyle does a good job on covering up that frontal lobotamy scar"...._

"Those would be pistachio, M'am".

There! That felt better....


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

OK. This is NOT a wise-crack reply. I think most of you know that I do a lot of vegetarian/vegan stuff. That's how come I know about this stuff. I'm noy sayin', I'm just sayin'.

*Go Dairy Free | Vegan "Milk" Chocolate Bars Met with Enthusiasm ...*

 Milk chocolate without the dairy, this organic bar blends the richness of Terra Nostra chocolate with creamy rice milk. Absolutely delicious in vegan s'mores! Fair Trade Certified, Kosher & Gluten-Free. Available in 3 flavors- Ricemilk, Ricemilk Truffle and Ricemilk Almond.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic cocoa powder, organic partially hydrolyzed rice powder, organic cocoa mass, organic hazelnuts, natural algae, organic vanilla extract, salt

*Vegan Milk Chocolate - Moo Free*


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Yeah, I've seen the stuff, and some it it's not that bad.  But it's not milk chocolate if it doesn't have milk in it, hence the name.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

OK, _semantics_. It is milk chocolate. The milk product is a grain milk processed from rice. It can easily be used in many recipes as an alternative to traditional cow's milk. It's still milk.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

IceMan said:


> OK, _semantics_. It is milk chocolate. The milk product is a grain milk processed from rice. It can easily be used in many recipes as an alternative to traditional cow's milk. It's still milk.


if you say so, IceMan, however, the wrapper clearly states "Ricemilk", not milk.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Pete I agree  Milk to me is a dairy product.  The only other product over the years that I have known is coconut milk, which is actually a juice. We now have rice, almond, cashew, and you name it milk . I believe they use the term milk so as to convince consumers that this stuff takes the place of mikl. Which they really do not. Pretty soon we will have carrot , peas and brussel sprout milk. Not to mention cola and beer milk.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Got semantics. Milk it for all it's worth.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

*Exactly.* The word is "rice_MILK_". It's not ricewine, or ricevinegar, or Rice-A-Roni. Rice*MILK*, as I have said before, is a grain milk product, processed from rice. It's still milk. _LOL. _

_By the way ... _go look up _"Rice-A-Roni"_. It's got a heck of a story. A really cool product.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I will classify rice liquid as rice extract since it is extracted from cooking rice.  Again they want you and all other consumers to believe it takes the place of milk., because that is how it is being marketed.(The alternative ?)


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## guts (Jun 22, 2011)

Didn't take long for this thread to go entirely off topic.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

IceMan,

I respectfully disagree, milk is an animal product. There are numerous liquids that are used to replace or substitute for milk, but they are not milk, they ALL are imitation milk at best. If you do not want to consume milk, then do not consume milk. But do not attempt to claim that imitation milk is the same as milk.

If you research carefully, you will determine that there is no such thing as a "grain milk product", except in the minds of advertising executives. Of course, you have every right to believe advertising executives if you so choose.

BTW, semantics: the study of meanings milk: 1:a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for nourishment of their young, 2: a liquid like milk in appearance



IceMan said:


> *...*Rice*MILK*, as I have said before, is a grain milk product, processed from rice. It's still milk. ...


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_*Pete*_ ... disagree with whatever you want. I'm just making fun of a situation. This entire thread belongs here: *Food/Food Culture Pet Peeves*. We work in a _"service industry"_. It's just my own silly opinion, but almost everything said here so far needs to be accepted and dealt with. If with nothing more then those really good answers _"Yes, that's something to consider ...."_ and _"Ah, that's an idea, but not at this time.". _Maybe just get over it. So many claimed _"problems"_ can actually be handled for the happiness of customers without any pain to the bottom line. And please note that I just said _"many",_ not all.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

IceMan, point taken.

There is one, rather important IMHO, concern I have when discussing any particular subject, there must be a clear and concise understanding of the meaning of the words used in an objective sense, otherwise the subjective variation will lead to differing perceptions which negate the ability to communicate clearly.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_Huh? ... What? _


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

That is what I thought /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif



IceMan said:


> _Huh? ... What? _


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## cookers (Jun 11, 2011)

I've had customers who ask for certain items and I do my best to give them the product that they want. In most cases though, the product comes back with a word from the customer telling me how terrible our restaurant is and we should have this and that. So this is the part where I tell the server that this person is full of crap, was trapped in a bubble as a child and more than likely doesn't have an allergy or disease, and they should leave our restaurant and never come back. 

However I feel the ones who actually do have some type of allergy/disease will appreciate the effort. Recently I had a gluten free guy come in and the server was asking me about every item on the menu. I thought to myself, ''Oh another one of these clowns.'' In the end, the guy asked for just a minor modification to one of our dishes and he was happy with it. The server came back and told me the guy said the food was great, but was bummed because none of our desserts were gluten free. Because he was an honest humble guy, I went out of my way and made him something and didn't even charge him (It literally costs probably 2$ at most to make). 

In a recent study, it said anywhere from 20-30 percent of people claim they have a food allergy when really less than 5% of people do.


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## pirate-chef (Jan 25, 2012)

The concept of the restaurant I currently work in is very high end and you come in and are given an amuse to start and basically have a choice of 5+ courses depending on what you would like, also paired with wine if you wish. The concept runs great we ask at the beginning if there is anything that people dislike, do not eat, are allergic to. Over the time of my employment the stats have risen with the number of plates we need to modify. correct me if im wrong but i have been told lately by a number of very high ranking chefs that there is something that actually makes it impossible to be allergic to cooked onions/garlic. raw yes but cooked no so when people claim this its a blatant dislike and lie. The most painful though is people who make it through 5 -6 normal courses then ( become vegetarian, allergic to something etc which they have already eaten in a number of the other courses happily) or the people who are allergic to things like milk protein or are extremely lactose intolerant then we catch them spreading butter all over the brioche bread ( after we have made them special bread for the meal) or asking for milk to go in their coffee after we have re built an entire menu of say 5-9 courses each of which on average has 9 components. This has driven me to the point of loosing respect for most "allergies, vegetarians, vegans basically people being picky about food to draw more attention to themselves or just to make a fuss about something. call me rude but If you fall into this category I would rather have you not come in than to have you whine through a meal and disturb the rest of my dining public.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

I don't know. Maybe I'm a dinosaur, or maybe just goofy. I'll generally make and serve, with very little exception, anything _Joe Customer_ is willing to pay for. _Joe_ might have to wait a little longer. I won't comp anything that _Joe_ decides he doesn't like or if _Joe_ changes his mind. _Joe_ also better tip my staff well. I guess it's the simple _capitalist_ in me. Money and return business kinda does that to me. I'm funny like that.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

That is very gracious and noble of you IceMan as well as having good business sense.

I have a small problem doing the same though, I neither have the storage space nor the pocketbook to afford an inventory that includes:

alternatives to dairy products
a multitude of non-animal proteins
a variety of vegetable products that are not used for regular menu items
nor the luxury of sufficient space to insure freedom from the specter of cross-contamination.

If I have the food stock available, no problem. Otherwise, there is a problem.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Pirate-chef said:


> correct me if im wrong but i have been told lately by a number of very high ranking chefs that there is something that actually makes it impossible to be allergic to cooked onions/garlic. raw yes but cooked no so when people claim this its a blatant dislike and lie.


Reminds me of the time I worked in this cute little Italian place. One of the "regs" was a high end sales rep who would wine and dine his clients. Some days he'd be "allergic" to garlic in any way, shape, or form. Other days he'd be "allergic" to alcohol, but garlic was no problem. The waitress and I finally figured it out, when he was allergic to garlic, he was entertaining Japanese clients, and when allergic to booze, it was Muslim clients. He did tip well, so it was tolerated.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

Garlic and onion sensitivities are real. While they are not "allergies" in the true sense of the word, there are chemical compounds in the allium family of vegetables that cause some people extreme gastrointestinal distress. I have several friends, including my Mom, who suffer from this whether the onions are cooked or not.


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## pirate-chef (Jan 25, 2012)

Food thank you for clearing that up for me. I had heard it a few times lately and it was the first i had ever heard of it. The sad thing is most of it i have encountered was the basis of someone having a business meeting etc....


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## dardeau (Jan 8, 2012)

What the place i work does is ask for diet info on resos so there is time to plan. this has resulted in the business described by the ops customer. some vegan website has listed our very meat centered restaurant as being friendly WITH advance notice so we get a significant numbef of vegetarians and vegans. and the advance notice allows for planning, making accomodating their needs easier.


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## pirate-chef (Jan 25, 2012)

That is also the way that we run. we request any dietary before hand so we can make sure to match the courses etc. Again tonight we had someone come in after booking a week in advance, and confirming the booking and that there were " no dietary issues" they showed up and turns out one of the people is allergic to any fruit including citrus. at the moment this is a good portion of our menu so reworking 7 courses alaminute is not the best thing to do mid service, it also came out at the end of the meal that she works in the industry as well and couldnt have the decency to give us a heads up! I have lost faith in people completely.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

IMO, she gets what you got at that point.


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## alergkvegtarian (Feb 8, 2012)

As an owner of a website that deals with many unusual food allergies, I feel inclined to comment. I do understand that the bottom line is profit. However, there is some things you can do that can accommodate those special needs so that they at least have something they can eat.

1) Rice is GF and in its raw form keeps for ages. It's also Top 12 Common food allergy free in most countries, except probably Asia.

2) Most diabetics would be better of going Vegan. It will reverse their diabetes as well. A quick "Ice Milk" substitute for Ice Cream can be made with low sugar flavouring, ice cubes and milk blended in a blender.

3) Tofu can be frozen, then unthawed as needed. I'd slice them into thin cubes first before freezing. Sure, the texture changes, but most Vegan's/Vegetarians won't mind.

4) A quick Onion/Garlic Free tomato sauce can be made by simply tossing tomatoes in a blender then adding in Sweet Basil, cilantro and rosemary. Add in a little cayenne and pour over rice and you have a quick GF spaghetti on the cheap.

5) Nightshade free too? Puree beets and carrots instead. 3 part beets to 1 part carrots, approximately. Use Ginger in place of the cayenne. Add in extra Sweet basil (gives it a meatier taste too!), plus cilantro (or oregano) and rosemary, and you're done.

The Numbers:

1) MOST people who are anaphylactic do not dare eat out because they have been in and out of hospitals due to cross-contamination issues and can't risk having to use an epi-pen one more time, as it might be their last. This is why you don't see most of them.

2) Celiac/ GF people can very easily be accommodated. Tinkyada's rice noodles can be kept on hand and do not need refrigeration. Also, they are the number one ranked GF noodle. I've yet to find a GF person who didn't rave about them. However, most GF people are unaware of restaurants that accommodate GF people. One website is trying to rectify this and get the word out.

3) 1 in 250 people have a rare food allergy. And, many people with common allergies also has a rare food allergy or intolerance. However, most people with a rare food allergy, who does not have any other food allergies/intoelrances are unaware of their allergy because have never ate the vegetable and have refused to eat it. I avoided Radishes for many a year. As an adult, I took a couple sips of a pop with radish in it, and had a mild anaphylactic reaction. It required inhaler and antihistamine. I now carry an epi-pen. I did not know I was allergic to radish.

4) Not everyone who is special needs, is actually from your town. Sometimes, they are on holiday or on business. It would be brilliant if more restaurant owners could understand this and come up with 1 item we can eat.

Being allergic/ severely intolerant to the entire Mustard/Cabbage family, Avian family, Lily family, GF and Beef  and loving to travel, I find eating out a lesson in intolerance. However, I do not expect with my allergies/intolerance to get a awesome meal. I'd be happy if I could just get GF Fish and baked potato. Rice would be really cool as most places aren't going to have GF noodles. I would even be happy with head lettuce slopped on a plate and called food. Tomatoes would be an added bonus. Yes, I DO react to too many foods. LOL


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

AlergkVegtarian said:


> A quick "Ice Milk" substitute for Ice Cream can be made with low sugar flavouring, ice cubes and milk blended in a blender.


 That doesn't even sound like dessert. Glad I only have lactose intolerance.


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## alergkvegtarian (Feb 8, 2012)

That is actually for those who need low sugar. For lactose/ dairy free, I would use Rice Milk or Soy Milk depending on what other allergy I was dealing with - assuming I did not have Soy Ice cream on stock. Also, for someone not doing low sugar, I'd add fruit. Banana would even be good.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I've not read the answers to this but I need to reply first as a diner and second as a cook..

I am allergic/intolerant to eggs and I have to really watch when we eat out because if I am not careful I'll be spending about twelve or so hours driving the porcelain bus and trust me that is NOT fun and something to be missed at any cost..

As a diner I ask lots of questions so I know for sure I am eating something that will not make me ill..

As a cook... I want to make sure my patrons will enjoy their meal and I go out of my way to make sure what I serve them is totally safe for them to consume...


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

leeniek said:


> ...I go out of my way to make sure what I serve them is totally safe for them to consume....


Absolutely!

And when you do not have the inventory to provide alternatives or the facilities available to prepare/cook the alternatives in a safe, timely manner, or the knowledge to meet their needs, you probably politely inform them. That makes sense.

For a prospective customer to expect that EVERY restaurant or food service facility is capable of meeting their specific needs or wants is absurd!


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## pirate-chef (Jan 25, 2012)

Sorry a last one to share... Tonight mid valentines rush we had a guest arrive " absolutely allergic to chicken, chicken stock or broth basically all bird.) notice of about 5 min on a set 10 course menu although when the foie course ( #7) came along it was suddenly fine.


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## shaunmac (Nov 3, 2011)

I understand where your rant is coming from. I'm only a link cook but have still had to deal with GF allergies, and the one that I found was ridiculous was a seafood allergy and the biggest seafood restaurant in the state right on the ocean. I understand it from another angle too, having a sever nut allergy. I can't eat any nuts, except for peanuts which apparently are a legume more than a nut. Its not as sever of an allergy as people who can't have peanuts or peanut oil. However very often when I go out to eat there are salads that contain nuts or deserts that I have to ask if they contain nuts, and if the wait staff "aren't 100% sure" as they so often aren't I simply don't order that dish. I could never make a big scene or huge deal about not being able to have something. Now I know a GF allergy is much different than mine, but I don't get the complaining. Also I hate when people make up allergies. Mine is life threatening, I have had one nut in my life one time, a cashew. It landed me in the hospital and I almost died. One of my close friends makes up an allergy all the time. He was a crack baby and apparently can't have the main ingredient in tylenol or advil or things of the sort. But every so often he'll say hes allergic to nuts, or one day it was fava beans. I've seen him eat nuts and he would not know what a fava bean was if it threw it at him. He claims he got a blood test when he was young like 5 ish that tested him for a bunch of different things. I've had the same test but what he doesn't know is unless you have had that food your blood won't react with it to show positively that you are allergic to it. I don't know a lot of orphan crack babies eating fava beans before 5 years old. I don't know why people make up allergies. Having an allergy sucks, I couldn't even imagine being allergic to peanut oil or living a gluten free lifestyle. /rant


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## alergkvegtarian (Feb 8, 2012)

Pirate-chef said:


> Sorry a last one to share... Tonight mid valentines rush we had a guest arrive " absolutely allergic to chicken, chicken stock or broth basically all bird.) notice of about 5 min on a set 10 course menu although when the foie course ( #7) came along it was suddenly fine.


Liars who pretend to be allergic drive US with life threatening allergies absolutely up the tree! We are trying to convince them that it just endangerous us and makes people think we are just trying to annoy the nice chef. Also, those of us with a clue, try our hardest to never go to restaurants with our allergies during any rush period. We also try to give notice, especially when it matters.

About crack babies or anyone who has done severe damage to the brain through street drugs: This damage can cause people to do or say foolish things. Intensive therapy can help, but even that can't always erase all the damage.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

If you have a food allergy, you should carry a Chef's Card for Food Allergies: http://www.foodallergy.org/files/ChefCard_Interactive.pdf to present to the server *when you are seated!*

*Here's another one: http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/7512*


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## alergkvegtarian (Feb 8, 2012)

PeteMcCracken said:


> If you have a food allergy, you should carry a Chef's Card for Food Allergies: http://www.foodallergy.org/files/ChefCard_Interactive.pdf to present to the server *when you are seated!*
> 
> *Here's another one: http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/7512*


I so agree! I wish more people would carry Allergy cards.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I know what to avoid and if I'm in doubt I'll ask the server to check with the chef if there are any eggs in what I'm about to order.   I've never had anyone give me attitude over that and most of the time they go out of their way to help me and make sure my meal is safe for me to consume.

e


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

If you have a computer ,type in all your alergies. shrink the document and make copies. Carry in your wallet and give to server. It is also good to carry in your wallet along with what drugs you DO TAKE in event you are in accident or some grave situation wher you can't communicate.


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## rsteve (May 3, 2007)

IceMan said:


> I'll generally make and serve, with very little exception, anything _Joe Customer_ is willing to pay for. _Joe_ might have to wait a little longer. I won't comp anything that _Joe_ decides he doesn't like or if _Joe_ changes his mind. _Joe_ also better tip my staff well. I guess it's the simple _capitalist_ in me. Money and return business kinda does that to me. I'm funny like that.


That's the kind of _funny_ that results in success. Every day restaurants fail...every day. To succeed, you have to usually give a little bit more of yourself than the next guy. We all know that you can't satisfy the needs of every potential customer. But, I think it's the rare diner with whom you can't work to get a reasonably successful result.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_WOW_. It's interesting for a change, that somebody noticed what I posted, and made a complimentary comment on top of that. _*Thank You*._ I've had the fortune that any place that I've owned/run was in Chicagoland. That being the case, I'm lucky to have had local purveyors of really good stuff close by and available quickly; even good simple grocery stores. There have been times that I've shoved a _$20-spot_ in _Danny the Dishwasher_'s hand and sent him down the street to pick something up. I can understand how that just aint's all so easy in many other places. When people have made reservation enough in advance, it's been no big deal to make things off the menu when asked. That has happened a lot when somebody wants to come in on _Friday_, and wants to have/enjoy _Monday's special_. That really screws things up when other customers see it and ask WTF? _LOL @ Me when that happens._


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

None of these are milk. They are companies seeking to sell their product under the guise of milk, so to pursuade the consumer that these things are a substitute for real milk , which they are not, Soy,Rice, Almond, Cashew, Coconut are not milks, they are the water or  juice or extracts  of the item and will not replace whole  milk. Let us start by useing correct termonologies.


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