 Dining Cards
Ok, this thread is great and I have encountered many servers with that glazed-over look, [smile]. I think there are benefits to listing unsafe ingredients, well because as WE know, gluten creeps into everything and people are always amazed at what gluten is found in.
On the other hand, while speaking the word 'allergy' does strike some law-suit fear, this does not always register, especially at restaurants that are not particularly equipped to handle restrictions or whose staff and chefs are not educated on the topic. So while we continue, what I believe is our obligation to promote awareness, we still need to be aware that all of our efforts to educate and provide information, by way of restriction list, do not always translate (5 years working in NYC food and drink industry).
When it's peak hour and the kitchen is in the weeds, the chef has less time to read and this creates the opportunity for error. Don't get me wrong, we are paying for a meal and that should be provided to suit our needs but we need to be active participants in order to mitigate slip-ups. I think having different cards (maybe two) one for more refined restaurants that are sensitive to allergies, could have a restriction list, and the other for more questionable restaurants, could have default recipes, simple as can be. Recipes speak their language in the most expedient way possible.
Unfortunately, chefs are not taught about the many manifestations of gluten, this language may be foreign to them. So, I agree that talking to someone directly IS effective, but having default cards handy is an excellent way to supplement this and educate. Who knows, they may keep the card and share it with the staff, or post it somewhere, or even institute some type of workshop on GF cooking and awareness.
In the end, we are the best judge of the restaurant and the ability for it to cater to our needs but there is a strong argument for the card in that is supplements, and will prevent and already busy server or chef from forgetting any vital information that we just shared with them.
Card: simple definition of Celiac Disease (one sentence), simple recipes with specific directions (e.g., nothing pre-made, clean cookware and utensils, olive oil only, x spice(s) only, and please keep my plate away from all other dishes to avoid cross contamination.) Thank you for taking so much care in expertly preparing my dish. (A little vote of confidence).
Sorry for the long post, let me know what you think.
Cheers!
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05-31-2009, 12:50 PM
diet cards 
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