With an eye on the food allergy community as a unique group of consumers since 2008, we're on a quest to find and share ways to continue enjoying the good things in life.


01 April 2008

Positive Restaurant Reviews for Food Allergy Sufferers

Planning a family trip led me to a search for recommendations of restaurants which are good at handling the special needs of food allergic customers. It appears there is not yet a network where people can share their positive restaurant experiences from the perspective of food allergy sufferers or caregivers. Would food allergy sufferers and parents of food allergic children share their positive restaurant experiences? I would like to begin by offering the first Food Allergy Buzz restaurant review here.

We enjoyed a lovely restaurant experience in June 2007 at McCormick & Schmick's in Philadelphia with our children.  The food was delicious and the service was excellent.  Upon our arrival, we informed the staff of one child's peanut allergy.  The chef came to our table as soon as we were settled in our seats to reassure us that he would personally make whatever we wanted our child to eat and ensure it was free of peanuts and cross-contamination. It was an enjoyable dinner for all of us.

Please share some positive restaurant reviews! Post your information in a comment on this blog. Be sure to provide the name of the restaurant, city and state where the restaurant is located, and a few sentences describing how the food allergy was accommodated and what made it a positive restaurant dining experience for you.  

5 comments:

Jenny said...

This is great! According to my doctor, you must always involve the chef. Waiters are busy and they may not always get the message to the right person. Plus, chefs are more likely to be trained with regard to food allergies.

Unknown said...

I think your doctor is 100% right. We did consider a few other restaurants before selecting McCormick and Schmick's for dinner on that trip. The other restaurants did not send out the chef. In addition, their reactions to inquiries about dining with a peanut allergy did not give me confidence that our needs were understood and that care would be taken. The chef at McCormick & Schmick's really put me at ease, the rest of the staff seemed to show special concern for us, and it was a really good experience.

Jodi said...

I agree - M&S's has been great. Not a national chain - but for anyone reading in the Raleigh/Cary/RTP area - Biaggi's in Cary is also AWESOME with food allergies - the owner's child also has severe allergies, so I was told - and they go to the ends of the earth to ensure safe dining for everyone that comes in!

ruby's jewel said...

I am very happy to read you comments because i was specifically looking for answers to M & S since my husband and I would like to celebrate our 40 th anniversary on July there but in Anaheim, Calif. I normally eat at Romano Macaroni Grill on Montclair, Calif. They are wonderful! Especially Darryl in the bar area! They have a complete allergy menu. Do not listen to the person who seats you on how to read the menu as they have been incorrect many times. The instructions are clear. I am Allergic to cows milk, peanuts, soybeans, Palm oil, canola oil, vegetable oil since they usually contain the previous oils, shellfish, avocados, rasberries,dustmites, and certain plant fungus. My most serious being rasberries!

ruby's jewel said...

I recently posted a comment and upon leaving the site I saw the popcorn and the movie article. I discovered a new allergy at the movies. Obviously no popcorn as I am Allergic to soy which is usually added to the butter on the popcorn! in addition, red vines which has Red #40! Iforgot to include in my last blog comment. Red #40 gives me PVC of my heart. About 86 irregular heart beats in a twenty hour period.