Restaurants.... Eating Out....

[Guest guest]

I think this whole McD thing is going to make it very difficult for

the Celiac and Food Allergy people to continue getting what they ask

for when they eat out. And with the recent sue happy people looking

in my opinion for an argument and money, the situation is only going

to get worse IMO.

I went into Apple B's with my Celiac son last Wed in NoVA. I was

having trouble with the menu options, we don't eat out much. I handed

the 'card' to the waitress and explained I needed some help choosing

something my son would eat. She came back with the manager who seemed

to be telling me they could not accomidate us, but wasn't really

kicking us out.

The manager stated that the brush used to clean the grill is used for

all cleanings of the grill and it could not be guarenteed that the

meat would be gluten free. She also told me the veggies were all

preseasoned except for broccoli. [My dh has printed the restaurant

guide for me that day, but didn't give it to me when I met him at his

office. So, I was flying blind so to speak.]

My son ended up with broccoli which he ate 3 bites of. And I felt

like I might be asked to sign a liability agreement if he got sick

that I would not sue.

It was a very uncomfortable feeling for me. I have ordered in

Chili's, Ruby Tuesdays and Shoney's without feeling like I was putting

them out or that they did not want the risk of us eating there.

If it weren't for the fact I didn't see any other place for us to go

in an area of VA that I am so completely uncomfortable driving in b/c

I don't know my way around and there is little kindness shown on the

road (if you are in a lane that ends or goes someplace unexpected) --

I would have said " thank you, I feel that you do not want us to eat

here for liability reasons, so we will leave. Please bring me a check

for the drinks we ordered. "

We were back out that way last night and my dh was driving. He wanted

to eat out, but I was not up for the frustration or the risk. We

headed home, it's over an hour from NoVA to home. I had some fruit

and some chips that the kids ate at 7:30pm and we got a bite of

something at home finally at 8:45pm. It would have been nice to find

something that I felt was safe for our son, but knowing how kitchens

operate and how they are staffed -- I'm just not willing to put my

child at risk, especially at peak eating times. [We went into a Mex

rest, the wait was over an hour, so we left.]

I used to feel it was wrong to bring your own food into an eating

establishment. I'm getting over that feeling. I've done it 1X for my

son since the dx. I hate to give him food from home when everyone

else has something new and interesting, but from what I've observed,

he would prefer Mom's kitchen safety, then eating out -- he's 3 and

refuses to eat when we eat out -- he's smart IMO.

I thought going out would be a good skill to teach him since he has

Celiac Disease and will be the one as a teen and young adult who may

want to go out with friends and not be weird bring his own food etc.

But I'm beginning to think that maybe it is better to teach him to

bring his own special food, maybe something that is a treat and learn

that with his disorder that it is perfectly okay to order a drink and

pull out your meal and teach him not to feel strange about it. As for

peers, true friends would not critize him of this or tease him, they

would accept this about him and may even enjoy seeing what he brings

this time.

I think the best skill I can teach him is cooking GF and teach him the

art of entertaining his friends at his home or apartment with home

cooked foods. [i truly hope he doesn't want dorm life b/c I'm

preparing now to be able to help him with an apt near campus, neither

my husband or I did dorm life. And my sister truly hated it.]

Even Samples at Costco are difficult. I asked the lady for a sample

of the meat without the cracker, she slapped it down on the crumb

covered plate even though I had my hand out. I thought that was just

rude and nearly had tears in my eyes b/c my little boy wanted some --

his brother and sister had some. My dh (got to love him) explained

that he could not have the meat if it touched the crumbs. And she

gave us like 3 pieced for him. As my dh continued to explain CD to

her, she gave us a few more. I had been watching her before I asked,

she was using a two hand method, 1 gloved for meat and 1 gloved for

crackers and the two were not touching.

Well, anyway, I don't see Celiacs being accepted nicely in restaurants

anymore.

Rejoyce

Winchester, VA

[Guest guest]

I basically had the same experience at Applebee's that you did it

sounds like. Needless to say, we won't be eating there anymore.

They seemed like they just wanted us to leave.

>

> I think this whole McD thing is going to make it very difficult for

> the Celiac and Food Allergy people to continue getting what they

ask

> for when they eat out. And with the recent sue happy people

looking

> in my opinion for an argument and money, the situation is only

going

> to get worse IMO.

>

> I went into Apple B's with my Celiac son last Wed in NoVA. I was

> having trouble with the menu options, we don't eat out much. I

handed

> the 'card' to the waitress and explained I needed some help

choosing

> something my son would eat. She came back with the manager who

seemed

> to be telling me they could not accomidate us, but wasn't really

> kicking us out.

>

> The manager stated that the brush used to clean the grill is used

for

> all cleanings of the grill and it could not be guarenteed that the

> meat would be gluten free. She also told me the veggies were all

> preseasoned except for broccoli. [My dh has printed the restaurant

> guide for me that day, but didn't give it to me when I met him at

his

> office. So, I was flying blind so to speak.]

>

> My son ended up with broccoli which he ate 3 bites of. And I felt

> like I might be asked to sign a liability agreement if he got sick

> that I would not sue.

>

> It was a very uncomfortable feeling for me. I have ordered in

> Chili's, Ruby Tuesdays and Shoney's without feeling like I was

putting

> them out or that they did not want the risk of us eating there.

>

> If it weren't for the fact I didn't see any other place for us to

go

> in an area of VA that I am so completely uncomfortable driving in

b/c

> I don't know my way around and there is little kindness shown on

the

> road (if you are in a lane that ends or goes someplace

unexpected) --

> I would have said " thank you, I feel that you do not want us to eat

> here for liability reasons, so we will leave. Please bring me a

check

> for the drinks we ordered. "

>

> We were back out that way last night and my dh was driving. He

wanted

> to eat out, but I was not up for the frustration or the risk. We

> headed home, it's over an hour from NoVA to home. I had some fruit

> and some chips that the kids ate at 7:30pm and we got a bite of

> something at home finally at 8:45pm. It would have been nice to

find

> something that I felt was safe for our son, but knowing how

kitchens

> operate and how they are staffed -- I'm just not willing to put my

> child at risk, especially at peak eating times. [We went into a

Mex

> rest, the wait was over an hour, so we left.]

>

> I used to feel it was wrong to bring your own food into an eating

> establishment. I'm getting over that feeling. I've done it 1X

for my

> son since the dx. I hate to give him food from home when everyone

> else has something new and interesting, but from what I've

observed,

> he would prefer Mom's kitchen safety, then eating out -- he's 3 and

> refuses to eat when we eat out -- he's smart IMO.

>

> I thought going out would be a good skill to teach him since he has

> Celiac Disease and will be the one as a teen and young adult who

may

> want to go out with friends and not be weird bring his own food

etc.

> But I'm beginning to think that maybe it is better to teach him to

> bring his own special food, maybe something that is a treat and

learn

> that with his disorder that it is perfectly okay to order a drink

and

> pull out your meal and teach him not to feel strange about it. As

for

> peers, true friends would not critize him of this or tease him,

they

> would accept this about him and may even enjoy seeing what he

brings

> this time.

>

> I think the best skill I can teach him is cooking GF and teach him

the

> art of entertaining his friends at his home or apartment with home

> cooked foods. [i truly hope he doesn't want dorm life b/c I'm

> preparing now to be able to help him with an apt near campus,

neither

> my husband or I did dorm life. And my sister truly hated it.]

>

> Even Samples at Costco are difficult. I asked the lady for a

sample

> of the meat without the cracker, she slapped it down on the crumb

> covered plate even though I had my hand out. I thought that was

just

> rude and nearly had tears in my eyes b/c my little boy wanted

some --

> his brother and sister had some. My dh (got to love him) explained

> that he could not have the meat if it touched the crumbs. And she

> gave us like 3 pieced for him. As my dh continued to explain CD to

> her, she gave us a few more. I had been watching her before I

asked,

> she was using a two hand method, 1 gloved for meat and 1 gloved for

> crackers and the two were not touching.

>

> Well, anyway, I don't see Celiacs being accepted nicely in

restaurants

> anymore.

>

> Rejoyce

> Winchester, VA

>

[Guest guest]

I've heard that in Europe, it's been possible to order off of a

gluten free menu in restaurants for years. Even Mc's offers

gluten free buns (along with their GF? fries) in some European

countries.

I think our problem in the states is poor detection and recognition

among Western medical doctors. If 1:133 of individuals with the

disease would be diagnosed, along with all the wheat allergic

individuals and all the kids with autism (1:150) then that would be a

larger percentage of the general population in need of wheat/gluten

free meals. Face it we don't live in an isolated society anymore...I

don't exactly have a milk cow outside, nor a vegetable garden or a

hen house so even in the grocery we're dependent on full disclosure

on labels for our " home cooked " meals. Plus people are travelling

like never before. Business travel seems to be the norm and these

people all have to eat. I mean how hard could it be to keep a 2nd

clean grill brush in the kitchen, educate a manager/chef on staff

about food allergies/intolerances (which have grown substantially by

the way) or even keep an Ian's/Amy's frozen dinner in the freezer for

a hungry traveler??

(These companies should learn that they are going to be held

accountable for false labelling and if sueing is the only way to do

it, then so be it.)

Vicki (first time poster)

>