The Ins and Outs of Eating Out

I'll admit that I'm a creature of habit. When I find something I like I have a tendancy to just stick with it until something forces me (often times kicking and screaming) to try something new. That's one habit that's been challenged over the last 6 months! What I'm rapidly finding is that, with so many limits on what I can eat, the repetitive eating thing= misery. It just reminds me of all the things I can't eat, which never leads to anywhere good (usually to the first bag of allergy safe junk available). Getting creative is the only option to combat this problem, and at home with my own ingredients it's a fun and easy activity.

Out in the real world though? That can be a totally different ball game.

I'm finding that the nicer the restaurant the easier it is to have a safe, healthy and tasty meal. Standard mid range sit downs are usually pretty easy to navigate with only a minimal amount of worrying about kitchen screw ups (although Clyde's in Chevy Chase did bring out my entree accidentally cooked in dairy. The waiter came racing out of the kitchen just after my first bite to take it away. Kind of thought they should have comped the meal for that....) Sports bars on the otherhand are more scary. This Saturday I went out with friends to watch the Final Four Playoffs at Buffalo Billiards in Dupont. I'd been to this place once before, albeit pre-Gluten/Dairy allergies, so I new that A) there were options that I could ask to be modified, and B) the food prep facilities there weren't top of the line. It's a typical sports bar, so they just have the most standard, basic fry kitchens. That was enough to set my nerves on edge as we started to place our orders. My last gluten reaction is recent enough that the thought of a kitchen screw up was enough to make my skin crawl! I asked for the salmon filet sandwhich without the bun or fries, plus grilled mushrooms and onions. Our waitress seemed really reluctant about the whole food allergy thing, even after I handed her the little printed out gluten allergy card I got from Food Buddy. Not usually a good sign when having it spelled out in writing still makes someone squimish about serving you. When the food came out, though, all was well. Not a speck of gluten in sight and the dish was awesome (even without the bread and fried sides....) I had made sure to pack some gluten free falafel chips from Whole Foods in my purse incase the loss of french fries was just too much, but in the end the fillet was so big I was kind of glad it was all I got!

The food allergy card seems to work most of the time, but I'm still getting the hang of how to effectively communicate and negotiate with the waiters while eating out. Part of it is that I hate asking for exceptions or being assertive. I definitely want to hear if anyone has good suggestions or experiences for that one!

With apologies to my Duke loving friends.....GO BUTLER!!!!