Restaurants (was: Gluten in Solaray products)

[Guest guest]

Your comment about restaurants reminded me of an experience I've had

many times. Have any of y'all experienced this? I usually start off

conversations about my diet by saying I can't have wheat or gluten,

since it at least gives those who don't know what gluten is a

reference point and makes it more likely that they'll give me more

accurate information. On more than one occasion, however, I've had

servers tell me that I could eat the bread they served *because it is

made from white flour, not wheat flour!* They had no idea white flour

*is* wheat flour. It truly amazes me how little we as a population

know about our food system, and this is just one of many examples.

 

Erin

 

 

On Jun 6, 2008, at 5:03 PM, Jae Jones wrote:

 

> Sadly, a lot of times when you call a company to get answers, the

> people

> answering the phones are clueless about gluten, what it is and what

> it means

> to us! I've even been in stores where the people in charge don't

> even know

> what gluten is or what products they carry! And don't even get me

> started on

> the incompetence of restaurants! It is very frustrating when looking

> for

> answers. With supplements as well, you have to watch out for gelatin

> capsules.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I know exactly what you mean! Once, after going through a 10 minute crash

course with the waitress and her going back and forth with the chef to

ensure my meal was gluten free, she brings me a salad with croutons! Then

you get, " well if you don't like them you can just pick them off. " You really

want to slap people at that point! I once had to send a salad back 3 times

before they got it write. That was at a different place. Then once I ordered

a salad at eat n park, which traditionally is a chicken portabella salad but

I ordered no chicken, croutons, bread or cheese. The waitress brings out

every part of the salad, bread and croutons included, all in separate bowls.

I at least appreciated the effort to separate everything to make sure I

didn't have something wrong in the mix. I had a hard time not laughing at

that one. One a different occasions there though I did have one waitress

serve me 2 sweet rolls as if they where gluten free. I ended up writing to

them because of many messed up orders, and they sent me a $20 gift card,

which I thought was a nice gesture. I've gone back there recently and the

staff has been much better at dealing with the whole gluten free thing, so

I'm sure they have educated their staff more. Apparently they only had a

poster in the kitchen, but the staff really wasn't educated on it. I think

anybody working with food should be aware of all the common food allergies

and be able to accommodate or apologise to the person at the start if they

can't, so you can leave and go elsewhere. If you experience frequent

problems at the same place, talk to the manager and write a letter to the

main headquarters about the incompetence of the staff and the severity of a

food allergy. Make sure you include that people can die and they can be sued

in your letter. That always motivates them to take action!

Good luck with your future dining adventures!

 

Jae

 

On Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 11:46 AM, Erin <erin_tigs wrote:

 

> Your comment about restaurants reminded me of an experience I've had

> many times. Have any of y'all experienced this? I usually start off

> conversations about my diet by saying I can't have wheat or gluten,

> since it at least gives those who don't know what gluten is a

> reference point and makes it more likely that they'll give me more

> accurate information. On more than one occasion, however, I've had

> servers tell me that I could eat the bread they served *because it is

> made from white flour, not wheat flour!* They had no idea white flour

> *is* wheat flour. It truly amazes me how little we as a population

> know about our food system, and this is just one of many examples.

>

> Erin

>

> On Jun 6, 2008, at 5:03 PM, Jae Jones wrote:

>

> > Sadly, a lot of times when you call a company to get answers, the

> > people

> > answering the phones are clueless about gluten, what it is and what

> > it means

> > to us! I've even been in stores where the people in charge don't

> > even know

> > what gluten is or what products they carry! And don't even get me

> > started on

> > the incompetence of restaurants! It is very frustrating when looking

> > for

> > answers. With supplements as well, you have to watch out for gelatin

> > capsules.

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Talk about gluten ignorance. My girlfriend's daughter made

her give me a bag of corn chips because they said they were

gluten free on the bag. The daughter insisted my friend

wouldn't like them because they were GF. When I explained

to my friend that corn chips were gluten free by nature

because they were made with corn, not wheat flour, she

laughed and said she didn't think she could explain that to

her daughter. (The daughter is 41 years old.)

 

 

 

We ate the corn chips with salsa together. LOL

 

 

 

Diane

 

 

 

 

On Behalf Of

Jae Jones

Sunday, June 08, 2008 1:12 PM

 

Re: Restaurants (was:

Gluten in Solaray products)

 

 

 

I know exactly what you mean! Once, after going through a 10

minute crash

course with the waitress and her going back and forth with

the chef to

ensure my meal was gluten free, she brings me a salad with

croutons! Then

you get, " well if you don't like them you can just pick them

off. " You really

want to slap people at that point! I once had to send a

salad back 3 times

before they got it write. That was at a different place.

Then once I ordered

a salad at eat n park, which traditionally is a chicken

portabella salad but

I ordered no chicken, croutons, bread or cheese. The

waitress brings out

every part of the salad, bread and croutons included, all in

separate bowls.

I at least appreciated the effort to separate everything to

make sure I

didn't have something wrong in the mix. I had a hard time

not laughing at

that one. One a different occasions there though I did have

one waitress

serve me 2 sweet rolls as if they where gluten free. I ended

up writing to

them because of many messed up orders, and they sent me a

$20 gift card,

which I thought was a nice gesture. I've gone back there

recently and the

staff has been much better at dealing with the whole gluten

free thing, so

I'm sure they have educated their staff more. Apparently

they only had a

poster in the kitchen, but the staff really wasn't educated

on it. I think

anybody working with food should be aware of all the common

food allergies

and be able to accommodate or apologise to the person at the

start if they

can't, so you can leave and go elsewhere. If you experience

frequent

problems at the same place, talk to the manager and write a

letter to the

main headquarters about the incompetence of the staff and

the severity of a

food allergy. Make sure you include that people can die and

they can be sued

in your letter. That always motivates them to take action!

Good luck with your future dining adventures!

 

Jae

 

On Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 11:46 AM, Erin <erin_tigs

<erin_tigs%40> > wrote:

 

> Your comment about restaurants reminded me of an

experience I've had

> many times. Have any of y'all experienced this? I usually

start off

> conversations about my diet by saying I can't have wheat

or gluten,

> since it at least gives those who don't know what gluten

is a

> reference point and makes it more likely that they'll give

me more

> accurate information. On more than one occasion, however,

I've had

> servers tell me that I could eat the bread they served

*because it is

> made from white flour, not wheat flour!* They had no idea

white flour

> *is* wheat flour. It truly amazes me how little we as a

population

> know about our food system, and this is just one of many

examples.

>

> Erin

>

> On Jun 6, 2008, at 5:03 PM, Jae Jones wrote:

>

> > Sadly, a lot of times when you call a company to get

answers, the

> > people

> > answering the phones are clueless about gluten, what it

is and what

> > it means

> > to us! I've even been in stores where the people in

charge don't

> > even know

> > what gluten is or what products they carry! And don't

even get me

> > started on

> > the incompetence of restaurants! It is very frustrating

when looking

> > for

> > answers. With supplements as well, you have to watch out

for gelatin

> > capsules.

> >

> >

> >