One of the best meals I've ever had...

Most recently, the allergic diner and the allergic mother traveled to Minnesota. I had researched most of the restaurants in the area on the web beforehand, and knew approximately where I could eat and what I wanted (type A, much?).
One of the best meals I've ever had was in Minnesota at Tony Roma's. I was hesitant to eat there b/c there was no allergy information on their website, but the allergic mother encouraged me to trust the waitstaff and try the restaurant (they are all so darn friendly out there!). I had one of the best steaks, without seasoning, cooked completely plain, and a plain baked potato (no butter, no sour cream, no butter spray, etc). The plate came dry (most chefs throw something on there b/c they believe that the food looks too plain) and perfectly prepared. An anxiety-free dinner that was quite delicious! I highly recommend Tony Roma's to any allergic consumer, they will work with you to prepare something perfectly. Take a peek at their menu http://www.tonyromas.com/files/menu.asp.
Supposedly they are famous for their ribs...but that's not something I"ll ever be able to review! Thanks for a great meal!
TAD

Johnny Rockets

Ever miss the taste of a good ol' cheeseburger and milkshake? I'm sure some of us do more than others. I, like most people with allergies have had to pass up things that taste very good, because the ensuing illness and potential hospital stay is never worth it. The one place that used to be at the top of my list to eat, before I found out about my allergies, was Johnny Rockets. I have refrained from eating there for a long time, but no longer. Johnny Rockets has joined my list of approved website reviews.
Please click this link to view their allergy information, and through this you can link to a page that gives you EVERY INGREDIENT that they use (I kid you not, they actually break down what is in the american cheese slice on a hamburger). Thanks to this information, I now know I can eat several things on their menu (unfortunately, that milkshake still does contain milk and ice cream...)
Help yourselves!
http://www.johnnyrockets.com/themenu/allergen.php

Pizzeria Uno's sets an example!

A non-allergic friend most recently started working at Pizzeria Uno's. I was happy to discover that I now had a buddy in the restaurant industry and asked this friend to seek out their policy on allergic diners such as yours truly. This is what I received via email:

Uno's is very allergy friendly. The rule is that if someone says they have allergies to something, then we always get a manager and they will make the meal for the person specially. They want to make sure that the cooks don't mess up and put something on it that shouldn't be there. Plus, we even have a seperate gluten free menu and a book at the front that includes every ingredient in all the meals.

I have always been an Uno's fan, now I am even more so! Allergic consumers take heart, and find a location nearest you!

www.unos.com

Virginia Tech

For some reason I am unable to link this on blogger today, but I wanted to let you all know I found a memorial fund established by Virginia Tech in the wake of the tragedy. Copy and paste the below into your browser, and please pass this on.

http://www.vt.edu/tragedy/memorial_fund.php



Sincerely,
TAD

I'm going to take a temporary hiatus from my typical allergic comments and reviews.

The tragedy at Virginia Tech that occurred on Monday is foremost in our thoughts, and I encourage everyone to donate to a victim's fund as soon as one is established. Though we cannot begin to repair the damage done in the worst shooting incident in U.S. history, we certainly can let the grieving students and families know that they are in our hearts and prayers. My condolences and sympathies to everyone touched by this horrible act.

If anyone knows of a fund already established, please let me know.

Friendly's does a disservice...

Most recently, in an effort to review websites, I have been combing the websites of chain restaurants to search out all info available to the allergic consumer. I was appalled to learn that Friendly's, a nationwide ice-cream/restaurant chain, and a staple in most childhoods, had NO ALLERGEN INFO available.
Figuring that perhaps it was on its way, I emailed Friendly's asking if they'd be kind enough to share the ingredients in a few of their salad dressings (a simple request) so that someone with allergy problems would know what is "allergy-proof" on their menu, beyond the general description. That was over a month ago. Have you heard from them, dear readers? I certainly haven't! As is such, your allergic diner will not set foot in a Friendly's until they decide to be "friendly" to the allergic customer. Has anyone had a good experience with their customer service/customer relations? A bad one? I invite you to share your thoughts. My one-man (or in this case, one allergic-woman) boycott will not make a lick of difference to the company, but it will certainly make me feel better.
Friendly's, wake up!
TAD

P.F. Chang's, allergy-friendly

Most recently, your allergic diner was having a discussion with friends about the relative merits of chinese food. I consider chinese cuisine a must for anyone who has problems with dairy, as there are multitudes of chinese dishes that do not contain any milk, butter, etc.
When I was discussing my recent task of reviewing websites for allergy content, a friend alerted me to the gluten-free list at P.F. Chang's.
So, dear readers, I hope this helps as well,
http://www.pfchangs.com/cuisine/menu/GlutenIntolerantMenu.pdf

While it is sad that allergies and the number of allergic consumers is on the rise, it is heartening that so many restaurants are taking steps to help us!
Thank you, P.F. Chang's,
The Allergic Diner

On The Border!

Your allergic diner has recently learned that another chain, On The Border, features a wonderful website with specific allergen information, similair to the website I posted about last week, Chili's. On The Border's Mexican food gets raves reviews from my non-allergic friends, but I have never tried it. Not so easy to eat mexican food with a dairy problem, tomato problem, and avocado problem! I always imagined the conversation to go something like this..."I'd like the burrito, please hold the sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, and salsa. As a matter of fact, please just bring me the beef and flour tortilla, I can put it together myself!"
Thanks to the tips on their website, I will soon be joining my non-allergic girlfriends for their next mexican and margaritas night out!
Try their website and search by the specific allergy
http://www.brinker.com/gr/allergens/otb%20allergen.pdf

Thank you On The Border!
Best regards,
TAD

You're a good man, Charlie Brown........

A chain of steakhouses in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that has wonderful food also has a wonderful website. Charlie Brown's (they of the fabulous salad bar) offers gluten-free info and lactose intolerant info on their website. While it is not as comprehensive as those offered by national chains, the allergic diner applauds their efforts to help the allergic consumer.
View their helpful info here:
http://www.charliebrowns.com/menusindex.htm (click on nutritional facts and the allergen info pops right up)

As always,
Your allergic diner

Wendy's

Wendy's also offers an allergen chart and ingredient info. To view their allergen chart, click here...
http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/allergen_list.pdf
If you'd prefer a list of ingredients, Wendy's offers a drop-down menu on each page that allows you to select one of their menu items and view nutritional information and a complete list of ingredients.
The allergic diner says: Very user-friendly!

Thanks Wendy's,
TAD

More than just rootbeer...

In the spirit of spring, I have found ingredient/menu info for another restaurant chain, A&W. More than just rootbeer, they offer hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and other indulgent foods perfect for the warm weather.
Here is their ingredient listing, I hope this helps!
http://www.awrestaurants.com/nutrition/res/ingrediantstatement.doc

(and yes, you might notice that they spelled ingredient wrong....oops!)
Best regards,
Your allergic diner

Burger King information....

Burger King is no slouch either when it comes to allergen info, not only do they have a chart of which foods contain which major allergens (click on nutrition - allergens) but they also have a comprehensive ingredient list for the consumer as well.
Enjoy!
http://www.bk.com/#menu=3,3,-1

Best regards for happy eating,
Your allergic diner