Sunday, June 21, 2009

puffballs and the Bonefish Grill


So, my parents have puffballs. Not those weeds that grow on their lawn, but two pint-sized adorable balls of fluff that may one day grow into dogs. They're puppies, and they're adorable. (They're just so darn TINY!)

However, this presents a fabulous allergic problem. I'm allergic to dogs (it may have been mentioned in this blog before, no?). I don't begrudge my parents their decision at all, in fact, I'm really happy that they got the puppies. We have an understanding that my visits inside their house will be limited, and thankfully, with Atlantic City next door, it's not like we don't have anywhere to go out for a good meal, or candy(!), or shopping, or a movie, etc. Summer makes this allergy easier, as we can sit outside on the deck for the better part of the day.

This is Father's Day weekend, and what my dad wanted more than anything was an afternoon of card playing and a good ole' BBQ (allergic-diner friendly, of course). Well, mother nature had slightly different plans (seriously, if this keeps up, I'm purchasing a canoe! Good grief!). I Benadryl'ed up, we spent a couple hours in the house playing cards, and then we went out for an early dinner to Bonefish Grill.

We had a 5:30 reservation, of which they had no record, which might have been an ominous start, but they simply apologized profusely and seated us immediately. I'd been there once before with my family, and we knew they could accommodate my allergies.

So we placed our orders, Atlantic Charr for the allergic dad, fish and chips for the allergic mom, chicken marsala for NAH, and salmon for me "the absolute plainest you can possibly make it. No butter, no oil, no seasonings, not even parsley to make it look pretty." Not a problem. I was impressed.

I was MORE impressed, however, when 5 minutes later one of their CHEFS walked out of the kitchen, over to our table, and introduced himself, then spent a few minutes talking to me about what I needed from him. He offered to cook the fish on the grill in a non-stick pan to prevent cross-contamination, and then promised not to put a single thing in the pan (usually would use a non-stick spray, etc), if I promised not to be upset that it didn't look as nice as it normally would if he could play with it. I really liked this guy.

The food came, perfectly, and we had a lovely meal. I highly recommend Bonefish Grill to any allergy-affected patron (well, unless of course your allergy is to fish. This may not be the place for you). It was a fantastic evening!


To my allergic dad, and my non-allergic dad-in-law, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!


Thank you, Bonefish Grill,

Your Allergic Diner

No comments: