Last Nights Dinner Fiasco

[jasonD2]

Thankfully everything turned out ok, but I had another frustrating scenario

On another business trip w/ colleagues...I suggested Maggiano's and everyone was ok with it. however when we got there it was a 1 hr wait and the director of the company didnt want to stick around. As everyone walked out the door i took my boss aside and told him maggianos was a safe place for me..he seemed sympathetic but was like, well looks like everyone made up their mind. we wound up going to a Chinese restaurant across the street. I was able to get steamed shrimp with vegetables and white rice. when the waitress took my order I mentioned my gluten allergy and handed her my allergy card, she then said "cooks very busy for this...dont worry all I will give you is steamed shrimp/vegetables" I didnt wanna create a huge scene so I placed my trust into her. Everything was ok and I had a decent meal, but it was still frustrating as all hell.

The real problem is the panic mode that I go into if someone suggests another place to eat or if we dont wind up eating at the place I suggested..it really makes me uncomfortable. I probly seemed like a whiny child when i took my boss aside...I was a bit flustered and it probly showed, however, as we walked to the other restaurant I snapped myself out of it and got my nerve back and made like it didnt bother me.

Another thing that upsets me is the fact that my boss and some colleagues tend to poke fun at me. They really do mean well, but i get tired of hearing them refer to my situation as a "neurosis" or me being picky and obsessive. I guess I shouldnt let it bother me.

[kimis]

I run into situations like this all the time. I have even had a roll tossed at me once! I just tell myself that gluten eaters suck and they will never understand the crap we have to go through...no matter how simpathetic they seem.

[jasonD2]

If someone tossed a roll at me I would open a can of whip ass

Well in the long run we will all be better off than them anyway. I was perfectly content eating a healthy meal last night---everything else on the table was coated in flour and fried and drenched in sauce that probly had MSG and god knows what else

F em ;-)

[kareng]

Good for you Jason. Very brave. I would have sat there & not had anything. I haven't gotten up the nerve to try the safe places yet like PF Changs or this one thats all gluten-free except for the pita bread. Sorry the co-workers aren't too sympathetic. Gluten is clogging thier minds.

[DownWithGluten]

Pulling your boss aside does not make you a whiny child. And it shouldn't appear that way to others, either. We don't have the whimsy to just restaurant hop like everyone else does. It IS a big deal if they want us to be able to eat anything.

I probably would have been too paranoid to try the rice. Obviously rice and steamed shrimp are safe themselves, but I would worry about cross contamination. Sounds like you made it out all right. Friends were going to a Japanese place once. I went ahead of time to ask about gluten-free. There was a language barrier, I guess, so she just gave me a blank stare and said that yes, they can accommodate 8 people. After trying to explain it many more times she understood it the most as a 'wheat allergy' and said they could prepare stuff without the wheat soy sauce. However by then I was so disenchanted that I was afraid to try. Because it's not just WHEAT anyway. I went home and cried, ate something at home, then caught up with them later and just had coke and vodka. Lol.

[AmyT]

What is the card that you are referring to and where can I get one!???

[lovegrov]

If they're calling it a neurosis or calling you picky, they don't mean well. They need to grow up. However, you can't dictate where everybody eats, either. My office always seems to eat at places that are tough for me, but that's life. Glad you were able to pull it together for the second choice.

richard

[Gemini]

If someone tossed a roll at me I would open a can of whip ass

Well in the long run we will all be better off than them anyway. I was perfectly content eating a healthy meal last night---everything else on the table was coated in flour and fried and drenched in sauce that probly had MSG and god knows what else

F em ;-)

Jason....this is the funniest post ever and made me laugh out loud! I'll have to remember the next time that supposed adults are behaving like a bunch of moronic bullies, to open up a can of whip ass!

I have learned in the last 5 years that some gluten eating adults are no more mature than the kids on the playground who are always making fun of other people and behaving like low mentality, classless idiots. I can see why they raise kids that behave as such. I have had my share of people who accuse me of having an eating disorder because I have maintained my weight after going gluten-free and yes, these would be the fat people who loudly proclaim they cannot lose weight. I have had my share of people who look at what I order in a restaurant, in a group setting, and laugh about it because it doesn't come coated with crap. I have learned that most people who eat badly get defensive to those who eat healthy...they really hate that! I also become very annoyed at anyone who think that Celiacs eat rabbit food only or think that gluten-free food tastes awful. Yeah, some of it does but much more of it doesn't. I guess the biggest lesson I have learned from the reaction of others is that the vast majority of Americans eat very badly, are clueless about the food they eat and are really threatened by those who do not do as they do. Bunch of lemmings, they are!

Hang in there, Jason, and I am proud of the fact that as you crossed the street to the Chinese Poison Palace, you changed armor

and did a fine job of making the situation work.

[sandsurfgirl]

Way to handle it Jason!!! I know that panicky feeling. I think we all do. So glad you were able to make lemonade out of those lemons. I don't think it's a fiasco at all. I think you triumphed!

Maybe the guys at work are just doing that guy thing where they give each other crap about stuff. Is it possible it's their stupid dude way of "communicating"? It's that good old boy mentality, which I can't stand, but lots of men still operate that way. They aren't enlightened like you because the gluten is stuck in the crevices of their brains.

I had a college professor who was doing research at the Huntington Library around all these old men. She said they would constantly rib each other and call each other foul names. At first it bugged her but then she realized that was just their guy way of being friends.

[TrillumHunter]

I snapped myself out of it and got my nerve back and made like it didnt bother me.

You've come a long way, baby!

[jasonD2]

I spoke too soon-

That meal I had at the restaurant had gluten in it - I am bloated today and my stools were floating, which is what happens when I get gluten in my system. So much for my success story

[kareng]

I spoke too soon-

That meal I had at the restaurant had gluten in it - I am bloated today and my stools were floating, which is what happens when I get gluten in my system. So much for my success story

AAAAAAGGGHHHHH!

[DownWithGluten]

I have had my share of people who accuse me of having an eating disorder because I have maintained my weight after going gluten-free and yes, these would be the fat people who loudly proclaim they cannot lose weight.

... I completely agree. Usually people who are insecure about their own weight or eating habits are the first to bring it up or keep rubbing it in people's faces. Or will loudly voice that they "hate you" if you're skinny, etc., always guilt-tripping you for doing nothing wrong just because they lack self-control. I've gotten that all my life nothing to do with gluten, just because I am thin. Always with the "omg do you eat??" crap, despite the fact that my lunches at school were bigger than everyone else's. Now I can shut them up a little, at least. Like one time I went to a room at work and someone, seriously, noticed how skinny I was and said something like "Man you're so skinny! Skinny people aren't allowed in here!" So I was like "Yeah well I have a gluten-intolerance meaning I can't eat anything half the time. ." Which kind of shut them up. Another time, they had popcorn that I was afraid to try because I wasn't sure what was in the butter/seasoning mix. Someone got me the ingredients and I was like "...eh...no still can't really tell" and then they got all bitter and annoyed like "well last time I try to help." I was like wtf, huh? But that person has a weight insecurity thing.

[jerseyangel]

I spoke too soon-

That meal I had at the restaurant had gluten in it - I am bloated today and my stools were floating, which is what happens when I get gluten in my system. So much for my success story

But you know, Jason....you did the best you could under the circumstances and did everything in your power to get a gluten-free meal. Sometimes it's all we can do.

As for your snippy co-workers....they ought to be ashamed of themselves. For the life of me, I can not understand how what we eat and don't eat can cause perfectly reasonable people to act like insensitive dolts.

I'm sorry you got a reaction, though, and I hope it passes soon

[sandsurfgirl]

I spoke too soon-

That meal I had at the restaurant had gluten in it - I am bloated today and my stools were floating, which is what happens when I get gluten in my system. So much for my success story

That sucks! But still you handled it really well. I know it's tough in your job especially because so much revolves around eating and meals out. Hang in there!

When is the Florida trip? Or are you there now?

[Lisa]

What is the card that you are referring to and where can I get one!???

www.triumphdining.com

[jasonD2]

Thanks- I really did the best I could! Tonight we had a group trip to Universal Studios and I ate before hand. They all ate pizza in front of me and it was driving me crazy, but not eating was not a big deal tonight. Hard to believe I'm a New Yorker and can never eat pizza again...forgot about it till tonight

[sandsurfgirl]

Thanks- I really did the best I could! Tonight we had a group trip to Universal Studios and I ate before hand. They all ate pizza in front of me and it was driving me crazy, but not eating was not a big deal tonight. Hard to believe I'm a New Yorker and can never eat pizza again...forgot about it till tonight

Italian princess here. I feel your pain! Yes we can get gluten free pizza, but it's not the same. It will never be the same. Waaahhhhhhh

[Jestgar]

Italian princess here. I feel your pain! Yes we can get gluten free pizza, but it's not the same. It will never be the same. Waaahhhhhhh

It's better. It doesn't make you sick.......

[ravenwoodglass]

Italian princess here. I feel your pain! Yes we can get gluten free pizza, but it's not the same. It will never be the same. Waaahhhhhhh

Sure it will. I eat and greatly enjoy pizza at least once a week. I keep a package of Kinnickinnick pizza shells in my freezer at all times and when I want a real deep dish with a nice chewy crust cradleing a slew of veggies and meats I use Gluten Free Pantries French Bread mix. It is not only as good as wheat crust pizza it is better IMHO.

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks- I really did the best I could! Tonight we had a group trip to Universal Studios and I ate before hand. They all ate pizza in front of me and it was driving me crazy, but not eating was not a big deal tonight. Hard to believe I'm a New Yorker and can never eat pizza again...forgot about it till tonight

Jason I am so glad that you are doing better with coping. Please don't mourn your gluten pizza, there are gluten free pizza crusts available almost everyplace we can find gluten free bread. Try the Kinnickinnick ready made shells for example. A great quick meal with Hormel pepperoni and a bit of sauce and cheese.

[jasonD2]

So I contacted the restaurant and notified management that the waitress blatantly neglected my allergy and they apologized profusely, addressed this issue to their staff and even suspended the waitress for 1 week..I felt kinda bad but at the same time not really since what she did was highly inappropriate

Last night had a nice dinner at Maggiano's with my boss and got personal attention from the chef directly

[sandsurfgirl]

So I contacted the restaurant and notified management that the waitress blatantly neglected my allergy and they apologized profusely, addressed this issue to their staff and even suspended the waitress for 1 week..I felt kinda bad but at the same time not really since what she did was highly inappropriate

Last night had a nice dinner at Maggiano's with my boss and got personal attention from the chef directly

Don't feel bad. If you had a deathly allergy and had gone into anaphylaxis they would be getting a call from a lawyer. They can't mess around with stuff like that. Good for you!