My First Restaurant!

[hypersof]

Hi all

I am writing because I'm planning to go out for dinner (couldn't have imagined being stressed by eating out a few months ago ) first time since going gluten-free.

I just want to take my husband out for a nice dinner for his birthday in a couple of weeks -we're french so we love good food, plus I think the whole gluten-free thing has been tough for him, too -so he deserved it

As I recently heard Fleming's steakhouse had a gluten-free menu, I decided on that place (also because of the meat abundance; he's a huge fan!)

And so I began by just stopping by this afternoon, and asking them if indeed, they had a gluten-free menu/ if they were familiar with the care you got to take when preparing a gluten-free meal...and they seemed great about it! didn't get alot of details yet, but they showed me the gluten-free menu and seemed very comfy with it...so I am a bit less scared about all this!

Now, I know I'll still have to be very careful, mentioning it when making the reservation, and then be specific & precise when ordering; but it was my first "confrontation" with some restaurant's staff and it went well so I feel relieved...

Any advice will be greatly appreciated! I never did it before, and I am not sure how I can summarize 3 months of learning the gluten-free diet in a couple minutes (...or at least, the info needed to get a safe meal!)

I am sure this is going to be fine, yet this is stressful for me and so I thought writing/ chatting about it here could help me, and maybe other people too?

Thanks in advance for the support!!

[dhiltonlittle]

i'm sure you'll be fine! one of the few places i feel safe eating is right in my neighborhood and i get the steak frites and a veggie. they have a dedicated fryer and it is a real treat to be able to eat out and not worry about getting sick. hopefully this place will work out for you and you can put it on the list!

Hi all

I am writing because I'm planning to go out for dinner (couldn't have imagined being stressed by eating out a few months ago ) first time since going gluten-free.

I just want to take my husband out for a nice dinner for his birthday in a couple of weeks -we're french so we love good food, plus I think the whole gluten-free thing has been tough for him, too -so he deserved it

As I recently heard Fleming's steakhouse had a gluten-free menu, I decided on that place (also because of the meat abundance; he's a huge fan!)

And so I began by just stopping by this afternoon, and asking them if indeed, they had a gluten-free menu/ if they were familiar with the care you got to take when preparing a gluten-free meal...and they seemed great about it! didn't get alot of details yet, but they showed me the gluten-free menu and seemed very comfy with it...so I am a bit less scared about all this!

Now, I know I'll still have to be very careful, mentioning it when making the reservation, and then be specific & precise when ordering; but it was my first "confrontation" with some restaurant's staff and it went well so I feel relieved...

Any advice will be greatly appreciated! I never did it before, and I am not sure how I can summarize 3 months of learning the gluten-free diet in a couple minutes (...or at least, the info needed to get a safe meal!)

I am sure this is going to be fine, yet this is stressful for me and so I thought writing/ chatting about it here could help me, and maybe other people too?

Thanks in advance for the support!!

[K8ling]

My first restaurant visit, I wasn't going to eat anything but it was our wedding anniversary (the first he has ever been home for! YAY!) so...I called the manager over and said I had food allergies..and he helped me figure out what was safe to eat! It was so great! I knew that everything was safe to eat.

That positive experience has helped me want to be more outgoing! I sincerely hope that this is a great experience for you.

[ciavyn]

Have fun! And do be upfront about your issues. I've only had positive responses thus far, so I encourage you to go forth and order! But do remind your waitperson and any others about your issues if you question ANYTHING. This is an everyday occurrence for them -- serving food. they do not think about it the way we do. Let us know how it goes!

[jerseyangel]

Have a good time! I didn't go to restaurants at all from the time I was diagnosed until my wedding anniversary last year--it had been 4 years. I took a leap of faith, spoke to the waiter and the manager and ended up having a wonderful time. Didn't get sick either! Since then, I've been back many times--they know us there now and always go out of their way.

Communication is key--don't be shy to ask questions or let them know what you need.