Suggestion For Dinner Out With The Family

[MelindaLee]

I was just reading the thread about weddings...and am wondering about suggestions with going to a buffet with the family. I am relatively new to this and feel comfortable when I get to choose where we go or cook myself. BUT...my SIL is choosing where we go as my FIL wants a "Chicken Dinner" place. Perhaps this is regional, but Sunday Fried Chicken dinner buffets are the way to go around here. I am not super sensitive. Do you think if I have chicken and take off the skin and "seasonings" that I would be exposed? I know I can deal with the veggies, and most likely the potatoes...just wondering what you all think. You are a might intelligent bunch of people. I have appreciated everything you have shared!

[Takala]

I can guarantee you'd get glutened doing that.

The deep fryer will be contaminated with the breading wheat and it will permeate the chicken.

The vegetables will probably, likely be contaminated, too, because of lurking gravy.

Buffets are really risky, because they are using plastic containers a lot, and the serving spoons have been everywhere. It's a land mine.

I sympathize with your conundrum about the Family Dining Culture. Fortunately now I live in a state with a lot of ethnic cuisine, where it's difficult to get a bad meal and I'm at least a thousand miles away from anything like a Cracker Barrel.

Don't eat scrambled eggs at I Hop, for example, because they put pancake batter in them to make them fluffier. That sort of thing.

NEVER eat restaurant "butter" product, unless it is a guaranteed pure product, made from cream from a Real Cow, like comes in a little individual foil wrapper pack.

[kareng]

Buffets are really difficult to eat safely. The plain veggies are next to the corn bread ( made with wheat flour & cornmeal). Someone grabs a cornbread and the crumbs fall in the veggies. On many other examples of this type of thing.

I think you have a bad cold or flu coming on.

[elk]

I would just pack my own food. It's more about the social aspect than it is the actual food anyway. I take my own food to restaurants all the time.

[SaraKat]

Usually buffets have salad bars, that might be your best bet or maybe the restaurant can prepare a non buffet dinner for you- plain chicken with vegetables.

[Reba32]

Personally I stear clear of all buffets, because there is just too much risk of cross contamination. Tongs from one bin get moved to another, bread rolls fall off of plates into the lettuce etc etc etc...

If the buffet place also has a regular menu, call ahead and find out if they can accomdate your requirements. If they can't, then eat beforehand and just have something to drink while your family eats. Or suggest somewhere else where *everyone* can be accomodated.

They're family, I'm sure they don't want to see you go hungry, or to get sick by their food choices.

[MelindaLee]

Thanks for all of the information and suggestions. I did call ahead and they have a gluten free menu We arrived 15 minutes than everyone else, so I could order and have my food delivered when everyone else was going through the buffet.

[kareng]

Would you share the name of the place and city? Might be helpful to someone else. If you don't feel comfortable, we understand.