Letter To Restaurant

[blondie1985]

Anyone ever written one after dealing with cross-contamination?

I recently visited a local italian place that was eager to cook my brown rice past that I supplied. They also informed me that their chicken breast is cooked after being tossed with flour, and offered to leave the flour out. I was thrilled. 2 days later I had my first breakout (DH) since my diagnosis and being gluten-free for almost 5 weeks. It was a HUGE flare up. I should've said something immediately the INSTANT I came across a small piece of a fettucini noodle mixed in with my brown rice PENNE. I should've known. I'm crushed. My breakout is so bad and I had started to feel SO good. Should I write them? Clearly my pasta had been cooked in old water, thus "glutening" me. Either that or they floured my chicken like they said they wouldn't. Any advice?

[Cypressmyst]

Wow. You brought your own pasta and they were still that careless. That is messed up.

I'd either write a letter or ask to speak with the owner in person (Maybe show him your DH). Tell them that it is fine if they can not cater correctly to people with severe allergies but that they should not say they will and then not follow through. Point out that Gluten Intolerance and Celiac are growing issues for the populace and it would behoove them to get with the program, this is not a fad diet this is literally life and death and should be treated with the same severity as a peanut allergy. Anaphilactic shock is bad for business and so is you showing your rash and telling your story to everyone you know.

*Hugs

Until our society wakes up to what gluten is doing you may want to avoid eating out all together and certainly while your gut and body are healing. I understand that we shouldn't always be this sensitive to CC but we have to make sure we are completely healed first.

In the meantime I await more dedicated gluten-free restaurants and am outraged for you.

[blondie1985]

Thank you for responding! I have written a nice letter & plan on taking it by and speaking with the owner tomorrow.

[ravenwoodglass]

Unless you specifically told them that the pasta needed to be cooked seperately they likely cooked it in the same pot that they finish the cook for their parboiled wheat pasta in. Writing a nice letter and talking to the owner and also the chef is a really good idea. You also need to let them know that your chicken needs to be cooked in a seperate clean pan as chefs will often simply wipe out a pan before doing the next item. Sorry this happened to you and I hope you are feeling better soon.