Modern Restaurant manners

Well (and bluntly) said:
http://gastowngazette.com/modern-manners-restaurants/

Deb

Good list Deb. Luckily I haven't seen many folks in Louisville that match this list.
My favorite all time response to a patron snapping their fingers for service- "I'm sorry sir, it takes more than two fingers to make me come".
Cue rimshot.

Ha!

"If you have allergies or dietary issues, it’s not the restaurants’ fault. Be kind and respectful when you order a meal that only you want to eat. And if they mistakenly forget one of things you aren’t supposed to eat, just move it aside and deal. Or bring your own crackers. And if you don’t eat – please drink. Show you are an active, participating customer, not just a pale Dickensian nightmare."

Um.., HAHAHA!

That last bit should not be ignored. As a person who trains restaurant employees for a living, it is a value that must be regularly reinforced as it is often forgotten.

if they mistakenly forget one of things you aren’t supposed to eat, just move it aside and deal.

Ehhhhhhh, it's really not that simple Gary...and the consequences can be life threatening.

if they mistakenly forget one of things you aren’t supposed to eat, just move it aside and deal.

Ehhhhhhh, it's really not that simple Gary...and the consequences can be life threatening.

This. That's a frightening attitude and one that I held myself once upon a time. All it took was watching my tiny daughter's face inflate before my eyes until I could barely recognize her to make me realize how dangerous food allergies can be. She had accidentally eaten something that contained sesame seeds. You really can't just move an allergen aside and keep on eating.

Yeah, yeah... lighten up. The phrase "pale Dickensian nightmare" just struck me as funny. I'm sure all your dietary restrictions are serious and should be treated with the utmost gravity.

just move it aside and deal

Really bad way to handle it. That one piece undermines the entire article.

I had a co-worker who was deathly allergic to pine nuts accidentally get some in some Christmas cookies. Fortunately, we had an on-site medical staff a few hundred feet down the hall. The nurse was on the phone to 911 to get an ambulance before they finished carrying him through the door.

Telling him to "move it to one side" ignores just how deadly the situation can be.

The irony, here, is that the phrase "pale Dickensian nightmare" perfectly describes his pallor as they carried him down to the medical station.

Yeah, yeah... lighten up. The phrase "pale Dickensian nightmare" just struck me as funny. I'm sure all your dietary restrictions are serious and should be treated with the utmost gravity.

Yeah, yeah... lighten up. The phrase "pale Dickensian nightmare" just struck me as funny. I'm sure all your dietary restrictions are serious and should be treated with the utmost gravity.

You will learn when you experience a severe food allergy. We're not talking itchy hives here, we're talking about a persons' esophagus swelling up and breaking off their breathing and it can happen within a minute or two of coming into contact with an allergen. And with so much gene splicing and genetic food engineering it's becoming a more widespread problem. It's just not what you want to be flip about.


.

I'm actually surprised that more restaurants don't have a disclaimer saying that nothing coming from the kitchen is guaranteed to be allergen-free, even if we agree to try to leave out an ingredient for you. The possibility of cross-contamination from utensils, hands, gloves, etc, seems so high that I'm surprised someone with a truly life-threatening allergy would risk eating anywhere their trigger foods are served.

Cross contamination isn't an issue for everyone. I can sit and eat cashews with impunity right in front of my child. I cannot, however, sprinkle them on her mango lassi (like they did at one local restaurant) and accept the answer that we just need to scrape them off the top. This was after we warned them that she has a tree nut allergy.

There are obviously different levels of reactions. I'm sorry this thread degenerated into solely focusing on allergies, but I was surprised at the cavalier attitude from those in food service. Kind of like, "Haha! You idiot with stupid food preferences! Just suck it up."

We have a very limited selection of restaurants we frequent.

eta: I also always carry Benadryl and an epipen. And I don't expect a restaurant to guarantee that everything is completely sterile. However, I also don't expect to be blown off and told to just move it to the side and keep eating.

Tina,

This is good education for all- thanks.
In the original article, I don't think they were trying to make light of true food allergies- but obviously their wording should have been better. The example given was a cracker, and "gluten-free", which is not life-threatening and could just be moved to the side.

Deb

Tina,

This is good education for all- thanks.
In the original article, I don't think they were trying to make light of true food allergies- but obviously their wording should have been better. The example given was a cracker, and "gluten-free", which is not life-threatening and could just be moved to the side.

Deb

Deb - You're right. Sorry I got my hackles up, lol. There's not a lot that riles me, but that one's a hot button.