I learned to speak up about my allergies a long time ago. Maybe it was because of the kid who chased me through school with a bag of peanuts, or maybe it was because of the time Mr. Peanut chased me down the ocean front boardwalk. Either way, I've learned to be firm but polite when it comes to alerting others of my allergies.
While visiting my boyfriend in California, he wanted me to experience the mouth-watering joy of Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. An obvious yes! I called ahead to be sure that the restaurant was safe for me, and with the managers approval I felt confident that I was in store for a great meal.
I like to double check, which is a no brainer to me. I rattled off my list of allergies to the waiter, who then disappeared to confirm whether the food was safe. Not everyone is as paranoid as I am, but when life or death depends on one bite--I'm going to be damn sure before I bring the fork to my face.
After about twenty minutes of staff fumbling around with questionable answers to my very simple question, the boss came by our table and sat down. He shook our hands, introduced himself and explained that he unfortunately couldn't show me the ingredient list, as their waffle recipe was top secret. Which is actually pretty cool, and adds to the fun of eating there. Not very convenient for an allergic foodie like me. He was able to tell us that the waffles contained soy flour--one of my biggest allergens.
No waffle, no problem! One giant plate of fried chicken, gravy, and grits later--I was stuffed. It was amazing, and I was healthy. I was thrilled to have the clarification, but the difficulty we had obtaining that vital information reminded me of how important it is to be your own advocate when it comes to food allergies. Nobody wants you to have a reaction in their restaurant/airplane/
