A Night Out?..perhaps not.

Going out to dinner used to be something that I always looked forward to. Wether it be date night or a night with friends or even treating myself to my favorite restaurant solo.

Unfortunately, these adventures are rare now, almost nonexistent.

The reason? No matter what I did, no matter how careful I was with my order or how adamant I was with the staff...I always got sick. Always.

I'm not just a stay at home mom angry at the hard workers in the kitchen...I've been there. I was a line cook in Manhattan, a short order breakfast cook off the trains in New York. I know kitchens. I know pace. I know food allergies. I know the kitchen staff gets mad when they get special orders in the middle of the rush..especially on a weekend or holiday. I know that most people, including kitchen staff, don't know all the things to look for or avoid when you tell them you have an allergy. I know that the kitchen is not going to reset it's line in the middle of a rush to accommodate one guest with a food allergy. They will do their best, but they won't let their line suffer. Overall, as someone who has worked in back of house for many years, I would do my best to accommodate a guest with food allergies but the consensus is that if your allergies are bad enough, you wouldn't be eating out in the first place. I've heard it. In every kitchen I've ever been in. I've said it. And it's kind of true.