Daily Digest

Category: Eating Out

  • Taco Bell, the Nima Sensor and an Influencer: What a disaster!

    Taco Bell, the Nima Sensor and an Influencer: What a disaster!

    Not sure if you follow me on social media but it was an interesting week to say the least.

    A GF influencer who shall remain nameless did a promoted (i.e. paid) post for the Nima Sensor, where he tested a Taco Bell dish.

    The test, which only touches about 1% of the food and costs a fortune, said it was safe.

    Influencer then eats the meal.

    This is everything wrong with so much in today’s GF community.

    The influencer thing has gotten completely out of control.

    No one talks about celiac disease anymore. Unless they do a fake video of themselves in tears, crying about not feeling well (after promoting shit foods of course).

    Nothing is real anymore. Nothing is authentic.

    Taco Bell warns people with celiac disease not to eat their food.

    But when there’s money to be made, the hell with that.

    I got some pushback of course from a few “influencers” but on the bright side, tons of people agreed with me.

    They’re sick of the whole influencer bullshit.

    Perhaps this is the beginning of the end and we can go back to talking about the disease.

    Hey…a Dude can hope.

  • Celiac sues Olive Garden. This stinks all around.

    Celiac sues Olive Garden. This stinks all around.

    DID YOU SEE THIS?

    A guy with celiac disease goes to Olive Garden. Told the server he has celiac. Asks if they have gluten-free fettucine alfredo. Server says yes.

    * Note that their Alfredo sauce is NOT gluten-free.

    Server served the fettucine alfredo.

    Guy says he had “an allergic reaction” that left him with “significant and permanent injuries”.
    Guy sues Olive Garden.

    This stinks all around.

    First…let’s talk about the guy:
    – Has celiac disease and goes to Olive Garden and expects a safe meal. Strike one.
    – Does not order a meal from their ‘gluten sensitive’ menu but instead orders something different. Strike two.
    – Did not do any research ahead of time. Otherwise, he would have known that their alfredo sauce was not gluten-free. Strike three.

    As for Olive Garden, absolutely the server and the kitchen should have known it was not safe. They effed up and need to revamp their training program.

    But man…suing a company when you as a celiac did not do any due diligence? Just doesn’t sit right with me.

    Your thoughts?

  • Ordering Gluten-Free at a Restaurant? Listen Up.

    Ordering Gluten-Free at a Restaurant? Listen Up.

    Back in the day, I worked in the restaurant industry for many years; mostly behind the bar but sometimes waiting tables as well. In all the years I worked, I cannot remember one time where someone had a food allergy and certainly nobody ever mentioned celiac.

    Why this is, is a post for another time (but lord knows I have my unproven theories).

    What matters is that if somebody mentioned any kind of food allergy, you bet I would have gone out of my way to keep them safe. But what if I went above and beyond and then I saw them eating a food that they claimed they were allergic too? I’d pretty much have the same reaction as a server with celiac who recently spoke about this. She is spot on in every way. Here’s what she had to say:

    I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for the better part of the last decade and was diagnosed with celiac about 3 years ago. I gotta say, I freaking love your blog. You get it. 

    I have seen the best and the worst in human behavior around gluten…from both sides of service (yes, some servers are a**holes; most of us are not). But you’d better believe that if you make me painstakingly go through the menu with you (I’m the gluten go-to in my restaurant and am happy to be so) and tell you what’s non-gluten containing, what’s cross contaminated (sorry, no french fries for you) and are so dramatic about your gluten issues (once again, I get it. Getting glutened sucks. I’m on your team.) but then order the soup WITH the flour tortilla strips or the french fries or the chocolate cake because “well, that’ll be OK”, you’d better believe I’m charging you $4 for your GF bun. If you’re not a d***head, I’ll ring in your GF bun for free.

    Before I get hate mail, this isn’t about not saying anything when you dine out. You SHOULD notify your server that you have celiac (I like a comment that said “I’m not a fad dieter, I have celiac”. Your server will appreciate it and probably get a chuckle out of it.) And we will respond accordingly. We even have special !!!ALLERGY!!! buttons in our systems to help guide the kitchen on your order after we talk to them about your dish.

    Just be nice about it. And tip well because you’re slowing down service, the kitchen flow stops for an allergy ticket (as it should) and they’re going EXTRA steps above and beyond for you AND it’s just good karma over all. Just above all, BE NICE. HAVE PATIENCE. Did I say BE NICE yet? And understand that unless it’s an allergy-certified kitchen (it prob isn’t) you are living on the edge at least a little bit.

    Yes. Yes. And yes. Anybody who orders gluten-free at a restaurant has a responsibility to the celiac community. Sorry folks…it may seem like we’re being difficult. But it’s you that is making life difficult for us (and for those at the restaurant trying to keep you safe.) And yeah…if you can’t be nice about it, you’re best bet is to just stay home.

    Back when my blog was still in diapers, I wrote a post called How to Go Gluten-Free: In the Restaurant. It’s gotten million of views over the years. Just kidding, not sure if anyone has read it. But to recap, if you are eating out as a celiac, here are the 5 steps you take:

      1. Call the restaurant ahead of time and ask to speak with a manager. Get a feel if they can keep you safe.
      2. At the restaurant, ask to speak with the manager. Yes…again.
      3. Study the menu. Find the safest dish. Can’t find one? Close the menu and begin crying. Or forget the menu and just order something plain.
      4. When the server comes over, quietly explain your situation.
      5. Go with the safest choice possible.

    And now I’ll add a sixth one.

    1. DON’T EAT ANY GLUTEN!!

    This has been a public service announcement. Now back to your regular programming.

  • How do I explain my celiac disease at work?

    How do I explain my celiac disease at work?

    I was diagnosed with celiac disease after I already began working from myself and working from home. So those days where celiac just got the best of me, I was able to shut it down. But what about if you work at an office? How do you explain to them that there are going to be times where celiac just kicks your butt and you won’t be at your full capacity? That’s the dilemma in today’s Dear Gluten Dude. Here’s the email:

    “Hi Gluten Dude. I’ve been gluten free for seven years now, ever since I got the call from the doc letting me know that I have celiac disease. Initially I did not handle the news well; in fact I ate a piece of Pizza Hut pizza about an hour after the phone call. Nowadays, I know the drill. I know that just a little bit of gluten can put me down for days. I also know that even though I’ve been gluten free for seven years, I still have a disease and it still impacts my body.

    There are days when I just have no energy, there are days when I’m curled up on the couch, unable to move because I was the victim of accidental cross contamination somewhere. I’m vigilant, but as you know, there is only so much a person can do.

    So, my question is this, how to you deal with an office/work environment? How do you explain that yes, following a GF diet pretty much keeps you healthy, but it isn’t foolproof and sometimes you just need to take a break. How do you explain that you are perfectly capable of doing your job, but that you can’t work 60+ hours a week. Thanks, Gluten Dude. Thank you for being an advocate for our community!”

    All right, first things first. If you’re working 60 plus hours a week, I sincerely hope you are getting paid for 60 plus hours a week. I’m sick and tired of hearing stories of people breaking their backs to their employers and not getting what they deserve.

    Now onto your celiac disease. I luckily have been working for myself for the last 16 years, and I’ve been working from home for the last 21 years. Especially early in my diagnosis, and even throughout the years, I have had stretches where I was comatose. I’d wake up in the morning, I’d feel good. I’d have a good couple hours and then a wave of exhaustion would just hit me or I’d have to take a nap after lunch or I’d have to crawl into bed by 6:30 or I couldn’t get up in the morning that is the nature of celiac disease.

    Look…you have a very serious autoimmune disease. You don’t owe your employers jack shit, except for the time that you put in (and make that time count, by the way). But if you can give 40 hours of quality work per week, that’s great. If you’re expected to do more, of course that’s a personal choice. But you go to HR, assuming you have an HR Department, and you say, “Listen, I’m working a lot of hours. I have a serious autoimmune disease that can wreck havoc on my body pretty damn randomly. And there has to be some understanding here that I’m going to have some down days and some times where I’m just going to have to take off to rest and recuperate from getting Gluten.”

    Let them know that it doesn’t happen often, but when it does happen, it can be pretty darn debilitating. And just say, look, for the 40 hours I’m here, I will work my butt off. I’ll be the best employee that you have in this company. But when I’m not feeling well, you’ve got to give me some slack. I’ve got celiac disease. I’ll have it for life. It’s out of my control, and I’ll do the absolute best I can do on this job while still managing my disease and taking care of my health.

    Now, if your HR person says, well, what the hell is celiac disease, then we have a bit of a problem. If that’s the case, you’ve just got to educate them a little bit. Leave them with some literature or heck send them my way and I’ll be sure to set them straight.

  • “Don’t you dare bring your own food to my son’s wedding!”

    “Don’t you dare bring your own food to my son’s wedding!”

    You’ve heard of Bridezilla? This is Mom-of-the-groomzilla! Here’s the story:

    A woman was invited to her friend’s wedding.

    She can’t eat gluten or dairy.

    You with me so far? Good.

    She mentioned on the RSVP card that she has dietary restrictions.

    The bride told her they can’t guarantee there won’t be cross-contamination but hope she’d be ok with salad and fruit.

    Now…salad and fruit for a five hour affair isn’t exactly an ideal solution.

    So she brought her own food. Didn’t make a production out of it. She stepped outside the venue during dinner and ate her chicken and rice.

    In other words, she did the right thing, though I don’t think eating outside was necessary (but I understand why she did it.)

    Yep…you know where this is going.

    Turns out the mom of the groom noticed it and didn’t take kindly to it.

    She said the woman was disrespecting the caterer, made the couple look cheap and embarrassed the family.

    What?!

    I have been to many weddings since my celiac diagnosis. Every single host has been more than gracious, trying to feed me safely but understanding that I need to bring my own food instead.

    Not once was I accused of being “selfish” as this woman was.

    I’m not sure what the woman could have done differently, except perhaps let the couple know ahead of time she would be bringing her own food. But even if this were the case, I still think the mom would still have caused a scene.

    And for what? For “quietly” protecting her own health.

    I wish the bride the best of luck. Her mother-in-law is a bitch.

  • Stop blaming others for your lack of preparation

    Stop blaming others for your lack of preparation

    Hey everyone…it’s me…Gluten Dude. Can’t see me? I’m up here…on my pedestal. There you go!

    Look…being a celiac can seriously suck sometimes. No need to sugarcoat it. And we’ve all had those “Crap…I didn’t pack any/enough food for the day!” moments. But when that happens, let’s lay the blame where it belongs. On us. Why am I bringing this up today? Good question. Let me explain.

    I spent last week in Hong Kong visiting a friend. I know…interesting timing…but it was planned long ago. Great trip. Anyway, it was a 15 hour flight each way. When I booked the seats, I requested a gluten-free meal and let them know I had celiac disease. The flight took off at 1:00AM so dinner was served pretty quickly. Before it was served, a stewardess came over to me just to confirm that I requested a gluten-free meal. (Nice touch Cathay Pacific!)

    So the food came and without even thinking about it, I ate the entire meal.

    Just kidding.

    The meal was labeled “Gluten Intolerant”. Good start. I know “Gluten Free” would have been better but semantics. Anyway, I tentatively opened it and it was empty inside. Kidding again. It was chicken, brown rice and veggies. Basic stuff…in a good way. Was it safe? Probably…though it did look like there MAY have been a sauce on it. So I sat there staring at my food for a few minutes. The woman next to me most likely thought I was saying a silent prayer. Instead, what I was doing was measuring the pros and cons. Well, measuring the cons anyway.

    “Dude…get to the point! Did you eat it??”

    I did not. I spent the next 14 hours drowning my sorrows and my hunger in red wine.

    Yes I’m kidding once again. I was fine because I packed enough food in my carry-on to feed the entire airplane…and yes, that includes the pilots thanks for asking.

    I am now 320 words into this post and I haven’t gotten to the point. Here it is:

    There was this dude with celiac disease had a 10 hour flight, upgraded to a premium seat (I’m not sure why this is relevant, but it’s mentioned multiple times in the article) and requested a gluten-free meal. When he got on the flight, they had no record of his request. So they served him the only safe food they could muster up…popcorn and crisps. He got hangry. And he went on social media and bitched about it. And it was all over the news when it happened.

    Look…is it a bummer? Sure it is. Do mistakes happen? Yep they do. Whose fault was it that he had nothing to eat? His. All his. You got a 10 hour flight and you’ve got celiac disease? You pack some dang food in your bag.

    And yes…it really is that simple.

    (Stepping off my pedestal now…using the emergency ramp.)

  • Eating Out with Celiac? It’s ok NOT TO EAT. Really.

    Eating Out with Celiac? It’s ok NOT TO EAT. Really.

    This is a story from a few years ago but it’s just as pertinent today.

    I got glutened at some point over a weekend. The symptoms started Monday and did not begin to subside until Friday. My symptoms? Anxiety, the shakes, and literally crawling out of my skin.For me, it’s usually a 2-day delay so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is was. But it was a brutal week. God bless Mrs. Dude for her patience when I’m like this. It is not fun to be around.

    This past weekend, I had some family come into town to hang with us. Friday night, usually my sushi take out night, I instead ate a delicious dish that Mrs. Dude put together. Saturday night, we had reservations at a restaurant just up the block from us. I have been to this joint before and they always seemed to “get it”. Because of my long week, I was going to make it a game time decision if I was going to eat or not. If so, I was simply going to order a plain piece of grilled fish. That’s it.

    Everyone put their order in and then it was my turn. I called our server Gabby down so I didn’t have to shout my condition for the restaurant to hear. Now…Gabby was an awesome waitress so this is not a complaint. But when I said I have celiac disease and I need to be ultra careful, she had that “what the ever living hell are you talking about” look on her face.

    She basically made the decision for me. I said “nothing for me”. Then I grabbed my jacket, ran out of the restaurant and collapsed on the street in tears of anguish.

    Oh wait a minute…no I didn’t. I enjoyed my hibiscus margarita (ok fine…I enjoyed my two hibiscus margaritas), the conversation and the comfort of being with family. I didn’t feel awkward, I didn’t starve, and I woke up Sunday hungover happy with my decision of the previous night. Now it’s Monday morning and I feel like a human being again.

    I remember early in my diagnosis, I was out to eat with a few (ex) friends. For whatever reason, something just didn’t feel right so I did not order anything. One of the people I was with was incredulous and said “so you’re just going to sit there and NOT EAT?” Ummm…yep.

    The lesson here? Listen to your gut and don’t worry about what other people think about you not eating. Believe it or not…you’ll survive.

  • ‘Why no fast food joints on your app Dude?’

    ‘Why no fast food joints on your app Dude?’

    In a simple world, a restaurant that offers gluten-free food would be safe for those with celiac disease.

    Alas…we live in a world where profit comes first…always.

    So this means there is a risk EVERY SINGLE TIME we eat out at a place that is not 100% gluten-free.

    And that sucks. Cause getting glutened…from personal experience…can be BRUTAL.

    You know all of those ads promoting some snake oil pill that helps digest gluten? 9 times out of 10, the ad will show someone holding their tummy. When I get glutened, a bad tummy is the least of my problems.

    It affects my entire body and can last for weeks/months.

    So personally, I am really careful where I eat.

    But everyone is not me (thank god!) and each of us has to make the best decision for themselves how much risk they are willing to take.

    It is why in this latest version of the app, we finally added some chain restaurants, although only ones that got consistently good reviews from the GF community.

    But I’d be doing a disservice if I took the next step and added fast food joints.

    And it would go against what I truly believe: that places like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, etc. carry WAY TOO MUCH RISK. You’ve got a close quarters, mayhem in the kitchen, a high employee turnover rate, severe inconsistencies from location to location, and more.

    So while I obviously can’t tell you where and where not to eat, I can stay true to myself and not encourage you to take that risk.

    Stay healthy my friends.