I perused the menu, explained my dietary restrictions to the waiter, and asked if I could possibly have a plate of fresh vegetables and a side of guacamole, having seen that both were components of items on the menu. He said that the "Asian guac" had some spice added, but no gluten, so I thought that would be just fine.
When the food arrived, I received a bowl of limp shredded veggies, mostly bean sprouts, with a few pieces of bok choy, carrot and mushroom, and a little bowl of gray guacamole. I asked why it was gray, gave it a sniff and said "It's got sour cream in it, hasn't it?" He said no, certainly not. I took a tiny taste and said yes, it definitely had some dairy in it.
He disappeared for a few minutes, and returned to say that the chef said that there was no dairy in it, just that the avocado was really "milky." Phil and one of our friends tasted it, and said it tasted like guacamole to them. I was starting to feel embarrassed and stupid, took another taste, still felt pretty sure there was dairy in it. Whatever was in it, I couldn't eat it! There was this nasty dairy aftertaste, stink of dairy on the finger I'd tasted with, I was starting to feel queasy... I explained again that I'm allergic to dairy and asked him if I could just not have that item.
A few moments later, the waiter returned and confessed that yes, there was sour cream in the guacamole, and apologized. Credit to him for that! And some time after that, he came back by our table with another little bowl. "I had the chef make you some guacamole specially," he said. "Just guacamole (I assume he meant "avocado"), tomato, red onion." I thanked him, Phil thanked him profusely...
...and I accepted a bowl of brown guacamole!
At this point, I didn't want to ask why it was brown. I poked around a bit and ascertained that it was semi-frozen and, obviously, fully oxidized. My fellow diners were so pleased that I'd been given something more substantial, and I felt under pressure to eat it. But (even as hungry as I was) I could only force down a few bites. Phil, the pickiest person I know about food's appearance, asked me with some disappointment if I couldn't eat it. "Would you eat brown guacamole?" I asked him.
There was some rhetoric of disappointment that I was disappointed and wasn't satisfied, but the truth is, I'm not the typical clientele for that restaurant: I would never have gone there if it hadn't been my friends' choice. Although a plate of fresh veggies and a side of guacamole had sounded really good, my expectations were accordingly low. I was disappointed that after I'd told the waiter I was allergic to dairy he tried to pass off something that contained dairy as not having any: that was irresponsible. But the people I was eating with thought that gray stuff tasted like guacamole, and they are far more typical of this restaurant's target audience! If we go there again, I should plan to bring my own food, or to eat before or afterward.
Am I wrong to have such a lenient attitude? Should I be pushing for all restaurants to be able to produce at least a bowl of veggies and guacamole for the vegan/allergic friends of their target patrons?
Would you eat brown guacamole?
If the menu didn't say flacid, tired vegetables and old avocado, then you should be disappointed. Most people assume that they we be served fresh food at restaurants, and rightly so. I would have sent everything back and waited for something better elsewhere. Sorry you have these challenges.
ReplyDeleteI would NOT eat brown guacamole, and no, I don't think you're wrong at all. What a shame that that's the "best" they could come up with, and they lied to you about the dairy to boot.
ReplyDeleteWhat an unhappy experience, Ela. I know the presence of the others made this much harder for you. No, I would not eat brown guacamole or grey guacamole! And the whole business of denying the dairy and then admitting it later is unethical, and reason enough for me to walk out. Given, your life situation (frequently with people who don't share your food requirements and preferences) you probably would be well-served to never leave home without some of your own food. I have celiac, and if the place couldn't get straight the presence of dairy in the guac - I certainly wouldn't trust their "gluten-free" menu, or anything else. And then there's those limp veggies. You realize, if that's the shape their raw veggies were in, then those are probably the same veggies that went into their stir-fries. Cooking will mask things like that to a certain extent, but when you see the raw produce, there is no hiding. I really would never want to return to that place again. Even for the others, I'd be concerned about food poisoning. I know it's hard to be made to feel like you are making things difficult or uncomfortable for your friends and family, but I think, if anything, you yourself are far more accommodating then most vegans I know of, or gluten-free folks. Many would not be comfortable preparing meat for others, ever, and I myself would be worried about preparing food with gluten in my kitchen, since my body had already suffered so much damage by the time I found out I had celiac. I think you bend way over in your daily life to please everyone - so I wouldn't think you need to feel bad if others have to be put out for you sometimes when you are out to eat, especially given that so many of your eating requirements are to prevent yourself from being ill. It's not as if you have any choice in the matter.
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible. I wouldn't eat brown guacamole, although I have eaten some non-ripe avocado at a restaurant, just happy to have something to eat. At least it was bright green. I wish all restaurants would recognize the importance of serving fresh, ripe produce.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie--and hey, good to see you here! That's part of what I was wondering--that kind of service would never happen in Portland, I suspect... But here it's not altogether surprising to me. Maybe that's part of why I don't much like to eat out...
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Thanks, Amber--maybe I'm just too accommodating, but glad to know that no one else would eat brown guac for politeness!
ReplyDeleteMindy, you're so right about how cooking masks everything. My veggies were steamed, but I suspect that they were previously frozen, and that the plan was that they'd be 'slicked up' with stir frying and sticky sauces. Yes, with celiac too, no way I'd have trusted the gf menu!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support about the self-care element of not being surrounded by gluten and dairy all the time. I suspect that they have had some role to play in my health issues also. I get so uncomfortable when eating out, partly because I just don't like getting into that situation--usually, my tactic is simply to go eat somewhere else or bring my own, and that would have been wise in this case too.
love
Ela
Thanks, Shannonmarie--and yes, I think you are so right--maybe I just didn't think it was my battle to fight, but it's a worthy cause for sure!
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Oh gross! There's nothing I hate more than people blatantly lying about the ingredients in the dish. Lazy waitstaff who don't want to check or misinformed kitchen staff. Makes me even madder when people put up with it because they don't want to be a "bother", because we SHOULD bother, otherwise, it will happen again! I am glad you spoke up.
ReplyDeleteNo I wouldn't have brown guacamole. But to me, it doesn't seem that odd that it might be hard to find a properly ripe avocado in the middle of winter in Alaska. Moving has caused me to really rethink eating local and I do think insisting every restaurant have ripe avocados is a bit much to ask. Some veggies? Yes. But avocados? Not necessarily. There was a vegan place in Seattle that use to replace the avocados with other things when they couldn't get good ones. Same with tomatoes. I think that's extreme but has integrity. FYI if Chipotle is up there you can get vegan guacamole and veggies. They never seem to run out.
Thanks, bitt--and thanks for the validation that it was right to speak up. I worry a lot about 'being a bother.'
ReplyDeleteI did think that about avocados too, that maybe it was perverse to expect avocados in Alaska. But they did have 'guacamole' in several places on the menu, and aside from avocados, I know that places like CostCo have that packaged avocado with no preservatives that you can buy. I asked for guac rather than avo slices because I suspected that that was what they might have.
I like the integrity too, of only using avos when you can get good ones. I just didn't know what else to ask for that wouldn't poison me at that place--turns out the guac would poison me too! But if I insisted on sticking to local food here, I'd have a mighty tough time. I'm curious how your move has gotten you thinking about that--it's a topic dear to my heart indeed.
love
Ela
Hi Ela,
ReplyDeletea bit of lemon would have stopped the 'browning' and 'frozen' just shows a kind of disrespect to people with special food needs. Refusing it brings more awareness to food perviors.
RH