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?
