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| Seattle, WA |
| Barolo Ristorante 1940 Westlake Ave. Seattle, WA (206) 374-8717 7/23/09 Bud was not with us. Talked to Erik, the manager. He's there Wednesday through Sunday and is familiar with food allergies. He claims the kitchen staff is prepared to prepare meals for special dietary needs. He showed me a laminated document that they keep at the hostess station regarding the handling of foods for anyone who is on a gluten free diet. This happens to be the foundation for his understanding of cross-contamination. When I inquired about pasta for someone allergic to milk, egg, peanuts and tree nuts, he explained that all of their homemade pastas contain egg. He did bring out a package of pasta that was egg free. It was labeled MAC HERONI, AL FERRETO, durum wheat pasta, imported by Lettieri & Co., ltd. They are in Brisbane, CA and the phone is (415) 657-3392. The website for the manufacturer is www.pastalaporta.it. I noticed the date on the package had expired and I didn't get a chance to ask him if he realized that, or if it was a package that they kept around just for reordering purposes. I caught him during the dinner hour, so he was extremely busy, yet pleasant. At the time of this writing, Borola was ranked #83 on TripAdvisor.com. |
FOOD ALLERGIES TO GO
Food Allergy Friendly Restaurants, Food Allergies 22 Years
| Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Ave. 1415 5th Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 971-8000 7/17/09 Bud was not with us. Great location, clean, and had a mini fridge. There's a Bed Bath and Beyond just arouund the block if you want to buy a microwave for your stay. See address below. The staff was friendly and accommodating. When we checked in at 1 a.m., they gave us a free room upgrade because the room type I had reserved was not available. They also gave us free breakfast vouchers for our first morning when I inquired if breakfast was included in the price. |
| Hilton 1301 6th Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 624-0500 7/27/09 Bud was not with us. Good location, clean, and room came with a mini bar fridge. The man at the front desk offered that we could empty the contents of the fridge and use it to keep our items cold. It was expected that we would put the mini bar content back in the fridge at the end of our stay. The mini bar was stocked with Pringles, 2 cans of Banana Moon Deluxe Mixed Nuts, Hershey's mini bars, M & M's, Famous Amos cookies, and Reese's minis. Beverages included Tropicana cranberry juice, water, Coke, diet Coke, Sprite, Miller Lite Beer, and various alcoholic beverages. There's a Bed, Bath and Beyond a few blocks away if you want to purchase a microwave for your stay. Check address below. |
| Bed, Bath & Beyond 19303 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 448-7905 7/18/09 They sell countertop microwaves if you need one while you're in Seattle. Prices range from $59 - $79. They will deliver it to your hotel for $30. |
| McCormick and Schmick's Seafood Restaurant 1103 First Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 623-5500 7/21/09 Talked to the Head Chef. He would be able to serve anyone with food allergies, yet he would prefer 24 hours notification, so he could minimize the probability of cross contamination. |
| CollinsPub 526 Second Ave. (near Smith Tower of Pioneer Square) Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 623-1016 7/21/09 Bud was not with us. Spoke to the Sous Chef. She learned a lot about food allergies in her previous position working in an allergy friendly bakery. She is at the pub most days and is happy to prepare a meal for someone with food allergies. |
| Duke's ChowderHouse 901 Fairview Ave N. (on Union Lake) Seattle, WA 98109 (206) 382-9963 7/27/09 Bud was not with us. After a yummy lunch, I talked to our waitress and Jenny, the General Manager. They serve patrons with food allergies all of the time and take it very seriously. The chef knows how to avoid cross-contamination, and they use a separate fryolator for the fries. Duke's has six locations in WA which are all prepared to serve food allergic patrons. |
| Terrace Garden Restaurant (on the 5th floor of Red Lion Hotel) 1415 Fifth Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 971-8000 7/18/09 Bud was not with us. After a tasty breakfast, I spoke with Bobby Cooper, the manager. They have protocol in place to handle special dietary needs. The wait staff is trained to go to the Head Chef in these situations. According to Bobby, If they have it, they'll cook it for you. So, if you need salmon for breakfast, they'll cook it for you even though it's not on the breakfast menu. |
| P.F. Chang's China Bistro Westlake Center 400 Pine St. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 393-0070 7/19/09 Bud was not with us. Talked to the manager, Martin McAuliff. The staff is trained to serve patrons with food allergies. Talk to the wait person and the manager. The manager will go to the cash register and print their menus which are free of the ingredients the patron is allergic to. If you have multiple food allergies, the manager will cross reference the lists to see which menu items are safe. If you ask to be involved in cross referencing the lists, Martin will be happy to let you participate. |
| The Pink Door 1919 Post Alley (near Pike's Market) Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 443-3241 7/20/09 Bud was not with us. After a tasty lunch, I talked to the waiter, who also happens to be a flight attendant for one of the major airlines, about food allergies. He said the staff at the Pink Door is experienced in handling food allergies. Be sure to talk to your wait person and the manager. At the time of this post, Pink Door is ranked #78 at TripAdvisor.com. |
| Salty's on Alki 1936 Harbor Ave. SW Seattle, WA 98126 (206) 937-1600 7/19/09 Bud was not with us. I talked to Jada Wood, the manager, during brunch. Although it was very busy, she introduced me to Levi, the Banquet Chef. He has served many patrons with food allergies. He wants to know what the patron is allergic to and the severity of the food allergy. He likes to start by telling the patron that eating from the buffet can be very risky because the food and utensils are handled by many patrons. If the food allergic patron is still inclined to eat at the buffet, he will identify potentially safe items for the patron. He recommends that persons with food allergies order from the kitchen, where he will start with a clean pan and utensils and prepare the food in a clean corner of the kitchen. Jada mentioned that one of the owner's is allergic to seafood (impressive for a restaurant on the water named Salty's) The owner makes it a priority to have the staff trained in handling food for patrons with food allergies. She even wrote an article regarding food allergies at www.Saltys.com. For those concerned with budget, the lunch menu has a daily blue plate special at $9.95. It's typically a half entree of their fresh catch of the day. We personally went back after Sunday brunch at 3:30 and ordered from the happy hour menu out on the deck. The burgers were yummy and the water view was extraordinary. |
| King County Water Taxi (to Alki) Pier 55 Seattle, WA Some of the items at the snack bar included Snapple Pink Lemonade, Pepsi, bottled water, Fritos, Ruffles, Lay's BBQ Chips, Skittles, and Rold Gold Pretzels. |
| Virginia Inn (restaurant) 1937 1st Ave. at Virginia St. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 728-1937 7/20/09 Bud was not with us. After a tasty dinner, I talked to Patrice, the manager, and Josh, the chef. Patrice and Josh both have personal experience with food allergies amongst family members. Josh told me about avoiding cross contamination before I even had a chance to ask. He described how he washes the plate, the tongs, and anything else he uses to prepare a meal for someone with food allergies. He told a story regarding his previous employment where the fryolator contained peanut oil. He knew it could be a trigger for anyone with a peanut allergy. Josh explained that the sous chef and staff are aware of food allergies. He or the sous chef are always there. He was very friendly and left the kitchen to speak with me even though the restaurant was very busy. We went back a week later for a second time with some friends because we want to support restaurants who try to be food allergy friendly. The sidewalk tables are a charming place to sip a micro brewed beer while you wait for the meal. This is one of the few places open at night when much of Seattle closes early. |
| Sport Restaurant & Bar 140 4th Ave. N. (across the street from Space Needle) Seattle, WA 98109 (206) 404-7767 7/27/09 Bud was not with us. After a nice dinner, I talked to Chris Sweet, the General Manager. He understands cross-contamination and was quick to mention that the fries would NOT be safe for someone allergic to dairy and nuts. When I asked about other potatoes or rice, he told me the Jambalaya contained rice. I then asked if the chef would be willing to make plain rice and he said yes. He suggested we call one day in advance so they could properly prepare for the allergy free meal. He claims they serve people with food allergies regularly. Although the menu contains a lot of dairy in the form of cheese, and some nuts, the chefs will do their very best to prepare something for the food allergic patron. He offered me his business card and was very focused and serious about the food allergy topic. |
| Sky City Restaurant (at the top of Space Needle) 400 Broad St. Seattle, WA 98109 (206) 905-2100 7/20/09 Bud was not with us. There is a bottle of hazelnut oil on each table which can be used to moisten bread since butter is not typically served with the bread basket. Our waiter was very pleasant and professional. He explained that the staff is trained to handle patrons with food allergies. He told a story of a patron who had an allergic reaction several years ago and was promptly assisted to street level so that medical attention could be sought. Since then, he claims they take food allergies very seriously. Sky City restaurant is located one level below the observation deck which is the top level at the Space Needle. At first, I thought the entrees appeared pricey until I realized I wouldn't have to pay the $16 elevator fee to get up to the observation deck. I love to photograph sunsets, and the view from Sky City did not disappoint. At this writing, Sky City is ranked #97 at Tripadvisor.com. |
| 94 Stewart Street 94 Stewart St. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 441-5505 7/19/09 Bud was not with us. After a pleasant lunch, I talked to the waiter who talked to the chef for me. The owner/chef has food allergies, so she takes pride in being able to serve patrons with food allergies. At the time of this post, 94 Stewart is ranked #14 at Tripadvisor.com. |
| Wild Ginger (Asian restaurant) 1401 3rd Ave. at Union St. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 623-4450 7/18/09 Bud was not with us. During a yummy lunch, I talked to the waitress about food allergies. She said they are well aware that they have a number of recipes with peanuts, so they take extra precautions with food allergies. They start with a clean wok, clean gloves, and a clean area away from peanuts. They don't have many recipes with milk, and they have many options without eggs. The chef made me a custom version of a dish for me with rice noodles, zuchini, carrots, bok choy, and broccoli. She told me they serve a lot of patrons with food allergies. I enjoyed the hot hand towels at the end of the meal to clean our hands. I noticed the chop sticks are made of teak and would encourage Bud to ask for a new pair in case the teak absorbed some peanut oil that might not be removed in the dishwasher. We arrived at 2:15 pm on a Saturday, which is their slower day. They tend to have heavy traffic from the business community during the week. At this writing, Wild Ginger is ranked #38 at TripAdvisor.com. |
| Wasabi Bistro 2311 Second Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 (206) 441-6044 7/21/09 Bud was not with us. The men in my life enjoy sushi, so I always try to find at least one solid sushi restaurant when I travel. Wasabi passed the taste test and the food allergy inquiry. The waiter told me it's important to let the wait staff and chef know about your food allergies. The chef will wash his cutting board and knife to avoid cross-contamination. |
| IGA Kress Supermarket 1423 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 749-9500 7/18/09 Bud was not with us. One of the first things I do in any city is locate a nearby supermarket. "FUNZ" buns looked free of dairy, and nuts, but there was no "contains" statement. They carry Silk, Deli Select, Hormel ham, variety of canned soups from Bud's grocery list, including Roadhouse chili. Thomas' bagels appear free of dairy and nuts. They sell Enjoy Life cookies including chocolate chip, gingerbread spice, happy apple, and double chocolate brownie. I saw Kashi black bean mango, Turkey Fiesta Sandwich, and Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers. They also carry Kashi TLC bars. The Grand Central Sliced Campagnolo bread and Grande Bolo bread appear free of dairy and nuts. |
| Walgreen's 222 Pike St. at 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 903-8392 7/21/09 We bought two styrofoam coolers here which came in very handy when we needed food and drinks to go hiking. |