| September 18, 2008 FAAN 11781 Lee Jackson Highway Suite 160 Fairfax, VA 22033 Dear FAAN. Enclosed is a letter I wrote to Bugaboo Creek Steak House in Dedham recently to thank them for all of their extra care and attention they gave us and my daughter , who has multiple severe food allergies. I thought you may be interested in our experience, and wanted to share this with you. There is also a picture of my daughter from that night. You can see how delighted she was to actually be eating out in a real restaurant! Right behind her on the table is a pink Hanna Montana bag, which we call her “epi-bag” since it contains her epi-pens, epi-pen trainer, Benadryl tablets, her inhaler, and other food allergy related and medical info. It’s never far away from her, and since it’s a “cool” bag for someone her age, she never minds carrying it around everywhere. We enjoy receiving the adult and kids FAAN newsletters, so feel free to use the pictures and/or the story if you’d like. Thanks FAAN for all you do. We’re looking forward to the Boston walk this Sunday! Tim Massachusetts July 22, 2008 Tom Wayland, General Manager Dan Hawkins, Kitchen Manager Bugaboo Creek Steak House Bugaboo of Dedham 850 Providence Highway Dedham, MA 02026 Dear Tom and Dan: Thank you so much for all you did to give our family such a memorable dining experience on Saturday, July 12! My 8-year-old daughter has severe food allergies to so many things (Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy, Shellfish) that going out to eat has never really been a good option for our family. Since we can never be sure what’s in her food or how it’s prepared when going out, it’s easier to just stay home. When we do need to go out, we always pack her own food. She is such a good trooper with her allergies, but we know it’s not easy for her. (Imagine being the only kid in the neighborhood who can’t get an ice cream from the ice cream truck, or the only kid in class who can’t join in on pizza day, or the only kid at the birthday party who can’t have the cake and has to bring her own cupcake (and her epi-pens.) Unfortunately, I could go on and on… That’s why that Saturday night at the Bugaboo Creek Steak House in Dedham was so special for us. I called Friday morning on July 11th and talked with Dan Hawkins about our situation and all of our daughter's allergies. I mentioned she likes ribs, so he patiently explained to me how they are prepared, and what could be done to ensure her safety. We then talked side dishes, vegetables, and desert, and together came up with a nice game plan for her meal. A rack of ribs was going to be set aside for her smoked, but not dipped in butter, and would be cooked on a clean, separate part of the grill. On the morning of the 12th, I called Dan again just “to be sure” of everything. Dan reiterated the plan, however in reviewing things with him, I realized I forgot in my initial call to mention my daughter's soy allergy, which is one of the ingredients the ribs are smoked in. Dan was very calm and reassuring, and came up with an adjusted game plan, where he would go right in and defrost a rack of ribs that he would put aside to be grilled separately for our daughter that night. Dan explained he wouldn’t be there at night, but would pass all the info off to Tom Wayland. I was impressed with how accommodating Dan was. I felt like he was really, truly listening to me (a lost art in today’s society) and also never made me feel like I was being rushed, a bother, or over cautious. At 5:00, my wife and I showed up at the restaurant with 2 excited kids (our daughter and her little brother) and my wife's mom. As we settled into the booth, Tom came right out from the kitchen and came over to our table and introduced himself. He shook hands with our daughter, and talked to her directly about the special meal he had prepared for her, which he made sure would be safe for her with all her allergies. For someone who often has to feel 2nd rate, Tom made her feel like the most important person in the whole place. She was simply beaming, and as you can see in the attached picture, she polished off the whole rack! Tom and our waitress that night checked on us several times, and couldn’t have been nicer or more supportive. All of our food was tremendous, but the service and support was just amazing. Just this treatment alone would have justified a complimentary letter from me, but there’s one additional wrinkle to add. During the week of the 12th, my wife's father passed away. After a Wake on Wednesday, Funeral on Thursday, and Burial on Friday, none of us were in any mood to celebrate her 40th birthday that Saturday night of the 12th. Our initial plans for a boat cruise in New Hampshire had to be cancelled, but I wanted to do at least something to mark the day (if just for the sake of the kids.) When I mentioned going out to eat, my wife was less than enthusiastic. I told her how my parents had got us a Bugaboo Creek gift certificate at Christmas, as we probably needed to use it sometime before it expired (I told you we never eat out!) She reluctantly agreed, and started thinking about what she could pack for our daughter to eat. I told her she didn’t have to bother, as I had called the restaurant twice and arranged everything with the manager! When she saw how professional and proactive Tom was, she relaxed right away. When we saw the excitement on our daughter's face and then watched her dive into her rack of ribs, it was the first time I had seen my wife smile in over a week. The whole night was a much needed break for us and a real bright spot during a very difficult week. Thank you again for treating us so well. Our daughter is already looking forward to her next visit! Tim Massachusetts |
| DEDHAM MASSACHUSETTS |
| The following experience at Bugaboo Creek is from a dad I met at the Boston FAAN Walk in September 2008. |
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