Out to Dinner with Food Allergies in Italy

Last night it was one of my friend’s birthdays.  I had never been to the restaurant before.  She told me that it was an Osteria, where the food would be regional Italian cuisine.  I was also told that there wouldn’t be a menu because it changed daily, depending on what fresh ingredients they bought to cook that day.  I told her that if I couldn’t eat anything, I would just enjoy the company and eat later (one of my usual back-up plans in case I can’t eat).  Here in Italy it is difficult to call ahead and since the style of this restaurant would not have been conducive to this anyway, I decided it would be a dining adventure!

Before going out, I made sure to eat something small, just in case they couldn’t accommodate my allergies.  The restaurant was authentic and tastefully decorated.  The server told us what the food choices were that evening for each of the three dinner courses.  I gave the server my Chef Card and asked in Italian if she could find out what I would be able to eat that night.

When the server came back to the table, she was able to advice me on exactly which dishes would be safe with my food allergies.  Although there were fish dishes and salads with nuts, they were happy to accommodate me, and careful to figure out what I would be safe eating.

Another successful dinner out in Italia!

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