the missing menu: found it!
November 5, 2010 at 11:32 am 2 comments
The Missing Menu is an up-and-coming resource to help people with food allergies – not just gluten-free folks – dine out safely. Simply plug in your coordinates and enjoy the fruits of The Missing Menu’s labors. This resource is still in its infancy, and only two regions are really fleshed out, so if you’re lucky enough to live in Denver, Colo. or the San Francisco Bay Area, you’ll get to reap the benefits. But not to worry! Regions that will be featured in the near future include Atlanta, Chicago, L.A., Northern Colorado and Philadelphia.
If you have a devoted interest in helping the allergy-friendly restaurants in your area become known destinations for other diners, you’re welcome to suggest restaurants to be included in The Missing Menu’s lists. Just use the submission form to share the details you know and The Missing Menu will be sure to track down the details.
So why do they do this? True story:
“Recently diagnosed with a gluten allergy and a passionate foodie, I was frustrated… Even beyond frustrated. All at once, I was hit with (and those of you with food allergies know what I’m talking about) the lack of dining options, the new intimidation of dining out, and embarrassment at social and business meals. I began to distrust restaurants and the “true” ingredients in my food. Just a few weeks in and I was already tired of searching endless blogs, forums, and websites for allergy information. Perhaps most of all, I dreaded being that high maintenance diner; the one who needs to ask a thousand questions about a restaurant before committing to a simple dinner out, or a million questions about the menu items before I can order. The result? TheMissingMenu.com.”
This is a resource that could really catch on…do we see an app in the near future?
Entry filed under: eat out gf, resources. Tags: .
1.
Margaret Leventer | November 16, 2010 at 9:15 pm
I have e-mailed missing menu.com because they are listing
restaurants, etc. with gluten-free menu items, for example
(I have celiac disease), but it is not at all clear that the
restaurants are dealing with cross contamination. Some
restaurants I have asked acknowledge they can do a gluten-free menu item, but are not set up to prevente cross contamination.
2.
theglutenfreelab | November 17, 2010 at 10:17 am
You’re right on the money, Margaret: as long as we eat gluten-free, we’ll always be asking questions about what lengths restaurants go to to keep their gluten-free menu items separate. The Missing Menu is a great resource because it cuts out much of the legwork by finding those restaurants that offer allergy-friendly foods; if all we have to do is double-check the restaurant’s ingredients list and food preparation protocol, we think The Missing Menu is a screaming success!