No table oil at a restaurant for food allergy sufferers
How tempting is it to grab a piece of bread and soak it in oil when you’re at a restaurant. So tempting! If you’re an allergy sufferer (soy & sunflower seeds), stop! It’s not worth it, and I have had the hives to prove it. This is where your incredible amounts of self-control come into play, and I know you allergy sufferers have got good self-control. I avoid the yummy bread and oil on the table because you just can’t know what kind of bread it is, where it is cut, or what type of oil they use.
I especially stay clear of all table oil at a restaurant, for bread or to dress your salad. The event that hit it all home was at my fav local Greek restaurant. When I find a restaurant that is allergy friendly, I stick with the same few dishes. But one time I was feeling a Greek salad (not a part of my regular repertoire at this restaurant). Like always, I explain my allergies and give them my allergy card. It’s a Greek restaurant, and they assure me that they use olive oil and will bring it to me so I can dress my salad.
It should have a been a warning sign when they brought a fancy silver oil decanter to the table. My gut was saying ‘stay away from the oil’, but I was feeling pretty confident that I could use it considering we had a nice conversation about my allergies, and it’s a Greek restaurant: olive oil reigns supreme. So I thought! A couple of minutes into eating I starting getting itchy and I broke out into hives. Bust! I took some Benadryl and stopped eating my meal.
The cause? They had diluted the olive oil with sunflower oil. I specifically told them about the sunflower oil allergy, but the waiter must not have been aware that the oil was cut with something else. Restaurants cut corners; it’s inevitable, and the waiters may not always be aware of that.
Depending on you or a family member’s food allergies I would just avoid the table oil, it is a safer bet. Even if there is a label on the bottle you never know what is going on in the kitchen, they could be filling up a fancy bottle with a lesser version. My overconfidence in the waiter and the purity of the oil left me with hives for a week. Also, listen to your gut feeling, most of the time it’s right.
ps. If you are craving some bread and oil of your own, for say an afternoon snack, check out this easy no-knead bread recipe. I suggest a little olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt sprinkled on top!
