> Italian dressing often has bits of cheese

Silly me.  Almost anything Italian has cheese in it.

> Servers can be ignorant when it comes to food allergies, mostly because
> they simply think customers are being "fussy."

I'm actually more afraid of my dinner companions thinking I'm fussy (i.e.
causing the dinner to take longer or confusing the order).  This is all very
new and strange to both me and everyone I know.  Most have been
understanding but when it comes down to it, they don't get it.

> Insist on confirmation (ask them to check with
> the kitchen to see if it's doable) or order something else. Believe me,
> I've done it a thousand times....

Good point.  But is retaliation ever a problem?  There are so many
restaurant horror stories circulating and the service in our area is very
poor. (When ever we travel, we are always amazed at how great the service is
compared to where we live.  Especially in bigger cities.  I think here they
just hire any warm body who can carry a plate).

Thanks for the replies. I've finally conquered cooking without dairy, now
I'm just learning how to take it public.

Tanya