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I'm in total agreement with the listmate who said if we have a celiac reaction due to a restaurant not following their gluten-free menu, we should write to corporate, especially if management was unable to remedy the situation on the spot.

I want to add my two cents, for what it's worth, especially for newbies.

1. Even when there is a gf menu: Always give your gluten-free speech to the waiter/waitress, and call attention to the fact that you're ordering from the gluten-free menu. If the hair goes up on the back of your neck and you get a feeling you're not getting through, don't hesitate to smile and ask to speak with the manager. Do it all with a smile. (I've even been known to lighten the mood with a scared or dull looking waiter/waitress by saying I tip extra well if I don't get sick. And I do.)

2. Don't just write to corporate when things go bad. It's equally important that we write to headquarters and/or local management when we're pleased. Waitstaff and kitchen work is hard work. They need all the compliments they can get, and a letter or email of praise, read aloud at a staff meeting or posted on the staff bulletin board (they do this), goes a long way to make a waiter/waitress more eager to please the next gluten-free dieter. Make sure you get the names of the person(s) who were particularly helpful and put them in your communication.

Thanks for putting up with my old lady advice, but I find it works. I write compliments to corporate quite freely, and find that then corporate really jumps on it if I have a problem.

Lin

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