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Dear Listmates:

Just a note to let you people know of a great catering company who are
sensitive to our special diet.  My husband's firm had a "retreat" in Napa,
California, and had one dinner catered by Wine Valley Catering (phone:
707-256-2900, fax: 707-256-2906).  I phoned ahead of time and they had me
fax to them my diet restrictions.  I'm an "extra" challenge because I have
three food allergies along with being celiac.  These people, I learned, are
catering six to seven parties in the Napa Valley area on Saturday nights and
are obviously very busy.

We were given the choice of two entrees, and I chose the Petaluma free range
chicken leg stuffed with wild mushrooms, artichoke hearts and toasted
pinenuts on a bed of grilled baby vegetables served with Napa goat cheese
whipped potatoes with a Cabernet roasted shallot sauce.  I got the chicken
dish without any sauce (still great) and no whipped potatoes, which was fine
with me.  It was all absolutely delicious, and I never had to send anything
back or ask further questions.  The appetizer was a shrimp and scallop salad
with grilled scallions in between puff pastry.  I got mine without puff
pastry.  I even got to enjoy a dessert of the freshest berries and
cantaloupe.  Now, keep in mind this is a party of 80 or so people.  Everyone
had a name tag, and they spotted me right away.  I didn't mind not getting
any sauce nor the potatoes because I can understand them not whipping up a
single serving just for one out of eighty.

Needless to say, I was in heaven.  I don't eat out much, and it was a real
treat not to have to look forward to the hassle of informing staff of my
diet restrictions, then waiting until the food got to me to see what they
flubbed up, sending it back, yadda-yadda-yadda.

So, those in the Napa area or visiting and/or need catering services, file
their number away.  You won't be sorry!

Cecilia Vohl
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