Urban Myth . . .I mean Spoon

by | Aug 10, 2011 | Restaurants, Warnings

Yesterday, my husband and I went out of town to see a concert. He did some research online to find out where we could eat. He relied on Urban Spoon to determine what restaurants were gluten-free friendly. That was a mistake. . .

We arrived at Fat Fish Blue in Downtown Cleveland, and when we asked about the gluten free options, the host told us they direct those inquiries to the Chef. We were seated and the waitress attempted to help us, and she gave me two menu options. I asked her a few basic questions, and she sent over the manager. We told the manager that we read on Urban Spoon that the restaurant was gluten-free friendly. The next paragraph paraphrases his response:

“Oh, somebody from Urban Spoon called the other day and asked me a bunch of questions. They asked if we had anything gluten free on our menu. I told them yes. Was that misleading?”

I told him that gluten-free friendly generally meant have more than two menu items that did not have any gluten in the ingredients. I explained that the grill needed to be cleaned, and I asked about side dishes. He ended up bring out the book of ingredients for all of their food, and he was very helpful.

I do not blame the manager for the misleading recommendation. He was trying to answer honestly, and worked hard to accommodate me. I do think that Urban Spoon’s method of determining whether a restaurant is gluten-free friendly leaves something to be desired.

This is not the first time I have run into the problem. Fooled me twice, darn it.

Lessons learned:
Look up restaurant’s menu online or call ahead.
This website and blog is needed.

Wishing you great food and happy tummies.

K

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