A friend of mine is extremely allergic to nuts. When dining out, she brings two epinephrine pens; one is a backup in case the first one fails. She always ask the servers if her dishes contain nuts or has come into contact with nut products. More often than not the staff is unaware and must check with the kitchen.

This might seem like high-maintenance dining, but food allergies are no joke for the people who have this condition. For them it can be a matter of life or death, or at least a painful trip to the emergency room.

It is clear people who suffer from food allergies are savvy about what they should and should not eat. For instance, my nut-sensitive friend knows to steer clear of baklava and anything doused with curry or mole sauce. However, when a restaurant acknowledges, supports and accommodates the food allergy dining population, they position themselves to be viewed as responsible and forward-thinking establishments with the potential to garner much respect and loyalty from their patrons.

How does Downtown stack up when it comes to food allergy-friendliness? This angelenic contributor randomly hit up several restaurants to inquire about their food allergy policy, asking on-duty managers these three basic questions:

1. Do your customers frequently ask if certain dishes contain food allergens?
2. Is your staff trained and knowledgeable about menu items containing food allergens?
3. Does your menu specify dishes containing common food allergens, or do you have a list of menu items that should be avoided by allergic diners?

The restaurants sampled were 6th Street Bar & Grill, Homegirl Cafe, Denny’s, J Lounge & Restaurant, Libery Grill, and Seven Restaurant. All restaurants were aware that a small subset of diners have food allergies. All but one reported inquiries regarding specific food allergens were not common-place among their diners.

Again, all but one of these establishments were not proactive in their approach, meaning their waitstaff were not specifically trained about food allergens nor were there specific notations on the menus. They indicated diners were upfront if they had an issue and their waitstaff would check with the kitchen in these special cases. Fair enough.

Most restaurants reported they use canola oil to fry their foods; however 6th Street Bar & Grill and Seven Restaurant were not sure of the type of oil used (corn, canola, peanut, soybean, etc).

The Results

The blue-ribbon prize for food allergy-friendliness goes to J Lounge & Restaurant. Their floor manager told me with great confidence that large parties ordering from a pre-set menu are automatically asked if anyone has food allergies or specific dietary needs.

Each night their chef breaks down the daily specials and has the waitstaff take notes so they are prepared when faced with detailed questions. He also said their diners frequently ask about food allergens and they make an effort to list the components of each menu item as clearly as possible. The manager emphasized that a positive dining experience is their priority and the last thing they want is for one of their customers to end up in the hospital.

An honorable mention goes to - surprise - Denny’s! Their corporate headquarters publishes a list of menu items containing common food allergens. While the waitstaff is not specifically trained to handle questions about food allergens, this list is available for diners upon request. Score one for corporate America!

The kind manager at 6th Street Bar & Grill pointed out their hot fudge brownie sundae has walnuts, which is not in the menu description. Although infrequent, he expects inquiries about food allergens to increase as the younger loft-dwelling population continues to infiltrate this area, as they are more likely to have specialized dietary needs.

Also, the waitstaff at Sevent Restaurant is reportedly knowledgeable about ingredients because they are regularly quizzed on the subject.

Why All of You Should Care

Don’t dismiss this as a rare problem, food allergies are on the rise. The numbers of people allergic to dairy, nuts, shellfish, pollen, soy, wheat and other once-benign substances has jumped dramatically in the last 10 to 20 years.

Some grade school cafeterias have even created separate “allergy-free zones” for sensitive youngsters. How must children feel when their friend has to eat lunch on the other side of the room because “it’s safer for them over there.” Is this the Scarlett Letter of our times?

Genetics is partly responsible for allergies since it tends to run in families. If your parents and/or siblings experience allergies, you have higher chance due to shared genetics, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doomed to a life of inquisitive dining.

The running theory for the rise in food allergies is the overzealous cleanliness of modern living. Some researchers and doctors believe us Moderns keep our environments so clean that the immune system has practically nothing to fight off and turns its attention instead to once-harmless substances, such as nuts, weeds, and pet dander.

Asthma, however, is a kink in that theory, being more common in children from polluted inner-city environments. Perhaps asthma and food allergies are not cut from the same cloth. The jury is still out.

Nonetheless, studies show people who grew up in the country or were raised on farms have a lower incidence of allergies. So forget the five-second rule — a spoonful of dirt may be the new “an apple a day.”

Downtown restaurants, you have an unique opportunity to take the lead on this issue, as J Lounge & Restaurant notably have, and consider developing allergen-friendly menus and waitstaff. Many hungry diners, allergic or not, are sure to be grateful for your time and attention on this matter.

Hook photograph courtesy of Goldenfire via flickr. “Free from” courtesy of girl_of_bats via flickr.

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