Thanks to our friend at avoidingmilkprotein.com, we have traversed the city in search of peanut free confections! Last summer we tried to find Loostsalicious, the peanut free ice cream parlor. To our dismay it was closed, however we hopped back in our minivan to visit Richman’s Bakery. We overindulged on cookies, cakes, breads, muffins, cupcakes, donuts- did I miss anything?

This summer we had the pleasure of overindulging in The Cupcake Shoppe’s delicious cupcakes. The kids’ favorite was the gumball topped cupcake! Mine was the chocolate chip cookie dough flavored cake with matching frosting!

In addition to cupcakes we purchased chocolate confections at Lollicakes, an adorable little shop in a section of Toronto called Davisville. When we return for chocolates, I will most certainly build in time to shop around this great neighborhood!

But beyond sweet treats we have found some great restaurants and attractions. Most recently we dined at Live and Breathe, aka L.A.B. an up and coming Toronto gastronomic hit! The chef/owner and staff are very friendly, preparing fresh, seasonal, “molecular gastronomy” to excite the taste buds! They provided us with an exceptional meal and were extremely accommodating of our allergy.

Pizzaria Rustica is another allergy friendly establishment, with 2 locations near the Rogers Center. Their pesto is void of nuts and they have gluten free options available.

I also subscribe to “Toronto for Kids,” a great weekly enewsletter highlghting weekly family events in Toronto.

We have had some great adventures in Toronto! It is about what we CAN do!

The next step in your magical journey is with dining reservations, 407-WDW-DINE, and notifying the agent of your special dietary restrictions.  The agent will direct you to contact Special Diets at 407-939-3463 or SpecialDiets@DinseyWorld.com to coordinate your dietary needs with your hotel chef and with the chefs at your specific reserved locations. The Special Diets department is fantastic!

Special Diets will send forms to your email address requesting a list of each of your reservations, the number in your party and the specific special dietary requirements. They will also provide you with a list of quick service restaurants available to accommodate special dietary requirements. Within a short period of time, the majority of the chefs will contact you by telephone to discuss your needs and accommodations. They will also leave their direct phone number in the event of further questions or needs up to and during your Magical stay.

It may also be reassuring to contact the chefs a couple days before each reservation to confirm your reservations and ensure there are no surprises, such as changes to menu items available on a buffet line.  An insider tip: try to make reservations early in the meal service. Restaurants can more easily accommodate during off meal times.

Upon arrival at the restaurant, notify the host/hostess of your allergies and request to speak to the chef. Typically as with any restaurant, the busier the restaurant, the longer the wait to speak to a chef. In our experience, the buffets had the longest wait for a chef and the greatest opportunity for cross contamination.  Whereas the restaurants preparing all their meals from scratch were the most accommodating and the most knowledgeable. For example, our food allergy is peanuts; some restaurants thought the Mickey Macaroni and the child’s pizza dough were unsafe, while others considered them safe. We found this disconcerting considering the typical children’s menu offerings at the majority of restaurants was Mickey Mac n’ Cheese, Personal Pizza, or Chicken Nuggets for both lunch and dinner. Over the length of your stay, you may want to present your children with some variety, which can be better accommodated at scratch restaurants. The restaurants specializing in items from scratch have the ability to prepare exciting dishes that were not on the menu, in a safe, healthy and delicious manner!  No matter where a food allergy family goes, they need to be within their own comfort level. 

Within your own hotel, get to know your dining manager. They can introduce you to the chef in your hotel’s quick service restaurant, assisting with alternatives to the typical children’s fare. Also ask for their input on substitutions to the meal plan. Most meals come with an entrée, drink and dessert – the dessert can be substituted with an additional bottle of water or to satisfy a sweet tooth, Divvies (www.divvies.com) products may be available at the venue.

For quick service dining within a park, consider dining at off times. For example, lunch service begins at 11:30. Arriving early allows for time to avoid the lines, get a manager’s attention, review the ingredient binder, order and eat by noon.  A little pre-planning is very helpful, make sure to print out the maps online and highlight the safe restaurants in order to be in the right place at meal times.

Another thing to consider within the park is that all straws are unwrapped. Disney takes great pride in cleanliness, paper and plastic wrappers cause a great deal of litter. However, straws at the hotel are probably wrapped, so grab a few of those and maybe some pre-wrapped plastic ware to carry with you through the park.  Depending upon how hot the weather is, it may become necessary to buy a slush or soda.

The most important tip of all is to have FUN!!!! Enjoy the magic that is Disney.

www.lonelyplate.org

www.allerdine.com

www.allergyeats.com

Food Allergy Support Services, Inc. is planning on hosting a 2nd annual Food Allergy Awareness Night at Red Robin – both locations – Orchard Park and Amherst!  Join us on Tuesday, May 11th for our 2nd Annual Awareness Night! We would like to add a new twist this year, please contact me if you are interested in donating door prizes or hanging posters!!!! allergypeanutmom@yahoo.com

Red Robin has been a champion in our struggle with food allergies. They provide food allergy specific menus to their guests. These orders are flagged in their computer system and delivered in their own  special yellow basket. Don, the Manager of the Orchard Park location and Joe, Manager of Amherst, have both done an extra special job to enhance the lives of some very special food allergy patrons!

“Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., was founded on four core values: Honor, Integrity, Continually Seeking Knowledge and Having Fun. These core values are the foundation for every Red Robin decision from creating its mouthwatering gourmet burgers to hiring energetic Team Members and even to deciding new restaurant locations. They also are the foundation for how the company treats its Team Members, Guests and communities. Red Robin’s core values can be found embroidered on the sleeve of every Team Member’s uniform, which serves as a constant reminder of what makes the company unique and special.

Red Robin also has an unparalleled and extraordinary approach to Guest service known as Unbridled Acts. There are thousands of stories of Red Robin Team Members who live the company’s values through random acts of kindness they bestow upon restaurant Guests and other Team Members. Each Unbridled Act®, regardless of size, is a true testament to Red Robin’s amazing culture and the care it takes for each and every Guest.

Red Robin’s core values and unbridled atmosphere is at the heart of the company’s energizing culture and its nearly 32,000 Team Members across North America.”  http://www.redrobin.com/aboutus/

We hope you will join us in celebrating Food Allergy Awareness Week, on Tuesday, May 11th at Red Robin! YUM!

Please remember, safety is our first concern, if you don’t feel comfortable dining with your allergic child, suggest some co-workers dine out in support of your efforts!