It’s the festive season so I’ve been eating (and drinking) out at quite a few places this month and we’re only half way through!
I thought I’d share where I’ve been, what I ate and how I got on. Ruth vs Reactions!
So here, in order or appearance this month…
- Tres Carazones tapas restaurant in Wendover
This place is brilliant! They understood about allergies, went through the whole menu with me and the chef marked up which dishes would be safe for me and which he planned to modify so I could have them. Some of the tapas dishes were just for me. There was quite a bit of aubergine envy going on so I had to share that. In fact there was so much food that I was happy to share my own special dishes, although sometimes when it disappeared down the table the greedy child in me wanted to protest. I had my own waiter who made sure I got the right food down to my end of the table and I had a fantastic evening. I’ll definitely be going back here again. They made me welcome and most importantly, they made me some amazing food.
Reactions = 0
Hangover = 0
- Best friend’s house for dinner
My friends are amazing and this dinner party was up there with one of my favourite evenings. Good company and some pretty amazing food, prepared without fuss and all suitable for me. Three courses in fact! We started with DIY vietamese parcels which you had to soak in quite hot water, then fill with your chosen stuffing of prawns and wotnot (prosecco addling my memory of exactly what). The main meal was a perfectly cooked pork with green beans and saute potatoes. Pudding was home made meringues made with icing sugar, amazing! with fruit and cream. I brought my Oatly cream with me.
Thank you Fran (centre of this photo) for a real treat. Loved every minute!
Reactions = 0
Hangover = 1
- The Packhorse, Wendover with friends
We met, we drank and we talked about old times. This pub doesn’t serve food so we got fish and chips from the local takeaway. I got haddock in rice cones which is just rice nib coating with no wheat or dairy. Something went wrong this evening so it was either the chips or the rice coated fish or getting the wrong drink.
I was drinking London Pride which I know is wheat free. At some point someone ordered me the wrong drink and I got a half of lager shandy. I knew it wasn’t mine but drank it out of politness and ended up with far more trips to the bathroom than any girl needs in one evening. Say no more! It was a mild reaction and it didn’t spoil my enjoyment though it may have for everyone else! LOL. It did mean a sleepless night and a painful stomach and it definitely felt like a wheat reaction.
Reactions = 1
Hangover = 1
- Writing Group Christmas social
This was organised by another lovely friend, Julia who sorted all the food for the festive buffet. There was loads that I could eat including plain crisps, roasted vegetables, crudites and those Tesco gluten free mince pies. I may have eaten two of those!
I did have some kind of mild reaction after this but I’m not sure what caused it since I checked everything and only ate what I call ‘real food’ or things I’d read the ingredients for… This came the night after a reaction at the Packhorse so could have been the aftermath of that! Who knows… this experiment is hardly scientific.
Reactions = 1
Hangover = 0
- Work Christmas do in London
This took place at The Big Top in Bloomsbury, London. They were really great with checking what I could have before hand and on the night I had my own waitress and the food was lovely. I had risotto, followed by chicken with the works and fruit salad for pudding. Less comments here due to the sheer amount of bubbly and wine consumed. The memory is addled.
Really tasty food and very enjoyable evening. This one does go down in the #fruitisnotapudding category though I was so full I couldn’t have managed much more food.
Reactions = 0
Hangover = 1
- Le Pain Quotidien, Covent Garden, London
I didn’t phone ahead, I didn’t book, but I found myself in London, hungover and starving so I tried this place. How did I choose? It had spare seats and looked warm and welcoming and mentioned gluten free on its menu. Le Pain Quotidien it was. I ordered salmon and eggs with wheat free bread and a vat of black coffee. Just what the doctor ordered. They were helpful about my allergies and checked that this meal would be safe. Honestly, breakfast never tasted so good.
Reactions = 0
Hangover = Cured!
- Haddenham Beer Festival
Managed to flutter my eye lashes and get a great pile of pork from the pig roast and some crackling for just £3. Bargain! Very generous helping and basement prices because I didn’t have the nasty white roll! I was able to speak to the man who cooked this who assured me it was just pork with nothing added.
Reactions = 0
Hangover = n/a (driving duty)
- The Blue Ball in Asheridge
We went here after the beer festival and I hadn’t had time to speak to them properly before hand so I opted for the fairly safe Ham, egg and chips. It came with peas and pineapple and a quick chat with the owner, who told me it would be fine and that someone with coeliac disease worked them and was fine with their chips allayed all my fears.
I did however need to make a pretty swift unplanned visit to the ladies. This was a mild reaction and I managed to hold on for the second toilet visit till we got home so I’m not sure what caused this one, whether it was food, something else, cross contamination or perhaps the chips were not gluten free? I will have a chat with them to see if I can work out what it might have been because the food was really delicious and it’s a lovely country pub really out in middle of nowhere. No matter really, I was absolutely fine, if a little tired by morning.
Reactions = 1
Hangover = n/a (driving duty)
- My beautiful sister’s house for Sunday lunch
Now this slow cooked beef was pretty amazeballs. No photographs because by this time I was feeling pretty exhausted but it was so delicious, tender and juicy. We had this with proper roasties, parsnips and vegetables. All washed down with a glass of Yellowtail Jammy Red Roo which seems to be a bit of a tradition in our family now… what with Roo being one of my nicknames, my face often being red and me being a wee bit jammy it does seem rather fitting.
I had seconds and a plate of berries and fruit for dessert.
Thank you little sis for the lovely lunch, great company, lots of fun with the nieces and VIP guests from church. Lovely to meet Renee and catch up with Tyra again ;o)
Reactions = 0
Hangover = n/a (driving duty)
- Saracen’s Head, Beaconsfield
No photo… forgot to take one but they were really helpful here, despite me not checking before going. (I’m becoming very blase…) I must get back on with the organisation because eating out is much safer when I plan ahead. It was a long weekend. I forgot what I was supposed to be doing. I ordered the chicken, bacon and avocado salad which was a huge portion and very tasty.
Reactions = 0
Hangover = n/a (driving duty)
So despite many of these eating out experiences NOT being pre-planned I have survived half of December. Not without some mishaps though as you can see, but the reactions were mild. I suspect it was wheat or somethign similar each time. I didn’t have any allergic reacgtions or signs of anaphylaxis or breathing problems or swelling. Thankfully!
It does prove that the planned outings were reaction free so there is perhaps something I haven’t considered causing me a problem… But being a bit of an expert in my own reactions it was probably wheat.
So be safe over the festive period. Do check before and if you don’t have time to, be very careful with what you choose. Even the drinks might be unsafe but I wish you all a very merry Christmas. Only a few Christmas meals to go… I’m exhausted already.
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