Two Places in Chicago to Eat when You Have Food Allergies

When you suffer from food allergies, it can be tough to get decent food. For me, the allergy that affects me the most is the one i have for dairy products. This is exceptionally bad because I love fish and every chef in the world seems to love to douse their fish in butter. This often makes for embarrassing conversations between me and the wait-person discussing that I want their salmon dish, but I can't have the sauce or the butter. This then often leads to a slab of salmon on a plate, with no garnish, and a side of French fries. Not long ago I was told it was impossible for the chef at one restaurant to serve me a salmon dish with rice that had not been prepared without butter. It was as if all of the rice they had made throughout the day had been made that morning with butter and no fresh rice could be made.

There are a couple of places that you can go, however, if you have issues and they will accommodate you. One of them is a chain restaurant with locations across the country. The other is a little more local to the people of Chicago.

PF Chang's

Chang's is a chain of Chinese-style restaurants that you can find in most major cities across the country. I find their food to be excellent. However, what really sets them apart, at least for people like myself, is that they have total accommodation for people with food allergies. In fact, they have a specific menu for people who have a gluten allergy.

When you walk into PF Chang's you need to specifically tell them, the hostess or host, that you have a gluten allergy and that they should bring a gluten free menu to the table. Granted, the menu is a little smaller than the regular menu, but it's full of great food. There are appetizers, main entree dishes and even desserts for those who are gluten intolerant.

For my money, the lettuce wraps are a great way to start. These are mixtures of rice, chicken and spices that you wrap in huge lettuce leaves. You wrap the leaves around the chicken like a kind of lettuce burrito, dip into a gluten free soy sauce and enjoy. Oh, and you might want to remind the waiter that you are ordering from the gluten free menu.

The entree of my choice is the Philip's Better Lemon Chicken. This is chicken fried in corn starch rather than a wheat-based batter. It is then basted in a delicious and light lemon-flavored sauce. Get yourself some brown or white rice to go with it and enjoy the chicken and the broccoli that comes with it. For my money, I eat the chicken and leave the broccoli for the vegetable lovers.

They even have a flourless dessert known as a "chocolate dome." I have never had it because it also has dairy in it, so that's when my second allergy hits and I have to avoid this dessert. Still, I appreciate the fact they have made the attempt and for those of you just with the gluten problem and not the double-whammy I have, enjoy.

BISTRO157

There is a restaurant located in downtown Valparaiso Indiana, which is a small town just East of Chicago Valparaiso is about an hour's drive east of the city. It is definitely worth the drive for this small restaurant known as BISTRO157. They have been written up in the Chicago Tribune and they have managed to get the ABC7 Hungry Hound food critic to visit their establishment, but I cannot praise this place enough.

I saw they had salmon on the menu, but discussed, with the server Dale, my problem with the dairy. He puzzled it over, nodded and then said he would talk to the chef. I was expecting the salmon on a plate with the side of fries. To my surprise, the chef created an entirely new dish, from scratch, just for me. I felt like a celebrity.

I got three pieces of salmon, smoked and served slightly cold (this really added to the flavor). It was nestled on a bed of sliced cucumber and drizzled with a dairy-free sauce. The chef had made a mini-salad with grape tomatoes, grilled some fresh asparagus and then sliced and fried the greatest sweet potato fries I have ever eaten. In the middle of a plate was a square dish with ketchup. It was, without a doubt, one of the best lunches I have ever had and I cannot say enough about it.

My lunch companions also enjoyed their meals which included a split-pea soup that was served chilled. I was told it was delicious, although I was not able to partake of those portions of their meal.

The atmosphere is very friendly. The place is not very big, and is located in the heart of downtown Valpo, just across the street from the Chamber of Commerce and the City Hall. There was construction going on when we visited that made the front of the place hard to see, but if you get beyond the moat the construction workers are building in front of the entire downtown area, you will be delighted.

We made reservations, but the crowd never got overwhelming. The food is gourmet, but it is at non-gourmet prices, which also adds to the greatness of this place.

BISTRO157 is the place. Valparaiso Indiana is the location. Check it out and, if you have food allergies, don't be afraid you will end up eating taste-free food served plainly.

So, do not despair, if you find yourself with gluten and/or dairy allergies. You needn't worry about never eating anything tasty or good again. If you do a little research and can get a little brave about talking to your server, you can find food to eat and still enjoy time in a restaurant.