Is Anyone Interested in working with L'annam on 28th Street About Adding a GF Menu?

I spoke with Michael again last night at L'annam on 13th and University. He said he has had a number of people ask about the his other location on 28th Street. He says he doesn't feel his manager is up-to-speed enough to launch a GF menu.

Before we launched the GF menu on 13th Street I met with Michael numerous times. We took the menu apart, read labels and addressed cross-contamination, etc, before he felt comfortable with ensuring safe meals. I think the majority of legwork is already done (menu, etc) but I would think if someone could spend the time with the manager at 28th Street we could help them feel more comfortable with undertaking another GF menu launch. I could help any interested person by introducing them to Michael and doing a meeting to develop a strategy. I did take the GFRAP training which was helpful but this might not be critical to have if someone is interested. I wouldn't mind providing direction on this but I don't have the time to be directly involved with the tasks of educating the 28th Street manager.

Any thoughts? Anyone interested?

Curtis

I am very sensitive to gluten. My body seems to respond to even small degrees of cross contamination. I feel certain certain responses I have are definitely from gluten. When I cook at home, for myself, I do not get these (gluten) reactions. I say all this because when the Meet-up group had an affair at L'annam about a year ago I was excited and went to the restaurant (13th at University) the next week. I was disappointed that the manager the night that I went seemed totally confused when I asked for GF food. He finally did show me a list of GF foods (?), but he, himself, seemed totally uneducated. The waiter was even worse. I did order a soup dish, with rice noodles, and truthfully I don't remember now whether I got sick or not. I did not go back again only because when I order food I have to have someone connected with the restaurant who can talk to me intelligently, and then agrees to go into the kitchen and make certain the person cooking also understands my food requirements. Subsequently, I did go to L'annam on 28th and 3rd. Again, the manager just looks at me when I start to ask him about GF food and cooking. Down the street, 29th and 3rd, I go often to Bistango. There, the Manager, Anthony, can talk about GF foods, and will try to assure you that the food will be prepared GF. Yes, I have, rarely, gotten sick at Bistango. Maybe it was not Bistango, maybe something I ate somewhere else etc. All of us Celiacs understand that our glutten reactions can occur up to several days after the poisoning event--- so there is no 'guaranteed' ability to isolate where we were gluttened. I sure would like to find some restaurants in Manhattan that would educate themselves so that they could talk intelligently to a patron as well as prepare the GF Food. That's what this town needs (in my opinion)

After I posted my last comments I re-read them a few times and I do not want to sound so negative about eating out at restaurants that other Celiac Group members are trying to educate and working with. I wish I had the time and energy to spend time at restaurants with the educational efforts. Of course we must patronize restaurants that are trying to help us. Of course I am pleased and supportive of others doing this work for me. It's just that part of the process has to be to get the managers/owners to be able to smile and 'talk GF cooking'. How else can the managers convince me to stay and try the food? I am really scared, because I just don't like the feeling of being sick from eating out so I need some re-assurance that the restaurant knows what its doing.

I'm not sure if I meet the requirements to help the restaurant but I have time to help and would love to do it. If there is anything I can do to make me meet the requirements I am willing to do so. Thanks for this great opportunity!

Steve, I didn't get to the Union Square L'Annam when it first opened, but when I went about a month ago, my waiter was the most attentive waiter I've ever had. He asked which members of our party were gluten-free (only me), and told me which menu items ordered by the rest of my party I could or could not eat. He checked up on us throughout the meal, and he actually moved the sauce from my aunt's dish away from me, telling me I could not eat it.

Not trying to deny your experience, but just suggesting that you give it another try, because the food was great. Maybe you could ask when you go in to be seated in an area where the waiter is knowledgeable about the gluten-free menu. I've been to plenty of restaurants where they end up sending over another waiter when I explain my food constraints.

Hello,
I would be happy to assist with the 28th St. restaurant in any way possible. This would be a huge addition to the Murray Hill area where there are only a few GF restaurants!! Please let me know how I can help!

Thanks!!

Kristen

Kristen and Nicole: Sorry I haven't responded earlier but I have been busy and haven't signed on to Meet UP. I did speak with Suzanne who was interested in helping. I will send you both separate emails so that we can talk and figure out a plan.

Steve: Sorry you had such a bad experience. The MeetUP at L'annam wasn't a year ago but in June and August of this year or a few months ago. L'annam would not have had a GF menu a year ago nor would they have known how to be helpful. For myself, I find them to be very helpful and knowable. However, everyone has their own experience and I respect you have to do what is right for you.