Chef Modifies Dish To Account For Food Allergy, Customer Gets Mad Over Confusion

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mattstaff
Aug 1, 2021 7:00 PM EDT

Redditor u/Apprehensive_Dingo40 took to the popular subreddit r/AmITheA**hole to ask whether they were in the wrong for an awkward situation at their workplace, an Italian restaurant. When a group of people informed a server that someone in their party had a nut allergy and asked for nut-free pesto, the chef team OP is part of took it to mean everyone in the group would eat nut-free pesto and prepared it that way — only to have a member of the party complain that the food tasted wrong. While the chefs did modify this mistake, it seems that nobody pointed out which individual in the party had an allergy and would need nut-free pesto, although they seemed to think only one person would have their meal modified.

This is very strange; it sounds like the chef was really trying to make the correct move based on the information they had. Why didn't the server find out who exactly needed the modified dish? Why didn't the group of people clarify that themselves? We may never know.

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  • 01
    Font - AITA for modifying a dish even though it wasn't requested? Not the A-hole I'm 28F and I work as a chef in a local Italian restaurant. We are extensively trained in matters like cross- contamination and we are very careful with customers who say they have food allergies i.e. we have a section of the kitchen specifically for preparing dishes for customers that can't have nuts/dairy/shellfish or other common allergies.
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 02
    Font - We serve some dishes with pesto in them, which typically contains both pine nuts and parmesan cheese. But pesto is fairly quick to make (basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, bit of lemon juice, blend, done) and we've made nut free and dairy free pesto in the past for customers who have requested it. We don't mind doing so if customers just ask for it. Last night a server puts in an order for a chicken pesto over pasta dish and informs the chefs that a person at the table has a n
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 03
    Font - "We were informed that someone at the table had a nut allergy, we didn't know who, so we prepared it in our nut-free zone." I reply. "You shouldn't just assume that it was the person ordering! You don't modify things unless you're asked to." the man says. I mean, was it a dumb assumption of me? Everyone else in the kitchen assumed the same thing I did and we were playing on the side of safety. Were we a holes to assume? We did remake the dish and the server got badly tipped for something
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 04
    Rectangle - Indigoh · 1d Partassipant [2] It was not a bad assumption on your part. You did everything right. NTA Your server, however, probably should have asked. "someone at the table" isn't good enough.
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 05
    Handwriting - 1 Award NTA, I feel like the server should have known who had the allergy? Unless it was told to the server as "someone has a nut allergy at this table - guess who" G Reply 14.2k 3 ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 06
    Font - beathelas • 1d NTA I think it was the server's mistake. They took the order for the pesto dish, they should have discussed it then. "We make pesto with pine nuts, and you say someone has an allergy, so would you like us to prepare the pesto without nuts?" The server skipped a step and pass you the instructions. Pesto, no nuts. Not your fault. G Reply 4 2.4k 3 ... +B
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 07
    Rectangle - RogueFanUK · 1d Partassipant [1] NTA. Your server should have communicated things more clearly. Prioritising food safety is always the correct response. G Reply 541 ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 08
    Rectangle - curious-fir · 1d Partassipant [1] NAH - the wait staff should have confirmed if he wanted nut-free pesto when the order was taken or gone back to clarify G Reply 4 569 3 ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 09
    Font - NTA. Seems like you take the wife's nut allergy more seriously than her own husband. It was a no-win situation. 6 Reply 1 246 3 ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 10
    Font - sub-humanoid · 22h Pine nuts aren't actually nuts, they're seeds. So unless you're specifically allergic to them they won't trigger a reaction. My partner is severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts and eats them often. Also, for any other nut allergic people horse chestnuts aren't nuts either, that was an amazing discovery last Christmas! But NTA OP, you were just doing your job and trying not to kill someone. G Reply 1 106 3 ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 11
    Rectangle - Nervous-Internal-610 · 15h Most real nut-allergy people are freaks about nuts being anywhere in the vicinity, I think it's fair to assume that if someone at the table is allergic to nuts, then no nuts go to the table. NTA G Reply Î 19 ☺ ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 12
    Rectangle - HerdofChaos · 23h NTA, and props to you guys for being so proactive! I LOVE to hear that sort of thing, considering allergies often get swept under the rug and ignored. Thank you for what you do! G Reply ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40
  • 13
    Font - CozmicOwl16• 22h Partassipant [1] Nta. You did your job. You made the food safely. The server really should have specified if one person had the allergy and the other wanted normal recipes. That's his or her bad and they are the person who should be blamed for the mistake. You shouldn't feel bad af all. Your manager sucks for blaming you instead of understanding it was a lack of communication which isn't your duty. G Reply 4 5 ...
    via u/Apprehensive_Dingo40

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customer service aita FAIL restaurant food Reddit dramatic
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