Paleolithic Restaurant Discovered in Arizona

Wow, remember The Stone Age Diet, also known as the Paleolithic Diet or the Cave Man Diet? The idea behind the diet is that humanity evolved to eat fruits, vegetables, and lean meats rather than dairy, grains, sugar, and processed foods. Therefore, the best diet for us today is a copy of that limited menu.

Guessing what humanity ate over tens or hundreds of thousands of years in varying climates and settings is a bit harder than knowing exactly what was eaten, so the various claims for the diets wobble all over the place. I have more references in the link given above.

I hadn't heard of this fad for several years. (And it is a fad diet. There is no necessary reason or scientific backing for it, other than the common sense claims that are sometimes made.) But an Arizona chef has opened a Paleolithic Diet restaurant in trendy Scottsdale.

An article by Carey Sweet of the Arizona Republic splashes a few details.

Some chefs try to predict future trends for their cooking inspiration. Calistro California Bistro chef-owner Devin Walsh is looking back. By about 2.5 million years....

It celebrates foods people ate prior to agriculture and animal husbandry (such as wild game or grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, shellfish, eggs, tree-nut oils, vegetables, roots, fruit, berries and mushrooms). Not allowed are Neolithic Era foods that evolved from our manipulation (grains, sugar, dairy, beans, and processed foods).

You wouldn't be grazing on mostly dozens of species of plant material with some scavenged raw meat, though. Perish forbid.

For appetizers, Walsh offers chicken or lamb meatballs blended with prosciutto and tomato jam on an almond-meal tortilla. Entrees include salmon over fresh crab and organic-vegetable hash with citrus beets and a dollop of tarragon-mustard or chimichurri pork roast atop sweet-potato mash.

Bees are found everywhere, so "Desserts are sweetened with honey, including poached fruit with house-made granola."

Wait, granola? Isn't granola made with grains?

Never mind. Our Paleo ancestors would find every bit of food in that description odd. And would love, love, love to have the luxury of eating grains, sugar, dairy, beans, and processed foods. Authenticity is a luxury given to the decadent. Enjoy.

AllergyEats.com

I got a great email recently.

As a father of 5 children, 2 of whom with food allergies, I am very aware of the difficulties and anxieties that go along with having to manage food allergies/intolerances on a daily basis. In my experience, dining out has been one of the greatest challenges and sources of frustration.

As a result of this, I decided two years ago to create an easy-to-use online guide to allergy-friendly restaurants for the benefit of our entire community. I am writing you today in an effort to introduce you to this new website, AllergyEats (www.allergyeats.com), with the thought that you might find it a valuable tool to share with your readers.

AllergyEats is a peer-based guide with a database that includes over 600,000 US restaurants. Individuals with food allergies or intolerances can rate any restaurant experience by answering 3 simple questions (adding comments if they like). The process can take under a minute. The answers to these questions are translated into a simple “allergy-friendliness” rating.

Other users can then go to AllergyEats when seeking an allergy-friendly restaurant. By simply typing in the geographic location they’re interested in, users can see a restaurant’s “allergy-friendliness” rating, as well as other useful information where available, such as menus, allergen lists, gluten-free menus, nutrition guides, industry certifications, and more.

AllergyEats is new, having been live for roughly 10 weeks. However, where awareness has blossomed, initial reaction has been fantastic and word-of-mouth has driven many ratings quickly (the Boston metro area achieved over 200 ratings in this short amount of time!). Each additional rating, anywhere in the country, increases the value of AllergyEats as a tool for our entire food allergy community. That is why major food allergy and Celiac organizations have endorsed or become friends of AllergyEats so quickly (please see these tabs on the site)... and there are more to come!

The overall look of the site is great and easy to use. Typing in at least your state and zip code is necessary to narrow down that huge database, but you can search by distance, by restaurant name, and by ten allergens: Peanuts, Dairy, Wheat, Fish, Sesame, Tree Nuts, Eggs, Gluten, Shellfish, and Soy. If you find a restaurant that looks good you can get a Google map and directions.

The problem, of course, is that 99% of local restaurants have not been rated yet. Chains do have very useful links to nutritional information and allergen pages, however.

It's the usual chicken and egg problem. The site would be more helpful if people used it and added ratings, but getting people to use a site with no ratings is a challenge.

That's why Paul emailed me, to get the word out, and I'm glad to help. Go there, rate a few restaurants, and tell your friends.

Massachusetts to Require Food Allergy Warnings

People with food allergies don't want to feel different, don't want to be restricted in where they go or what they do. Yet common sense tells us that restaurants are potential sinkholes of allergens lurking not just in every food but in the utensils used to make the food, even the very air wafting around the kitchen.

What to do? Keep those with allergies out of restaurants? Nobody wants that. What about listing the complete ingredients of every food on a menu? Not practical unless you plan on replacing short, cheap printed menus with electronic books to cover the hundreds of pages of fine print necessary and be updatable every time an ingredient changed.

Massachusetts is planning on a middle course. A story by Stephen Smith in the Boston Globe revealed that the Massachusetts state Department of Public Health will vote in April on whether it should require restaurants and their workers to be better informed about allergies and respond when customers mention their allergies.

Although most peoples' immediate reaction might be, "of course they should," statewide regulations are notoriously bad for getting "shoulds" correct.

What will Massachusetts require?

Every menu in the state would be emblazoned with this admonition: "Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy."

Oh. You'd never have thought of that on your own, I'm sure.

This one sounds a bit better.

thousands of restaurant workers would undergo training and then return to their kitchens, sharing lessons on how to prevent dishes from being contaminated with allergy-inducing ingredients.

Wow. Thousands of trained workers. Can't complain about that. Until you find out that Massachusetts has 17,000 restaurants that the regulations will cover. (None of them fast food restaurants, BTW. They would be exempt for the time being.) Those thousands amount to one per restaurant.

By next January, at least one worker from each restaurant would be expected to undergo training, which largely involves viewing a video Tsai helped create. It would be up to local boards of health, which are responsible for assuring that restaurants abide by food safety laws, to monitor whether establishments are complying.

It's not clear from the article what happens if that one trained employee leaves.

As for the rest of the staff, the regulations "would force restaurants to plaster a food allergy poster on the kitchen wall."

Wow, again.

A slightly more reassuring part of the article is this section:

Suzanne Condon, director of environmental health at the Department of Public Health, described how restaurant staff should respond when a customer reports an allergy to peanuts, for example. "The server is supposed to notify the staff involved with the preparation of the food that a member of the party has a food allergy," Condon said.

That not only means making sure there are no peanuts in the dish the diner has ordered. It also means being vigilant that the utensils and surfaces used in the preparation of that order have not been exposed to peanuts.

That's better, certainly, at least from our point of view as consumers. How feasible this is in a busy restaurant is harder to answer. In a world in which peanuts are forbidden from entire airplanes and school cafeterias because of the danger of accidental contamination, how can a restaurant that uses peanuts in dishes keep them totally separate from all foods?

The regulations introduced yesterday reflect the handiwork of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. The Legislature and Governor Deval Patrick broadly endorsed the concept last year by adopting the Food Allergy Awareness Act, leaving the specifics to the Department of Public Health.

Dr. Michael Pistiner of Leominster, who treats patients every day with food allergies, helped develop the regulations. Still, he said yesterday, diners who know they have reactions to certain ingredients must be their own best advocates.

"This is really a ground-breaking law," said Pistiner, an allergist affiliated with Children’s Hospital Boston. "But people with food allergies are still going to need to be vigilant and choose wisely."

Of course, and I would have ended this post with a similar homily. The nicest thing I can say about Massachusetts's plan is that it is a first step that might spark more awareness. It's not a solution in any sense. We have a very long way to go before allergens in restaurant food are properly addressed.

Zilli's Cooking Empire

Aldo Zilli holds the world record for the most times a pancake is flipped in 1 minute. He flipped it 117 times in the minute.

What more do you need to be a Celebrity Chef in the modern world? Oh, very well. He's also appeared on One Man and His Hob. Still not impressed? Then you're probably not British, where Zilli is a one-man industry. One Man and His Hob featured him traveling around the UK, doing outdoor cookery on his portable hob, stove to you and me. That's in addition to his appearances on various other cooking shows and Celebrity Fit Club.

And his restaurants, like Zilli Fish and Zilli Cafe. And now Zilli Green.

Award winning Italian chef and restaurateur, Aldo Zilli will launch his new and innovative vegetarian restaurant, Zilli Green in Soho on the 14th February 2010 - the first ever Italian vegetarian chef with a fusion mind from across the world.

His former flagship restaurant, Signor Zilli will be entirely remodelled and re-branded to celebrate Aldo's commitment to healthy living. What's more, it will reinforce the message that vegetarian food doesn't have to be dull or tasteless - but exciting and delicious with quirky flavours and combinations. The menu will be an experience to share

Head chef, Enzo di Marino, one of the UK's most exciting, talented up and coming vegetarian chefs (who trained in the Abruzzo region of Italy before working internationally, including Japan) will create a wide selection of quality seasonal dishes with vegetables naturally sourced from trusted local producers (and prepared in a dedicated meat and fish-free kitchen). Observing Aldo's ethos of producing great tasting healthy cuisine with a contemporary twist, Zilli Green features dishes inspired by travelling the world. ...

A selection of classic palette cleansing desserts with a healthy twist includes Dairy-free tiramisu cake, Peach and mango crème brulee and an eclectic range of organic ice-creams. Organic wines and freshly squeezed juices will also feature in the downstairs bar.

Another release says that "While all the dishes are vegetarian, individual menu items are also labeled as vegan, vegan option, and gluten free when appropriate."

High end vegan cuisine seems to be rarer in the UK than it is in the larger American cities, so this is a welcome trend.

Dairy-Free Restaurant in St. Petersburg. Not the One in Florida

In a sign of how quickly and incredibly change can come to a society, a popular restaurant in St. Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, formerly Petrograd, formerly St. Petersburg, capital of the Russian Empire and home to the tsars, has similarly undergone as complete and as dramatic a transformation. It is now kosher and dairy-free.

Jews left Russia by the millions after a series of pogroms in the late 19th and early 20th century. Judaism, like other religions, was suppressed in the Communist period. Millions perished in the Holocaust, millions more have emigrated since the founding of Israel. As a result, no more than 1 in 600 Russians today are Jewish.

So a Kosher restaurant in St. Petersburg is startling. And given the fledging capitalist society that is brewing there, economically foolhardy.

Owner Mikhail Mirilashvili doesn't care. He's doing it as a service to the remaining Jewish population. An article on Lubavich.com explained the unusual gesture. According to the proprietor of the 7:40 restaurant, Abram Israelashvili,

"Our goal is not to earn as much money as possible, but to make kosher food available to all Jews of St. Petersburg."

The restaurant, meat-based and dairy free, now bears the kosher certification of the city’s Chief Rabbi and Chabad representative, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Pewzner.

During the 17-day switchover, explains Israelashvili, "we washed and scrubbed every square centimeter of the restaurant. We 'blow torched' our metal cookware. We had to replace all of our dishes and china ware, and replace the old stove."

The restaurant, now closed on Shabbat, and features entrées priced 30-40 percent below prices on the old menu. Though the restaurant is expected to eventually break even, Mr. Mirilashvili sponsored this mission, he says, as a way of helping local Jews adopt Jewish practices and make kosher dining at home and when eating out, a way of life.

I wouldn't have known where to send you to find dairy-free dining in Russia. Now I have a recommendation.

Gluten-Free While Eating Out

Vanessa K. Bush wrote a long and interesting article about gluten-free foods at QSR Magazine.com. Eating gluten-free also often means eating dairy-free as well, since celiac disease can damage the lining of the intestine where lactase is made.

Bush noted that many restaurant chains now finally are beginning to cater to special diet needs.

Lone Star Steakhouse, for example, makes recommendations on its menus geared specifically to the gluten-sensitive. Suggestions include ordering mesquite grilled steaks and chicken without seasoning or lemon butter; ordering burgers and sandwiches without a bun, steak fries, or seasoning; choosing the baked sweet potato without butter or cinnamon; and ordering salads without dressing, croutons, tortilla strips, or bacon. The Macaroni Grill offers suggestions on its menus for a number of food sensitivities, ranging from egg and fish allergies to gluten-free, advising those with wheat sensitivities to avoid baked items like croutons and biscotti and certain seasonings.

She mentioned several desserts as well, but all appeared to have milk in them except for Chinese upscale chain PF Chang, which "has a Flourless Chocolate Dome served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce." That sounds dairy-free but I would doublecheck.

It's a good article, covering a lot of ground, so take a jump over to QSR, a specialty magazine for the restaurant industry that has a deeper take on food subjects than a lot of generalist sites.

Coping with Allergies Guide for Restaurants

The prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) (yeah, go ahead and make the jokes: they've heard them all) has a multi-page guide for dealing with allergies and intolerances on its web site. It's good reading for anyone connected with running a restaurant or other business that deals with serving food to the public. The guide is itself a summary of information but it's still much too long to summarize here. Please take the time to read it through.

A few statistics quoted were so interesting that I have to share them with you, though.

Three Dangerous Myths

In a 2006 survey of 100 dining establishments, researchers at the Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine identified a list of commonly-held misconceptions among restaurant operators that could prove dangerous. Among them:

24% believed that consuming small amounts of an allergen is safe. It isn't. Even minute quantities can cause a reaction in sensitive individuals.

35% believed that fryer heat destroys allergens. It doesn't. Allergic-provoking substances can remain behind in fryer oil to contaminate foods, for example.

25% believed it was safe to remove an allergen such as shellfish or nuts from a finished meal. It's not. Trace amounts left behind when food or plates have made contact with allergens can cause trouble.

Ignorance about allergies is unfortunately rampant in this country. Heck, in all countries. Ignorance is dangerous. Bad enough when you apply it to yourself. Far worse if you spread it to a vulnerable public. Read and learn.

Gluten-Free French Toast?

Following yesterday's post on a chef who apparently didn't know the meaning of dairy-free, I find another chef who apparently doesn't know the meaning of gluten-free. UPDATE: I should have pointed the finger of blame at the reporter, not the chef. See the comments.

Becky Coffey of the Harbor News, wrote about Russell Marcello, chef at and co-owner of the Paperback Cafe in Connecticut.

"Introducing the gluten-free menu is helping to support the restaurant by selling more meals than I otherwise would have," said Marcello. "My customers are enthusiastic, too. Some customers that would just pick up a cup of coffee at the counter before now have been converted to dining room customers; others are completely new customers."

And what are among his gluten-free choices? French toast for breakfast–soy milk can be substituted for cow's milk for those who are also lactose-intolerant. Or for lunch, it's Chicken Parmesan. And for dessert, customers can choose from either brownies or crème brûlée.

Gluten-free French toast? It's not impossible, of course, but you have to start with a gluten-free bread, something that's not mentioned anywhere in the article. The kind of bread used for French toast would be a fairly important specific for those seeking to avoid gluten. Gluten-free brownies are also possible, but again need special attention.

And despite the possibility of getting soy milk in your French toast, the rest of the items mentioned are hardly friendly to the lactose intolerant. Chicken parmesan? Crème brûlée? Crème brûlée is heavy cream with egg yolks and sugar.

Look, creating a gluten-free menu is a fine gesture, and not an easy one for a chef to manage at a busy restaurant. The details are crucial, however. Maybe it's just in the way that Coffey wrote the article, but I would want far more reassurance than I'm given that the meals are safe. She may have done Marcello a disservice. Or she may have inadvertently alerted people to a problem.

As always, check for yourselves, and don't take claims for granted.

Healthiest Airport Food

I'm not a big fan of the The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). They're a fanatical anti-milk and anti-animal-as-food organization.

Because they're militantly vegan, though, they can occasionally be of help to those who are looking for healthy dairy-free food, as long as you remember to read their findings through the lens of their bias.

They just published their eighth annual PCRM Airport Food Review, perfect timing for those about to embark on airline travel this holiday season. You can find the full report on this page. It's not very long.

During this season of increased air travel, where can a hungry traveler find a healthful meal? Nutritionists with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) surveyed meals in 15 of the nation’s busiest airports and found that 80 percent of airport restaurants now offer at least one low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free vegetarian option. ...

A restaurant was rated as healthful if it served at least one low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free breakfast, lunch, or dinner option. Healthful options at airports covered in this report include the Mediterranean platter at La Tapenade Mediterranean Café at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the vegan stromboli at French Meadow Bakery & Café at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and the roasted veggie ciabatta at Brioche Dorée at Los Angeles International Airport.

(Note: Where menu items include cheese or other dairy products, to ensure a healthful meal, travelers should request that these meals be prepared dairy free.)

Here's the summary report on the top two airports, a tie, to show you what you might find if you check the rest.

1. (tie) Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (95 percent): DFW increased its score by one point and remains in first place this year. Health-conscious travelers will find nearly 40 restaurants that offer at least one low-fat, zero-cholesterol meal. Healthful offerings include the vegan smoked tofu, broccoli, and mushroom burrito at 360 Gourmet Burrito, the portable portobello wrap (hold the feta) at UFood Grill, the Sonoma veggie wrap (minus the cheese) at Camille’s Sidewalk Café, and the guiltless black bean burger at Chili’s Too.

1. (tie) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (95 percent): After two years in second place, Detroit increased its score by two points and tied with Dallas for first place. The addition of new low-fat menu items—like the vegetarian pita at National Coney Island Express—drives the Motor City into the number one spot. Zero-cholesterol items with an international flair include the tabouleh, hummus, and veggie burger at Online Café Bar and Grill, veggie and tofu rolls at Sora Japanese Cuisine and Sushi, and the fattoush (a salad made from vegetables and pita bread) or the veggie wrap at Waterworks Bar and Grill.

Anyone who flies and has tried to find reasonably healthy food at an airport knows that the choices are often limited, although far better today than in the past. The report gives scores for the previous years of the survey. As recently as 2001, four of the ten airports surveyed had scores of 50% or below.

This report seems like reasonable advice, which is why I'm passing it on despite the source.

Just a quick dig I can't resist slipping in. When you have two items tied for number one, what comes next? That's right, number three. Except for the geniuses at the PCRM. Chicago O'Hare ranked just below Dallas and Detroit. It's ranked number two.

Where's the slap your head smiley?

10 of Britain's Best Vegetarian Restaurants

The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom has picked 10 vegetarian restaurants as its award winners for 2008. The Times of London has more info on each restaurant in an article on its website, but here's the listing.

Joint winner: Dandelion & Burdock, Sowerby Bridge
Joint winner: The Waiting Room, Stockton on Tees

The Red Lion, Suffolk, Winner of Best Pub Award
Canteen, Cardiff
Demuths, Bath
Relish, Hebden Bridge
The George, Brighton
The 78, Glasgow
InSpiral Lounge, London
The Bean Inn, Cornwall

Welcoming Guests With Food Allergies

Earlier this year I posted about a Canadian program, the Food Allergy Management Manual for Restaurants and Food Services, and said that I hoped other restaurant associations would do something similar.

They have. FAAN (The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) has put out an updated and revised Welcoming Guests With Food Allergies.

According to the press release:

this comprehensive program is an updated and revised version of an earlier training program published by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). This 60-page guide includes case studies, best practices, up-to-date research, food labeling information, and practical strategies for avoiding cross-contact, as well as suggested procedures for keeping guests safe and steps to prepare for an allergic emergency. Restaurants can use this guide as a basis for their food allergy management programs.

...

A training video for restaurant and food service staff is also available for purchase in English and Spanish.

UPDATE: The page to go to on the FAAN site to download a copy is Welcoming Guests With Food Allergies.

Local Lactose-Free Foods, Canada and Italy

Part 3 of a collection of links to local restaurants selling lactose-free, dairy-free, vegan or some similar worthy food.

Today: Canada and Italy



Sorbets in Montreal, a review by Leslie Chesterman from the Montreal Gazette.

Chesterman reviews three local sorbets, Le Glacier Bilboquet Strawberry Sorbet, Solo Fruit "Homemade Recipe" Sugar-Free Strawberry Sorbet, And La Mere Poule Organic Strawberry Sorbet. She gives the best marks to Le Glacier.



Magic Oven pizza in Toronto by Marlee Kostiner on the MartiniBoys.com site.

So we're heading back to the east end of Queen (last time, I promise) at Parliament in the old Mistral resto space. Magic Oven will be opening its sixth location. I kid you not, these ovens are magic – how else would they be able to make the city's best pizza? (No hyperbole necessary). But this installment in what will probably be a continuing franchise (not always a dirty word) could be an enjoyable addition. Not only that, but the upcoming venue boasts an oven that cares; staff will pizzas for literally any possible diet, with gluten-free, trans-fat free, preservative-free and dairy-free - how is that possible? - pizza. I told you they were magical.

Magic Oven.



Fior di Luna Geleteria, Rome, Italy
Eric Reguly travels to Rome and visits the Fior di Luna (Moon Flower) Gelateria, “the city's ultimate sweet spot,” for the Toronto Globe and Mail.

It's an unlikely paragon. Smack in the middle of Trastevere, the medieval quarter better known for bars and late-night carousing than fine food, the shop itself is plain. We strolled by it a dozen times before it occurred to us to go in. …
Marco Ronco, the man behind the counter, says half a dozen flavours are also made without milk, for those who are lactose-intolerant. A few are made without sugar. Most of the 30 flavours though - like banana, pistachio and vanilla - are Italian standards.

Local Lactose-Free Foods, U.S. West

Part 2 of a collection of links to local restaurants selling lactose-free, dairy-free, vegan or some similar worthy food.

Today: U.S. West



Yogen Früz Opens First San Francisco Location at the Embarcadero Center press release.

Yogen Früz, a frozen yogurt chain with 1,100 stores in over 20 countries, is launching a bid for a major scoop of the American fro-yo market with the opening of its first San Francisco store on May 30-31. Located at 3 Embarcadero Center, the new San Fran store is one of 30 locations expected to open across the U.S. this year, introducing Yogen Früz’s signature create-your-own yogurt/fruit blends to American consumers….

The menu is anchored by Yogen Früz’s “Blend It” — a combination of low-fat, non-fat or no-sugar-added frozen yogurt and any of 16 varieties of flash-frozen fresh fruit mixed in the company’s proprietary machines while customers watch — as well as a “Top It” option featuring plain yogurt with a choice of 18 toppings from fruit to granola, carob chips and Cap’n Crunch. Other menu selections include dairy and non-dairy smoothies, fresh fruit cups, and parfait-style breakfast yogurt layered with fresh berries….

In addition to San Francisco, Yogen Fruz will also be opening a new location in Puerto Rico this weekend as well as Orland Square, IL in June.

YofenFruz.com.



Pat Ferrier wrote that Sid Wiggy's whips up dairy-free frozen treat on Coloradoan.com.

Sid Wiggy's Coconut Creations, a local ice cream company that produces a frozen treat from organic coconut milk, agave and natural flavors, is making a name for itself through sales at Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage, Beavers Market and Edwards House Bed & Breakfast. …

Created by Greg Belcher and Leslie Vogt, longtime owners of Edwards House Bed & Breakfast, it is producing about 1,600 pints per month in five flavors: coffee, coconut, chocolate, vanilla and mint chip.
The treat is an alternative for vegans, people who are lactose intolerant or who just want to avoid animal fats and white sugar, Vogt said.

Sid Wiggy’s.



Amici's in San Mateo, reviewed by Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Amici's is a local chain that started more than 20 years ago in San Mateo, so I decided to go back to home base to check out the pizza, which is now available in 10 locations around the Bay Area. It was started by Peter Cooperstein, a transplanted New Yorker and his partner, Mike Forter, who at the time was manager of the original Village Pizzeria on Steiner Street in San Francisco. I've had Amici's pizza many times, but it's usually a takeout order, and the visit here shows me how much better the just-out-of-the-oven version really is….

There's also a lowfat and lactose-free pizza.

Amici’s

Local Lactose-Free Foods, U.S. East

I see articles every once in a while on some local restaurant, shop, or bakery that's selling lactose-free, dairy-free, vegan or some similar worthy food.

I normally pass them over because I figure they're only of local interest.

I had a brainstorm, though. What if I collect them until I had whole bunches of articles?

Brilliant.

I've even split them into three group. Today: U.S. East



East Coast Custard Offers Lactose-free Sorbet press release.

Cleveland-based East Coast Original Frozen Custard has added fruit-flavored sorbet to its menu of delicious fountain treats. The new lactose-free, fat-free frozen dessert features popular fruit flavors and is available at the company's Lyndhurst and Fairview Park stores.

Ivan Platt, co-founder of East Coast Original Frozen Custard, saw the need to develop a frozen treat that all of his customers could enjoy. Says Platt: "One of our long-time employees who makes custard every day cannot eat it. She is lactose-intolerant. I kept thinking about her and others like her who cannot enjoy our delicious frozen custard." …

East Coast's stores are located at 1257 Pearl Rd., Brunswick 44212, 330-225-7835; 18900 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park 44126, 440-331-2609; 5618 Mayfield Rd., Lyndhurst 44124, 440-461-7690; 7577 Mentor Ave., Mentor 44060, 440-946-2595; 6240 Pearl Rd., Parma Heights 44130, 440-842-7003; 13200 Shaker Square, Cleveland 44120, 216-921-3070; and 33633 Aurora Rd., Solon 44139, 440-914-0037.

EastCoastCustard.com.



Joy Manning on Philly.com blogged about the Vegan Soft Serve at B2 Café in Philadelphia.

So when B2 Café opened on Passyunk and I heard that vegan soft serve was on the menu, I had to give it a try. Before sampling it, though, I asked to see the ingredients because many vegan products are more science fair experiment than food. The list was surprisingly short: beet sugar, corn maltodextrin, soymilk powder, guar gum, xanthan gum and salt. Not what I’d call a health food, but it could be worse. (Many dairy-based ice creams are just as bad.)

There’s no way I’d mistake it for ice cream, but it is sweet, cold, creamy and pretty satisfying with rainbow sprinkles on top, a terrific find for those who are vegan or lactose intolerant.

Barry Chill Yogurt Bar press release.

Berry Chill opened its first location in [Chicago in] January 2008. Two more locations are planned to open in the upcoming months. Berry Chill provides their customers with a daily menu of Original chilled yogurt and rotating flavors that include Chocolate Amaretto, Pina Colada, and Pink Guava (lactose-free). Customers can customize their yogurt or choose from a list of signature creations.

Review of Berry Chill from the Chicago Maroon



Cereal and ice cream the whole menu at O.C. Boardwalk eatery by Michael Miller in the Press of Atlantic City.

Kevin Weakland is serious about cereal.

The Ocean City resident and entrepreneur launched his first Boardwalk business this year with a breakfast theme: Cereal Chillers.

The shop on the 1300 block of the Boardwalk serves 55 different kinds of cold cereal ranging from Apple Jacks to Wheaties, complete with toppings such as almonds, bananas, blueberries and peaches….
The shop offers a variety of milk, including soy, skim and a special brand for the lactose-intolerant.

Mohegan Manor’s monthly vegan dinners, an article by Nathan Turk in the Syracuse NewTimes.

Outside of ethnic and niche establishments, vegan menu options in Syracuse can be sparse. But Baldwinsville’s Mohegan Manor, 58 Oswego St., makes a big gesture toward those who embrace meat- and dairy-free eating with its monthly vegan dinners.

Five courses, from appetizer to dessert, earmark the theme evenings, along with synopses from the staff concerning things like ingredients and recipe sources. The upscale-ish environs of the Mohegan, built in 1911 as a private men’s club by storied architect Ward Wellington Ward, can intimidate at first. But the experience is warm and low-key, as guests at the Tuesday, May 27, edition will see.

MoheganManor.com.



Broadway East restaurant review by Paul Adams of New York’s The Sun.

The attractive, dully named new spot on the edge of Chinatown is built for flexitarians, that breed of mostly vegetarian eater that doesn't mind a helping of animal protein now and then. Under executive chef Lee Gross, the bulk of the offerings are indeed meat- and often dairy-free, but come close on occasion to the often-promised, rarely delivered grail of vegetarian food that even carnivores can enjoy sinking their sharp teeth into.

May Is Allergy Awareness Month Worldwide

Anaphylaxis is difficult, dangerous, and even life-threatening, both to children and to adults.

This picture does say 1000 words.

Example of an Anaphylaxis allergic reaction

There's been no formal proclamation by the U.N., but countries all over the world are noting some form of Allergy Awareness weeks in May.

This week already is Allergy Awareness Week in Australia and will be next week in New Zealand. To raise awareness, the not-for-profit group Anaphylaxis Australia along with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is distributing allergen information cards that, according to the official press release:

list common ingredients derived from each of the major allergens and also have essential advice for people who are food allergic about eating out, including a reminder to always carry an Epipen. The cards are small enough to fold into a wallet and take shopping.

They are also working with their governments to require standards similar to those already in place in the U.S.

"Anaphylaxis Australia is also doing some excellent work with the food industry to make allergen labelling clearer; for example, by highlighting allergens in the ingredient list and making 'may contain' labelling more useful by more accurate descriptions such as 'made on the same production line as products with nuts'".

What about the rest of the world?

National Allergy Week takes place 21st - 25th May in the UK, put on by Allergy UK.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has declared May to be Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.

Contact info:
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
1233 20th Street NW, Suite 402
Washington, DC 20036
(800) 7-ASTHMA (727-8462)
(202) 466-7643
(202) 466-8940 Fax
info@aafa.org
www.aafa.org
Materials available
Contact: Angel Waldron

And the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network is making May 13-19 Food Allergy Awareness Week

Contact info:
Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
11781 Lee Jackson Highway, Suite 160
Fairfax, VA 22033
(800) 929-4040
(703) 691-2713 Fax
jlove@foodallergy.org
www.foodallergy.org
Materials available
Contact: Jennifer Love

Go to the sites, look at the information there, and spread the word to parents, schools, day care centers, workplaces, and any other sites where people may need to know more about dairy allergies and all other types of food allergies.