Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Eating out with allergies: it can be quite an education what people like me with food allergies go through to get food prepared.

I must say, restaurants are becoming more accommodating, but there is still a lot for all of us to learn. It is important. Allergies and cross contamination can cause anaphylactic shock, a serious reaction that can lead to death.

The focus is on how restaurants handle food preparation for people with allergies. For example, I have a beef allergy. We went to a Mexican restaurant. I asked for grilled chicken to be prepared in a pan, not on a grill where beef is cooked and fried. I was told they use the same fryer for fries and to defrost beef before grilling. Who would have thought to ask that? So, no fries.

They did, however, prepare chicken fajitas in a pan, not on the grill.

In another experience, a restaurant had wing night. I asked if their wings were fried and was told yes, but the restaurant has a fryer just for wings—...