12.3.07

Assumptions, again

Don't assume:

. . . A vegetarian dish on a restaurant menu is really vegetarian, ie., no meat products. Outback, for example uses animal based oil to fry, their side of vegetables also is not vegetarian, but you can order it cooked without that butter and seasoning.

. . . that the server knows if something is truly vegetarian, I ate meals for years that were made with chicken or beef broth after assuming either that "vegetarian" choices meant the food contained no meat products or the server understood what vegetarian meant. Outback was almost a home away from home for us even after I went vegetarian. Baked potato, Bloomin Onion or Bushman 'Shrooms, and Fresh Steamed Veggies made me a contented woman. It wasn't until I had a server whose relative was a vegan that I was given correct info: beef in their frying oil and in their steamed vegetables. I quit going unless I was on the road in a strange town and desperate. It was a lesson learned. Do not assume vegetables are all vegetable.

That said, had I asked corporate or a manager, I would have most likely been given correct info. Kudos to them for their online info for people on restricted diets, although they post nothing on vegetarian diets.

Our favorite Chinese restaurant, Twin Dragon, lists 4 or 5 vegetarian dishes; this time I knew to question it, only one, Monk's Curry, does not contain chicken broth. (But again, I was given the wrong answers by the server the first few times we went in.)

Vegetarian to many simply means no hunks of meat or fish. They do not consider broth or oyster sauce as meat. . . well, guess what, it is still made from an animal!

Now I have servers check with the chef.

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