Best way to eat at a restaurant?

[curlygirl82]

Just wanted people's tips/experiences on this. Do you call ahead? What do you tell your waiter? I've had a string of bad experiences with this lately, so I wanted to hear what's worked for people -- and what doesn't.

[Dimond]

If you can, view their menu through their website or ask if it can be emailed or faxed. I've always found it easy to figure out what to get based on the menu, though I make sure to pick out the right restaurants while keeping in mind the other people I'm with. Ones with lots of fresh produce. Then I ask any necessary questions to the server. Sometimes they're knowledgeable or the chef is about raw vegan and may be able to create something on their own. You can call too if you want.

There use to be a raw business card on here that people handed to the server to give to chef regarding what they can eat.

[dread head vegan]

There use to be a raw business card on here that people handed to the server to give to chef regarding what they can eat.

i have heard of people making there own.

[jacsam]

I know that Eilene on this forum has a card that she gives the server to give to the chef. She actually has a picture of the card she uses.

[jacsam]

Oh, btw....when we go out to eat I try to call ahead of time and really find out what they have to offer as far as raw foods. Be sure to ask about fruits also because I've had mango on my salad and also blackberries on it another time. Most places have avacado, tomatoes etc. Then sometimes I'll bring some thing to add to it but most of the time I can get by with what they have to offer. Oh, I usually also put a macaroon or fudge in my purse for a sweet after. I've had nothing but good experiences so far but we really don't go out to eat all that often.....I hope your luck changes. Going out to eat for me isn't all about the food....it's more for the company and the fun of getting out with my husband.

[rayofsunshine]

Just be very specific with what you want.

IMPORTANT - Don't assume the server knows what raw food means.

Alissa suggests in her book that you scan the menu and look for raw items you can put together to make a meal.

[juliebove]

I look at the menu first and won't go there if I don't see suitable food on the menu.

I agree that some people don't know what raw food is. I once asked for some raw vegetables, knowing that this restaurant made all of their food from scratch and knowing what all they had in the kitchen. We know the owners, but not the waitstaff. So what did I get? Steamed vegetables.

[michigan roman]

my mode is not seeing a restraunt as a place to eat but rather a place to socialize with my companions . so i eat before hand or after from my own homemade self purchased thusly ultimate supplies = ummmmmmmmmm :D ,
then at restraunt just dabble in something simple like a sparse salad sprinkled with a red wine vinegar . or just drink ice water . be stubborn and dont cave into friends / family saying eat something with us , i get this all the time and just say ' im cool with not eating now , i eat my own faves at home for imo my healths sake , and am just here to visit with my people rather than to eat ' . and green teas an option at many places , even if you bring your own tea bag and ask for cup o hot water .

[rawviveyourself]

i have had great luck calling ahead - everyone seems happy to accomodate.

one chef was so intrigued he asked for more info. it was an italian restaurant, so i tore a page out of alissa's book and brought it to him. he was so excited to make the raw pasta and sauce dish! only thing was he used the amount of garlic you'd use when cooking it, which was overkill:(, but it was a really nice effort.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Rawviveyourself, that is such a cool story!!

I will be making cards up soon (saying that I am allergic to eggs, milk and milk byproducts, strawberries, and chocolate, and I am vegetarian (as many don't know what Vegan means)). I'll basically order something like a stirfy, but ask them not to cook it :P I still don't know how to put across the fact that I don't eat cooked foods on the card. I don't want to say it's for a medical reason, because they'll look at the raw diet and say, "Oh, poor woman, can't eat cooked things. How horrid!" whereas I'd love for them to look at it and say, "Wow, there must be some appeal there."

EDIT TO ADD

Found the recipe card by Eilene!! http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=40538&highlight=card

[Dimond]

I haven't found the other business card, but it mentions all the different ingredients you can eat and then encourages the chef to be creative.

I made up my own, using the menu of a specific restaurant, but you can make a general one.:

Special Diet Restrictions (or however you choose to word it). Entree with fresh/uncooked vegetables. Nothing can be cooked, roasted, grilled, from a can, frozen, etc. No sugar, alternative sweeteners, dried fruit, nuts, salt, sauces, marinades or any other flavor enhancers. Please include any of the following: Mixed Greens, Romaine, Spinach, Avocado, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Red/Yellow/Orange Peppers, Cucumbers, Snow Peas, Green Beans, Sprouts, Apple, Radicchio, Carrots, Zucchini, Scallions, Red Onion, Cilantro, Asparagus. Thank you. :)