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September 2009

Mountain Spy :: September 2009

Mountain Spy Liz Eren tackles a growing problem with kids--food allergies. And, once again, the answers are as varied as the resorts themselves.

Written by Liz Eren | 0 comment

THE QUESTION: MY SON HAS A BAD PEANUT ALLERGY AND I’M CALLING TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOU HAVE ANY NUT-FREE ZONES IN YOUR RESTAURANTS OR ANY NUT-FREE FOODS?


MOUNTAIN 1: MICHIGAN

First contact: Automated Machine. Chose operator.
Answering phone: Female, pleasant.
SAM: Stated question. Transferred to restaurant...
Answering phone: Male, very nice sounding.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Absolutely. We can definitely do that. Just make sure when you come in that you tell the waiter right away that he's allergic to nuts, because all our chefs have to make sure we clean everything and make sure we clean up the grill completely because there might be bean oil on there that could cause an allergic reaction.
SAM: Exactly. Well, okay, perfect, thanks so much.
Staff: Oh, you're so welcome, have a nice day.

Rating: 9
Comment: Short, sweet and right to the point.


MOUNTAIN 2: VERMONT

First contact: Nice sounding female.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: We don't have a nut-free zone. But, I mean we have hamburgers and hot dogs and chips. I don't necessarily know that I've seen peanuts out there.
SAM: Okay, well I'm just concerned because if any of that kind of food is cooked with, let's say, peanut oil, or if it's cooked in the kitchen where any other peanut ingredient foods are prepared, that will definitely have an effect on my son. He's just super allergic.
Staff: Well, the burgers are grilled, as are the hot dogs.
SAM: Okay.
Staff: And, I mean we have wraps like a turkey wrap or chicken salad wrap and those aren't near peanuts.
SAM: All right. Do you know if you cook with peanut oil or maybe soy oil?
Staff: I don't know.
SAM: Okay, you're not sure.
Staff: No, I'm not.
SAM: So you think you offer a few things?
Staff: Right, yeah, you know we have bagels that are wrapped, not just laying out, so they can’t get touched with peanuts or anything.
SAM: All right, thanks so much.
Staff: You’re welcome. Bye now.

Rating: 5
Comment: Decent effort, but maybe an F&B manager would be more helpful...


MOUNTAIN 3: ONTARIO

First contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.
Answering phone: Female.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Umm, let me just see here... I think we do. What I'll do is connect you over to the restaurant. Hold on one second.
Answering phone: Female. Nice sounding.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Yup, we do! We have nut-free food. They can prepare something for him ahead of time.
SAM: Okay, so is it like a nut-free menu for kids with allergies?
Staff: No, when you make the reservation, we'll talk to the chef and he can tell us what he can make and then we'll have it ready for you. You kind of have to pre-decide.
SAM: Sure, that's fine. As long as it can be done or can be accommodated.
Staff: Yup. When were you coming?
SAM: I'm not sure, within the next few weeks, so I'll definitely just make it known and talk to someone ahead of time.
Staff: Okay, perfect.
SAM: Well, thanks so much.
Staff: You're welcome.

Rating: 8.5
Comment: Good attitude partnered with a super helpful answer.


MOUNTAIN 4: MINNESOTA

First contact: Female.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: We don't have nut-free zones. Umm, as far as the food we have here, it's all, I don't know, like cafeteria-style. We have hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, french fries, those sorts of things.
SAM: Do you know if you cook in peanut oil?
Staff: Oh boy, that would be a question for the chef. Let me see if there's anyone available in the kitchen to talk to you. Hold on one moment, please.
SAM: Okay. Transferred to kitchen. Hold time: 2 minutes.
Answering phone: Woman, nice sounding.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Well, we don't serve anything with peanuts or use anything with peanuts except for prepackaged items. Like, we have a salted nut roll, but I think that's the only nut.
SAM: Okay, so any of the food that the kitchen prepares themselves I can be pretty assured that it's nut-free?
Staff: Right, right the only oil we use for frying is a corn canola blend, so there shouldn't be any nuts in there. Um, let's see, corn dogs shouldn’t have any in it.
SAM: Okay, perfect. (I love corn dogs!)
Staff: But everything we prepare here is made somewhere else. So maybe when you stop in we can take a look at the boxes and everything to make sure the manufacturer doesn't process any, either.
SAM: Okay, perfect, well thanks so much for that.
Staff: Alrighty, thank you, have a great day.

Rating: 7.5
Comment: Rocky start and a long hold, but the kitchen killed it. Or maybe it was the corn dogs.


MOUNTAIN 5: MARYLAND

First contact: Automated machine. Hold time: a solid 3:30 minutes until someone answers...
Answering phone: "Hi this is Sally, how can I help you?!"
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Uhh, no, actually, we don't. Um, yeeeah, like I mean, are you talking about like the day programs for the children, uh, day programs?
SAM: Sure, or even if I just came up and took them for a chairlift ride.
Staff: Yeeah, umm we don't really have like a nut-free zone here at the resort.
SAM: Do you have any foods that are nut-free or do I need to make sure that I bring some?
Staff: Yeeeah, just to be sure because we don't guarantee that it ­wouldn't like, like, for, like, the food being prepared in the kitchen, there's also food there being prepared with, like, peanut, uh... ingredients.
SAM: Exactly. So you can't guarantee that any of your food coming out is totally nut-free.
Staff: Riiiight, right yeaah, like we just can't like guarantee.
SAM: All right, well thanks so much.
Staff: Uh, okay, thank you, ba bye.

Rating: 2
Comment: First we start with a far-too-long hold time. Then, like, yeeeah, maybe the summer heat was, like, totally like slowing her down.


MOUNTAIN 6: IDAHO

First contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.
Answering phone: Older woman, super nice sounding.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: I am trying to think. There's no nut-free zones. As for the food, there's a variety of food. So that would be no problem at all there.
SAM: Okay, well, I mean, what kind of food do you have that doesn't have any peanuts in it or isn't cooked in peanut oil, or isn't prepared around other foods with nuts?
Staff: Good question. Ha ha ha, very good question. I'm going to have to direct you to the cook, ha ha, just one moment.
SAM: Okay, thanks. Transferred to cook. Hold time: 1 minute.
Staff: Okay, they didn't answer, so I'm going to put you through to the manager herself...
SAM: Okay, the manager of?
Staff: Our restaurant.
SAM: Great, thanks. Hold time: 30 seconds.
Answering phone: Super nice sounding female.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: I don't know if we have officially nut-free food or a menu like that, but we have items that have no nuts in them and if I know in advance I can have the chef prepare a special menu for you. He'd be happy to do that. When were you planning to come to our area?
SAM: I'm not sure, probably in the next few weeks. We have friends in the area. But that was my main concern, if the food that your restaurant prepares can be nut-free or if you can guarantee that food ­doesn't come into contact with other food that contains nuts.
Staff: Well, you know what, I would say absolutely, but I would double check with my chef and then have him double check every ingredient. Have you ever been here before?
SAM: No, I haven't.
Staff: Which direction are you coming from?
SAM: You know I'm not sure where our friends live, they're about a half-hour away.
Staff: Oh, probably x area.
SAM: Yeah probably, I've just never been out there before.
Staff: Oh, okay great. Well there's lots of things to do out here and it's a beautiful time of year to visit us. We have a waterpark, which is super fun, and the gondola ride, which takes you to the top of the mountain. Would you be interested in me faxing you a menu?
SAM: Yeah, that would be great. That way I can see the whole thing and what I'll be working with. Thanks!
Staff: Perfect, so what I'll do is fax you a copy of our menu, as well as our kid’s menu, and then if you let us know ahead of time when you're going to be here, I'll have the chef double check every ingredient and make sure there's nothing that comes in contact with nuts.
SAM: Oh great! Thanks so much!
Staff: Oh, perfect, and again my name is Claudia. If I can be of any further assistance, just give me a call back. I can give you our direct extension.

Rating: 10
Comment: Great operator assistance and killer service by Claudia.

Identity Revealed: Silver Mountain