Potato with Broccoli and Cheese

I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach on this trip.

I hit Boston forgetting how spread out it is and forgetting how much I have to do at the conference and the hotel. I’m staying at the Seaport Boston and my first meal after several meetings yesterday afternoon didn’t come to around until 730pm. Then, I was super hungry and in no mood to go traipsing into parts unknown with allergies known. So, I hit Morton’s Steakhouse, part of the seaport complex.

Sitting at the bar I did all my usual tricks: smiled, chatted up the bartender and then laid into my allergic girl riff. No dice. There was no grilled plain chicken to be had, I really didn’t want another burger, and the bartender didn’t seem to be listening very closely when I told him about my allergies. My gut said, scoot now. Which I did, ending up back at my hotel.

Earlier in the day I had interviewed Chef Rachel Klein about her allergies (more later) and met the sous chef Kate as well. Lucky for me, bartender Mike pictured below (Hey Mike) was the opposite of the Morton’s Bartender: chatty, smiley and listened to my allergies intently, relaying them to the kitchen.



I also dropped Chef Kate’s name when I asked if the kitchen would make me an easy standby veggie dish: baked potato with steamed broccoli and cheddar cheese. She did and in five minutes I was eating safely at the bar of Tamo.

(Added bonus: the Irish cuties celebrating 10 years with the hotel’s parent company Fidelity Investments and keeping me knee deep in rousing chat about American politics, religion, global responsibility and health care. Thanks Mike and Joe!)

The lesson here: don’t take no for an answer. If one place doesn’t work try another. Or go back to your hotel and drop the name of the chef.

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