Sometimes people email me for restaurant recommendations. I always answer! Here Daniel seeks help for his new-to-Seattle allergy-plagued friend.

Hello!

I just read your Slog post with the recommendations for gluten-free restaurants for Ryan's ma, and it made me think of a friend of mine. She recently moved to Seattle and isn't particularly familiar with the city. I'm hoping to help her find some restaurants that have menus suited to HER dietary needs. She's allergic to both milk and eggs, so usually is forced to eat at vegan restaurants. She's not a vegan, though, so really misses the chance to get a decent, non-dairy, non-egg, meat-filled meal once in a while.

Do you know of any places that are good about marking/substituting dairy or egg products in their food, but still serving meat as well? Thanks!

Best,
Daniel

Hi Daniel!

First of all, you are a good person. Some people* would just make fun of their friend's enforced cheese-free existence and also secretly think that maybe they're a hypochondriac who should just get over themselves—but no, you want to find your newly transplanted, deprived friend a steak or a chop or maybe some pork belly. Or bacon! You're a champ!

However, I'm just going to echo the advice that Holly gave for gluten-free dining in that last post: Your friend should just locate good restaurants—as Holly put it, places "where real people are cooking real food made out of, y'know, ingredients"—then let them know ahead of time that she's going to want some meat, plus some nice vegetables and etc., without any cheese or butter or eggs. They should say sure, no problem; if they don't, screw 'em. Holly's recommendations for Staple & Fancy, Tilth, and Madison Park Conservatory are good ones. I would also bet that Lecosho—the name is Chinook for "pig"—would be especially sympathetic to your friend's plight.

And here's our list of recommended restaurants that have a local/organic/sustainable focus—which means they're thinking it through, and will do the same for your friend. And welcome to her! Tell her the "Seattle freeze" is not a real thing.

Best,
Bethany

*Bad people!