I mostly eat at home.  I feel that this is safer.  I did find one restaurant in my area that I can eat at.  I find that if you can find places where they grill foods this is the safest.  I have either grilled salmon or chicken with baked potato and veggies.  If I am going out with others I will call a restaurant before and see what they are able to prepare for me prior to going ang feeling frustrated.  For sure I am limited to the types of restaurants I can go to. 

I think Steak Houses are safe. You just have to choose non-marinated meats and ask them to only put salt and pepper. Matia tought me in the very beginning to use word "allergic", it works every time, you just tell them that you are allergic to alcohol and vinegar. I usually get a small baked potato with butter with it and a double portion of steamed broccoli.

I have found that most restaurants will prepare something plain if you ask.  I always tell them I have food allergies too numerous to explain.  Restaurants do not want someone keeling over because of a food allergy and are usually very cooperative.  I have many times had a waitress who will go back to the kitchen to check on ingredients in a certain food.  If you are getting something grilled with just salt and pepper or plain, sometimes meats that have been grilled right before your order have residue from seasonings left on the grill, so look out for that.  Also I have found that sometimes meat tenderizers have been used, so I usually ask.  Also, watch that salad bars do not have preservatives on their selections.  I usually ask if I am unfamiliar with the restaurant.  You can't go wrong with a baked potato, but "butter" means different things to different people.  Be sure to stress you want butter and not a blend.  You will have to get to know the restaurants in your area, then you will know where it is safe to go.  Good luck, and Bon Appetite!!

Hey--when I was in the early stages--I would be sure to tell them I was "deathly allergic" to vinegar, I would then continue on to say that if there was any citrus etc etc I would actually die.  Its a little embarrassing for the people you're with--but it works every time.  I found that without the qualifiers I would still get margerine instead of butter etc. etc.

Hi ToreyEveryone is so right about saying you have allergies.  I used to say " I have a bladder disease and cannot eat spices."  I don't know how many times I had to send back meat that had spices all over it.  As soon as I started saying "I am allergic to. . ." I never had to send anything back.  I always ask if the meat is marinated--many meats and fish come to the restuarant already soaked in spices, and they don't have any plain on hand.  that is the hardest situation.  If you are ordering fish, lemon is a big one, say no lemon.  they tend to squeeze it on there.  Buffet restuarants that do not serve individually prepared orders (like Ponderosa does) have been difficult places for me to eat b/c you can' t make any special requests.  I also learned to always order water, even though I don't drink it.  I used to say "nothing" when the waitress would ask and she would just stare at me like I was crazy.  One found me drinking my bottled water and said I wasn't allowed to bring it in.  So now I just order water and drink my own on the sly.  Finding a restuarant that has soemthing I can eat is like finding a bathroom--you always know where the bathrooms are, I always know which restuarants I can eat at.  Most places I leave a bit hungry and supplement when I get home.  If a restuarant falls short, it is usually iin the vegie dept.  At Eat nPark, I get the plain grilled chicken and ask them to put mz cheese on it (they give you way too much) and no dipping sauce.  then I order a baked potato and salad.  Or I get the chicken breast on salad.  these meats aren't marinated, there may be something in there though, but it doesn't seem to bother me.  Cracker Barrel--pork chops seem to be ok, or I get the roasted turkey salad, telling them what to leave off. That turkey may not be the best either, but I don't think I've had a serious problem from it.  I rarely eat out, so it's not like it's everyday or something.  But, my most satisfying meals are the ones I make b/c I always get enough to eat.icnot4me