On Sunday we were fishing around for something to do that would get us out of the house, and Sir Monkeypants said to me, “Why don’t we all go out for dinner?” And the minute it was out of his mouth, you could tell he totally regretted saying it and wished he could turn back time, like Superman. But it was far, far too late for him to escape — I’d had a hard week, and the thought of not only not cooking, but having someone else bring me food while I sat in the comfort of a vinyl-lined booth was too intoxicating to pass up.
We were actually already out in the car when this big idea came up, so after a lot of debate and last-minute lane changes, we decided to go to the Swiss Chalet. It seemed family-friendly and we’d actually get a real waitress.
When we got there we realized we had no idea what was safe for the Captain to eat, and calling FameThrowa on the phone to have her check their website didn’t pan out because her stupid network was on the stupid fritz again. But happily, it turns out the Swiss Chalet is the ultimate destination for those with food allergies. They have a massive chart that they hand out for free that lists around fifteen different allergens, cross-referenced with every item on the menu (even dressings and sauces), marking each for their allergen content. Rockin’ awesome! We were surprised and happy to find several items that were safe for the Captain.
So there we were, at dinnertime, in a real…ish restaurant, ordering food, getting service…it was amazing. I felt like a member of high society. Before kids, it was so easy to just hop in the car and dash off for a dinner out, any night of the week. Now it’s a whole production and you never know just how it’s going to go. This time, the Captain ate more than I’ve ever seen him eat, Gal Smiley sat happily in her high chair and coloured, and and I ate semi-nutritious food that I did not prepare, and did not have a big yellow M on the side.
It just felt like the biggest, most amazing success in the world. Watch out, Joneses of the world! The TurtleHeads are all cosmo now!
TurtleHead 
Aw, I’m glad that worked out. My family always used to love Swiss Chalet too. Now I’m married to a vegetarian, who does not like Swiss Chalet. So I have to sneak out and go on the sly.
I’m so happy things worked out! I felt terrible not being able to help, and I was trying not to show the panic I felt inside that I could single-handedly be responsible for you aborting the trip and never trying to eat out ever again!
Thank goodness they had all of that awesome information right there, ready to to go. I hope this won’t be the last time you venture out. Next time you go, give me a shout, and Mr. Art and I will join you!
… and there is no mention of how I fearlessly asked “can I have a list of ingredients” in your fine tale of dining out. I feel so unloved.
My husband is also a vegetarian (and I was too, until my pregnancies demanded MEAT, LOTS OF MEAT, RIGHT NOW), so it has been years and years since we went there. It was a staple of my childhood though — the big fancy outings with my grandparents were always to the Swiss Chalet — so hopefully we’ll go again really soon! It was pretty nostalgic :).