‘Allergy-Plagued Foodies’ Get Their Own Dinner Club

Grub Street 67 days ago

Balthazar , Craftbar

"I can't eat lobster, either! Let's hang out!"Photo: iStockphoto

If you're Clay Aiken, you can always call ahead to Balthazar and ask them to accommodate your dozen or so allergies (per our interview with a Balthazar waiter), but what about the average civilian? That's where Worry-Free Dinners comes in — according to a release, it's a dinner club created for “allergy-plagued foodies who find restaurant dining to be a harrowing experience.” The next dinner, at craftbar, on June 8, will be free of gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish (plus dairy, upon request). For $75 each, a lucky eight to ten diners will get “coaching” from Allergic Girl herself, Sloane Miller, as well as gift bags chock-full of allergy and asthma products. More information can be found here.

For those who can stomach nuts, the Brooklyn Laundry dinner club (which prides itself on using local, seasonal ingredients, sustainably raised animals, and fresh-caught fish) writes to tell us that on Saturday it will host a “Texican”-themed dinner at a Flatiron loft — its first in Manhattan. The $100 six-course meal with wine pairings will highlight pecans, hibiscus, coriander, ramps, and Jonah crabs. Cowboy wannabes can reserve here to secure a spot for cocktails at 7 p.m. and dinner an hour later. Hee-haw.