So Many Layers To This Bad Behavior

I’ve got a rare allergy to onion — not an intolerance, an actual allergy to the extent that even small amounts of onion powder in my food will set it off. (You’d be surprised how much food has onion powder added to it.)

We’re heading out to a place for my dad’s seventieth birthday, and I called ahead to double-check that they could do something onion-free. The chef assured me they could and would scrub down the surfaces, etc.

As our food is brought out, I can smell onion on mine — eye-watering levels. There’s no way I’m eating it. I ask the waiter to take it away and check with the chef.

Waiter: “Don’t be stupid. You can’t taste the onion in it. The spices mask the taste.”

Me: “Not the point. I’m allergic to onion. I can’t eat anything with it in it.”

Waiter: “Oooh, allergic? Really? You gonna claim to be allergic to the bill, too?”

My dad speaks up and informs the waiter that actually, yes, I do have an actual allergy and we called ahead.

Waiter: “Yeah, well, I’m sick of you people claiming false allergies. Either eat the d*** thing or go hungry.”

Me: “I want to speak to the manager. Now.”

Long story short, we spoke to the chef who said that the waiter had taken my food after watching him clean all the utensils and had waited until the cook looked away and then added raw onion on top!

I got a new dish remade by the very nice chef, who didn’t take his eyes off it. And I got it for free.