Food Allergies

Food allergies are omnipresent, if you have them. We are very careful about what we buy, how food is prepared and ingredients in everything. We usually have two or three different entrees at dinner to accomodate food allergies. Even though some foods have recently been added to my husband's list of things he could eat (and some things taken off the list, too!), you cannot be too careful. People always want to know what would happen if you ate an allergic food. It varies, according to the physician, from itching mouth, stomach upset to your throat closing up., or worse. We have to be very careful, and we usually are.
A new restaurant opened -- we love new ones, read the menu online, tracked opening day and finally went tonight. The entrees we ordered looked similar, but they gave us each the right side dish and we did not suspect...until halfway through my husband kept looking at his food,and finally, realized in horror, he had eaten the dreaded chicken!
Fortunately, nothing immediate (and serious!) had happened and we were one mile from Mayo Clinic Hospital ER. We told the server. She said she would tell the manager, but we are not sure if that happened. They offered us free desserts -- obviously not understanding we just wanted to get the heck out of there before he got sick.
So I guess we won't be going back to Maggiano's Little Italy. It was too noisy in there anyhow and our daughter hated it the minute we walked in. But, they could have had a serious lawsuit if there had been an immediate reaction. Lesson learned: always check the food, no matter where you are. I should have done that tonight. So far, we are ok....keeping calm.