Chiles

I actually had a not-so-exhausting day at work today. And I found out that I am working Thursday, not tomorrow. *whoa!* These two lovely things and having my roomie let out the barkers allowed me to go out to dinner with the girls after work.

When I started working at Shepherd, there was a core group of nurses. Through various circumstances- unit changes, parenthood, injuries- we have been spread out. Every few months we all come together as a group for a meal, a beverage, and a good time. Tonight the meet-up spot was Chiles. I've eaten there before, but I cannot for the life of me remember what the outcome was. Tonight was a clean plate.

Chile's has an allergen menu- fish, shellfish, dairy, peanuts, nuts, wheat/gluten, and soy. I eat GF and SF (soy-free), as I react to both. The soy-free menu was some slim pickin's. While I was surprised that Chiles has a GF/SF salad dressing, the rest was not wildly impressive. The only protein choice was a plain steak, and the choice of side items were naked veggies, naked corn, corn kernels, or mandarin oranges. Although the combo of steak + corn kernels + oranges seemed a little odd, the meal was good. My steak was cooked perfectly (I love a medium steak) and the sides were okay. If you are a Celiac out with friends, or in a chain-restaurant pinch, it's just fine. Otherwise, it won't really be my first choice for a place to grab a bite.

...but I am very glad for the safety of an allergen menu!