Community Update

A week ago we spent over $100 on food from il Lucano restaurant in gig harbor. We have eaten there multiple times as my children have gluten intolerance and other food allergies and they advertise they are gluten free restaurant and have a special menu. When we arrived home I served my children their "gluten free food" and stuck the remaining food in the oven to reheat. As with most kids they begged to start eating and we let them begin. When we removed our dishes from the over we noticed the noodles were the same as the ones the kids had been eating, regular linguine, not gluten free. I immediately called the restaurant and spoke with a server. He apologized multiple times and assured me he would make sure this would not happen again. He said he wanted to "make it right" and prepare the meals again. I told him I would give them a call back. At this point I took it upon myself to save some of the noodles just in case they asked. I was never asked to save the food but did so anyway. My children were sick for over a week with upset stomachs and my daughter had many fits where she would through her self around banging her head because she was in so much pain in her stomach. My husband had been away for the past 7 weeks doing military training so being home alone with two children reacting to gluten exposure is quite difficult to say the least. Today I called to place my "replacement order" I ordered far less then my original order, mainly because I am one of those people who feels bad getting anything for "free". The server took my order with no trouble and I explained the situation, she was compassionate and understanding. I informed her I had saved the noodles in the fridge, but was never asked to bring them with me. I told her "I am so sorry this happened, I know people make mistakes and we are all human". A very rational response I thought coming from someone who just took care of two children who were exposed to an allergen from their advertised gluten free menu (that we paid extra for also). Upon arriving at the restaurant I was met by the server who said there was a "miss communication" and the owner wanted to talk to me. He approached me very aggressively and began to talk loudly and make accusations implying I was lying. The owner then asked me "how do you know your kids have gluten problems" and "most people who come here think they have a problem with gluten but they have something else wrong"At this point he fetched a bag of gluten free noodles from the kitchen and shoved the bag close to my face and yelled "are these the noodles" I said no, my children were fed gluten noodles. He laughed and rolled his eyes at me. He asked me "what happens to your kids if they eat gluten" I really was quite confused how a restaurant owner felt he had any right to ask questions about my children's medical condition in the first place? He was attempting to diagnose my children's allergies and shrug them off as though they did not exist. This is not only bad business but the safety of the patrons that eat here is at stake. Many people have life threatening allergies, and if you advertise a special menu, you should hold true to that. Also the verbal assault on a woman in front of an entire restaurant is unacceptable. I am a calm, loving, caring person who always is kind to everyone I meet. I really wanted to give them another chance and let them "make it right" as they asked. I did not expect to be lured into a verbal assault that left me in tears, shaking from anxiety and fear. I called this establishment back and informed them I was seeking the advice of an attorney and also going to contact the bbb. This is not a healthy environment for people with allergies to food, and a horrible display of customer service. I am shocked and appalled. As a nurse of almost 10 years I will advise all my friends and family, especially those with allergies to steer clear of this place. I have a voice mail recording on my phone from the owner stating "I was frustrated and did not know what was going on, please come back and get your food the kids need to eat" AFTER I called back and told them I was calling the BBB and a LAWYER! ALSO..I have had another person now come forward who says she SPECIFICALLY told this restaurant she had a life threatening allergy to shellfish, but was given shellfish and ended up in the hospital!!! I do want to ADD I was VERY happy with the way the servers handled this situation. They were extremely courteous and helpful and I commend them for reciprocating my calm friendly demeanor.