Birthdays & BBQ
I celebrated my 30th birthday with a COVID-friendly getaway to San Diego with my boyfriend. Prior to the trip, I did my usual research to identify some allergy-friendly restaurants. International Smoke was at the top of my list for two reasons — the cuisine (who doesn’t love BBQ) and the buzz surrounding the culinary partnership between cookbook author and TV personality Ayesha Curry and famed chef Michael Mina. When I called to inquire, I was so pleased at how positively the hostess responded to my food allergy concerns that I made a reservation. She assured me that I would be completely taken care of, and I was!
We dined at the Del Mar location on a Sunday evening, and every dish was fantastic. While ordering, our waiter was extremely knowledgeable about what I could and couldn’t eat on the menu, which brought me comfort. We ordered the American BBQ Pork Ribs, Mac N Cheese, and the Red Miso Corn (which we highly recommend) for our meal. For a birthday treat, the manager presented me with a lovely and delicious slice of Sugar and Scribe Key Lime Pie and a Blueberry Parfait.
During the remainder of our trip, the meal and experience remained top of mind, so I knew I had to reach out to the manager when I got back to Los Angeles for an interview. Alex Farris, the general manager of International Smoke, was kind enough to agree to answer some questions about the restaurant and share their food allergy protocols. Check out our interview below!
Q: Can you give me a little history about the restaurant?
A: Our restaurant here in Del Mar opened its doors on July 19, 2019. At the time we were the fourth location of International Smoke; however, now there are only three locations because one closed and was rebranded to fit the Miami location a bit better. International Smoke is a restaurant that showcases international flavors with different styles of cooking. We woodfire, we grill, we slow smoke, and we braise all of our food. We believe that food is at the heart of a community, and we want to be the place where people learn to get outside of their comfort zone and explore new ideas when it comes to food.
Q: What is your background in the restaurant industry?
A: I’ve been working in restaurants on and off pretty much since I was 14. I graduated from college with a degree in restaurant management and another in hospitality management. Before I was given the opportunity to work for Michael Mina and open a restaurant under his name, my most memorable job was working at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse where we became the only restaurant in the city to surpass $20 million in sales in a year. It was an environment like I have never seen before and to be a part of that management team is something that I will never forget. A lot of what I learned there I’ve been able to apply to this restaurant and create the feel of fine dining in an electric atmosphere.
Q: How often do patrons come in with food allergies/restrictions?
A: Because of the seriousness in which we take our guest’s health, we get quite a few people daily who come in that have either a food allergy or dietary restriction.
Q: Do you require any formal training for staff on food allergies? If so, please describe that training.
A: The topic of food allergies is covered in every employee’s initial training where they are taught what the most common allergies are, and we also discuss allergies that most people are not familiar with, for example, an allergy to onions (allium), and there are onions in everything! During training every employee is given a food matrix that lists every dish, the ingredients in that dish and the possible allergies that come along with that dish. Alongside of that matrix is an allergy matrix that goes a little deeper into if that dish can be made to remove the specific allergen and the verbiage to deliver to the guest. Our servers are also trained to ask, “Are there any allergies or dietary restrictions we must know about?” as the last thing they ask the guest after taking the order.
Q: What are the protocols of the restaurant when someone tells their waiter that they have food allergies?
A: In the kitchen we have a three-step program regarding allergies. We have what are known as “stop tickets” in the kitchen. (They are literally pieces of paper with stop signs on them that the server fills out — one is given to the expo [who is responsible for loading the food on trays and sending to the proper tables] and one to each station, and it is attached to the table’s order in the kitchen.) After those stop tickets are filled out, the first thing the server does when they start a new check in MICROS [a point-of-sale system] is to hit the “Allergy” button. They then type in the seat number and allergy. After that, whatever food item that guest is having the server then messages in again the allergy and seat number. Then at the end of the ticket, they again hit the “Allergy” button and type in the allergy and seat number. The server then alerts the manager and gives them a copy of the check. All information from that table is entered into our guest management system so that the next time that guest dines with us we are immediately aware of their allergy.
Q: What measures do you take to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen?
A: If there is an allergy on the table, all the food for that table is prepared separately of all other dishes that are simultaneously being prepared. We use fresh pans and tools to prepare that table’s food.
Q: What can the food allergy community expect when they dine at International Smoke?
A: When a member of the food allergy community comes into Smoke, they can expect peace of mind. I myself have a few food allergies that if not addressed when I’m dining out can really ruin an experience, as well as the next few days. Even more serious, my girlfriend is deathly allergic to pistachios and cashews. When ingested, they cause her to stop breathing and go into shock. On a cruise we took at the beginning of this year, they gave her misinformation regarding a dish. She ate a pistachio and ended up in the infirmary, with them scrambling to save her life – all while I was watching. Needless to say I take it very personally, and so does my staff. We consider ourselves family within the walls of our restaurant, so when there is something very personal to one of us, the rest takes it very seriously.
