The Attack of the Stealthy Shellfish!

It hasn't happened in a long time.

Went out with Elaine and Carol to celebrate Carol's birthday last night. A restaurant that we've always liked had closed for a few months to redecorate and rework their menu and had reopened recently to excellent reviews.

And we could see why. The new decor is gorgeous. The menu is even more tantalizing than before and everything was delicious. Generous portions, but not over-the-top. Excellent service. Good wine, good meal, good friends. A splendid evening.

Until six hours after the food was served. Giving in to my weakness for risotto, I had the wild mushroom verson, and it was scrumptious. There was also a shrimp version on the menu, and apparently something went awry in the kitchen. Though there was no evidence of shrimp in my meal, apparently some mixing, some contamination occurred. For I was very, very sick all night, beginning precisely six hours after the first bite of food.

My type of shellfish allergy isn't the fatal kind, the one where the breathing passages close up or anaphalactic shock sets in. Mine is the other kind, the drawn-out gastrointestinal version (I'm sparing you the details). Suffice it to say it turned out to be a night spent mostly out of my bed.

I have a call in to the manager of the restaurant. Not to be ugly or nasty or to sue them, but because they need to know how important it is to keep shellfish spoons out of other dishes, and to tell diners if there is seafood broth used in a preparation. And because I'd like to be able to go back.

As I say, it hasn't happened in a long time. And -- with any luck -- it will be another long time before it happens again.

Yours for full menu disclosure,