special meals request

[Tantroniq]

On the Greenkill facility website is a page with a contact form for making inquiries about special dietary requests. I made an inquiry about where I should inquire, and it was not replied to.

Apparently using that form to request this information (or any other form on their website for any information) is something we are being asked not to do (?) except through our group organizers. Its confusing to be given links to a website if we arent to use that website as it was apparently intended to be used. The website makes no distinction as to who should use it and how information is to be gained......

Anyway, I dont believe anyone has volunteered info on how to go about achieving a special meals request. So, how do I do it?

Thanks,
-T

[nobody]

I'm a vegan and I have to say that in general, I'm so fed up with society's inability to accommodate such a diet that I bring a cooler full of food when I hit the road. I replenish the cooler where and when I can, usually with things that do not require refrigeration to survive. If for similar reasons you need special meals, I'd do it this way. I'd check out the area and see what supermarkets and restaurants are nearby and put together your own meals. It may be more work, but it'll be less stress on your brain than trying to bring other - often stubborn and narrow-minded - people around.

In other words, if you want it done right, DIY!

[Tantroniq]

As some say (and I usually dont) "word!"

Agree wholeheartedly, my special diet is even more difficult to achieve. We'll have to kvetch together sometime about that. I often joke that to many people a "vegetarian" meal is one in which you cant see the meat easily (ie- animal broth soup with loads of veggies or a nice salad with bacon crumbs all over)

However, I am sure you can understand my hopes were stirred by this on the greenkill website:
We can accommodate dietary needs to include vegetarians and children with food-borne allergies. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at ssumnick@ymcanyc.org.

Sincerely,
Steve Sumnick

Of course they dont say "vegan", but they do say "to include" leading to the hope that maybe they could do that. Also they say "feel free" and not "if you are part of a group please dont contact me", but thats another story..

MY diet is extremely extremely low salt. I achieve this entirely DIY. Much to my utter complete disgust, I recently went to two different kind of upscale italian restaurants, and found that eventhough I requested no dressing, the bare salad came, I SWEAR, ***SALTED***. HUH? Since when did that happen???

I figure with a good salad bar I could bring my can of unsalted garbanzo beans and make a nice lunch. I eat eggs/dairy and only occasionally fish, so I was hoping to get some steamed veggies at dinner, maybe a baked fish if they have fish on the menu. I was very humble in my request, which was mostly just asking how I go about this, and no answer.

So they might be fantastic at accomodating us, but we would have to be able to communicate our needs somehow...

[egw]

I think they only work with groups, not individuals. They have said they can accommodate vegetarians and asked us for a count. I don't know about vegans or other special diets. Anyway, Howard and I will collect all the requests and forward them to Greenkill. So email us with your requirements.
Thanks