Emily McElroy – Spokin App User @emsnutfreeeats
Allergies: Peanut, Tree Nuts, Wheat, and Celiac-Gluten
Class: 2022
Major: Public Policy and Economics
Post Graduation Plans: Take a year or two off to work and apply to a Public Policy masters program
Instagram: @emsnutfreeeats
Emily’s Scripps Campus Guide
The Motley Coffeehouse
The cutest coffeehouse on Scripps’ college campus! It is completely run by students and most are pretty knowledgeable about allergies & cross-contact. They do have almond milk but I’ve safely had coffee here as well as smoothies! There are nuts in the smoothies besides the choice of almond milk. They have almond butter for bagels, but it is in sealed packets. They also have lots of safe snacks, yogurts, and drinks for sale!
Frary Dining Hall
This is the dining hall on Pomona’s campus. As a Scripps student, this one is a little far away from me however, I still end up getting meals here a couple of times a semester. They are very good about labeling and knowledgeable about ingredients. Peanut butter is in the toast area which is on a separate side of the dining hall. I avoid that area and the grill, which they cook a bunch of different menu items on, and it’s not always cleaned well. I stick to the entree food that’s labeled for allergens and self served. You can also ask for a manager, and they’ll bring you out a plate of food straight from the kitchen to avoid any cross contact from students serving their plates! They also have a GF fridge that has bread & desserts + dairy-free milk.
Laemmle Claremont 5
I love Laemmle! It’s a super cute movie theater in the Claremont Village, and they often have student nights/discounted tickets! They also have lots of safe snacks/candy, and it’s always very clean!
Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons
Hoch Commons is the dining hall on Harvey Mudd’s campus. This is my favorite dining hall on all the Claremont College campuses. They consistently label for the Top 8 allergens on every dish and also have a Simple Servings section, which is a Top 8 free station that is served by cooks on separate plates to prevent cross contamination. There are no nuts at the salad bar; however, there are often dishes with tree nuts and peanuts at the other stations (pesto in eggs and pasta, Chinese food with peanuts, cashew chicken etc.) I usually stick to the Simple Servings section and make sure to check the labels for each dish’s ingredients. There is also a gluten-free/allergy-friendly fridge which has Canyon Bakehouse bread/bagels, Don’t Go Nuts butters, and nut-free/gluten-free brownies and cookies!
Mallot Dining Commons
This is the dining hall on Scripps’ campus. At the Claremont Colleges, students of any college can eat at any dining hall which is great. However, something to keep in mind is every dining hall has different management, and thus each has different policies for allergies. Not the greatest dining hall of all the Claremont Colleges, but has made tremendous improvements in allergy awareness in the last year. They used to have open peanuts and jars of peanut butter, but all peanuts have been removed from the dining hall as of August 2019. There is now only open Nutella and open pecans/walnuts near the breads and salads area that is relatively contained. Mallot also has a “Simple Servings” section which is free of the top 8 allergens! The food in this section is prepared on separate equipment and served by the kitchen to prevent any cross-contamination. They also have an allergen fridge with vegan and oat milk for cereals and gluten-free bread, muffins, and brownies. I generally stick to the “Simple Servings” section, and will also ask for managers when needed to confirm the ingredients of other menu items.
Blaze Pizza
Located in the Claremont Village, this is one of my go-to quick, easy places to get food that I know is allergy-safe. The staff always asks if your gluten-free pizza is for a preference or an allergy, and then will thoroughly clean the pizza press, change gloves down the line, and get fresh sauces from the back. Also everything is peanut and tree nut free, including the pesto!
The Meat Cellar
One of my favorite restaurants at college for date nights or fancier dinners! They have great steaks, veggies, sides, and super fun drinks. There are also have no peanuts in the whole restaurant! They have hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds that garnish some of the salads and cooked veggies, but according to wait staff, all the nuts go on the dishes last in a separate part of the kitchen, so there is very little chance of cross-contamination in the cooking process! I had the steak tenderloin with mixed greens, which was safe and delicious!
In N’ Out
I have eaten at dozens of In N’ Out locations, had everything on the menu (except the burger bun because not gluten-free) and always been safe! Definitely one of the most accommodating places for allergies!
Oceans + Earth Restaurant
This is a 100% dedicated gluten-free restaurant! When I inquired about my nut allergies, the chef told me they don’t use any peanuts or tree nuts in the kitchen! Everything on the menu is baked/made from scratch in house: the gluten-free brioche buns, pizza crusts, cookies, and desserts, so there is no chance of cross-contact with nuts! They even make their own ice cream! I was able to safely have any dessert on the menu, which has never happened before at a restaurant. Aside from allergies, the food is SO GOOD! Highly recommend trying the mac and cheese, the brioche bun burgers, and the berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream! After dessert, our waitress also brought us a little plate with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies!
