WhyNot, if you don’t mind a little driving, Stillwater on Main St in Downers Grove has a pretty big gluten free menu.
I used to go to Shopsin’s General Store in Greenwich Village, and the menu had something like 900 items on it (it looked like this but much longer), and I don’t think I was ever in there without hearing someone order something off-menu. To be honest, Kenny the owner loved his regulars so much that I think he was honored, although he was in most other cases an irascible bear who who throw you out on your ass for any number of reasons. (I knew 3 or 4 people who were terrified to ever go there based on reputation alone.)
I never ordered off-menu because I wasn’t a regular, I didn’t want to be thrown out on my ass, and I wasn’t done with the 900 items anyway.
No opinion on whether anyone in this thread is a dick.
There’s always someone who will think you’re a dick anyway. Once I ordered a $30 ribeye medium-rare and it came out well, and I sent it back. I overheard the server talking about how I was some kind of picky asshole. I still tipped him 15%; just because a server is an asshole doesn’t mean I have to be one.
I have to agree with devilsknew. Ordering off the menu is a douchebag move. It’s for people who think they’re more special than everybody else.
I think the most I’ve ever done was order a side of scrambled eggs at my favorite brunch place. It’s not on the menu, under sides or anywhere else, but hey, it’s a brunch place. They got eggs. (And apparently get enough people ordering it that it’s pre-programmed into their POS computer with it’s own price. It shows up on the receipt as “KIDS ITEM”.)
Although there was one time I came in, and had just gotten my meal when my server came out with another plate of french toast. I can’t remember which it was… possibly their pumpkin pie french toast… but it was something that was occasionally on their specials menu, but wasn’t on that day. I looked up in surprise and my server just said “Jon [the chef-owner] wanted you to have it.” 
I ended up having to take it home as there was no way I could eat everything in one sitting, but hey, free food. No argument from me.
As it turns out, there’s lots of little side benefits to having a good relationship with the staff and owner. (I’ve also gotten my meal comped, I think twice or so, just because they’re happy that I come in so often. Never looked for, but always appreciated.)
The steak place closest to us won’t cook a steak beyond medium. It’s on their menu.
It’s arrogant and dictatorial of them, and I like it. 
That steak place is a collective pussy. I’ll sign a cromdamn waiver if I have to, I want my steak cooked medium rare.
No, I mean they’ll do rare, medium rare, and medium. Nothing beyond that.
I took it to mean she was saying they wouldn’t cook it any more than medium.
Health codes regarding meat cooking temps don’t usually apply to beef steaks anyway.
I’ll grant that it can definitely be done in a douchebag way. Consider scenario A:
Customer A: “I want to have sirloin tips, with burgandy-sauteed mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes, rare…and the mushrooms should be tender but not TOO tender, you understand?”
Customer B: “I keep hearing about how amazing your chef is…can he cook something special for us? It’s our tenth anniversary!”
Customer A is obviously a high-maintenence customer, customer B is just eager to have a great meal. Usually servers respond better to B than to A. You have NO WAY OF KNOWING if A or B is going to leave a better tip. I remember tables that seemed awesome until I checked how much they left me…some of them, I bent over backwards to make sure they got what they wanted, and they left me next to nothing. Other tables, their food was late, it was cooked wrong, they had to wait for drinks because the bartenders were swamped, and they still left me a good tip, and I would like to think it was because I didn’t act like I was doing THEM a favor by serving them.
Personally, I rarely order something so far off the menu that it couldn’t be considered a mix of what’s alread available. For example, Outback has a Chargrilled Ribeye steak. I asked beforehand if the steak was prepared beforehand or if the chargrilled treatment could be used for any steak. They told me that any of the steaks could be prepared chargrilled style, so from that point on, whatever steak I wanted to order, I felt OK in asking for it chargrilled. If I ask for odd combinations, it’s at least combinations of entrees and sides that are available in other contexts, so it’s not like they have to come up with something new; I know that chain restaurants have more restrictions than local joints.
At the other restaurant I mentioned earlier, the one that won awards, they tell me right away what’s “off menu” because they’re excited about showcasing their food. Maybe it’s because they’re not corporate; maybe they just take more pride in their work.
Ah. I was on the other side of “beyond that” obviously. Then I commend that steakhouse. I want to eat there. What’s the address?
I do like doing of menu items. In fact as stated before I have a few named dishes of the menu it helps a great deal meets most of the need of people needing something special and keeps the regulars happy. For others in the industry I would suggest it.
And At this point I think most chefs have something in the bag for vegan/gluten free/low-no carb options. I don’t clutter my main menu with it but I do have about 7 things I can always prepare that meat one or more of those needs. I am prepared for these things. I have been in many kitchens that get stuck are frazzleded over a request as such. I have some nutritional background and managed a health food store so I am knowledgeable about such things. And think it makes it easier for me. But some places the back of the house freaks over a vegan request. And does not know the differences. I also do not have a child’s menu. It is custom.
I but if some patroons get to picky all requests are of. Or if we dont like them for some reason. We kinda like to pick our customers. We are small. We made the fucking menu for a reason. I consider the off menu items to be an extension. Picky people get no help. And I hate fake allergies. Just tell me you hate the damn thing. Hell if you have an unusull allergy just say you hate the item. And no need to chime in and defend allergies. I know I have seen my fare share of fakers before.
Totally bullshit. That’s your hangup, servers send it back, and your satisfaction was guaranteed, you got your MR steak didn’t you? Somebody ate your waste outside of your unfailing standards and pecadilloes. There is always a percentage that is overdone and underdone, nobody’s perfect.
Indeedy.
Chicken Princess is a little like regular chicken parm, only instead of cutlets, it’s chicken breast stuffed with asparagus and cream. The sauce is very light with big chunks of fresh tomato. And then more cheese on top.
Unfortunately, it’s in Ohio.
On this menu, they only say they won’t do the sirloin medium-well or well. When we’ve been in there, it said that on all of the steaks. Hmm.
I probably shouldn’t have called it a steakhouse. How about “the place local to me with really good steaks”? 
Yeah, my “unfailing standards” that dictated that I wanted food cooked as I ordered it from professional cooks…for $30. Maybe a $30 steak isn’t that big of a deal for you, but most people at least want the cooks to know the difference between medium rare and well, even for half the price. According to your standards, you could send your car in to get the oil changed and they could send it back saying that they changed the brake pads, and here’s your bill, thank you very much, and you shouldn’t complain, because…well, it’s only your “unfailing standards” that demand that you actually provide what was requested. And if you complain that you only wanted an oil change, well, sorry that we didn’t meet your “unfailing standards”, you high maintenence douchebag.
You fail on so many levels that it’s almost at the level of self-parody now.
Lancaster isn’t that far off from the route I have to travel from Minnesota to PA to visit family…I’ll keep this place in mind if opportunity arises.
I’d like to know where devilsknew works/worked as well, so I can tell everyone to avoid that place like the plague.
Could somebody translate this into “Coherent”?
Back on topic: I once ordered the tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant. The “off-menu” conversation went something like:
Hunter Hawk: I’d like the tasting menu, but I have to confess that I’m a total wuss when it comes to cheese. Could you do me a favor and just omit the cheese course entirely?
Waitress: We can if you’d like, but I can also ask the chef if he can substitute something else.
Hunter Hawk: If it’s easy to do, fine, but really I’m okay with just not getting the cheese course.
Waitress: Let me check.
…and when that part of the menu came round, they brought out an amazing salad of roasted tomatoes, and the sommelier brought a different wine that would match the new dish better.
All the time. I’m gluten intolerant, so I’m usually ordering - in some fashion “off menu” - sometimes it turns out to be fairly far off menu. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn’t. It often works just as well at little hole in the walls as at really good places.
Fucking awesome. I would not only go to that place regularly, but I would tell ALL of my friends to go there.