Wheat Allergy issues

Last week Gretchen and I set out to find a new NYC coffeeshop. Both of us have dreamed for years of opening our own place, so we feel that doing "market research" like this is an important step.

Yelp (if you don't use this website, you need to!) pointed us in the direction of Birch, a cool coffeshop in the Flatiron neighborhood. It was well into the afternoon, and I hadn't eaten lunch. We noticed an oat bar in the bakery case, and I told Gretchen it looked like it might be wheat-free!

"I'll ask," she offered (she knows that I still get embarrassed when I have to explain my allergy).

"Excuse me," she said to the man behind the counter. "Does this bar have wheat in it?"

He looked at her with a look of shock and horror. This is why I hate having to ask about ingredients, I thought. Then he looked at me, amazement still written all over his face.

He took a deep breath. "Does it.... does it have weed in it??"

"WHHHHeaTTT," Gretchen clarified. "She's allergic to wheat!"