In reading the column in today’s paper about how some Portland restaurants are moving away from the “cheffy” or foodie trends to a more nostalgic vibe (“New Portland restaurants are leaning into nostalgia,” Oct. 22), I’m hoping that this means the demise of the brioche bun.

With the brioche bun being the usual bun used on hamburgers, I’ve had to ask for an alternative since I’m lactose intolerant. I’ve found that most waiters are not aware of the fact that there is dairy in brioche and that gluten-free doesn’t mean dairy-free.

I’ve resorted to ciabatta rolls on some occasions, but a recent experience seems to have killed that solution. Why can’t the restaurants take a page out of the Irish menus and put graphics to indicate vegan, gluten-free, etc. It would alleviate the need for the waiter to run back and forth to question if the food meets the customer’s allergy-free needs. Lactose intolerance is not a choice. Oh, by the way, would it hurt to provide margarine as an alternative to butter?

Pauline Gallagher
Brunswick