I am very respectful of restaurants, the time it takes to prep for service, and a chef’s commitment to creating and preparing menus. Whenever a guest wants to substitute an ingredient I tend to cringe internally. I know a chef has spent time developing flavors in the dish and it is intended to be served as envisioned, tested, and tasted. This is why when I dine at a restaurant, I will ask if something can be prepared without dairy, and if not, I’ll generally find something else. I leave it up to the chef to make adjustments. In turn, if an ingredient is going to be left off a dish because it was prepped in dairy, something should be added. Being thoughtful is a two-way effort.