Some helpful tips: "Allergies from the Restaurant's Point of View"

From The Examiner:

1. Consider the Specialty or Theme of the Restaurant
2. Make Your Reservation at Least Two Weeks Ahead
3. Ask to Speak To Someone in Authority
4. Confirm your Reservation and Allergy Needs One Week Out
5. On Arrival Tell the Hostess Who You Are
6. Send Your Allergy Card to the Kitchen

Eight top allergens account for 90 percent of all food allergies.

References:
Allergies from the Restaurant’s Point of View. The Examiner.
Food allergy sufferers negotiate the minefields of dining out. A chef whose son grew up with food allergies, puts it bluntly: “Molecules can kill." The Washington Post, 2011.
Food Allergy: A Short Review
Food Allergen Avoidance
Food Challenges
Mind Maps: Food Allergy
Mnemonics: Food Allergy