A view of the Washington Monument through the pillars of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. -- Photo by Evan Vucci, AP

Q: My daughter suffers from food allergies and we'd like to dine out while on a trip to Boston. Can you recommend any places?
-- J. Moulton, Hamilton

A: Last year the state of Massachusetts passed a law requiring restaurants to identify on their menu foods that are raw and undercooked.

One advocate who is trying to revamp state law even further to address food allergies is Chef Ming Tsai. You may recall Tsai from TV's Simply Ming fame and his latest incarnation as one of the judges on Cooking Under Fire.

Ming knows what food allergies are all about. His toddler son suffers from seven of the top eight life-threatening food allergies.

Since Ming opened his award-winning restaurant Blue Ginger in 1998, he has adopted a motto he describes as "The Bible system." It is a binder listing all the items from his menu and highlighting those that contain potential food allergy ingredients -- like tree nuts and shellfish -- so servers are educated. When a customer alerts their server about a food allergy, the order gets a special tag and the chef signs off on the meal.

The Zagat Survey has rated Blue Ginger as the second top restaurant in its Boston Guide for the last three years.

Besides maintaining his restaurant, completing three shows and working on cookbooks, Ming has been busy advocating for better awareness of food allergies. He's the national spokesman for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), and is actively seeking legislation that would require all restaurants across the state to adopt the Bible system.

Blue Ginger is located on 583 Washington St. in the Boston suburb of Wellesley. For reservations, call 781-283-5790.

For accommodations, The Stone Lion Inn in Wellfleet (about an hour from Boston) maintains a low-allergen environment. Innkeeper Janet Loewenstein uses scent and dye-free detergents for laundry and washing. All the natural cleaning agents are unscented. Some are made in-house.

When it's time for some shuteye, guests will find down-alternative comforters and fibrefill pillows. And with wood floors, those with dust sensitivities can rest assured. For reservations, call 508-349-9565.

Q: Can you tour the Washington monument?
-- R. Aquino, Oshawa

A: You can tour the Washington Monument for free but you need a same-day ticket which you can obtain from the kiosk on the Washington Monument grounds at 15th Street and Jefferson Drive.

These tickets are issued daily on a first-come first-served basis. Ticket kiosk hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but get there early as they run out quickly. Advanced reservations can also be made by calling 1-800-967-2283 or book online at reservations.nps.gov. A service charge of $1.50 US per ticket is applied plus a 50c handling fee per order.

Before your arrival, note that the National Park Service does not have a storage facility so you should leave any personal belongings behind as the historic monument has a long list of prohibited items. These include strollers, animals, guns, ammunition, knives, aerosol cans, mace, baggage or packages larger than 45 cm by 40 cm by 20 cm.

The monument is on the Mall at 15th Street, SW, Washinton D.C.