I wouldn’t even bother to take laws into this. America is litigious enough.
One example, you didn’t know what fennel was. Well, why not ask your server? Why just... blindly order? Especially being diabetic. If I had an allergy or health reason to avoid anything, I would tell my server to give them a fair chance. Tell me while I think Z sounds good, it won’t work for me entrees Y, W, etc would work or they could omit xyz.
The restaurant in Jersey was wrong, absolutely. But from your description it was not a costly loss.
Shit happens. It happens when you think you bought a perfect tomato and it’s mealy inside. Or you buy fresh corn and the critters got to it. Or you spend a ton of money on a cut of meat and follow cooking instructions/ recipe and it comes out poorly.
it happens in all aspects of life. I just chalk it up to, things happen. Of course it’s upsetting. But I never ever take it out on the waitstaff. I haven’t ever not left a tip and in America, to me, there has to something really wrong to not tip your waiter— it’s a shitty thing to do.
Also? I wish I could recall bad meals like you can. God knows my bad recollections are a lot more significant.
Pay your bill, write a Yelp review and move on. Anyone who would even contemplate the concept of pursuing legal action against restaurants, which are among the hardest hit by COVID has way too much time on their hands.
