Question of the Day, Saturday the 11th of December, 2021

[Mia6]

Hello and Happy Saturday!!

Have ever spent a major holiday eating at a restaurant? If not would you want to?

My ex-husband and I ate Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant in Columbus. I think it was called the Clairmont, not certain.
We were separated and didn't want to drive to the Cleveland area to deal with our families. Awkward for everyone.
We had amazing meals. He had duck and I had filet mignon. Instead of pie I think we had creme brulee. It wasn't awkward
for us but it should've been, ha!!

Tell us what you think about eating at restaurants on major holidays.

 

[di and bob]

WQould be MUCH easier, no prep and cleanup, but restaurant food never tastes as good as homemade. i still like the turkey for Thanksgiving and a ham for Christmas, I have never eaten out on a major holiday, but like in the case you mentioned, and because our family is all dying off, (most times a holiday get together is to be with family) it may be in our future!

 

[NY cat man]

Only once, and that many years ago. Michele and I went out to a restaurant for New Year's Eve. The experience left much to be desired, and was never repeated.

 

[Katie M]

We ate at Cracker Barrel for Thanksgiving for a few years. I'm not really sure why we stopped, but I do prefer a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal.

 

[Mia6]

We ate at Cracker Barrel for Thanksgiving for a few years. I'm not really sure why we stopped, but I do prefer a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal.

Yum! I love CB!!

 

[Jem]

Nope. We've always had home cooked meals, at someone's home. Many times, it's potluck, so the host doesn't have to do everything.
My husband one time, had to eat fast food takeout for Christmas. My fil had the turkey in the oven for a few hours but it was not turning out and smelled horrible. They thought it was bad. The only thing open on Christmas Day was Burger King, so that's what they had for dinner. They ended up going back to where they got the turkey and got a full refund AND a free replacement turkey. The next time they went to use the oven, same thing...food was gross. Turns out the turkey wasn't the problem the first time...one of the elements in their oven broke so it wasn't cooking properly...even thought it would get warm in there.

 

[vince]

I have dined out for holidays quite often, and it became a regular occurrence. I grew to look forward to it, but COVID stopped that and the friends with whom I went out for dinner became reclusive and won't leave the house any more for fear of infection. I'm sort of worried for them.

 

[neely]

My mom's side of the family was very big, sadly most of them are gone now. My mom and aunts would take turns with the different major holidays. I was a kid, maybe pre-teen, and one year they all went to a restaurant for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure why but it wasn't the same as being at home where we would spend the entire afternoon and evening together. I don't think any of my aunts were great cooks, lol, but it wasn't about the food as much as being with family.

 

[denice]

Many years ago my ex and I went out for Thanksgiving dinner a couple of times ago. That was before the kids and we weren't living close to family. We got the traditional Turkey dinner. It wasn't as good as the homecooked spread but that didn't make sense for just two people. Even with eating leftovers and freezing what could be frozen there would have been food wasted.

 

[Winchester]

We went out for Thanksgiving dinner to a restaurant in town. While it was very nice and the food was quite good, it wasn't the same as being at home and we've never done it since.

 

[Willowy]

My family doesn't do Christmas so we've ended up at a Chinese restaurant a few times on Christmas, just for something to do, lol. And my grandma used to cater family dinners from Hy-Vee, which was better than her cooking but nothing great. But have never had the classic holiday dinner at a restaurant.

 

[DownTheLane]

I never have, but my mum did once.
They ate dinner on second Christmas day (I think it's called boxing day in England) at McDonald's
My grandpa had had an accident and was in hospital. They stopped by McDonald's on their way home

 

[susanm9006]

The only holiday I have eaten out was an Easter when my son and I took a trip to Las Vegas. We went to a pricey buffet which was good but nothing special.

 

[Lari]

One time we did an Easter meal at a restaurant because my uncle knew the owner or something. It was fine and the food was good, but honestly my biggest memory of that restaurant experience was that the background music started playing Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and we all cracked up because it was so incongruous with Easter.

 

[betsygee]

We had Thanksgiving at a restaurant this year. We'd gone to the town where my elderly mother lives hoping to take her out but she didn't feel up to it so we ate on our own. It was fine--nice and quiet, good food. We're going out for brunch on Christmas Day. Sometimes going out is easier and more peaceful than dealing with family dynamics.

 

[Kat0121]

Not for dinner. We've been out to breakfast on holidays. I doubt we would have when it was DH, DD and me because there wouldn't be much if any leftovers. That would not have been acceptable to DH. I'd have to make the big meal the next day anyway or he would sulk.
When It was DD and me, we just never discussed going out to eat. I'd just make whatever she wanted to eat. Now that it's just me here with the cats, I only make things that they can have too. I doubt any restaurant would let me in with those two.

 

[bbdoll22]

Years ago when my husband and I were dating we got tired of the families fighting over who would get us for holiday dinner. Each side claimed it was their turn. So we packed up and left and spent our Thanksgiving day and weekend in a cheesy couples resort in Pennsylvania with a heart shaped whirlpool bathtub that we ate dessert in. Lol.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I never have. I'm going to be alone on Christmas Eve this year, so I might order take out from a Chinese restaurant. I'll likely be cleaning all day in preparation of hosting Christmas Day, so it would be a nice reward as well.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My grandmothers were both amazing cooks; as are my mom, aunts and dad. So we’ve never eaten out for a big holiday.

I do remember going out for a fancy Mother’s Day brunch once as a kid. My cousins were all hyped up at being allowed some fancy drink (which was surely nonalcoholic). And I remember some poor server had an incident that took him and a cart full of clean plates down. There were candles (which my cousins kept sticking their fingers in the flames of) and nice linens on all the tables. Clearly I, the youngest, was the best behaved for this special mother’s day outing.

I have been very tempted to pick up Bob Evans premade Thanksgiving dinner before. Sometimes it’s just the 4 of us and it seems so much simpler!

 

[nurseangel]

Never at a restaurant, but an unusual place. Relatives on my dad's side of the family owned a hosiery mill and we used to go there every Christmas Eve for a big dinner and gift exchange. Santa always showed up. I grew up thinking everybody had a "mill party" in their family.

DH and I go to his sister's house for a family Christmas dinner. Once, we were really hungry a few hours after the party and no fast food places were open. We went back to her house. We tried to play it off like we just wanted to see them again. Apparently, my other SIL and BIL did the same thing. They were sitting there eating at the table when we arrive.