Fine Dining
A relative does not like eating out, even on important occasions.
You can actually feel his displeasure when we insist (except when it is the Sofitel buffet, which he loves). This is because he thinks eating out is a waste of money. This view is okay (and maybe true), except that he strongly suggests to everyone (read: bullies everyone) not to eat out (when it is not his money that will be spent). And for special occasions (like Christmas or Thanksgiving), he wants the cooks in the family to do all the cooking (my husband outshines me in this regard so, no, I am not included in “cooks”). That does not sit well some of the time with some of the members of the family, the ones who slave it out in the kitchen (who pay for the grocery too – a double whammy?).
But I know he means well.
Now, my husband and I look for every excuse to eat out. For the past years, the lines between special and not-so-special occasions (or without any occasion) have been blurred for us. Name a restaurant, if it is good (and not so unreasonably expensive), we have probably eaten there (I partly blame food blogs, which I love to read).