Deal Breakers

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I once broke up with a guy because I saw him eating a banana in a way that just made me cringe. Like a monkey. The memory still sets my teeth on edge. I mean, what teenaged guy would pack a banana in his lunch? And then sit there in the cafeteria, next to me, yakking away, peeling it like some sort of primate between bites? I just couldn't look at him any more without thinking of him in a diaper, striped shirt and beret, scratching his pit with one hand and eating the banana in another. I just ditched him right then and there. And no, I never told him why.

Please, please tell me, someone out there on eG., have you ever done this? If I am a lunatic, am I alone? Many thanks,

Fabby

(I was reading Ya-Roo's story and laughing my butt off, and then recalled the banana incident to my husband and sons. Mr. FFB told me that when he intends to leave me for a stripper, he will go on an all-banana diet, to make it easier on us all.)

[Swisskaese]

I did not go on a second date with someone because he ate with his mouth open and made very loud smacking sounds. But, that wasn't the only reason I didn't go out with him again.

[McDuff]

I once took a gorgeous young woman to Le Bocage while Enzo Danesi was still there and watched her slather butter all over the outside of her crusty little French roll. Nowadays I would definitely overlook that. Live and learn.

[Carrot Top]

These things can be worrisome.

Does the way a person eat say something about their personality?

Sometimes I'm not sure.

But probably.

As far as deal-breakers go, I definitely knew there was something wrong with the man I was once married to when he saw button mushrooms in the fridge and insisted that he could not stand the taste of them, not to use them, only to use hoity-toity mushrooms like shiitake and enoki or portobello. . .fuss fuss fuss.

It came to my mind that I was not sure he knew what he was talking about. I thought it food snobbery.

So I made a recipe that included mushrooms and did use the common button mushroom in it, no others. Placed it in front of him and let him think it was the "other" sort of mushroom. He ate it and loved it. Told me he really liked the dish made with these sort of mushrooms. So good, so different from the blech button mushroom.

I didn't say a word.

Haven't said a word about it to him to this day.

Naturally we are no longer married.

How could you respect someone like that?

............................................................................

P.S. He actually had been a chef. Graduated from the CIA.

[OnigiriFB]

No second date for the guy who held his fork with a fist and shoveled food into his mouth like it was an eating contest. After finishing in 10 minutes he got bored and kept telling me I ate too slow. I said Bu-bye to him and avoided his calls until he got the hint.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I probably dated him too long -- David Martin (gorgeous!) didn't like sharing food. I'm a serial-taster and appreciate those friends who offer me a taste of what they order so that I can see the whole range a chef can offer.

David, in his obstinance, would make a point of ordering the spiciest thing on the menu, knowing I would not want to taste it.

"If you wanted to taste it," he would say, "why don't you just order it?"

Yeah... six months of my life was way too long for him. I tried to convert him, to no avail.

[Daniel]

One of my ex's was a calorie counter.. She would keep papers and write down everything she ate.. She was at the point where she was under a 1000 a day.. It really controlled her life the way over eating controlls mine.. We dated for awhile, but eventually something had to give..

[bigwino]

The easiest one (for me): A vegetarian.

I've always made a point of taking a prospective girlfriend out for sushi early in the relationship. No to sushi, no to her.

Atrocious table manners are a bad sign, too.

[Rachel Perlow]

I once broke up with a guy because I saw him eating a banana in a way that just made me cringe.  Like a monkey.... peeling it like some sort of primate between bites?

←

Uh, human's are primates, and how else are you supposed to eat a banana?

[OnigiriFB]

I once broke up with a guy because I saw him eating a banana in a way that just made me cringe.   Like a monkey.... peeling it like some sort of primate between bites?

←

Uh, human's are primates, and how else are you supposed to eat a banana?

←

*in my best posh british accent* why with a fork and a knife, course. Humph, heathens.

[dockhl]

Ugghhhhhh.........

I spent far too long with a wealthy bond trader who not only chewed with his mouth open but talked with his mouth full. It got so bad I would position myself NEXT to him when we were eating so I wouldn't accidently catch a glimpse of the food rolling around inside his mouth *shudder*

That, and the fact the he kissed like a fish and was UNTRAINABLE...........enough! Blea.

You can't buy class..............

[SobaAddict70]

An ex-boyfriend of mine -- who I'd all but forgotten until this thread -- couldn't be bothered to walk out of a 8-block radius to try new restaurants. Now granted, within walking distance of his apartment are several gems: Jarnac, Wallse, Devi, Babbo.

Although Babbo was pushing his limits.

Homura An? "What sane person would want to go to SoHo?"

Le Bernardin? "Why would I go to midtown Manhattan for French food?"

Oceana? "You really love those expensive far-away places, don't you?"

Chinatown? "Too far, smells of fish and overflowing sidewalks..."

Needless to say, we didn't last very long.

Memo to potential boyfriends: the New York restaurant universe does not revolve around Chelsea. Get over yourselves.

Soba

[Sencha]

This is so amusing!

Many of us find the eating habits of certain people appalling, whether it be what they eat or in the way in which they eat, but it's not a thing that should be dismissed and forgotten.

My complaints aren't restricted to relationships though. I can't stand to be around someone who will eat terribly unhealthy food all the time. I can enjoy a pizza or a burger just like anyone else, but it's disturbing to me when I see someone eating only junk food. I've known some people who won't even touch a green vegetable...

Another thing I can't stand is when a person makes it a habit of wasting food. I'm not talking about throwing away a few bites. I'm talking about when someone will throw away half a plate of food as if it's nothing. Food is a little too precious to me to throw out like that.

And for the last I'll write of at the moment, I can't stand being with someone who won't try new foods. I mean, it's not that difficult to try something! They might even like it! If not, at least they would know and don't have to eat it again.

[jsolomon]

I pre-screen the eating sensibilities of potential dates so there are no such embarassing first encounters. I simply will not abide cooking for someone or eating with someone who will editorialize my choices and expect me to bite my tongue when I want to call them a popular-culture-crazed simpleton.

My fiance is awesome. She wants me to try brains, and she loves tongue tacoes. And, she doesn't mind the manners that I picked up eating MRE after MRE in the Army.

*eye food on floor* You gonna eat that?

Edited January 17, 2006 by jsolomon (log)

[daniellewiley]

About 10 years ago, I brought a boyfriend to brunch with my family. I think it was at Zoe, in New York.

Anyway, we were looking through the menu, and he whispered in my ear, "What's a fritatta?"

sigh.

It was basically all over at that point.

[kiliki]

Treating waitstaff badly (including making unreasonable substitution requests, and being quite rude when denied) has been a friendship deal-breaker for me. Of course, this is more than a food related issue, since the same person was usually arrogant toward all service-type employees.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Okay, my use of the word "primate" was not well-considered. But there are lots of things that others in the primate family do that I don't think humans should do.

I think bananas should be eaten flambeed or buried under ice cream, fudge sauce and whipped cream.

.. he whispered in my ear, "What's a fritatta?"

sigh.

It was basically all over at that point.

←

Danielle! Whatever happened to "Olive Garden Girl?"

[gini]

During college I briefly dated a frat-boy-hockey-player-chemical-engineering-WASP who was so afraid of food it was scary. Everything about him was white. White skin, white food, white socks with his black shoes. What was I thinking, seriously? It couldn't have been over quick enough, but low and behold here's a brief description of our last date. I call to say I'd like to see a French movie in the sqaure and go out for some Indian. He says, "I don't read my movies and I don't eat anything the name of which I can't pronouce."

Yeah, we didn't exactly make it to the movie.

To this day my girlfriends refer to him as I-don't-read-my-movies-Jim.

On the other hand, I am now blessed with the most adventurous, wonderful man who tries new recipes for me constantly, is always excited to go try something we've never eaten before, and is quite able and willing to read his movies.

[Megan Blocker]

White socks with his black shoes.

←

HORRIFYING.

I once dated a man who ate ketchup on everything. Including very expensive steak. Which, of course, was cooked to at least medium-well. Buh-bye.

[Curlz]

I think we should have eG personals so we can all avoid these issues!

Luckily, the guys I've dated have liked food (even if some couldn't cook), but I deal with this problem with a number of my closest friends. I've just resigned myself to an occasional lunch at TGIFridays or the local red-sauce pizza place with a few of them, b/c separate of their eating habits, I do love them. But I can't imagine having a boyfriend who wouldn't try new restaurants, recipes, wines, etc. YEESH.

Life's supposed to be an adventure, isn't it?!? If you're not adventurous when it comes to eating, that must translate to (ahem) other areas, and I'm just not willing to put up with that!

[jsolomon]

The only food-related deal-breaker I remembered after I posted previously is one time I took a smokin'-hot gal (and ethics violation, but that's beside the point) out for sushi. She was such an A.D.D. queen that we left in 3 minutes flat because she hadn't seen a server since we were seated.

Even now when I think about it, I feel rather like the wino that Richard Pryor claims he ran by when he lit himself on fire.

I don't know what really happened with her in that place, but it was fast, spectacular, and unusual.

[Daniel]

I dont know jsolomon,

It says in your bio you are into ethics and morality.. But now are admitting to dating a girl which was ethically wrong.. I am going to say you should change your interests in ethics and morals to smoking hot women..

[daniellewiley]

Okay, my use of the word "primate" was not well-considered.  But there are lots of things that others in the primate family do that I don't think humans should do. 

I think bananas should be eaten flambeed or buried under ice cream, fudge sauce and whipped cream. 

.. he whispered in my ear, "What's a fritatta?"

sigh.

It was basically all over at that point.

←

Danielle! Whatever happened to "Olive Garden Girl?"

←

I was right all along.

She turned out to be certifiable.

[acautrell]

I dumped a guy who insisted that all three meals must come from a drive-thru. He'd grown up on Chicken McNugget happy meals and French toast sticks, and apparently his taste buds never developed beyond that point.

I think it ended when we tried to go to a reasonably-ok Italian place and he actually started whining because there were no chicken fingers to be found. He was 21 at the time. It took him entirely too long to find something he'd even consider eating, and he was cranky the rest of the night.

[shelora]

Treating waitstaff badly (including making unreasonable substitution requests, and being quite rude when denied) has been a friendship deal-breaker for me. Of course, this is more than a food related issue, since the same person was usually arrogant toward all service-type employees.

←

Have had the same experience with friends, that are fine when over at our house, but their personality changes when out in a restaurant. Their rudeness to service staff is mostly due to the fact that they had never worked in a restaurant, which in my opinion, should be mandatory, like conscription to the army.