To ask what one thing is that ruins a dinner?

[ChloefromSundy]

I'll go first - nothing being crispy and no texture, so slop on a plate.

Anything aniseed-y.

When the dinner comes out in dribs and drabs - sauce being made ten minutes late, forgot to out the sides on etc

Food poisoning. Not eaten chicken since, I don’t want campylobacter ever again!

No booze.
Food and room too cold.
Not enough salt/seasoning.
Food made from jarred/packet sauces but passed off as 'from scratch'.
Chewy/dry or very fatty meat.
Undercooked meat.
One person dominating the whole tables conversation with dull monologues.
People with poor table manners. Eating noisily, messily, very quickly. Having food on their face or clothes.
Not easily being able to go out for a smoke.

I’ll add

Someone reeking of smoke

Luke warm food.

Oof. 😣 You poor thing.

I’m not surprised that you can’t eat it now.

Was awful, lost a third of my hair and ended up in a&e with such a high temperature
I can just eat quorn nuggets and I’ll cook with chicken stock but that’s it

You have my sympathy, my friend. 💐

A frosty atmosphere 🙂

Having to politely sit through the same two topics of conversation every time we meet for a meal. The discussion is identical every time! Argh!

Too much salt

Cheap cutlery that digs into your hands

You'd hate it at my house, you can smoke at the dinner table! Weed too. 😂

@mambojambodothetango , I'm with you on that one. Cheap cutlery ruins the eating experience.

Well, a lot of the responses are massively unreasonable, so I think I can join in.

Honey. It doesn't just ruin dinner, it ruins entire days. Weeks. Lives. The very smell of it makes me queasy. I need an exclusion zone of about five miles. It can't possibly be right to eat anything that's vomited by insects.

Parsley - it tastes like soap.

Hot food on cold plates.

Sitting with people who are looking at their phones or taking pics of the food.

Bad company.
No seasoning.
Stingy portion sizes.
No vegetables.

Tripe - awful yellow-white colour and nasty spongey texture
Gooseberries - sour and their slimey seeds are gross
Being on edge waiting for a person you know drinks too much to drink too much
Waiting staff asking 'Everything alright with your meals' in a sing-song, insincere voice

Yes. Came to say this. Think DD and I have the gene.

Also:
Spice
Someone picking their teeth
Too much garlic. DH and DD are too liberal with the garlic imo.

Ha. Didn't realise this was an older thread.

Cauliflower cheese. It's filth and has no place on a dinner.

teenage cloud of doom

too much cumin it can totally spoil a dish