Restaurant or Home Cooking

[The Wire]

Just a quick query do ladies prefer restaurant or home cooking? I ask coz I generally don't go to restaurants as I've had a few somewhat unpleasant food experiences in the past, I prefer to cook my own food although I'm not exactly Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen ( I'm good with a chicken though!). So are you ladies ok with home cooking more than outgoing dining especially early on in a relationship? Thanks!

[Tanzi]

For me I would have to go for both. Its nice to go out to restaurants .... to try different and specific foods and to experience the atmosphere but I also like being cooked for ocassionally. Its nice to know that someone will go to the effort to prepare a special meal for you. Staying in sometimes and eating out at others stops either experience from getting monotonous.

[sophie274]

If I've JUST met someone, I would rather not go to his house/apartment right away, and keep the dates in public until I feel I know him pretty well. I would not want to be invited to a guy's home right away, unless we had known each other for a long time before we started dated. I don't think my first meal with a guy I was dating would be at his house.

 

I love cooking and love having a yummy meal at home - but the quality of the food does make a difference to me! I also like to go out, particularly for things I can't make well at home: certain types of ethnic foods, crazy drinks, different atmospheres.

 

What has happened to you in restaurants? I understand how food poisoning can make you really reluctant to go out, but I'd just avoid those specific places. It sounds like you've been unlucky

[Tanzi]

If I've JUST met someone, I would rather not go to his house/apartment right away, and keep the dates in public until I feel I know him pretty well. I would not want to be invited to a guy's home right away, unless we had known each other for a long time before we started dated. I don't think my first meal with a guy I was dating would be at his house.

 

I agree. The first few dates shouldn't be at yours. I think for most of us we would think there was an ulterior motive.

[Starrgrl]

After a while, home cooking would be great =). Like when you've dated at least 2 months or so.

[The Wire]

What has happened to you in restaurants? I understand how food poisoning can make you really reluctant to go out, but I'd just avoid those specific places. It sounds like you've been unlucky

 

Yeah, gotten food poisoning a couple of times, I understand people like to do the whole restaurant thing for the first few dates, I'd just rather handle my own food, at least I know where it's been. I got dragged out to eat for the first time in months a few weeks back for my birthday, was sick for two days.

 

Would some sort of cooking class be a compromise?

[Applewhite]

Well not all dates have to be about eating. I agree that going to your house the first several times may not be ideal for the lady. Plan fun dates that don't revolve around food (you can even explain why). Go to amusement parks, movies, drinks, plan a nice day at the beach with some snacks, go horseback riding..to sum up do something else outside other than eat.

[BriarRose]

Early on? I prefer restaurants until I get to know someone. If it is my bf, I prefer to eat at home and relax.

[orchidrose]

I wouldn't go back to a dude's place for a home-cooked meal until we had been dating for a month or so. Going to the home of a guy you don't know can just be too dangerous for women, even if there's gonna be a homemade meal involved. But once you're dating for awhile, I think that's fine and even preferable. I love cooking a meal together with a boyfriend.

[mymie]

If a girl I'm dating has invited me to her place, alone, for dinner, would that probably be an indicator she's open to dinner at my place? Let's neglect any sort of ulterior motives for the time being, to simplify. The last time I dated was in college, and I didn't even want to cook for myself at that apartment!

[jenny_mcs]

As others have said, in the very early part of dating, I wouldn't go to a guy's place. Later on, it's great to cook for each other, but honestly, everyone I know likes to go out to dinner every once in a while. I would really try to get over this phobia of yours. What do you do when you get invited to a dinner party (eating someone else's cooking), go on vacation (many meals out), etc. It just seems very limiting.

[orchidrose]

If a girl I'm dating has invited me to her place, alone, for dinner, would that probably be an indicator she's open to dinner at my place? Let's neglect any sort of ulterior motives for the time being, to simplify. The last time I dated was in college, and I didn't even want to cook for myself at that apartment!

 

Yes and no. Inviting you to her place means she's more "in control" of the situation than if she was at yours. She would likely feel more comfortable, since it's her home. But overall, I'd say yeah. If I invite a guy to my place, I'm going to be fine with him inviting me to his.

[The Wire]

As others have said, in the very early part of dating, I wouldn't go to a guy's place. Later on, it's great to cook for each other, but honestly, everyone I know likes to go out to dinner every once in a while. I would really try to get over this phobia of yours. What do you do when you get invited to a dinner party (eating someone else's cooking), go on vacation (many meals out), etc. It just seems very limiting.

 

I was at a BBQ a while back in which I helped with food prep, generally though I don't get invited to dinner parties, and I went on holiday recently and did go to one restaurant but was kinda cautious as to what I ate, you never order chicken or fish at a restaurant, golden rule.

[orchidrose]

I was at a BBQ a while back in which I helped with food prep, generally though I don't get invited to dinner parties, and I went on holiday recently and did go to one restaurant but was kinda cautious as to what I ate, you never order chicken or fish at a restaurant, golden rule.

 

I'm not gonna lie to you, this sort of phobia would completely turn me off in a prospective partner. I'm a huge foodie and I love to try new restaurants. Just a thought.

[The Wire]

I'm a huge foodie too, I just prefer that I'm the one preparing it.

[guynextdoor]

I'm curious if the situation was reverse how would men feel if a woman invited them over within a month of dating. Quite honestly I wouldn't have a problem with that nor do I think its an opportunity for me to get in the sack.

[The_Seeker]

Restaurant hands down. I like cultural food, what can I say?

 

If he's good and treats me well, home cooking surprise.

[jenny_mcs]

I was at a BBQ a while back in which I helped with food prep, generally though I don't get invited to dinner parties, and I went on holiday recently and did go to one restaurant but was kinda cautious as to what I ate, you never order chicken or fish at a restaurant, golden rule.

 

Yeah, like I said, I would try to get over this. It's going to be a turn-off to a lot of women.

[mymie]

I'm curious if the situation was reverse how would men feel if a woman invited them over within a month of dating. Quite honestly I wouldn't have a problem with that nor do I think its an opportunity for me to get in the sack.

 

I'm there right now. It's basically what you said. I'm not really concerned, and I'm not planning any sort of severe sexual escalation just because we're alone.

[The Wire]

Yeah, like I said, I would try to get over this. It's going to be a turn-off to a lot of women.

 

I was under the impression women like guys who can cook.

[Ariel85]

I think your aversion to dining out is going to be a problem in any relationship, honestly. Forget about the early dating dilemma. MOST people like to go out to eat a few times a week. Period.

 

You need to get over that, because you can't plan on spending your life making every meal for yourself and expecting your SO to as well.

[Cheetarah]

I have some food aversions...So I'd be more than happy to eat home cooked food. However, I'm not going back to some guy's place right off the bat to eat. So it'd either have to be a restaurant we both felt comfortable with(if he felt that way), or a picnic. Or something along those lines.

[jenny_mcs]

I was under the impression women like guys who can cook.

Well sure, I think most girls would like a guy who cooks. But most people like to go out to dinner occasionally. It just seems like a big limitation- you being paranoid about getting food poisoning. Personally, I love trying new restaurants. I get invited to social events that take place in restaurants- like birthday parties, work functions, etc. If I'm out running errands, I want to be able to grab a sandwich on the go. I like going away for the weekend and sampling the local cuisine. Like I've said, it's just a fairly significant limitation- that you have this paranoia and can't trust others to prepare the food you eat.

[The Wire]

I'll just stick to salads then I guess. Can't really go wrong with a salad.

[itsallgrand]

I'll just stick to salads then I guess. Can't really go wrong with a salad.

 

Well, I dunno about that. Not to send your phobia into higher alert or anything.

 

I do agree with the others tho. Going out to eat when getting to know someone does feel safer - neutral territory - and easier to relax, than the home cookin'. Though it IS a bonus to find out, down the road, that a man can cook!

 

One thing you might try is just checking with restaurants' reports before hitting up the place. Some even have them on display in the window, but you can find it easily online if not in-restaurant. It's not all that hard to find out this information, really.