What's the worst meal you've had?

[AndyG]

For me it was airplane food. It's as if I was hostage. I had no choice but to eat it since I was starved and I would have gladly had Domino's pizza instead. Airplane food used to be pretty good, years ago.

[DC Sunshine]

Dunno about the worst meal, but the worst starter I had was scallops en brochette. For goodness sake - I live in Tasmania where we supposedly have some of the best in the world. It was GROSS - dry as all get out. Was supposedly marinaded in something or other (can't remember, but it read well) and then meant to be grilled. Dry and nasty.....haven't been back since - left it on the plate.

That was followed by wallaby sausages - not the best either, and if done well they can be delicious. Disappointing to say the least.

[Headless Chicken]

I was in Ft. Lauderdale last year walking by a beach. Family and I made a pit stop at 1 of those fish and chip places along the boardwalk, can't remember the name but the food was terrible for stuff you simply stick into hot grease which I also doubt they did with my calamari. It was soooooo chewy and the outside was quite soggy, in fact, I think it some of those premade frozen kind. Same went with the gyros my uncle had and the fish and chips everyone else ordered. It was all terrible. None of us could bear to finish our food, not even the fries.

[SusanMW]

Bully's in San Diego/Del Mar. The crab legs were crunchy, need I say more?

[KYHeirloomer]

Everything served on a 5-day Holland-America cruise up the inland passage. Each meal was worse than the one served before it.

Couldn't wait to debark in Anchorage so I could get something decent to eat.

You think you were a hostage on an airplane, Andy? Try it on a boat, with a crew that doesn't care.

[Mezzaluna]

I'd have to say the winner was a dinner I ate in Wales in 1975. I was driving around on my own and stayed at a little seaside hotel in Carnarvon. The dinner included cooked-till-they're-dead peas and potatoes, and ham croquettes that tasted like they were solid salt. The beverage was supposed to be orange soda, but it tasted like orange children's aspirin dissolved in water.

I'm told the food in Wales is improving these days. When the food's as delicious as the scenery is pretty (and as friendly as the people), I'll go back.

[bughut]

Thats easy... On honeymoon in Singapore, we were thoroughly enjoyng a steamboat (soup based Fondue-type-thing )We were happily cooking all sorts of recognisable and eaqually un -recognisable seafood and veg Then I ate a sea slug. I gagged over and over till i could unceremoniously barf it under the table. Everyone looked. So it was probarbly my most embarassing meal too

[phatch]

My dad's second wife was an awful cook. Politics and access to my dad required I eat far too many of her meals.

[Kali the Foodie]

Two words: Boot Camp

[Dannyboy]

Anything I ever ate in Butlins' staff canteen (which was just the other side of the Res Cat kitchen so it was the same food that the full- and half-board "guests" got). Cold beans, soggy toast, cold, powdered, scrambled egg, cold, burnt sausages, cold, over salty bacon, and that's just for brekkie. Don't even get me started on lunch. Let's just say; you only had one choice of meat for your Sunday roast and the pasta bake was always chicken on a Monday!?!
Same goes for the canteen at college now, though only as far as breakfast is concerned, we do a good fresh spread for lunch every day, thank goodness.

[elizabethbryce@]

I'm with AndyG -- airline food! And to think that I am flying to Austin tomorrow... Thank God! it's just a short flight...I have to grin and bear the long flights to Australia when it comes to food...
elizabethb

[DC Sunshine]

Originally Posted by elizabethbryce@

I'm with AndyG -- airline food! And to think that I am flying to Austin tomorrow... Thank God! it's just a short flight...I have to grin and bear the long flights to Australia when it comes to food...
elizabethb

Just gotta choose the right airline.....try Qantas - their food's decent, and more importantly - they don't crash (touch wood)

[elizabethbryce@]

Originally Posted by DC Sunshine

Just gotta choose the right airline.....try Qantas - their food's decent, and more importantly - they don't crash (touch wood)

Maybe I should have explained: By no choice of mine, I have to board Qantas flights when going home to Australia. My DH is a captain of American Airlines. Qantas and AA are both members of One World Alliance. Therefore if even if I am booked on AA for my flight to Oz, when I reached LA, I still have to board Qantas. I go home to Oz at least 2x a year. I had learned a long time ago not to eat airline food so I buy my own food before boarding the plane. And I get to eat when it suits me, too.

[DC Sunshine]

Aha ok thanks for the clarification.

But I'll take not crashing over bad food any day

[firerose0801]

My friend made grits recently and mis-read how much salt to put in (I think the recipe called for something like 1 tablespoon and he put in 1 cup). I literally gagged and then found I couldn't taste anything for the rest of the day. It was awful.