Am I the only one who hates potluck?

[Early B.]

My church sometimes hosts gatherings that include potlucks. Am I the only one that doesn't appreciate the potluck? I went to one this weekend and didn't eat anything at all. First, I don't care for eating other people's food, especially strangers. I don't know how sanitary their kitchen is or their cooking habits. I also don't like to cook for those events. If I gotta cook for a lot of people, I may as well stay home with my own family and eat.

[janmike]

I really like potlucks. Attended lots of them from the church years ago. We have done a few with friends from work getting together.
If I was that concerned about sanitary conditions I would stay away from restaurants.

[Early B.]

If I was that concerned about sanitary conditions I would stay away from restaurants.

I try to.

I've made it a habit of checking the health department's rating of the restaurant's sanitary conditions before eating there. If it's too low, I'll usually walk out.

[janmike]

I don't blame you. There are some pretty scary joints out there. It gets tough when you want to travel, especially to foreign countries.

[danger boy]

potlucks can be hit or miss.... i always bring something home made that everyone will LOVE. Today I took a homemade red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, blueberries, raspberries. Yum.

A few of the guests make some rather bland pasta salad. I didn't have any.

But overall, the nice thing about potlucks... you get to taste a lot of other types of food and not have to make it yourself.

[BottomFeeder]

Al! Baby, that looks yummalicious!

[dcmeigs]

For me it's a time thing. I might only have a few minutes that I want to spend at one of these things and I sure as heck won't go if I have to spend a bunch of time cooking. And if you show up with a plate of veggies in a plastic supermarket tray, the fat ladies always scowl. Why can't we just have a few beers and call it a day?

Am I old and cranky, or what?

[shadowofnight]

When a potluck is going on at my work....us techs order pizza.

[F1nut]

I love food, so of course I like potlucks and Al, you better been some of that cake to PF. :)

[bobman1235]

I'm not a germophobe, and I like to eat, so pot luck is good by me.

Seriously, Howard Hughes, a couple germs won't kill you.

[TroyD]

Potlucks ROCK.

BDT

[NotaSuv]

Minnesota is land of the potluck dinner

[Willow]

I hate them and don't partake in them either. I see people @ work leave the can w/out washing their hands then eat. So if they are that dirty at work, I can only imagine what they are like @ home. Plus most of them here always buy shit to eat, junk food...

[sucks2beme]

They aren't as good as they used to be.
There were ladies that went all out in the ol'
church pot lucks. The desserts were something
else. With modern working moms, that's seldom
the case anymore.
As far as germs go, after a stint in the USMC,
most food looks pretty sanitary to me!
Eating C-rations will do that to you.

[TroyD]

You germophobes need to get over it.

Ever eat in a restaurant? Think about it REALLY hard and you probably won't do it ever again. ;)

BDT

[Jstas]

When a potluck is going on at my work....us techs order pizza.

DING! Either that or use the excuse that all the (L)Users are at the potluck and not calling the hotline so we bug out for a few brews and food at a local bar.

I stopped participating in potlucks. The last one I participated in, I asked what I could bring and one of the old fat ladies told me that they had no one bringing drinks. I said OTAY! What do you want me to bring? I dropped $60 on soda and juices and even plastic cups. When I went to snag some grub, I got told I couldn't have any because I didn't bring anything. I was like WTF? I brought all that goddamn soda! Then some snotty wench from the secretary pool said "No, *I* brought the soda!" When the fat lady blocking my way turned back and looked at me with smug vindication, the snotty wench actually stuck her tongue out at me and smiled. Later they "offered me leftovers" and I told them to eff off. When I told my manager what happened after I got called in for treating my fellow employees that way, he apologized and then took me to dinner.

Never will I participate in a potluck again. Too much drama over crappy lunch.

I've had leftovers though and one of my fellow Pollacks here at work brought in his grandmother's recipe for sauerkraut and kielbasa and her handmade pirogies. EVERYONE shunned them except for one guy. I was appalled and when the leftovers call came around, I couldn't believe it. So I told the dude, hold on a second, don't pack that up! I had movers working with me all day and I went and grabbed them and told them I had food for them. That dude went home with empty bowls and requests for more!

[Jstas]

You germophobes need to get over it.

Ever eat in a restaurant? Think about it REALLY hard and you probably won't do it ever again. ;)

BDT

Better yet, watch the moving "Waiting". Everyone I know who was a waiter, waitress, cook, dishwasher or bartender watched that movie stone faced and said it was over-the-top but not THAT far "over-the-top".

[wingnut4772]

Better yet, watch the moving "Waiting". Everyone I know who was a waiter, waitress, cook, dishwasher or bartender watched that movie stone faced and said it was over-the-top but not THAT far "over-the-top".

That'll do it.

[TroyD]

John,

I haven't seen it but I managed restaurants for five years prior to the military.....NOTHING would shock me.

BDT

[Jstas]

All I know is that mother always told me to be kind to the people who handle your food.

I can get a waitress in the most sour mood and she will be bitchy to everyone else in the place but I'll have her telling me her life story before I leave because I kill 'em with kindness! Actually, it's respect. They are waitresses and waiters, not slaves. Treat 'em nice and tip 'em well.

[TroyD]

Then there is the guy with a raging crystal meth addiction who is actually cooking your food. You think he covers his mouth when he coughs?

I'll take my chances with the church ladies.

BDT

[danger boy]

to bad we can't go into the kitchens of most restaurants in your own city.. i have been in some of them.. you'd get squeamish if you saw what Troy was talking about. Even your favorite one might not do so well.

good thing we humans have a good immune system :eek: :confused: :p

[Early B.]

You see, the difference between restaurants and home cooking is that restaurants are at least regulated, albeit very loosely. However, in one's own home, the cat can piss in the beef stew.

Regardless, potlucks suck. Even if the food was cooked under extremely high sanitary conditions, some of the food would still taste like doggy poo. Let's face it -- not everyone can be a great cook. Besides, a smidgen of this and a smattering of that -- after a while it all starts to taste the same. Drinks and deserts -- yeah, that's the best part.

[TroyD]

No, but you can USUALLY tell what's good and what's bad at these affairs. Besides, it's nice to get together with folks, especially the elderly. I dunno, I just really enjoy the social aspect of it, the food quality isn't all that important.

BDT