Once upon a time a young medical student got taken out on a big date by her handsome boyfriend. He had selected a fancy restaurant, with two hats, and they were all dressed up in fancy clothes, early nineties style.
Handsome boyfriend was experienced with fine dining. He commonnly didn’t finish meals he wasn’t enjoying. He had even been known to send food back. Young med student was a bit intimidated by this behaviour. She was much more familiar with eating up what she was served, and not making a fuss.
Handsome boyfriend habitually berated young medical student for being a picky eater. As it was but early in their relationship, she tried to pleased him. She ordered something new, “Trio of duck” as her entrée (starter, not main). The dish was an artful display of thinly sliced duck, on a big white plate, with lots of empty plate around it (as was the fashion in those times).
Almost immediately, young med student started to feel sick. There was no way she could eat the dish. She pushed at it with her fork as she continued her conversation with handsome boyfriend. She hoped to stay inconspicuous. Fat chance. Handsome boyfriend asked what was wrong with the food. Soon the waiting staff noticed the mismatch between one finished and one untouched entrée.
Embarassed, young med student asserted there was nothing wrong with the meal, she just didn’t feel like it. What is the correct etiquette when refusing to eat a $20 entrée? She refused a replacement. She refused a refund of handsome boyfriends money (they gave him one anyway). She made sure to eat up every scrap of her main. She refused to return to fancy restaurant ever again.
The problem? An artery cut perfectly in cross-section through all slices of the pink smoked duck. Showing the muscular wall clearly. Nobody familiar with gross anatomy should be made to eat that. To this day, young med student, now aging doctor, can’t eat duck.
NB. This story is perhaps not entirely fiction and serves as a reminder of the hidden perils of anatomical dissection.
Hilarious! I agree! I have had similar problems eating pork.
Haha. Aging? Good grief, hardly.
@dragonfly: Hmm. Well, counting back, this hypothetical story occurred about 15 years ago..