Bahtatboy

Never had one which ended in tears, but at the end of my first year in Japan I managed to source a turkey (not so easy), and thought I'd cook it in my microwave-cum-oven. The bird just about fit the oven (thinking back, I must have been pissed both when I took the decision, and when I carried it through)--normal cooking time would have been about 2 hours, but becuase of no convection and a low-powered oven, I think it was finally done after about 7 hours. If I recall correctly, we'd got through a vast amount of booze (and another meal) before it was ready, and it was a bit, er, dry.

Didn't try it again.

lionheart

Most of the worst Christmas lunches I can recall have been of the family type with married sisters having shouting matches with each other and/or with parents and/or with husbands and/or with their kiddies, while the rest of us cower in front of the goggle box watching the Queen's speech.

Blue Cat

The Sea Hotel in South Shields about 4 years ago, absolute waste of money, when they threw satsumas on the table still in their net bags I thought I was going to knock the waitress out!

Bahtatboy

And on a related note of weirdest close-to-end-of-year food, the Japanese always go overboard for New Year food, most of it easily storable because it was not so long ago that shops and restaurants would be closed for 5 days.

Anyway, one of the treats at the in-laws was miniature octopus, served whole and boiled (in a flavoured stock, I think). About 4 inches long, with the majority being a head about the size of golf ball, and tidly tentacles. Don't mind the tentacles, but the head was disgusting ("What, Bahtatboy-san, you no eat head?"), which seemed to be filled with a cross between haggis and slightly moist gravy granules. Vile.

kittycat1

My worst dinner was about 5 years ago, I was cooking for 16 and got a bit carried away on the sauce, was battered by 10am (and I mean really battered), everything got burnt or forgotten- stuffing didn't even make it into the oven, gravy had to be sliced it was so thick, prawns were still frozen, sprouts were mush- anyway the food was awful (very unlike me) it got to the point we were dieing laughing serving it- every mouthful was a game of russian roulette but it was one of the best christmas days Ive had!

Spugsy

I went to that hotel for sunday dinner every single week until I was about 13.

The Dean

From their website:

"Nothing is too much trouble at the Best Western Sea Hotel. We'll do everything we can to make you feel at home. After all, we like to think of our guests as part of the family!"

It's a Best Western............ enough said...........

Spugsy

aye never used to be though, was independent one for years and years, and the fair is across the road as well so used to go on the dodgems afterwards, ace.

Blue Cat

yeah and it was always fabulous, Little Haven is the better of the two now. Sea Hotel went down the pan when they sold out to Best Western