Slightly OT: Dinner invitation conundrum

Didn't she ask if corned beef would be okay for you? I would have said, in the nicest way possible of course, that I really didn't care for it. Say you can come after dinner and will bring dessert and look forward to seeing her. Hopefully she'll pick a movie that's not objectionable.

I would simply explain what you have just shared here, that you really don't care for corned beef. If she is a gracious hostess, she will find another meal to serve. Her invitation was to share your company, not that particular meal - and I'm sure she would not mind making that accommodation, as any true friend would.

Are you the only one invited over for dinner? She should have asked if you like corned beef? I would email her and tell her the truth.

Instead of saying you "don't like" corned beef, can you say something like "Oh darn, I can't eat corned beef. But I really want to come...would it be ok if I just eat the other dishes, and can I bring something else to contribute?"

If she's a close enough friend, that should be ok to say.

If I really wanted to see her I would go. Put a small amount of corned beef on my plate with the other offerings. Cut it in small pieces, push it around and eat the rest, hide the corn beef under a cabbage leaf. When your meal is over jump up to help clear and put it in the sink.

And have a big helping of the desert you brought. I have an aversion to corn and any kinds of beans, spicy foods...you get the idea. I always go. Eat two rolls.

I would just be honest with her and then if she says she loves it or something like that then I would just say I really want to see you and spend the evening visiting and watching a movie so do you mind if I bring my own meat along with desert. I wouldn't be offended at all if I were her. I have a friend that does that because the only meat she eats is chicken so she always brings that for herself and then just eats whatever sides we have.

I wouldn't say anything to your friend about the corned beef, if she cared whether you liked it or not she would have asked. I would just eat what I liked at the dinner and avoid the corned beef.

Well, for the past few weeks we've been intending to get together at her place, order in a pizza, and watch a movie we both wanted to see.

Here's what she wrote; I don't know what "boiled pot" is (potatoes?), or Italian cabbage, but to be honest, none of it sounds appealing. It sounds like she already bought a corned beef.

Wanna come over Sunday afternoon for a belated St. Patrick's Day
dinner...3pm? Making corned beef, boiled pot, Italian cabbage (my mom's concoction)
and Irish soda bread (Irish MIL's recipe). If so, would you be willing to
bring desert?

On 3/17/2015 alicedee said:

Instead of saying you "don't like" corned beef, can you say something like "Oh darn, I can't eat corned beef. But I really want to come...would it be ok if I just eat the other dishes, and can I bring something else to contribute?"

If she's a close enough friend, that should be ok to say.