Anonymous wrote:I'd be annoyed because my spouse and kid are going to do the thing I am most excited about doing in the city, and I can't go because I'm working on the vacation, and my spouse isn't. And the fact that my spouse and kid are sort of ambivalent about the restaurant would heighten my annoyance.
Them offering to bring me takeout would feel like a consolation prize. A lot of fine dining doesn't travel very well, and usually going to a special restaurant is in part about the ambiance and service, so it just doesn't compare.
On the other hand, if going to the restaurant was very important to me, why didn't I put the effort into getting reservations at a time we could all go? The fact that I didn't do this might sort of mitigate my annoyance. It shouldn't be up to my spouse to make sure I get to do something I want to do -- I'm an adult and could have planned ahead to avoid this problem.
If I were Spouse B, I would avoid the situation altogether by not going to the restaurant my spouse is really excited about without them. I might offer to pick up takeout from that restaurant for all of us at some point during the trip if we couldn't get a reservation altogether. I think it's weird Spouse B made the reservation for a restaurant they weren't that excited about, especially at a random time.
Wow I’m the opposite. I’d be happy they got to try it (even if it was my wish and not theirs) and look forward to take out. I can’t imagine being upset that my spouse and kids got to do something cool, just bc I was busy working. Curious OP: which spouse are you in the scenario?