A man who was mad that the host of a dinner party didn’t use any garlic because they can’t eat it is being dragged online.
The dinner party host, u/ProfessionHour6393, shared their story to the popular Reddit forum r/AmITheA**hole, earning 6,100 upvotes and 1,500 comments in 10 hours for their post, “[Am I The A**hole] for having a dinner party and not using garlic for the food while still drinking alcohol?”
The original poster (OP) says that since the weather was nice, they felt like throwing a dinner party for their friends and their significant others. One of the significant others in question is “Rick,” who the OP gets along with, but notes is “one of those guys who tries to make the most bizarre things into his entire personality.”
The bizarre thing in question is that Rick is a “huge garlic guy,” who “makes a huge deal out of how he uses 400 cloves of garlic in a dish.” However, OP suffers from GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as acid reflux. GERD is a condition when stomach acid or bile goes up into the esophagus, according to the Mayo Clinic, and causes a burning pain in the chest.
Garlic and alcohol are the OP’s worst GERD triggers, and as such, they don’t eat garlic, and didn’t use it in any of the food for the dinner party. But the food wasn’t bland; they say they “have a pantry full of any other spice in the world and I’m not shy about using them.”
Though the OP’s food was popular at the party, Rick said that while he enjoyed it, it was “missing something,” and asked if they’d put enough garlic in. When OP said they didn’t put any in, he got upset.
“He scoffed and was like ‘How can you not use the most basic ingredient to most meals? That’s why it tastes like this.’ He made a big exaggerated face and put the food down,” u/ProfessionHour6393 wrote. “He then asked why I’d have a dinner party if I had such a limited palate and that he wouldn’t have people over for thanksgiving dinner if he was a vegetarian.”
When the OP explained they had GERD and that garlic was one of their major triggers, he pointed out that they were drinking alcohol, another trigger. OP replied that it was a flat hard seltzer, as that’s the only alcohol they can drink—and they were only having one, in case it triggered their GERD anyway.
It’s been a month since the dinner party, and Rick is still harping about the lack of garlic.
“He keeps insisting that it was a douchey/selfish hosting move to drink the alcohol but not cook with the garlic, because garlic goes in everything,” u/ProfessionalHour6393 wrote, “So now I’m curious and thought this would be a fun low-stakes question for you all.”
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Though garlic is the most popular herb in Europe and Africa, according to Urban Cultivator, it’s also one of the most common triggers for GERD, according to Healthline. Though every person’s case of GERD is different—for example, the OP says that while onions often bother other sufferers, they can eat cooked onions no problem—common foods that trigger GERD include spicy foods, citrus, tomatoes and garlic. Tomatoes and citrus are acidic, and can make stomach acid worse.
Alcohol is another common trigger, but so are carbonated drinks—likely why the OP let their seltzer go flat—caffeinated drinks and coffee, even if it’s decaffeinated, according to Healthline.
Newsweek has done a number of stories about bad behavior at dinner parties, including one guest who believed the host led a charmed life and said the host “needed a tragedy,” a woman asked to leave her boyfriend’s party so he and his friends could “talk shop” and another person who was called “disrespectful” for bringing their own food because the hosts refused to make anything they could eat.
Redditors took the OP’s side, calling out “Rick” for his behavior.
“[Not the A**hole], super impolite to be invited to dinner and criticise the dishes in the first place. Either compliment it if it’s good or don’t say anything. The fact that he insisted even when you told him why makes him the [a**hole],” u/holy__fudge wrote in the top-rated comment with 11,000 upvotes.
“OP should still invite him but serve him garlic. ONLY garlic. Several whole roasted garlic bulbs and nothing else. Is that enough garlic for you now, Rick???” u/Sasspishus suggested.
“Wait, don’t suggest that, roasted garlic is delicious, haha. I’ve spread it on toast like butter (and also with butter). Rick doesn’t deserve it!” u/kfarrel3 countered.
“I’m a garlic fiend and I would never pull this entitled bulls**t when someone else is cooking,” u/AccousticMotorboat wrote.
Newsweek reached out to u/ProfessionHour6393 for comment.
