Mel didn't say it was a sacrifice, that's why I'm seeing it differently, SC.

Have you two been to any really really good restaurants? I have a totally different experience at a $$$$ place than, say, chain restaurants. For food gettin' purposes, on the way to something else, I don't like waiting or crowds or surly waiters either! But for a dining experience, solely for the food, there's nothing quite like a really really great restaurant. Your H probably sees eating as a necessity, and not an experience, right?

Is there anything you can do to help him appreciate the experience of eating? If he's a carnivorous person, you might suggest an evening at a Brazilian steakhouse...gauchos come by your table and slice meat off a spit onto your plate, it's amazing. I'm just saying, he might change his mind about the whole thing if you make it a good experience by not overpaying for cruddy service, and save up to have a fantastic experience instead.