The local favorite restaurant of MIL has sold several times in the 40 years it has been open but she doesn't remember this due to dementia. She likes to eat out regularly and insists we go to her favorite place for every birthday, holiday, or when she wants to have/provide a "treat". The problem is recently this place has made every person in our family sick at one outing or another -- even her though she doesn't remember this and claims she has never been sick. One person even ended up in the emergency department an hour after eating there. We dread eating out with her as she throws a tantrum if we don't agree to eat at this specific place. We've taken her to other places and she claims she doesn't like [insert type] of food (she does because we fix it for her at home) or they didn't have anything for her to eat (hey, it has a 4 or 5 or 6 page menu) or she wasn't served what she ordered (umm, we are/were there when she orders), or any other excuses she can say, etc.. We don't want to diss the latest owners. What actions can we take to avoid us getting sick at her "best food ever" dive?
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Tell a fib, they closed because of COVID.
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That might solve all your problems.
If it helps, use your computer to make up a flyer on colorful paper announcing that such and such restaurant (her favorite) has relocated to a new/better location under a new name. Same great food. Then show it to her.
You are under no obligation to cater to her whims if they create other unhelpful challenges or an unpleasant time together. Or, just get her meal "to go" from her "favorite" place and have her eat in.