Doggie Bags

[Rosie]

I am so angry! My dinner tonight depended on the doggie bag we brought home from a restaurant that we dined at last night. It was a steak house and we asked the busboy to wrap up a Porterhouse steak that had more than enough meat on it to keep me happy and two double rib lamb chops. I opened the container this PM to find just the lamb chops. The container was too small for everything so he threw out the steak. I put all the meat that I wanted on one plate and asked him to wrap it up. There was no reason for him to be confused.

Soooooooooooooo--do you have any doggie bag stories? Can you tell us about any restaurants that go the extra mile? At Sogno in NJ, USA they put biscotti in their doggie bags. What a pleasant surprise.

[elyse]

I'm a a pain in the ass, so I would call the GM or owner and complain. Especially when everything was on the same plate to AVOID confusion. I think there's a lot in knowing the problems of one's customers regarding the restaurant or product whatever it may be.

As far as my own doggie bag stories go, I'm on the opposite side. I push the garnish to the other side of the plate if I have no bread plate, so I DON'T get it back. But it usually makes it's way to my kitchen. I also have had waiters and bus people mistake "can you wrap this up" for "throw this in the garbage." A couple of times the kitchen makes up a half order of whatever it was to compensate. I wonder who's spit I've ingested...

[chefette]

Had the chance to eat at Ducasse, could not possibly finish the really fine steak, asked to take the remainder home. They gave me a sack that had a container in it, I kept it cold, until it was time to feast on the remainder of the steak. They packed me a bunch of stooooopid macaroons. arghhhh!!!

Then I read something on etiquette from someplace and they stated that it was not appropriate to ask to take home your leftovers. Now I feel uncoth that the waitstaff determined on my behalf that I clearly was well mannered enough not to dersire my leftovers.

Oh well. sigh.

Edited February 11, 2003 by chefette (log)

[Suzanne F]

Family story: my mother, 3 or 4 of her sisters, and her brother stopped for lunch at a diner. Several of them order broiled flounder, and no one could finish the portion. So my uncle asked the waitress to please put it all in a doggy bag to take home. "And please put in some tartar sauce," he said, "my dog Ellen likes tartar sauce."

Ellen, of course, was his wife waiting at home.

[elyse]

Then I read something on etiquette from someplace and they stated that it was not appropriate to ask to take home your leftovers.  Now I feel uncoth that the waitstaff determined on my behalf that I clearly was well mannered enough not to dersire my leftovers.

Where did you read this piece on etiquette? I know it was tacky like... fifty years ago (hence DOGGY bag, as no self respecting human would eat remnants of old food), but I can't believe that hasn't changed. Remember when doggie bags still had dogs on them with stupid captions? "Thanks for thinking of me at home!" or some infernal thing. My ass I'm going to give you this fine piece of beef!

[suzilightning]

I am so angry!  

Soooooooooooooo--do you  have any doggie bag stories?

ok, rosie - this goes back to the days when you were moderating another forum.

went to Harlequin Cafe in Wharton on Valentine's Day - the worst experience ever. it was a friday night - just like this year - and the chick vomiting in the ladies room was bad enough(we were seated by the kitchen/bathroom) but the busboy when asked to wrap my filet told me the dishwasher must have thrown it out - yeah, on to his plate for later. since i was less than impressed with the whole experience i didn't push it. didn't go back for years later and was just as unimpressed by the service( wrong wine and at- ti- tude by male waiter) and food.

no extras including the macaroons at zoe's after eating there twice - they must have known you or lowell!

[Rosie]

Zoes has been trying out different cookies. Only ate there once.

We once asked the waitress to wrap up a large piece of leftover steak. We paid the bill and kept waiting for the doggie bag. Finally we tracked down the waitress who ran into the kitchen and returned with our bag. When we got home we found a small cube of meat. Either someone else got our large leftover or she took a small piece off of someone's plate. The dog got that piece.

However, once I asked for something to be wrapped and the waiter forgot. The kitchen made a whole new order for me to take home.

[chefette]

Quite a while ago I was taken to dinner at a nice local place and had a very tasty filet mignon with some sort of raspberry Beurre Blanc but since they seemed to be serving really gigantic pieces of meat could not eat even half. Requested the remainder for later, waited a really long time but it never showed up - somehow they tossed it out I guess. When I inquired about it they actually brought me a fresh piece of meat (raw) wrapped up in a cold pack to cook at home. I thought that was interesting.

[tommy]

I went to applebee's with my mom a few years ago. she got ribs, and asked for them nice and burnt. they came out not so burnt. the waitress was very apologetic, and offered to make more. we said it wasn't necessary. about 10 minutes later she came out with *2* orders of nicely charred ribs. we were like "that's completely unnecessary!" she said "what you don't eat you should take home for later." it was propably one of the only times in the last 10 years that i've actually taken food home and eaten it.

+1 point for applebee's.

[RBloom03]

One evening when I got home from a steak dinner, I happend to check the container and found that only the steak had been wrapped - not the onions or red wine sauce that came with it. I immediately called the restaurant and spoke with the GM. A few days later I received a $50 gift certificate in the mail.

[elfin]

After receiving the doggie bag, both my husband and I inevitably leave it on the table. We do not realize our mistake until we are half way home! Or after we get it home, if we do not eat it within 6 hours or so, we end up tossing it out. At our budget reataurants (ethnic diners etc) I am usually asked to crate the leftovers at the table. I do not mind doing this since I take only what I want.

[g.johnson]

The doggy bag is one of those things Europeans find amusing about America.

[cabrales]

I never ask for doggie bags, but Buerehiesel in Strasbourg repeatedly suggested that I take home the 1/2 of the Chicken in Baekekoffe dish (intended for two people and sampled by me as a solo diner) that I did not take in at the restaurant.

The restaurant used a sous vide bag to protect the contents, and in fact sells the chicken dish at its affiliated store in Strasbourg (presumably packed in sous-vide). The sous vide bag had to be refridgerated, but was heated up by mere immersion in very hot water the next day. Wonderful -- the chicken was still delicious and some of the vegetables had further gained flavor from continued contact with the saucing.

[bigbear]

Stories like this are legendary, but, no shit, this is true.

My parents, my brother and I had gone to Triangle Hofbrau restaurant in Richmond Hill, Queens, NY, almost 50 years ago. Someone hadn't finished their meal, and my mother stated that she was going to ask for a "doggy bag" for Penny, our cocker spaniel. I quietly suggested to my little brother that when our mother asked for a "doggy bag," he should say, "Oh goody, we're going to get a dog" and not say another word, no matter what.

Needless to say, mom smiled profusely and assured the waiter that we had a dog. My brother grinned and kept his mouth shut, ignoring my mother's pleas for affirmation of dog-ownership. The waiter nodded knowingly. Pop and I enjoyed the show.

[Rosie]

The doggy bag is one of those things Europeans find amusing about America.

Why?

[tommy]

The doggy bag is one of those things Europeans find amusing about America.

Why?

because there are so many destitute people over there who don't care about food either way. they're just jealous. and smug.

[rozrapp]

The doggy bag is one of those things Europeans find amusing about America.

Why?

Restaurant portions in Europe are generally not anywhere near the size of those in the US. Europeans are used to "cleaning their plates" when they eat out, and so the concept of the "doggie bag" does not exist there. I remember when we took a couple of young men from France to dinner at one of our NY steakhouses. Their eyes literally bugged out of their head when they saw the size of the steaks placed before them. And they made sure to finish every bite because that's what they were taught to do in restaurants, though I had the distinct feeling that, towards the end, they were struggling. However, sometimes, our ways can rub off. We have some French friends who have visited here a number of times the last couple of years because their daughter has been going to school here. When they come, they stay at her apartment. The last time we took them out to dinner, we all got a big laugh when it came time for the plates to be cleared. Henri had ordered fish, but was not able to finish all of it. As the waiter reached for his plate, Henri said in his best French-accented English,"Doggie bag, please." He then turned to us and said, "It will be a very good lunch."

[cabrales]

Leaving aside for now the question of portion size, I suspect that among the reasons that doggy bags are frowned up on at certain restaurants is that the cuisine is viewed as not being capable of surviving survive the transport back to the diner's home, the refridgeration and reheating, etc. I appreciate there is a counterargument that it is the diner's risk to choose to request a doggy bag. However, I imagine certain restaurants deeming the food when later consumed to be so distorted as to no longer fulfil their chefs' intent.

[tommy]

which restaurants "frown upon" doggy bags?

[cabrales]

Many with French or American cuisine at or above a certain level, I would imagine. Chinese and Thai restaurants seem to be receptive to doggy bags.

Edited February 11, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[g.johnson]

The doggy bag is one of those things Europeans find amusing about America.

Why?

Snobbery, I think. It appears a little vulgar and a little mean. (I‘m not suggesting that it really is vulgar or mean.)

[cabrales]

I don't think it's just French restaurants. Many American cuisine-style restaurants, and other restaurants in the US, at or above a certain level would not be too receptive to doggy bags. (Am I off base here?)

[tommy]

Many American cuisine-style restaurants, and other restaurants in the US, at or above a certain level would not be too receptive to doggy bags. (Am I off base here?)

no, not at all. very perceptive actually.

[Wilfrid]

I have a vague memory that some of us secured doggie bags at Le Bernardin. Am I going mad? Generally, of course, I agree with g.j. The whole palaver of requesting and carrying away leftovers still causes me painful embarrassment.

[tommy]

The whole palaver of requesting and carrying away leftovers still causes me painful embarrassment.

because you're british. having the greatest navy on the planet and ending up as a pawn for the US in only about 150 years should cause you even more, however.