London Leftovers

[ZenFoodist]

Back from the London/Seville trip. Had a fab time and will properly post about the extensive food fest when I have a bit more time (Borough Market was especially cool even though the chorizo guy was marching in the anti-war rally apparently and I was unable to taste his offerings and decide for myself if the piquillo pepper is necessary....alas..)

Anyway, while in Europe, I'm always struck by how strange it is that no one takes their leftovers home. We're not talking a gnawed osso bucco bone for an imaginary Fido, but a good three quarters of a wonderful entree that just couldn't be consumed at the mo'. One of my British friends was preggers and she barely touched her Shepherd's Pie, which at the Ivy was no bargain (don't even say it, Simon :) ) and yet she didn't even think to have it wrapped. When I suggested it, she basically shrugged the whole thing off. I've noticed this on many occassions and not with only my friends, business pals as well.

Here in NYC, I routinely have my food wrapped. Sometimes the waiter even creates a grotesque looking swan out of the wrapping paper. Most of the time I end up giving my package to a homeless person on the way home.

Something about throwing away perfectly good food (or books for that matter) makes me crazy.

What's your take on this guys?

[Jon Tseng]

Yes,

I guess "doggy bag" just not the done thing here... english squeamishness I suspect (to be fair, what you get in the bag does tend to look like regurgitated astronaut food by the time you get home)

I believe its similar in France

>I was unable to taste his offerings and decide for myself if the piquillo pepper is necessary....alas..)

Not - blatant attempt to squeeze out more money from the punters.

cheerio

J

EDIT: When we go to chinese places we often take away bits - obviously bit more of a takeaway food culture in these places!

Edited March 14, 2003 by Jon Tseng (log)

[Gary Marshall]

Not something i regularly do as i tend to eat anything my girlfriend doesn't, however i think its perfectly acceptable.

recently a colleague did order a cheese selection in guellers that we really didn't need so i asked them to wrap it up, bread and all, and it was no problem.

gary

[bateman]

I have no problem with it, I have recently had a a take away cheese selection that i couldn't manage from Chez Bruce and what ended up being an almost entire meal of leftovers from Vama. Just ask, what are they gonna do, chuck you out for liking it so much u want to take it home and not waste it!

[Simon Majumdar]

I have no problem asking for a doggy bag if the portions are so huge that I can't finish them. It is just that outside the US, that very rarely happens as most other countries have some understanding of the word "ample"

S

Edited March 14, 2003 by Simon Majumdar (log)

[Charlene Leonard]

there are some opinions on this subject on this thread...

egullet Doggie bags

[wgallois]

Three or four years ago, went to a place called 'On the Waterfront' in Exeter which was famous for two things: big 'dustbin lid' pizzas and a deal whereby you got two for one if you ordered before six or seven. We went as a group of three, with one person planning to join us a bit later, but unfortunately he was not able to make it, so we didn't even get started on the second pizza. We asked the waitress to pack it up for us to take away, paid the bill, hung around for a bit, and then asked what had happened to the second pizza. "What pizza?" was, of course, the reply, and you can imagine the kind of rather heated conversation which followed.

So far, so unoriginal, I'm sure egulleters will agree, since this seems to be a common theme in 'doggy bag' stories, but the next part of the tale takes us into more original territory. The manager was called over, and things were starting to look up, because he seemed minded to simply make another pizza and to accept the fact that a mistake may have been made. But then an adjoining table appproached the waitress and the manager to 'confirm' that we had in fact certainly not asked for the second pizza to be packed up (as if...), and this really swung things back the way of the house. This table had had nothing to say to each other all evening, and I had had some pity for them, but what kind of person decides to get involved in someone else's 'doggy bag' dispute in a crappy pizzeria?

I won't bore you with the rest of the details; suffice it to say that things were 'taken outside' (screaming and shouting, no fists), and the eventual outcome was us getting vouchers for another restaurant in the chain.

Coming soon (relevant thread permitting): How we spent those vouchers in an Old Orleans in a Plymouth shopping mall...

[Simon Majumdar]

Three or four years ago, went to a place called 'On the Waterfront' in Exeter which was famous for two things: big 'dustbin lid' pizzas and a deal whereby you got two for one if you ordered before six or seven. We went as a group of three, with one person planning to join us a bit later, but unfortunately he was not able to make it, so we didn't even get started on the second pizza. We asked the waitress to pack it up for us to take away, paid the bill, hung around for a bit, and then asked what had happened to the second pizza. "What pizza?" was, of course, the reply, and you can imagine the kind of rather heated conversation which followed.

So far, so unoriginal, I'm sure egulleters will agree, since this seems to be a common theme in 'doggy bag' stories, but the next part of the tale takes us into more original territory. The manager was called over, and things were starting to look up, because he seemed minded to simply make another pizza and to accept the fact that a mistake may have been made. But then an adjoining table appproached the waitress and the manager to 'confirm' that we had in fact certainly not asked for the second pizza to be packed up (as if...), and this really swung things back the way of the house. This table had had nothing to say to each other all evening, and I had had some pity for them, but what kind of person decides to get involved in someone else's 'doggy bag' dispute in a crappy pizzeria?

I won't bore you with the rest of the details; suffice it to say that things were 'taken outside' (screaming and shouting, no fists), and the eventual outcome was us getting vouchers for another restaurant in the chain.

Coming soon (relevant thread permitting): How we spent those vouchers in an Old Orleans in a Plymouth shopping mall...

what is it like to live in your world?

S

[Miss J]

But then an adjoining table appproached the waitress and the manager to 'confirm' that we had in fact certainly not asked for the second pizza to be packed up (as if...), and this really swung things back the way of the house.

That is completely insane. What could have motivated them?

[Tonyfinch]

That is completely insane. What could have motivated them? 

Loathing. They'd sussed out gallois was a veggie.

[Miss J]

Ah-HAH! wgallois, I think you've found your culprit...and after all this time, too.

[wgallois]

I like to imagine that they were royally rewarded with some free cheesy garlic bread or a platter of Mini Mars petits fours after we left, and that their motivation lay in in the possible acquisition of such choice house favours.

[Miss J]

I bet the chef gave them the secret reservation number, too.

[macrosan]

He did, but I lost it.

[peterpumkino]

Question: where are you from Mr WGallois?