While dining in London one night, I shocked my English host by innocently announcing that I wanted to take my leftovers home.
“Monica,” he whispered, clutching my hand for dramatic effect. “That just isn’t done here.”
European and South American friends have expressed similar concerns about the way Americans are so free about discussing the bill at the table, calculating each person’s share and, yes, packing up leftover food.
But there is no doggie bag shyness among Americans. In fact, an American Demographics survey indicated that about 62 percent of us take leftovers home from restaurants. Folks in higher income brackets, and women more than men, are more likely to pack it up, according to the survey.
There’s no reason to be shy–even Chicago’s finest and fanciest restaurants do doggie bags, and they won’t make you feel like a bumpkin for asking.
“In any instance when you paid for the food and you can’t finish it, you should be able to take it to go,” says Tru’s executive chef Rick Tramonto. “The only time I would discourage it would be with things like raw fish or ice cream. But I would hope that we have set the precedent that diners aren’t ashamed to ask for anything at Tru. They may not always get it, but I would hope that we are hospitable enough that they would feel comfortable asking.”
Charlie Trotter, who says his restaurant gets doggie bag requests about twice a week, feels the same way.
“We’re all about doing whatever it takes,” says Trotter. “It’s not like a steakhouse where a lot of people have a half a porterhouse leftover but sometimes they will want to take a dessert home or they will have extra courses or half an entree left and want to take it home. I don’t have a prima donna view of that.”
That said, restaurant critic Phil Vettel and I have come up with a few leftover do’s and don’t’s:
– Don’t ask for a doggie bag if you have been kvetching to your server about the bad food all night.
– Don’t use your leftover bag to pack up the breadbasket and other food products on the table.
– Don’t create a doggie bag at a buffet.
– Don’t take your doggie bag of perishable fragrant food to the theater.
– Do remember to take your leftovers home.
Cheapo patrol: Could a meatloaf dinner that costs $1.95 possibly be edible? After a visit to O’Donovan’s (2100 W. Irving Park Rd.; 773-478-2100) for its Wednesday night meatloaf special, we can respond with a resounding “yes.” Each platter comes heaped with two velvety gravy-topped pieces, a scoop of decent mashed potatoes and a serving of corn. It’s plenty for the average diner, but even a cheapo like me didn’t feel guilty about adding on baked goat cheese and the night’s other special “brick chicken” with risotto ($6.95). Both were terrific. We can’t wait to come back and try the other specials at this biker-friendly bar and grill.
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Reason for living: The big fluffy popovers and strawberry butter that start each meal in Neiman Marcus’s Zodiac Room (737 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-642-5900).