Is asking for to-go boxes frowned upon?
Sep 21st, 2004, 11:31 AM
#41
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<i>"I hope that my travel will be filled with polite, gracious people, and not judgemental, pretentious people like some that I've come across on this forum"</i>
Thankfully, we've never run across anyone like the above mentioned on our trips to England. It's easy to be nasty when hiding behind the anonyminity of the internet. These same people wouldn't have the nerve to be so rude face to face.
Have a great trip.
Thankfully, we've never run across anyone like the above mentioned on our trips to England. It's easy to be nasty when hiding behind the anonyminity of the internet. These same people wouldn't have the nerve to be so rude face to face.
Have a great trip.
Sep 21st, 2004, 11:33 AM
#42
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Well my dear, if you're not eating food you're not eating food, you've paid for it already so there's not much you can do. Reheating leftovers from a restaurant is socially unacceptable at best, and can lead to food poisoning at worst.
Sep 21st, 2004, 11:37 AM
#43
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I am not bothering to read this thread...at least past M_Kingdom's ridiculous reply. We live in Europe, and we do it all of the time (for our children). Would I do it in an upscale restaurant? No, but then, I wouldn't be dining there with children either. The ONLY place anyone batted an eye was in Bordeaux and he lost his tip.
I really don't give a damm what the local custom is. If it makes sense with the kids, I am going to do it. BTW, many of our friends do it also, and they are not Americans.
Cheers,
Jan
I really don't give a damm what the local custom is. If it makes sense with the kids, I am going to do it. BTW, many of our friends do it also, and they are not Americans.
Cheers,
Jan
Sep 21st, 2004, 11:37 AM
#44
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At the end of a lovely meal at a wonderful restaurant in Umbria, our waiter wanted to try out his limited English and asked anyone with a morsel left on their plate if anyone wanted "a duck bag."
Sep 21st, 2004, 12:22 PM
#49
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I love the idea that if you're very wealthy and you order several bottles of $100 wine with a meal then it is OK to take those unfinished bottles with you. But if you're not wealthy and you order $50 bottles of wine, then I guess it would be totally unacceptable to take those unfinished bottles with you? Taking leftovers is only for the wealthy I guess???? Seems backwards to me. Why wouldn't they leave their extra wine since they can afford it, and the people who aren't rolling in money take their cheaper wine (which is more costly to them) so they can get their money's worth out of it? What odd reasoning some people have.
That's almost but not quite as ridiculous as the idea that reheating leftovers is socially unacceptable. Only to the most pretentious of snobs, my dear, but I suspect that even they would do it if they were sure no one was likely to find out about it.
That's almost but not quite as ridiculous as the idea that reheating leftovers is socially unacceptable. Only to the most pretentious of snobs, my dear, but I suspect that even they would do it if they were sure no one was likely to find out about it.
Sep 21st, 2004, 12:44 PM
#50
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"Reheating leftovers from a restaurant is socially unacceptable at best..."
hilarious m_kingdom...shades of Hyacinth Bucket there. So you suggest leftovers are better eaten cold - but then that would mean a greater risk of food poisoning. hehehe..sorry folks ...rough day I needed a laugh.
hilarious m_kingdom...shades of Hyacinth Bucket there. So you suggest leftovers are better eaten cold - but then that would mean a greater risk of food poisoning. hehehe..sorry folks ...rough day I needed a laugh.
Sep 21st, 2004, 12:44 PM
#51
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Taking home bottles of wine that cost several hundred pounds is easy, they can be kept for a day or two and are ready to drink. Food is messy.
I'm not in the habit of taking home bottles of wine, if I'm with only one other person then I order half bottles or have it by the glass. I'd never dream of taking any uneaten food home, what's the point?
Gordon Ramsay is now offering pre-prepared meals that are ready for reheating, they cost around 40GBP for two for one main course.
I'm not in the habit of taking home bottles of wine, if I'm with only one other person then I order half bottles or have it by the glass. I'd never dream of taking any uneaten food home, what's the point?
Gordon Ramsay is now offering pre-prepared meals that are ready for reheating, they cost around 40GBP for two for one main course.
Sep 21st, 2004, 01:06 PM
#54
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I bet m_kingdom2 is so tight he has to knock the dust off his cheap plastic wallet when he finally buys something.
And the bit about Gordon Ramsay was rich - he's working on the kitchen staff now. If he does a good job washing dishes, they may let him bus tables in a couple of years.
And the bit about Gordon Ramsay was rich - he's working on the kitchen staff now. If he does a good job washing dishes, they may let him bus tables in a couple of years.
Sep 21st, 2004, 01:11 PM
#55
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Hyacinth Bucket (oops I mean m_kingdom) said: "If you've spent several 100GBP on a different wine for each course, I agree it is wasteful leaving such expensive liquids behind, maybe as much as half a bottle per course."
Am I the only one to read this pretentious and obnoxious statement as saying that it is only socially acceptable to take home the wine if you've spent several hundred pounds per bottle of wine? In other words that the paupers who buy cheap wine shouldn't think of such a thing?
Am I the only one to read this pretentious and obnoxious statement as saying that it is only socially acceptable to take home the wine if you've spent several hundred pounds per bottle of wine? In other words that the paupers who buy cheap wine shouldn't think of such a thing?
Sep 21st, 2004, 01:14 PM
#56
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I lived in London and was baffled at how passionately this issue was debated, as if there wasn't possibly anything else in the world more important. If you encounter any hassle when you ask for a doggie bag, then perhaps you should remind them that you actually did pay for the ENTIRE meal, not just 25% of it. I mean, it is nobody's business if you take a little bit of your dessert home to your child, or a neighbor who doesn't get out much is it? Last time I checked, food was to be eaten, not to decorate trash bins with.
PS MKingdom2, what I consider "vulgar" is your unprovoked, inexplicable rudeness. Not to mention the ridiculous blanket statements about Americans. You don't seem to see the irony in the fact that your statements are in the exact style of the questionable taste you seem to abhor in the first place.
PS MKingdom2, what I consider "vulgar" is your unprovoked, inexplicable rudeness. Not to mention the ridiculous blanket statements about Americans. You don't seem to see the irony in the fact that your statements are in the exact style of the questionable taste you seem to abhor in the first place.
Sep 21st, 2004, 01:48 PM
#58
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Another Londoner chiming in...
Heating leftovers is socially unacceptable? In what society is that? Clearly not the one most of us inhabit!
My friends and I will often take doggie bags from restaurants where we tend to order a number of dishes to share - chinese, indian etc. It's often harder to order just the right amount and those cuisines also reheat much better than some.
And leftover pizza also makes a great breakfast.
Many chinese, indian and pizza places have suitable containers to allow people to take leftovers, even if they don't also sell takeaways.
In the type of restaurant where dishes are not shared the portions don't tend to be so huge as to lead to much leftovers. And some kinds of meals just don't lend themselves to reheating - I wouldn't want to reheat what was a freshly cooked pasta dish or a steak at all. Just doesn't strike me as worthwhile in terms of quality.
As for MKingdom... only someone who <b>isn't</b> could be as desperate to demonstrate that he is living life in the upper crust of the population...
Heating leftovers is socially unacceptable? In what society is that? Clearly not the one most of us inhabit!
My friends and I will often take doggie bags from restaurants where we tend to order a number of dishes to share - chinese, indian etc. It's often harder to order just the right amount and those cuisines also reheat much better than some.
And leftover pizza also makes a great breakfast.
Many chinese, indian and pizza places have suitable containers to allow people to take leftovers, even if they don't also sell takeaways.
In the type of restaurant where dishes are not shared the portions don't tend to be so huge as to lead to much leftovers. And some kinds of meals just don't lend themselves to reheating - I wouldn't want to reheat what was a freshly cooked pasta dish or a steak at all. Just doesn't strike me as worthwhile in terms of quality.
As for MKingdom... only someone who <b>isn't</b> could be as desperate to demonstrate that he is living life in the upper crust of the population...
Sep 21st, 2004, 03:05 PM
#59
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I was told (by British beau) that to-go boxes are considered poor manners in the UK. But never had any UK restaurant turn down the request. Of course, it was rare we had left-overs (portions weren't that big).
If you liked the food and have a place to store the leftovers, why not?
If you liked the food and have a place to store the leftovers, why not?
Sep 22nd, 2004, 01:36 AM
#60
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It shouldn?t matter to you in the least what others may feel is uncouth or seen as social unacceptable. If you feel that there is sufficient food for you to take home and the restaurant obliges you wishes, by all means take the food home, you paid for it. Although I cannot think of many hotels, especially in London, where this would be prudent (how do you heat it up?).
But, personally I would never do it myself, unless I was actually going to give it to my dogs. I?ve witnessed first hand how some wait staff handle leftovers in restaurants and frankly would never ever eat anything from a doggie bag.
But, personally I would never do it myself, unless I was actually going to give it to my dogs. I?ve witnessed first hand how some wait staff handle leftovers in restaurants and frankly would never ever eat anything from a doggie bag.
