And sometimes people do a lot of research, read multiple guide books, everything from Rick Steves to an 1895 Baedeker, and then discover Fodors, as I did.

"I had scored a free Fodors guide for Rome, from being quoted in their Italy book, and one piece of advice took my eye as we read it in the sun, a money saving tip. “Order your coffee or drinks from the bar before you sit down. Take your coffee, whatever, with you to the table, then return the cup or glass afterwards. That way you’ll be charged the much cheaper al-banco price that the locals pay.” I thought that this was advice that only the brave would follow, assuming that al-banco meant “ordered, consumed and paid for at the bar”, but I must have got it wrong.

When I write my “Guide to travelling in the USA”, I’m going to advise that tipping is a quaint local custom that visitors can ignore, that it’s acceptable to pack up a hearty lunch for yourself from the breakfast buffet, and that you can ask for a doggie bag at an “all you can eat” place."

Oy! Someone kill this thread and put it out of it's misery. Please.

Couldn't agree more!

But until then, from last weekend, an Ischian-style doggie bag...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/136492921

Peter

A great pic - near the causeway?

I loved the posters there about the films made on Ischia, especially The Talented Mr Ripley.

No, a bit further away - I was leaning on those railings for this one...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/135892126

Just round the corner from where they shot that film's beach scenes...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/112555842

Peter

ekscrunchy is totally right had you drank half the bottle he would have charged accordingly.
Same thing with croissants for breakfast in a cafe in Geneva, they bring maybe six, you eat two
leave four , you pay for two, in Buenos Aires too, for both wine and croissants or pastries....it only makes sense.

Little by little I can think of many similar situations as I am sure we all can, in Portugal I recall the waiter bringing dishes with some appetizers, if you do not eat you do not pay....

On reflection, this was also the practice in olde Englishe tea rooms. Thy brought a plate of different cakes, and you paid for the ones that you ate.

Something else makes more sense now...generally speaking in Europe, doggie bags are not usually offered or used. I guess it's not necessary or appropriate if you don't pay for what you don't eat. (and maybe it's not considered good manners in any case, who knows)

In the US, doggie bags are the norm in many situations- whatever is put on the table is paid for whether it is eaten or not (and must be thrown out if it is not eaten and left on the table), so sometimes people take it home to eat later as leftovers.

All the puzzle pieces are now starting to fit together to give the overall picture. Gotta love cultural differences!

Don't misunderstand this custom to extend to the food courses that you order. You will pay for all of it, even if you do not finish it, but asking to take the remaining portion in a doggy bag is just not done in Italy. Pizza is about the only thing I have ever seen leave a restaurant in to-go box.

<i>"asking to take the remaining portion in a doggy bag is just not done in Italy"</i>

This is not an absolute.

99.9% of <i>ristoranti</i> in Italy serve every item a la carte. (Tasting menus are something else.) Portions aren't typically huge like you see in many Midwest chain restaurants. Italian diners know their cuisine and they know how much they want to eat. If you don't want a particular course, you don't order it. If you're still hungry after a course or two, you order more. The table is typically yours for the evening and a doggy bag is irrelevant when the style of eating, serving, and purchasing is so different from what you find in middle-class chain restaurants in America.

I don't ever recall experiencing a doggy bag moment at any fine restaurant in NYC (although I have seen people ask to take their unfinished wine). When people talk about food customs on travel boards, it's important to clarify the type of restaurant because, even in America, behavior and expectations differ dramatically, depending on everything.

In some finer restaurants in NYC, I leave hungry after three courses because the portions are ridiculously small (and ridiculously expensive). You can always order more (it there's any money left) unless there's pressure to turn your table over to a new customer.

Doggy bags are pretty common in Chinese restaurants because ordering several items and sharing them is their traditional serving style. It is not uncommon to get a doggy bag in a Chinese restaurant in Italy. <i>Portare via</i> is not an uncommon expression in Italy, contrary to what you read on this board.