And then there's the server who takes your plate away and forgets to bag it up, let alone present you with a foil whimsy.

At least as recently as five years ago, Adele's (the "fancy" restaurant in the Student Union at UMD) was still wrapping their leftovers in foil swans.

As a teenager I worked in an upscale restaurant where we happily packaged leftovers; but it certainly didn't happen in the kitchen! It was usually a hasty affair done on any available counter space in the back. I agree though, asking the customers to do it for themselves is classless.

I don't know why, but the rather recent trend of having the serving bring you a box to take home your leftovers rather than take your plate away and do it in the kitchen, really irritates me. Granted, I don't think this happens in finer dining establishments, but it irks me have to tip a server who can't even box my leftovers. I still long for restaurants where the wait staff practically cuts your meat and feeds it to you. That could explain a lot!

Mrs. Bucky and I have an on-going discussion. She insists on using reusable canvas grocery bags to bring food home from the grocery store, but when we go out to eat, and I suggest she take a Tupperware container to avoid using a styrofoam doggy box, she laughs at me.

Do the environmentally concerned among us take their own reusable containers with them when they go out to eat?

Whoa. Interesting question. That never occurred to me. EL

Went to Adele's last year and they were still doing the foil swan.

Foil swans? Never been presented with one, and I always take leftovers home (and actually eat them).

My great aunt used to clear out the sugar packets, creamers and anything else that wasn't nailed down, as well as wrapping up rolls and putting them in her purse. Great Depression or no, that was a bit excessive.

In answer to Bucky's question, I have just recently done this. I have been back and forth with hubby about this, but the fact remains that I almost always bring home leftovers in those styrofoam things and on Friday night, I grabbed a plastic container and a Ziploc bag and put them in my purse. He claimed to be embarrassed.

I have a friend who will leave boxed-up leftovers on top of a mailbox or newspaper-vending machine, in hopes that a homeless person might find it. Me, I'm too cheap to do that. It's my food; I'm eating it. Maybe not tonight, maybe not for breakfast, but soon, before it starts to go bad.

Recently was at an Italian restaurant with my wife and her entree came with a side order of pasta, she was on that low starch diet so she requested a "doggy bag" for the pasta at the time of her order(she was gonna take home to one of the bottomless pits we have for sons)...I just rolled my eyes...but a doggy bag request pre meal...only my wife(?)

It is absolutely within the servers' rights to make you box your own leftovers. It is also your rights to tip a little less.

Ditto on disliking the "box it yourself" trend. Mostly I just hate it because I'm really clumsy, so if they have me box my own food, it's going to wind up not only in the box, but on the table, on me, possibly my date, and the floor as well.

And yeah, Adele's is still doing the foil swan thing...it's funny to see dozens of people walking around campus in the few days before their excess dining points expire, carrying foil swans. (Adele's is the only restaurant on campus where you can use the same points you use in the dining halls.)

Years ago Erma Bombeck did a column on the compulsion to save leftovers. She described the guilt of throwing out perfectly edible food even if she knew it would never be eaten. Her method of determining the point where she could guiltlessly clean out the fridge was by making the assessment, “Is it garbage yet?”

Ditto the problem of having the food disappear in the back, never to be seen again.

And then there was the time when they packed the box for me in the back, and I discovered the following day that they had given me someone else's leftovers . . . (Yuck!)

Or the time when my friend and I wanted to divide up the leftovers and each take some of everything off of each of our plates for a nice variety, and the server refused to let us do it ourselves, and then didn't do what we asked.

Perhaps it would be nice (in all but swanky places, where I agree you don't want people boxing things up in the dining room) to give diners the option of having the server box it up in the back or being given the box to do what they want.

I hate packing my own to-go box, too. But I was once at a restaurant in western NY where the waiter claimed local health codes prohibited them from taking food back into the kitchen to be packed, so people had to do it themselves. Not sure what the rationale is elsewhere ...

Has anyone witnessed someone eat their meal strategically with the doggy bag in mind? As in, eating all the salad that would not survive until the next day's lunch, and snarfing up all the rolls because it would seem too cheap to take them to go? And wrapping up most or all of their entree instead?

At Flemings on Father's Day my daughter asked for the her leftover prime rib to be packed to go. The plate was taken to the kitchen and soon here came the manager with the doggy bag. He explained there had been an "incident" with her leftover so they were giving her a new 12 oz slice to take home. By the way every Sunday Flemings has a prime rib special for $33.00. 12 oz slice of beef, salad, side dish and dessert.

I can't wait for the review on the Oregon Grille. Most people I know who rave about it are not what I would call foodies. I know the review will not focus on the wine list but maybe EL will expand on this feature in the blog. (Hint, Hint)

Hue, your wife isn't the only one who requests a doggy bag pre-meal. In order to stay on my diet when I go out to eat I'll often request a box when the meal is served so I can box part of it. That way I'm not tempted to eat more than I should.

Mark--

Classy move on the part of Flemming's. They have great service. They actually treat the most minor mistakes or oversights as major embarrasments and the management strives to their very best to make everyhting right. They have a very noticable sense of pride in their service. Then again, with the $$$$$ it costs to dine there, they should.

If I know I won't be able to eat all of my meal I always eat with leftovers in mind. Breaded food doesn't keep very good especially if it is served with a sauce. Fish doesn't reheat well either.

My sister is great for eating just the salad and then taking most of her entree home.
My fiancee does that as well; perhaps they like having a nice lunch for work the next day?

Apparently I'm in the minority, but I actually like boxing my own leftovers. Often there's something on the plate that I don't like at all that came with the meal (like the aforementioned coleslaw) or something that won't reheat well (like french fries) that I don't want. So I prefer to take just the parts of the meal I want home with me. I find it difficult to get servers to give me exactly what I want when they're boxing my meal.

Yes Flemings is pricey but if two people each have the Sunday night special and a glass of wine that's less than $100.00 for two which isn't bad for the service and food quality. From what I can tell my experience there was much nicer than I can expect at the Oregan Grille. No matter what Ron Smith says.

Adele's currently does and prob will always have foil swans.

Gee, I never thought to bring my own container for a "doggie box"...what a great idea! I move the leftovers from the restaurant's box to my own container anyhow, so why not cut out the "middle-box" and take my own container? Thanks for the suggestion!

I love restaurant leftovers and ALWAYS eat them. At the PF Chang's in Columbia, the server brings the take-home boxes to the table and asks exactly what we want boxed up, then does it. Several weeks ago I ate there with a friend; we didn't pay much attention as the server boxed up the leftovers. The next day I emailed my friend "They forgot to put in the cucumbers! I was so hungry for them today, but they weren't there"! A few hours later I emailed her "Oh and guess what? They forgot to put the raspberry sauce in with my portion of the Great Wall of Chocolate"!

A couple of days later, my friend finally confessed to me that the cucumbers AND the raspberry sauce had been mistakenly placed in her doggy bag, but her husband ate both things the next day before she could stop him.

She was quite penitent. Even offered to buy my dinner at our next Chang's outing. Well, I can't really hold her accountable for her husband's gluttony, can I?

I would much prefer to box up my own food. That way I can choose what I want off my plate and not take things that will get soggy or won't reheat well.

I definitely eat with leftovers in mind. Appetizers, soup, sides or anything that won't hold up are eaten at table.

After a few bites of the entree, I save the rest. I have the best lunches that way.

Hmmm...bringing your own box for leftovers. The next step in having to bring your own bags for groceries. I can't wait until I bring my own napkins from home.

One advantage of boxing it yourself -- you get your own leftovers. I'll never forget the time my mother went to open the box from her dinner the night before to find someone else's meal. It wasn't even the same item. It was a half-eaten steak and she had pasta. Stranger food!!!! Because of this, at places where they box the food for you, I always check before I leave the restaurant to see if the food is mine.

I've asked for a box when my food is delivered at places like Macaroni Grill; where you get very large portions. This is a dieting technique. I leave on my plate what I will eat.

I have to say I actually prefer boxing my own leftovers. Many times it is because there is a portion of uneaten food that I didn't care for; so why bring it home. At a high scale restaurant though I expect the server to do the boxing up, and if something truly were not to my liking I'd probably say "please don't box the xyz".