What To Keep In Mind When Taking Leftovers Home From An Upscale Restaurant

If you are someone who gets a little nervous asking for leftovers at a nice restaurant, let's talk. While in America, "doggy bag" culture is incredibly ingrained in most eating environments. Still, requesting a takeaway container in a place with a certain price range can feel like an invitation to be judged. But the reality is many restaurants do expect it. Even in fancier places, particularly those where portions are big or small plates never stop appearing, it's still reasonable that you wouldn't want your food to go to waste.  

And some leftovers are always worth bringing home — dishes like pasta, expensive meats, and rich sauces often reheat really well the next day, especially if they come from a nice restaurant in the first place. Who in their right mind wants to leave half a truffle pasta sitting on the table after seeing the bill? The only exception to this rule might be the truly high-end fine-dining spaces. If your meal has been designed as a carefully timed experience, the chefs may rightfully feel certain dishes simply are not meant to be taken home, or even that microwaving them later could be a bit of an insult.

Truthfully, many upscale restaurants actually have their own routines around giving takeaway containers. According to a discussion thread on Reddit, some places might quietly take your plate away to box it up in the kitchen to keep the table tidy and elegant, while others may be less bothered by letting you box it up yourself. Neither approach is rude; it just comes down to the restaurant's particular style of service.

The only thing to keep in mind is that some meals may travel better than others — crispy fried foods or carefully plated desserts may end up soggy or messy, respectively, by the time you actually get them home. Although in many cases, food will actually improve overnight, something you'll have noticed if you've ever thought your leftovers tasted really good or even better the next day. Just make sure your leftovers are actually worth taking home in the first place and ask for any sauces and dressings separately when you order to reduce the chances of everything being mush by the time you come to eat it. If you're planning on repurposing leftovers into another meal later in the week, it'll be better to have individual components anyway.

When all is said and done, taking leftovers home from a nice restaurant is actually far more normal than people think. And considering that the average American throws away around 53 pounds of food every year, surely most establishments would rather prioritize reducing waste over doling out judgments alongside takeaway boxes.