Which restaurants will take kindly to requests for doggy bag?

[nl06]

I've read some posts that imply that it's OK to ask for a doggy bag at certain restaurants -- for example, Chez L'Ami Jean.

Are there other restaurants at that price range that would be OK with this?

I would like to try larger orders of meat (whole roast chicken or cote de boeuf from somewhere like La Rotisserie, etc.) without feeling like I should attempt to finish the whole thing in one sitting, or else let the food go to waste.

Thanks in advance!

[mangeur]

FWIW, one of the most celebrated contributors to this forum recently posted on his blog that the cote de boeuf that was served to him and a companion was so large that it became the substance of future suppers.

[mangeur]

Zip-loc sandwich bags. Won't work for half chickens, but quite adequate for most half portions of protein.

[kerosundae]

When DH & I go out, we almost never have left overs even in America, because we're bottomless pits masquerading as human beings, but not all our friends are like us, so many times, at the end of a meal in France, they usually say something like "too bad we can't take it home here" or "Too bad it's not the US" or "do you think they have boxes?".
At the risk of having glares thrown at me, I have asked the restaurant staff for to-go boxes for my friends' leftover food in many parts of the world where it's either looked down upon (i.e. China) or simply not customary (i.e. France). Half the time they would do it, a little less than half they would say "sorry we don't have boxes", in which case I would say "what are those things you put take-outs in? can I buy one of those?" or "do you have foil?", very few times would I not be able to get some sort of container to bring food home.
I really wish people would stop worrying about embarrassment and just ask a simple question; I just can't see how it's more honorable to waste food that was enjoyed and had potential to be enjoyed some more than to risk looking like you can't afford the waste. If more people asked, more restaurants would get into the habit, and less food would be wasted.

[Ptipois]

"I really wish people would stop worrying about embarrassment and just ask a simple question"

Exactly, and stop worrying about what the staff will think of them and other useless sources of frustration.
My experience is that restaurant staff rather like it when food is not wasted. Even those that are not accustomed to the doggy-bag thing don't bite anyone's head off when that sort of service is asked. It also sends out the message that the food has been appreciated. I see no reason not to ask.

One thing puzzles me in your post though. You mention China as a place where asking for to-go boxes is looked down upon. This is not what I have noticed, at least in the South. Taking leftovers home is actually so commonplace that just a discrete little gesture of the right hand is enough to signal to the waitstaff that it's time to take out the boxes and pack up everything that's left on the table.

[Parigi]

"You mention China as a place where asking for to-go boxes is looked down upon. This is not what I have noticed, at least in the South."

I have not noticed this contempt either, not in the south, not in the north, not on the coast, not in the west.

[kerosundae]

maybe it's just my family and all of their friends then. When I was little, whenever I suggested, they hushed me like it was profanity; last time I visited in 2007, I was explained that if all the food ordered is finished, that means that the inviting party didn't order enough food, so it's an absolute requirement to have food left on the table.

[Parigi]

"if all the food ordered is finished, that means that the inviting party didn't order enough food, so it's an absolute requirement to have food left on the table."

True. (And I always do leave a little something on my plate, always, LOL.) But that is a different matter from "looking down on" to-go boxes.

[kerosundae]

on your own plate it's different, but if the food is on the big communal plates (lots of it), then it's like "uh...I'm full but do I finish the plate? it's good, and I can if I want to, but I won't because otherwise they'll order another one; but if I don't is anyone gonna bring it home? no, that's just not done." It's not the boxes are are looked down on, they just think that if they pack up food to go, people will think they're cheap. Frankly I don't think anybody else other than the dining party is judging, people are just self conscious; it's like how everybody thinks their own nose pores are the biggest & ugliest on earth...or maybe it's just me on the last part.

[mr_gimlet]

I think in China i depends on the style of the restaurant. If it's homestyle, it is almost mandatory, but in a smarter restaurant with larger groups it seems to be less common.

[marsprincess]

I live in Switzerland but my office is close to the French boarder. Recently my boss (who is French) and I went to lunch in Divonne. I ordered an interesting take on a steak tartare which was called a tartare burger on the menu if I remember correctly.

Anyway, the dish was steak tartare with a grilled piece of flank steak on the bottom and top. Overall the dish didn't really work, but both the tartare and the steak on their own were nice. However, there was A LOT of it. Really surprising for a lunch menu given how expensive beef is in this area. I was only able to eat about 1/2 of it and was lamenting to my boss what a shame it was to not be able to take it home. To which he concurred.

As in your post above, I was rather hinting the same thing to the waiter when he came by to take our plates saying how much my 18 year old son at home would appreciate the leftovers.

The waiter looked at me and smiled and replied that yes, the portion was particularly large and then proceeded to remove my plate without further comment. My boss then said to him, "what the lady is trying to politely imply is that she would be very pleased if you would bring her a "doggie bag" with what is left."

To which the waiter responded with a straight face, "Indeed monsieur, I understood, I was just trying to be polite in not responding in the negative to such an uncommon request." And with that he slightly bowed and walked away.

Needless to say my boss and I laughed our heads off!

(I should also mention here that I speak French well - but with a Swiss accent. Though I am immediately recognized as a native English speaker, the French find it amusing that my "twang" has a ring of the Swiss to it and I am regularly teased by my colleagues - who all call me Texas anyway. Swiss accents are, in some ways, similar to southern accents in the states. We speak slower here and tend to add more syllables to our words. All part of the charm I say!)

[Parigi]

I would have asked thet waiter if he needed help in removing the evident cactus up his wazoo.

[RandyB]

In Australia it is a waste of time to ask for a doggie bag. Some misguided health expert apparently convinced the government that saving leftovers was unsafe. Voila, a law prohibits taking out leftovers.

At least, this was true in the state of South Australia.

[kerosundae]

that is preposterous!

[kerosundae]

ok it could make sense if it's beef tartare or oysters...but all leftovers?!

[Busk]

As if people are dropping dead left and right from take away...

[PhilD]

A good story but unfortunately not true, extract from the states official advice (which is similar to other states in Aus: "The Food Act does not prevent a business from providing doggy bags. It is good practice to transfer the left over food into a new, food grade container and mark with the date. Stickers for containers are available from your local Environmental Health Officer to remind customers that food taken home should not be left unrefrigerated."

[RandyB]

Very interesting, Phil. Our friends from Adelaide were quite insistent about it, too.

[mangeur]

The whole roast chicken and cote de boeuf that you mention are prepared for two people. Are you a single diner? If so, I would ask your waiter in advance about policy.

Actually, any restaurant will, as already said, plop your remains on a square of foil and bring it back to your table. Whether you feel tacky doing this is up to you.

[nl06]

Thanks to everybody who responded.

Yes, I will be a solo diner. My initial understanding was that asking for doggy bags in France was a total no-no. But then I saw some posts that seemed to say that it would be OK to ask in certain situations (when you have ordered a larger order of meat). Maybe the situations apply only when you are "such an habitué that [you are] practically a shareholder." :)

I didn't want to "miss out" on dishes that are typically prepared for two people, but, at the same time, it sounds like asking to take leftovers will be a hassle. I think I'll be able to find plenty of other dishes to keep me happy.

[rswatkins]

As a frequent solo diner, I've had great results when I want a particular dish usually prepared for two, by stopping by the day before (not during peak hours) and speaking to the head waiter.

[souphie]

It's no no-no (by which I mean not a no-no, not no-no-no!). But it's not usual either, and mostly, you should not act like it is your right. In fact, when in French restaurants, you should probably never act like anything is your right and always ask anything as a favor. That usually gets you everything.

[mangeur]

"In fact, (when in French restaurants), you should probably never act like anything is your right and always ask anything as a favor. That usually gets you everything."

Words to live by. Could be titled "How to Succeed in France Without Really Trying".

[souphie]

Here's your next bestseller.

[Jake Dear]

What Souphie and mangeur say -- indeed. In our experience, that approach works generally in France.

[Ptipois]

Is there a place in the world where it works differently?

At the risk of uttering a dissonant voice, I never found any difficulty asking for doggy bags anywhere in France. It is perfectly okay. If you leave more than half your portion on your plate and it's meat or fish, go ahead. A refusal or even disapproval from the service would be a very strange thing indeed. Most kitchens have take-away containers.

[souphie]

Yes, there are places where it works differently. There are places where your being kind can actually annoy the staff, who want to you to be more direct and waste less of their time and not pretend you're building a relationship they're not interested in, for example.

[Ptipois]

My question was: "is there a place in the world where it works differently, that is to say: where you can act like anything is your right and you don't need to ask anything as a favor"? I doubt it.
As for a place where being kind would annoy the staff, I am not sure I'd want to go there more than once.

[Nancy S.]

I would have to agree that every where I have lived or traveled, things seem to work out more advantageously when one acts with humility and without entitlement. It's certainly true in New York.

[PhilD]

As sunshine says portion sizes are quite small so there is rarely a need for a doggy bag. My question would be to ask what you plan to do with the leftovers from the big dishes? If you are in an apartment with a kitchen (and fridge) then I can see you reusing it (good economy but a lost opportunity to sample a broader range of produce). But in a hotel you will find storage tricky, if there is a bar fridge it will be minute and need to be cleared out in order to squeeze in food, for example if we buy cheese to take home we ask for it to be stored in the kitchen fridge. Hotel rooms in Paris are as small as the portion sizes.

[sunshine842]

and you do have to watch for the new generation of hotel fridges -- they have sensors in all of the slots where things fit, and the minute you take something out (to move it or just to look at the label) it's connected via electronics to your account, and you're charged for that item.

Reheating, then, similarly becomes an issue, as there are very, very few microwaves to be found in hotel rooms in Paris.

[nl06]

Uh oh. PhilD and sunshine bring up valid points that I hadn't thought of. If a restaurant would take kindly to a request for a doggy bag, then might they also take kindly to requests for fridge space in their kitchen??

JUST KIDDING.

The good news is I'll have an apartment with a fridge and microwave. I think I know what PhilD means about the "lost opportunity to sample a broader range of produce." But the thought of changing into sweatpants and attacking the leftover roast chicken or cote de bouef without worrying about manners or table etiquette is kind of nice, too...

[Parigi]

"the thought of changing into sweatpants and attacking the leftover roast chicken or cote de bouef without worrying about manners or table etiquette is kind of nice"

Gulp.

[sunshine842]

If it's roast chicken you're after, don't even bother with the restaurant. Stop by one of the boucheries that has chickens roasting on the rotisserie outside on the sidewalk. Buy that, and some of the gorgeous potatoes that have been cooking in the dripping all afternoon.

Drop past the traiteur for a small salad...the boulanger for a demi-baguette, and pick up a split of a nice red along the way.

Dinner is served and you can eat it off of your stomach laying on couch with your fingers while you watch CNN. (shudder)

[souphie]

Why wear any clothes for that? I know some who don't.

[sunshine842]

portion sizes are such in France that I'd be pretty surprised to have enough left over to even justify a doggie bag, even if you could find somewhere that would give you one.

(you won't see a to-go box for doggie bags-- it'll be emptied into a square of foil.)

[Parigi]

Doggie bag is not a custom in France. Even chez L'Ami Jean I have only seen it requested by a fellow hound who is such an habitué that he is practically a shareholder, and he requested it for a real dog. I would not say that doggie bag is otherwise a practised custom chez L'Ami Jean.

However, doggie bag for unfinished bottle of wine is quite popular.