What is the Proper Doggy Bag Etiquette?

Linkat,

That was just wrong. Wrong for anyone to dig into YOUR leftovers from a restaurant. Now if you had offered to share it with anyone, that might be different, but you didn't. You brought it home, thought about it, dreamed of eating it the next day, probably even salivated a bit as the time neared that you had prepared for your leftover indulgence..

It is very, very rare that I ever go out to a restaurant for a nice meal and when I do it is a big deal to me. I often purposely don't eat everything in anticipation of carrying over that wonderful experience from the night before.

A few times my leftovers have been eaten by my children and it is very hard to get mad at them, or even a spouse if I had one, but I have let my kids know the night I bring it home that I have leftovers from dinner and want to eat them tomorrow and ask them to please respect my request by not eating them. It has worked very well, actually. I respect their leftovers and they respect mine.

Punishment? I have no idea what to offer you on that. I am sure your husband may have felt pretty guilty already once confronted and seeing your sadness or displeasure over not being able to savor your own yummy treat to yourself. That alone could be punishment enough?

I lunch out once a week or so with friends and inevitably have a doggy bag. Mr. Noddy has decided that the leftovers are for him--maddening.

Fortunately, my tastes are more catholic than his. My little piece of steak from today's lunch is safe because it is smeared with blue cheese.

My mother usually takes me out for lunch once a week while the kids are at school and hubby is at work. I often feel guilty about the rest of my family eating a lame lunch while I'm eating out, so the leftovers go to whoever wants them. Never me.

Ironic punishment is the best. Make him eat ALL the leftovers in the fridge in one sitting, especially the ones from last year. Ganking someone's prime rib is just wrong, but you must not have grown up in a large family, you've got to take extra measures to protect yourself in the future. Hide it on the bottom of the vegatable trey with some molding fruit on top of it next time.

Or take some prime rib, stick it down your pants, and walk around for a few minutes and put it back in the fridge. Then, when someone eats it, make an anouncement that you walked around with the prime rib in your pants for several minutes. They will never steal your leftovers again.

Oh, I think the spouse whose dreamt-of prime rib is missing, missing!!!, should definitely be taken out to dinner for more prime rib.

I've learned that unless it's very well identified as MINE, anything in the fridge is fair game when the lad gets here. Which is ok. If I didn't tag it, it's my own fault.

If it's something I'm really looking forward to I make sure I've said so, otherwise anything in the fridge is fair game for all.

Huh. I avoid other people's packages, they're theirs.

Well, whatever.

So do I, osso. If I didn't put it in there, I know its not mine.

Although, I really, really like your idea of another Prime Rib dinner. Soon.

Perhaps with h'ordeuvres and cocktails first... (or a good bottled water should you wish), at perhaps Moonstone Beach in Trinidad, or some such place.

You got it Lady J – I was salivating as I was going to the refrigerator ready to heat it up for lunch and wham! No tender tasty prime rib. I was so disappointed. Yeah I did lay on the guilt. Maybe I will let it go this time. I was thinking of withholding sex for a month, but I already relinquished on that one.

As being a mom of young children – I no longer get to go out that often for dinner so it is special.

I like your thinking mit! I did grow up in a fairly large family, with all brothers! Maybe that is why I am so protective of my food.

Even better ossobuco!

You're doggy bag, your leftovers....your choice. If you want to give them some, great but I'd tell 'em to keep their paws off your goodies! Afterall, you enjoyed it so much the first time you wanted to enjoy the leftovers later!

put your name on the bag?

i think your husband should go to the restaurant and buy you another one.

I'm telling you, way too subtle. Crush up a bunch of exlax and rub it into the meat of a new piece of prime rib. When someone eats it and spends the rest of the day in the bathroom berate them constantly...

DON'T LIKE THAT?, DON'T EVER GANK MY PRIME RIB AGAIN! NEXT TIME IT WILL BE ARSENIC!

Was that supposed to be funny?

(penalties for doggie-bag ganking vary from state to state...)