Dining out is relaxing. What a pleasure not to cook. The best is you walk away from the messy table, leaving the clean up to the bus boys/waiters. But, sometimes what we don’t eat is not left behind.
If the meal is good it is always recommended to take home a “Doggy Bag“. I do.
Did you know that the term doggy bag was a “euphemistic pretense that the food will be given to the diner’s pet, rather than eaten by a person.” This term was popularized in the 70’s etiquette columns. The key word is pretense. It was better to make believe the food, that you are taking home in a bag, will be given to Fido. Why? I have not got a clue. My guess is that the social elite, or ‘etiquette police’, just did not want look like they would do such a thing. Certainly, this practice would be below their status. Who were they fooling? Not the waiters
In some countries, like France, people would frown upon a diner asking for a doggy bag. I guess the French have a higher standard than Americans. No matter, I always doggie bag it and Fido never gets the left overs.
mb