Too many times, a server spoils what's been a fantastic meal by bringing me a white styrofoam container to load up my own leftovers. I understand why restaurants do this: They want to let diners decide what to take home; they want to save their servers the extra effort; they might not have room in the kitchen to dedicate a space for boxing up leftovers. But none of those logical reasons compensates for the disappointment I feel when I'm confronted with the empty styrofoam box.
Up until then, if I've had good service, I've been enjoying the experience of letting someone else take care of myself and my companions -- now, suddenly, I have to do my own work. And it's the least-pleasant work of all: paying more attention to food that's made me full, which I really don't want to look at anymore (until tomorrow, anyway, when I'll be excited about it again). C'mon, restaurants: You work so hard to make the dining experience pleasurable. Why do you have to ruin it this way? Please, please don't make me box up my own leftovers.
[Image via Flickr: America: My Personal Observations]
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