I pack my food at a restaurant because:1) I want to appear less like a glutton. Even though there is only a gastrique and half a biscotti left on the plate, I’ll still ask for a box.2) The food is so good that it should be savored in two sittings. In the second sitting, under the dim, romantic lighting of a laptop screen, a floppy calamari served with watery spinach and withered potatoes emerge from the microwave for second shot at a gourmet entree!3) The food is so expensive that bringing home a souvenir takeout box, a packet of disposable cutlery complete with a plastic knife, fork and spoon, together with a plastic bag with its requisite yellow smiley face, at least allows me to make my money worth.4) The service is so horrid that making my server bring a plate to the kitchen to pack is really not that big a deal. 5) Walking out of the restaurant with a box in my hand makes me feel triumphant, as if I had received a trophy that the chef sent my way. It is after all, the only tangible thing I can take from the restaurant without being accused of stealing.
Brandon Ho is a senior in the College of Hotel Administration. He can be reached at [email protected]. The Stingy Gourmet appears on Mondays this semester.
Original Author: Brandon Ho