Doggie-Bag Digest: A Brief History of Take-Home Leftovers

Are doggie-bags really for dogs? Who actually eats those partial portions, when restaurant diners carry packaged leftovers home with them? Are those vittles for hounds or humans?

Is it really worth it to cart uneaten food, which may spill or spoil in transit? An ever-increasing percentage of people will offer a resounding "Yes."

It all started quite innocently.

Long ago, eateries offered doggie bags for t-bones, rib bones, and other meaty leftovers, so patrons could treat their canine companions when they returned from a night on the town.

In time, as restaurants began super-sizing portions, diners became unable to finish. Embarrassed to ask for take-home containers, customers often used their real or fictitious pets as scapegoats, when they attempted to salvage their surplus at the table.

As portable leftovers have gained in popularity, the pet-feeding pretense has continued. Bolder diners admit the truth and simply ask for packaging.

Blame it on the dog.

Now the restaurants are on the defensive. Second-round foods may harbor salmonella, E.coli, and spoilage if not refrigerated and reheated properly. Using the canine cover may reduce restaurants' litigation liability. If questions arise, they may simply claim the foods were intended for animal, rather than human, consumption.

Actually, in Australia and a few other countries, doggie bags are on the way out, because restaurants and hoteliers are lobbying to outlaw doggie bags because of increasing liability over food poisoning and food-borne illnesses.

Pretty packaging counts for something.

Today, eateries may offer a variety of Styrofoam boxes, foil pans, or even microwave-safe containers. Some promote repeat business through logo-imprinted packaging. Elegant establishments may train food servers to create take-home mermaids, swans, or even floral arrangements from foil and paper wrap.

Frugal foodies aim for value.