Yummy Leftovers

@drannhh (15219)
United States
July 11, 2010 8:54pm CST
Do you like to eat all of your restaurant food or take some home to eat later? My favorite way of eating in a restaurant is to share the food. It is fun to split a sandwich, for example. At the moment, though, I am eating some leftover Chinese food and it is so delicious warmed over. I think it tastes even better than when it was "fresh." My friend cannot for some reason eat Chinese food, so we went to the food court. One or two people I know are ashamed to ask for a container to take home food they do not want to finish at a restaurant and one claims that the food is not as good the second time. I like leftovers. Do you?
6 people like this
15 responses
@eurekafemme (5877)
• Philippines
12 Jul 10
I don't mind taking home with me our left overs whenever we eat in the resto. My husband doesn't mind, either. Sometimes, the servings were just too much for two people though my husband eats a lot. We don't want to waste such good food and our money, too. What I do love most about left overs is that I get to savour them more than when I am eating them in a resto. I can eat in a relaxing without thinking of the traffic and all.:-) some of the left overs taste better than they are freshly cooked. One example is the pasta. I love it when it is chilled a little.:-)
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
12 Jul 10
Good point. Sometimes it is quieter at home. Pasta is a good example.
1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
12 Jul 10
Hi drannhh! Nice to see you! I'm not ashamed to ask for my leftovers if there are any!lol And since Chinese Food is one of my very favorites and what I also had for dinner tonight, I love it leftover! When I was working I would cook on the weekends and make enough food for most of the week so I had leftovers to just heat up when I got home. I don't go out to eat very often and there usually isn't anything left, but if there is I sure will take it and eat it later! Most things are just as tasty leftover. The only thing I don't like reheated is pizza and I know plenty of people who disagree with me and plenty who eat it cold too. That isn't for me though~
3 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
12 Jul 10
Good to see you, too. I like steak cold the next day, but not pizza. Pizza is not so good reheated in the microwave, but I have a counter top infrared oven that reheats pizza and fries as good as if they were fresh...actually, it makes the fries even b etter. I don't like to waste food, but restaurants put so MANY fries on the plate. I could never eat that many, even when splitting with a friend.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157050)
• United States
12 Jul 10
I really like leftovers. I did not when I was a youngster, but once I was cooking on my own, I did like leftovers. Splitting a order with an extra set up is an excellent way to enjoy eating out, and not over do it. I will ask for a takeout box anywhere. I paid for the food and I am going to enjoy it. I do find certain things just seem to get better if they are leftover and reheated. I think we will do some of that tomorrow.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
12 Jul 10
Yes, it is true that some things reheat better than others, so sometimes I order with that in mind when I go to a restaurant.
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Jul 10
I never can eat all of the food I order when I go out. I always want the bread or breadsticks that you get at some restaurants and I also love the salad. I'm usually almost full by the time my entree gets to the table. LOL I am not ashamed to ask for a container to take it home. I kind of do that on purpose. It's so expensive to go out these days that I feel better to have made it into two meals instead of one.
2 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
13 Jul 10
I love eating the bread in a restaurant even though I do not eat a lot of bread at home except when I bake it which is not every day any more. I prefer the salad European style at the end of the meal rather than before it, so usually I get filled up before the entree comes, too.
@sumiirajj (1983)
• India
12 Jul 10
Yes ,I like to take home the remaining food which we are not able to finish it in the restaurant.I always go to the restaurant with my hub but he doesn't like asking to pack the food,but I ask the server to pack the remaining food for us.My hub is ashamed but i am not,as what is wrong in taking back the food for which we pay.happy mylotting.
2 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
13 Jul 10
My late hub was like that too. He would get annoyed with me and tell me not to ask the server to pack anything. I never understood why it should be a problem. Now I have moved to a different location and here all the people I eat with take restaurant food out. Nobody here thinks it is wrong.
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
12 Jul 10
I eat leftovers most of the time and it doesn't bother me. Most of the time when I eat at a restaurant, I'm able to finish all I eat while there. If it's too much, I will ask for a container to take it home in and finish it later. I never have thought about it but I think warmed over Chinese food is good, too.
2 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
12 Jul 10
Sometimes I add fresh vegetables to the leftover Chinese food to extend it. Cuts down the salt, too.
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
12 Jul 10
This sounds so good!
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
24 Jul 10
We don't mind having leftover...esp. the kids. If there's very little left, we do not ask for it to be packed....but most of the time, there's enough left over at a restaurant and we get it packed and take it home. The kids love pizza for breakfast...and if it's a spicy indian dish, we have it for lunch or dinner. The food is just the same and sometimes better if we get it to a refrigerator as soon as possible. So, we've never had a problem and we aren't ashamed to ask for a container. We paid for the whole dish, didn't we?
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
24 Jul 10
This is my thinking, too, although I have eaten with friends who act embarrassed about me talking my leftovers home, so if they are buying I leave it, but if I am paying I take it home anyway.
24 Oct 10
I've never liked leftovers, it's something I've always disliked. Once something goes cold that's it for me, I won't eat cold pizza for this reason as it just doesn't taste the same as it did. It's one of those things that some people do and some don't, certainly I tried as a kid to have it but it makes me feel sick. On the other hand my wife and our children do..
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
25 Oct 10
I like some kinds of leftovers warm OR cold, but some people I have met think the same as you on this subject. Color me weird, but I LOVE cold steak.
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
20 Jul 10
I love leftovers, I think it's good to keep clean leftovers, because it's not wasteful at all. I love eating pizzas, and sometimes my family loves to order the delivery hot-line, and there will be lots of leftovers that we tend to keep in the fridge. I think that's awesome..
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
20 Jul 10
My favorite is cold steak from the night before. I just eat a little and then put it away for the next day. My favorite restaurant sells a 1 lb steak and it takes me 4 days to finish it, lol.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
28 Jul 10
Hi, drannhh. Yes, I do like leftovers. I eat this at home when I have extra food cooked in the refrigerator. It does taste so much better the next day when it is warmed up. If some of the restaurants offered doggy bags then, I would take home a lot of food. I hate to throw away good food, I would be mad.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
28 Jul 10
Fewer dishes to wash, too. Yes, it is a moral principal about the restaurant food, too, with me. I don't like to waste food.
@Amanda81587 (3042)
• United States
12 Jul 10
okay this might sound weird but when i go to olive garden I even take home the salad. I don't know what it is about that salad that has me addicted. But whether it is soggy or not I still eat it! yummmm Mexican food is also good to reheat, still tastes the same.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
12 Jul 10
It does not sound weird to me because I have been known to take a salad home, too. I don't put dressing over all of it if I think some will be coming home with me, as it keeps fresh longer without the dressing. I went to my first Outback Steakhouse last week, but have yet to try Olive Garden. Everyone I know likes it though.
1 person likes this
@eagle271 (179)
• Canada
13 Jul 10
Hello, Yes I love to eat my leftovers in the morning, especially, I love eating cold pizza, chicken, etc. Well it all depends on the food, some meals like pasta, well I have to warm it in the microwave, otherwise, cold pasta is disgusting. As for eating at a restaurant, I rarely leave my plate not finished so I don't have to bring back the remains. If one of these days this happens, well I'll be glad to ask the waitress to give me a bag to bring home. Since I have a good appetite, I always finish my plates at a fast food or restaurant. Oh if you are eating some leftover Chinese, you are so lucky and hope you are enjoying your meal.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
13 Jul 10
Welcome to myLot, eagle271. Yes the food was very good! Today I ate at a buffet, so there I cleaned up my plate (several times, lol)
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
20 Jul 10
They run out of food?!?! Oh, my!
@eagle271 (179)
• Canada
13 Jul 10
Hello and thank you, It's been so long since I went to a buffet and I love them. You are giving me some craving about Chinese food. Maybe I should I go to a buffet, but the one in my city is good but sometimes when I go there, there aren't enough food and it is expensive. So, maybe I should go anyway. Thanks
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 10
Hi drannhh, In most of the time its true that I myself do feel bit ashamed to carry it back to my home and I never had done so,whereby it could be deemed as foolishness on my part, but yes you are very correct that the left overs do taste better on the next day specifically the food that's been home-cooked. As a matter of fact you might be surprised,that in our part of the land we have such festival("Day after SAWRASHATY PUJA"in-between January end & February middle,the end of winter season) where we or rather our females counterpart specifically do cook the food to be consumed on the next day, and we really relish it to anything,hence in such scenario even if one provides us something better or mouth watering food we generally go for the food that were prepared the previous day all together in a family. Truly Yummy the "Leftovers Foods"
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
23 Jul 10
You are right. I had not heard of your Day After Festival. Sounds like a very good idea.
• United States
13 Jul 10
Some foods just cannot be eaten as leftovers, such as french fries or onion rings. But there a great many that taste even better as leftover because it is the point when you are even hungrier than when you first got it. Rice for instant if put in the microwave tastes rubbery and dry. What I have done is put 1/4 teaspoon of oil in a skillet then reheat on low flame and yum taste as if just cooked.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
13 Jul 10
I agree that is a good way to reheat rice dishes. To make onion rings and fries good the second time requires special cookware. They come out yummy in my infrared convection cooker. I am just now having some batter-coated fried beans that I reheated from a restaurant. They are crispy and good!
@rosepedal64 (4188)
• United States
13 Jul 10
Food  - optional leftovers
Hi drannhh Oh yes I do love the leftovers. They don't even have to be from restarants, they can be from relatives dinners. I know when we go over to mother inlaws and she cooks I always want to aske to bring a plate home. I agree with you that leftovers always seems to taste better at home..
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
13 Jul 10
Your mother in law must be a wonderful cook! Family dinners provide excellent leftovers too. Thank you for thinking of that.