Restaurants: Would You Opt to Eat Less if it Costs Less?

I’ve noticed lately both portions and cost have escalated dramatically

Photo by Ali Choubin on Unsplash

I don’t go out to eat much now inflation is so large a factor in the life of most everyone I know.

One thing I’ve noticed however. The servings in restaurants seem to be larger than they were. Of course, the price per main course is proportionately larger than it used to be — and then some.

Dinner out

A couple of weeks ago my college roommate (Carl) who now lives in Mexico, came to Philadelphia for a short visit. On the agenda was going out to dinner in a local mid-priced restaurant in which I’d had excellent dining experiences in the past. I hadn’t been there in over two years and was interested to see if it was still as good as I remembered.

I decided to give it a try and made reservations for the two of us at 7:00 on Saturday night.

That weekend I drove, along with Carl, the short distance to where I’d made the reservations and parked in the restaurant parking lot.

As Carl and I were entering the place we saw a group of adults, who looked like they could really pack it in, exiting. All had those white styrofoam containers in which establishments offer their patrons to take home the portions of the meal they haven’t finished.

There the white boxes with the leftovers would probably sit in the fridge to be finished in the vague future.

Either, the food wasn’t worthy of stuffing down that evening or; it was great and there was just too damn much of it. The leftovers must have been worthy of lugging home — at the risk of possibly smelling up the car.

It could have been an encouraging sign.

Carl and I entered the crowded restaurant, both hungry as hell.

True to the restaurant’s commitment we were seated at the time for which our reservations were made.

Sticker shock

The server came over rather quickly considering the business the place was doing on a Saturday evening.

He handed us menus and took our drink orders.

Carl and I studied the menus.

I remembered the food as being excellent for a fair price.

I noticed basically the same choices for: appetizer, main course and dessert. However, the prices had escalated dramatically.

Oh well, I thought, inflation.

The server came in a few minutes to take our orders.

Carl and I agreed we’d split a couple of appetizers and each order a main course, we’d decide on dessert later.

The waiter brought out our appetizers first with two sharing plates.

I swear, the calamari was a meal in itself and the grilled chicken Margherita Flatbread would act as a second. After consuming each, Carl and I were not particularly in the mood to eat the gigantic plates of:

Carl’s, Grilled Pork Chop with Apple Bourbon Glaze, Mashed Sweet Potato, choice of Vegetables and a choice of Soup or Salad.

Mine, Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout, Roasted Tomato Ragu, Warm Couscous and choice of two Vegetables.

The main course.

We almost finished the feast. Neither of us was counting on the volume of food we’d ordered. Nor did we possess the gluttonous desire to consume dessert that night.

We both had enough food left on our plates to do what I’ve never done in my life….

Ask for a styrofoam take-out box.

The waiter asked if we wanted to take home what was still on our plates. I waived the right to do that for both of us.

Post dinner discussion

On the drive home Carl asked me if I’d rather have the restaurant give smaller portions and lower their prices a bit.

“Those appetizers were meals in themselves! If I lived in the States, I’d just order appetizers, I’d save money AND my health,” he said.

“Seems like everything in the States is excessive now-a-days,” he opined.

“Living in San Miguel de Allende I’m out of the loop,” he said.

“Does anybody in leadership have any plans to do something about it?” he asked with a concerned look on his face.

“ Yeah, I’m thinking of manufacturing those toxic styrofoam take-out boxes,”

Kidding! kidding! Just kidding!