Etiquette Question

[MosMom]

When you go to someone else's house for a dinner party or bbq and you bring a dish or alcohol. Is it rude to take the leftovers home with you when you leave? We went to a bbq last summer and took some beer, when we left we took the rest of the beer and then it hit me that it could have been rude to do that. Since we've been invited to a dinner party recently, I figured I would ask and see what you all thought.

 

[KimR]

I always leave anything that's left over with the host/hostess. Although in my case with the way I cook, if it's food that I've prepared, it would probably be much more polite to take the leftovers home with me any spare anyone else further agony.

kim

 

[BethR]

I would leave any food or alcohol that I brought at the home of the host, unless they insist that I take the leftovers home.

 

[Steve H.]

Same as Beth and Kim -- I would leave whatever was left of anything I brought, especially alcohol.

 

[newmousecateer]

We leave it for the host/hostess, whether it be food or alcohol. I just ask to take my dish home.

 

[jipsy]

I leave it. Unless you brought 4 cases of beer and only a 6 pack was missing LOL. Then you take one of the cases back with you

 

[cinmell]

We leave it.

 

[RUDisney]

We'd leave it. If the dish wasn't already cleaned, I'd leave it and get it next time.

 

[Dodie]

I think that you bring it to the party to share with others, and that it is standard practice to leave the "leftovers" there for your host.

I have honestly never seen anyone take home leftover alcohol when they left a party! I have probably seen people take home extra food, particularly if they need to take their dish home and there is no easy way to leave the contents.

 

[Jeafl]

I always leave the leftovers as well, unless the hostess insists that I take some home as well. Even then, I feel funny doing it.

 

[goofy4tink]

We always leave 'leftovers' too. Food/alcoholic both. It's funny because we always host a New Years Eve party with the same people every year. And every year the same couple of people take home their 'contribution'. My poor dh stands there with his tongue hanging out!!!

 

[Mishetta]

We don't drink so I've never brought alcohol to a dinner party but I'm sure I would have left it.

When I bring a dish to share, I also buy an inexpensive plate (like last year for Easter, I brought a dish along to a dinner at my friends house....I went to a discount store & bought this really pretty Easter decorated dish) & put the food in there & the actual "dish" served as a hostess gift!

Don't worry, I'm sure we all made a "faux-pas" at one time or another.

 

[Bunchkin]

We always leave what we bring and bring it in a container that they can keep, like a Gladware container or the like.
It is the proper thing to do since the host is opening their home to their guests and providing the main meal.

 

[disykat]

We do "potluck" with many of our friends. We usually leave the alcohol (especially if it's open) unless the hostess asks us to take it home - but I don't think any of us would consider it rude to take it home either since it's not really a hostess gift. Everyone always takes theirs home from here since we don't drink beer etc.

Food - we all always take home our own right in the dish we brought it in. The exception is when there's a ton of something left over - in that case we try to divvy it out to whomever would use it before it spoiled or we send it with someone who particularly enjoyed it.

I'm hosting tomorrow night. I frankly don't really want to load my fridge up with leftovers of the stuff everyone else brings. I've never had people leave their food.

 

[Saffron]

I like what disykat said. We leave leftovers, but since this was a group of your friends that you had a barbeque with, I'm sure they didn't think you were rude. I'm sure they never even gave it a second thought, unless the party was still going on and you left early.

 

[dixiegirl]

We leave whatever we bring.

 

[EltonJohn]

I think it is prudent to leave the leftovers, but I have not double-checked that. I would advise that you consult Emily Post or Amy Vanderbilt.

diane

 

[cgcw]

I always leave whatever I bring.

 

[Chattyaholic]

Maybe it's a regional thing....I dunno....but here when we get together with family and/or friends for pot-luck dinners everyone takes home their own leftovers in their own dishes. I wouldn't really like it the other way, when DH and I host a get-together, if everyone left their stuff for ME to "deal with." Take it home!!!

 

[SonjaB]

I'd leave it unless the host/hostess specifically asked me to take it home.