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The tricky part is that most of the time you have to carry the entire bottle because most don't seem to have single servings, but that doesn't mean you can't find them. .[/quote]
I have single serving size containers that I use for packing lunch so that is easy to carry in a purse..
This should go under some "Miss Manners" section but I couldn't find a better spot...
Opinions about carrying my own salad dressings to restuarants.. I am dieting and I can do so much better
with my own low calorie dressings than the choices at restuarants..
But how to carry them and whether its tacky to do so is the question..
absolutely not tacky/ Carrying your own wine: tacky!!! I would just put a small amount in a little plastic container and when the weight person asks you: what kind of dressing, either say none thank you or be honest and let them know, with a smile you have your own.
SinceI moved to the Midwest I realised that what passes for hot sauce here is insipid and weak. I carry my own and have for 13 years. No complaints; actually I get people interested.
I am sorry, but that is a bunch of baloney. Salad dressing isn't looked at the same way as outside food. Bringing in the meal from next door is what they mean by that.
The fallacy of claiming something doesn't exist because you are personally unaware of it is called Ad Ignoratiam.
Quote:
Liability issues only exist when it comes to alcohol, so in those cases it is wise to check with the restaurant before you bring your own wine.
This is absolutely not true. Liability issues are a real concern for restaurant owners. They get sued for all kinds of things, from customers tripping on the carpet to finding bugs in their dinner, which may or may not have been supplied by the diners. Among the most worrisome are issues regarding possible claims of food poisoning. That's why the majority of restaurants will not cook and serve food you supply, and will not allow you to consume outside food on the premises. A quick scan of the internet will turn up a large number of examples of restaurants explicitly asserting this policy, and of managers confronting customers about it.
Sure, you can (tee hee) get away with it if you (wink wink) can enroll your server as a co-conspirator, and the manager (knock wood) doesn't see you doing it, but why risk the embarrassment of a confrontation? Just ask for a couple of lemon wedges or a vinegar and oil cruet with your salad if you don't want the house dressing, and save the home-made for home.
Sorry, I think it is tacky to bring your own food in, even if it is just salad dressing. Carry in food isn't allowed at restaurants.
If you do so much better with your own salad dressings then you should probably just stay home and eat your salad there.
Most restaurants offer lite or low fat dressing. Try it, you might like it. Or just ask for a sprinkle of lemon juice and fresh cracked pepper on your salad.
OpenD is right about the possibility of a restaurant manager asking you not to use food - any sort of food - that you've brought in. It's not LIKELY, but it's a possibility -and it IS because of liability issues.
Think about it. You eat a meal there, you get sick. Did you get sick from something there, or from that lukewarm little sack of dressing you're carrying around in your purse? I mean, you may actually BE sick from something they served, but you'd have a hard time proving it if you added something you brought from home. The policy protects both the restaurant and the customer.
That being said, I'd do it - I'd bring my own salad dressing in if I wanted to. I just don't want to.
unfortunately, businesses have to go to extremes to protect themselves- from liability..
even a false accusation of food poisoning can and will close a restaurant, so they take no chances, - common sense isnt the norm anymore,,its exposure to being sue'd
ive had family members do this,,,didnt seem to be a big deal,,
until one manager politefully asked please dont bring it in anymore,,others notice and will get the wrong ideas,,,he said in one year alone,,hundreds of patrons will pluck there own hair and put it in the meal,,,and make a big deal over it,,wanting a free meal
or bring in a dead fly,,throw it in the meal,,,,when they are almost finished,,,again making a big deal over it..
its too bad,,the bad apples ruin the whole bushel,,,but thats the world we live in
Telling somebody to just stay home and not eat in a restaurant isn't right. Not all restaurants can provide a substitute that you can or want to eat. For instance I have a dairy allergy--they provide me with milk or cream that I can't have OR some dry powder stuff that also contains dairy. I want something in my coffee so I discreetly bring my own tiny bottle of soy or rice milk. It's really a mini jelly jar only about an inch tall.
I bet they'd rather have me drink that than have me get sick from their dairy products. (it is NOT lactose intolerance, it's actual allergy.)
Telling somebody to just stay home and not eat in a restaurant isn't right. Not all restaurants can provide a substitute that you can or want to eat. For instance I have a dairy allergy--they provide me with milk or cream that I can't have OR some dry powder stuff that also contains dairy. I want something in my coffee so I discreetly bring my own tiny bottle of soy or rice milk. It's really a mini jelly jar only about an inch tall.
I bet they'd rather have me drink that than have me get sick from their dairy products. (it is NOT lactose intolerance, it's actual allergy.)
100% agree. It isn't like they are losing any money. If they start with that attitude regardless of the reason, they are losing business and walking right into a PR disaster. Business is about making money, and food poisoning claims have to have more than one person get sick, so one person getting sick supposedly over their own salad dressing is not going to open anyone up for a lawsuit.
I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the policies of some restaurants when it comes to bringing outside food in. I'm just saying that it IS a policy with some restaurants that outside food is NOT allowed to be brought into the restaurant. In fact, there was a big flap over just that issue locally a few months ago, because a local restaurant didn't allow a family to bring in a birthday cake.
Here are some examples of just such stories. So - you can say "I can't imagine it happening" all you want, but the reality is that it DOES happen and that it IS a policy in some restaurants.
In Oregon, any homemade food in a restaurant must be prepared in a kitchen that has passed inspection by the local health authorities. ODA Food Safety Frequently asked questions
I would suggest that if you're going to bring in your own dressing, just do it discreetly. It's not a matter of whether or not it's tacky - it's more a matter of whether or not you want to take the risk of some sort of confrontation with a zealous manager or waitstaff.
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Among the most worrisome are issues regarding possible claims of food poisoning. That's why the majority of restaurants will not cook and serve food you supply, and will not allow you to consume outside food on the premises. A quick scan of the internet will turn up a large number of examples of restaurants explicitly asserting this policy, and of managers confronting customers about it. 
