on the leftovers thing, if you’re only visiting for a short time (and thus wont be able to use any leftovers), try agreeing to order one meal to share with whoever you’re at the restaurant with, instead of each of you getting your own meal. It definitely shows off the portionability of almost all restaurant food. 1 meal per 2 to 3 people should work without creating any leftovers.
The first thing I usually do when I get a burger is cut it down the middle and decide which half I’m going to eat, and which I’m going to save for a rainy day. Then, I divide the side-food in a similar way (be it fries, vegetables, or whatever). If I’m visiting the south, known for its hardy portions (texas, alabama, etc), I’ll actually divide it further, eating (for example) only half (or less) of the burger, and none of the fries– which means it becomes 3-4 days of lunches… for the family I’m staying with. Yes. You can give your leftovers to someone else. In fact, it’s considered really kind, if they like that kind of food. And since they’re usually the ones that took you to the restaurant, it may even be their favorite type of food.
Food is really a sign of affection, in every possible way, from the trope of “mother’s day means serving mom breakfast in bed” to “cutting the wedding cake is one of the most important wedding photos” to “one of our holidays literally has kids running up to every house in town in costume to ask for candy” to “BBQ sauces are a generationally-passed-down tradition.”
It’s not about the food itself, the food is a symbol of working (or paying) for an experience that your loved ones will enjoy. It’s the stubborn grandmas remembering the great depression. It’s the parents that remember eating fish cakes and stewed tomatoes in 1965, and deciding to make something edible instead. It’s the inexperienced kids handing their parents a gross bowl of shredded cheese and cheerios because they want to show that affection and haven’t figured out how to do it right yet.