During my Pittsburgh incarnation, I was astonished shortly after arrival by something that everyone who lives there takes for granted.

After a couple of restaurant meals, I decided conclusively that portions were HUGE at every meal in the 'Burgh!

Breakfast, lunch, dinner -- big cuts of meat, lots of veggies, tons of bread, gargantuan deserts.

Although I think of myself as a svelte cheetah, some say that I am a pretty big boy. At 6 feet, 215 lbs., well ... maybe cheetah is a bit of an exageration. In any case, I have a mighty capacity for chow. But in Pittsburgh I routinely left a good bit of my meal on my plate anytime I ate out. I simply couldn't eat it all.

Local friends told me large portions were a Pittsburgh tradition. Its a hard-workin' town. And when Mom and Dad take the family out to eat, by god, they want a meal! I can see that, I guess. And I certainly wouldn't want to violate any local traditions. (Another local tradition: I like this. Neighborhood people put dining room chairs in the street in front of their houses to make sure nobody takes their parking spot.)

Anyway, I always feel a little guilty leaving food on my plate. Big waste, it seems to me.

I was reminded of all this the other night at dinner with some Southeast Asian colleagues visiting here in out little city. We went to a restaurant fancifully styled as "Mexi-Cuban." The food was good enough. But I noticed two colleagues, a Nepali and a Khmer, staring nervously at the generous portions in front of them. Neither ate even half of his meal.

"It is too much," the Nepali said.

They clearly did not know what to do with all that chow. We had an interesting and lengthy discussion about whether consistently large meals stretch the stomach so that anything less than a feast seems inadequate.

No consensus.

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