High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews

[citanul]

El Sapo,

I agree to a point. Obviously situations can arise where things happen like there is a new dish on the menu that and the server has simply not had a chance.

Arfinn,

In the US, there just flat out aren't that many places you can find with expected $200 on just food. (This is just food, per diner.)

The menus at per se, NY, are $250.
Grand tasting menu at Moto, Chicago, $165.
Tour menu at Alina, Chicago, $195.
Babbo, NY, $70.

I'm sure there's a bunch of places that are quite expensive that I'm not remembering, but these are just a few places that are definitely "high end." While $75 might be too low for the US as well, it might not be, I dno. I wanted to leave the possibility that people could talk about things like a good steakhouse or a good fishmarket type restaurant, or many of the excellent sushi places out there. This old page (2005 Forbes) lists the "most expensive restaurants in the US." While it's clearly out of date, it lists alinea (prices above) at #2. Obviously many of these places also hit you pretty hard for a bottle or flight of wine, but that's sort of a user-defined price instead of menu price to eat food.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

[ QUOTE ]

Arfinn,

In the US, there just flat out aren't that many places you can find with expected $200 on just food. (This is just food, per diner.)


[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, I have never been to the US. It is probably a bit difficult to compare across countries, because if I eat a $50 food meal in Poland I expect it to be very good.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

For not too expensive restaurant that has great standard I recommend this one in Oslo. Everything is perfect (or at least used to be, haven't been in Oslo for a year):

Dinner

[The Yugoslavian]

I don't think my lunch $$ is gonna be enough for you to get into these places, [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].

How excited are you about finding a place that is under $75 but still delicious? Whenever I hear you talk about this topic I kinda get the feeling that part of what you're in it for is the "status" of having been to "impressive" restaurants.

On the other hand, I get the feeling someone like El D is interested very much in both. He wants to get cheap awesome food, medium expensive awesome food and the uber high status food as well. Is the deal simply that you already pwn at cheap good food and medium expensive good food?

Yugoslav
Who simply wants to be good at medium expensive good food, lol.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

[ QUOTE ]
How excited are you about finding a place that is under $75 but still delicious? Whenever I hear you talk about this topic I kinda get the feeling that part of what you're in it for is the "status" of having been to "impressive" restaurants.


[/ QUOTE ]

You can obviously find excellent food <$75. But still the best restaurants I have been to have been more expensive, but has something to do with the total atmosphere, more than simply the food. If it would be available for $20, then great. It is also a matter of priorities, save $3k on your purchases of car, furniture etc. and give you and your Mrs. some nights you will remember for life instead, it is much more happiness/$ in my opinion. Your pretentiousness radar should beep more on expensive watches and such, a douchebag is more likely to spend his money on that.

[Roan]

One thing that I think a lot of high end joints lose track of is that I expect to be full at the end of dinner.

I lived in New Orleans for 4 years and one of my favorite things about the top places in NO is that you always left stuffed.

In NY, a few times I've stopped for a $2 slice of pizza on my way home from a $100 dinner.