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Author Topic: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table  (Read 5417 times)

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2011, 12:46:29 pm »
I wish I still had expendable income, but I will save for an experience that I want. It may take me a year or two, but it's worth it. I still find a way to fit the beer things in. :)

Yeah a 200$ meal is a once every few years kind of thing, at least for me.

As gordon says, even to make your own can cost that much, When you go to a place like French Laundry or Chez pannise, you are paying a premium for the highest quality, local, freshest ingredients prepared and served by the best people in their fields who are (hopefully) being paid enough to feel like the best in their field).

In terms of paying for an experience, that's part of what you get. it's not just the food. otherwise I would do it at home (and I do!) which is it's own experience.

**EDIT** gordon, That sounds awesome by the way! your wife is a lucky woman.
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Offline phillamb168

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2011, 01:34:24 pm »
Every time I spend a lot of money at a "Five Star" restaurant, I walk away feeling like a real sucker. Maybe I'm just going to the wrong places. No matter how good it is, no meal should set 2 people back $150 to $200 or even much, much more.

If you want to spend that kind of money, never go to a place that calls itself five star. Get a copy of the Guide Michelin and go to any restaurant listed, even the bib gourmand. If it's got even a single star, it'll be one of the best restaurants you'll have ever been to. $200 is way too much to spend per person, unless you're at Fat Duck, El Bulli, Noma, Per Se or Alinea. And if you're at Noma, WTF are you doing at a restaurant instead of the Mikkeller pub?

Edit to say, I say avoid five star places because normally only hotels are rated up to five stars, restaurants according to michelin are ordered up to 3 stars.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2011, 01:37:29 pm by phillamb168 »
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ccarlson

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2011, 01:37:38 pm »
Every time I spend a lot of money at a "Five Star" restaurant, I walk away feeling like a real sucker. Maybe I'm just going to the wrong places. No matter how good it is, no meal should set 2 people back $150 to $200 or even much, much more.

If you want to spend that kind of money, never go to a place that calls itself five star. Get a copy of the Guide Michelin and go to any restaurant listed, even the bib gourmand. If it's got even a single star, it'll be one of the best restaurants you'll have ever been to. $200 is way too much to spend per person, unless you're at Fat Duck, El Bulli, Noma, Per Se or Alinea. And if you're at Noma, WTF are you doing at a restaurant instead of the Mikkeller pub?

The $200 I'm referring to is for 2 people. You will never find me in a restaurant that charges $200 per person. I don't like dining with crazy people. :)

Offline a10t2

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2011, 01:38:50 pm »
He is describing restaurants like French Laundry, Per Se, Alinea etc. It's obvious he has never been to any of them (for a number of reasons).

Ah, well looking closer I see that he lives in LA, apparently by choice. He deserves what he gets then. ;D
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Offline phillamb168

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2011, 01:51:31 pm »
He is describing restaurants like French Laundry, Per Se, Alinea etc. It's obvious he has never been to any of them (for a number of reasons).

Ah, well looking closer I see that he lives in LA, apparently by choice. He deserves what he gets then. ;D

+1
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Offline weazletoe

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2011, 08:02:26 pm »
Personally, even when I worked a real job, and had the money, I felt sick if Holly and I spent more than 50$ between us on a meal. We could never see the sense in paying that much to eat out. You eat, and a few hours later, you poop, and you're done. Sure, it may have been an "experience",but there are a lot of other things we would like to experience for 200$, before a meal. Not knocking anyone of you who does spend that kind of coin for a meal, it;s just not our thing.
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ccarlson

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2011, 08:43:13 pm »
Personally, even when I worked a real job, and had the money, I felt sick if Holly and I spent more than 50$ between us on a meal. We could never see the sense in paying that much to eat out. You eat, and a few hours later, you poop, and you're done. Sure, it may have been an "experience",but there are a lot of other things we would like to experience for 200$, before a meal. Not knocking anyone of you who does spend that kind of coin for a meal, it;s just not our thing.

It's kind of like pooping a lot of money and all you can do is flush it down the drain. That "experience" doesn't leave me with good thoughts. It's not like I don't enjoy a good dump, but a $30 one is just as good as a $200 one.

Well said weazletoe.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2011, 05:29:17 am by ccarlson »

Offline weazletoe

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #22 on: June 24, 2011, 11:00:30 pm »
To be honest, I have some amazing 5$ poops, from the McDonalds value menu!!  ;D
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Offline thirsty

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #23 on: June 25, 2011, 06:05:45 am »
I am right there with ya weaze. Even when I lived in NYC I couldn't quite get the concept of paying big bucks for, ah, ... food.   ???

Good thing for the chef's not everyone is like me!


Offline morticaixavier

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #24 on: June 25, 2011, 10:57:39 pm »
In america we think of food as something cheap. We tend to pay much less, around 20% or less, of our income towards food. in much of the rest of the world, 'developing' and 'developed' that number is closer to 40%, now one could look at this and think that it means america has cheaper food and yippee but I tend to think about the fact that the third most important thing in the world to our health and survival (air and water being numbers 1 and 2) is an area that maybe we shouldn't scrimp on. This is just my opinion but... I am not defending places that call themselves 5 star and make crappy food served by surly waiters and call that classy.

But I know that a lot of you wouldn't think of buying maris otter malt rather than domestic malt that is 2/3 the price and that's just for your beer. why wouldn't you want the food that nourishes you to be of at least the same quality of the ingredients that go into your beer? If I am going to go out for lunch I look to find a place where I can get a good sandwhich with fresh veg and if it only costs 5 or 6 bucks great! but if it costs 10 bucks because the ingredients are amazing and organic I will do that.
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Offline Tim McManus

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2011, 11:53:20 pm »
I brew beer with a guy who is a chef in NYC.

Find a chef at any good restaurant and serve them some good homebrew.  They will reciprocate (or come over to cook while you brew).
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ccarlson

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #26 on: June 26, 2011, 06:32:48 am »
In america we think of food as something cheap. We tend to pay much less, around 20% or less, of our income towards food. in much of the rest of the world, 'developing' and 'developed' that number is closer to 40%, now one could look at this and think that it means america has cheaper food and yippee but I tend to think about the fact that the third most important thing in the world to our health and survival (air and water being numbers 1 and 2) is an area that maybe we shouldn't scrimp on. This is just my opinion but... I am not defending places that call themselves 5 star and make crappy food served by surly waiters and call that classy.

But I know that a lot of you wouldn't think of buying maris otter malt rather than domestic malt that is 2/3 the price and that's just for your beer. why wouldn't you want the food that nourishes you to be of at least the same quality of the ingredients that go into your beer? If I am going to go out for lunch I look to find a place where I can get a good sandwhich with fresh veg and if it only costs 5 or 6 bucks great! but if it costs 10 bucks because the ingredients are amazing and organic I will do that.

Got no problem with a good $10 sandwich and you just proved that a healthy meal can be had for far under $200.

Offline denny

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #27 on: June 26, 2011, 09:57:32 am »
Got no problem with a good $10 sandwich and you just proved that a healthy meal can be had for far under $200.

Of course it can.  And you can buy a painting at a discount store for a few bucks.  A Monet will cost more.  It's an individual choice, and just because one person doesn't mean that it's wrong for others.
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Offline tubercle

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #28 on: June 26, 2011, 10:19:34 am »
  Ms. Tubercle and I prefer to cook at home for the most part with the occasonal trip out. About twice a year we'll go out somewhere fairly fancy. We're talking in the ~$80 range.


 I always order something on the high end that I have never tried before and spend the next 6 months trying to recreate it at home ;D and then adding my own twist to it.

 The meal is partly reverse engineering the dish.
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ccarlson

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Re: 4 Restaraunts Where You'll Never Get a Table
« Reply #29 on: June 26, 2011, 10:24:16 am »
Got no problem with a good $10 sandwich and you just proved that a healthy meal can be had for far under $200.

Of course it can.  And you can buy a painting at a discount store for a few bucks.  A Monet will cost more.  It's an individual choice, and just because one person doesn't mean that it's wrong for others.

I never said it was wrong, just makes no sense to me and that includes over priced art.