tcizma

First of all, I want to know how you got out of Arpege for $175 ? Last I visited was closer to $800 for the two of us. ( granted, good wine) There is plenty of top notch product available to american chefs who have the means and desire to obtain them. ( Chuck is in that category) There certain items that are specific to the geographic location ( Brittany lobsters for example) But dedicated producers and growers all over the United States are offering up items comparable in quality to anyone, anywhere.

kind of off topic aren't we?

Many producers are setting the prices of thier wines arbitrarily based on how they want thier wines to perceived in the marketplace. Some wine sellers ( restaurants and retail ) say that they leesen the markup on the higher end wines. I say, why should I cut my profit margin because Mr. Napa Valley winemaker has decided he wants to get $90 a bottle for his wine wholesale . I apply the same markup as I do for a $20 wine. If it doesn't sell, guess what? Not restocking that wine. I was talking to man who makes and sells high end California wines recently. I asked him if he was concerned with the apparent backlash against high priced California wines. "Not as long as I continue to sell everything I make". Amazing that you can buy Opus one off of a pallet at Costco, yet people still ooh and ahh and pay huge $ at restaurants. Somebody is buying these wines ( this applies to some if not most of the others mentioned in previous posts as well ) And as long as they are, prices aren't going to drop.

I would be curious to hear how much of my dollar was spent on food, and how much was spent for a private guide to the men's room. For an accurate number, we would have to know how many bellinis and waters were actually consumed, in order to break out the food. Assume that the food portion was $250, raw cost of ingredients was probably $75-100. That's being generous. As a former Chicago restaurateur, I bought product from many of the same vendors. The cost of the food is rarely relateable in a restaurant like Trotter's. At CT the cost is in the army of staff he employs to produce those cute little plates, and the glasssware, and the china, and the linen, and the wine inventory, and the fresh flowers...ad nauseum.

Clearly, the point of a restaurant like Charlie Trotters is like the #2 described in Jon Tsengs post. You have to be ready for the experience, and willing to submit to the protocol of the restaurant. It is unreasonable to expect a restaurant ( any restaurant) to be all things to all people, regardless of the price of a meal. All good restaurants try to be as accomodating as possible, and Trotters is no exception, but there are limits. ( I once did a full on degustation with a guest who was vegan and drank no red wine ) When a restaurant and or chef reaches icon status ( both Charlie and his eponymous restaurant qualify ) it becomes almost impossible to meet the expectations of the dining public. I mean come on, it's only food and wine. Of course there are those magical occasions when it all happens and the diner is transported into that otherworldy state of foie gras and trockenberenauslese induced nirvana, but often this is influenced by other factors as well. Who you are with, how your day at work was, etc... Sort of like dropping acid, you have to be ready to have fun. For the record, I have had an inordinate number of those experiences at Trotters. He ( and his staff ) have done an amazing job of remaining consistently excellent for a long time.

I was only on part two when I realized what the conclusion would be. Leave Charlie Trotters to the folks who understand and appreciate the aesthetic and intangible nature of a truly great restaurant experience. ( and who can afford it , I spent $350 at Chili's with my kids). And next time, leave that persecution complex at home.