Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Forbes on "Most Expensive US Restaurants"

Squeat Mungry

By Squeat Mungry
in Restaurant Life

 Share

Recommended Posts

Squeat Mungry

Squeat Mungry

Posted
Posted

The article.

The usual suspects, but a few things struck me as odd about the article:

1. The French Laundry is on the list, but no mention is made of Per Se?

2. The author seems to think the French Laundry is in San Francisco. Do other people think of the French Laundry as being in San Francisco? I mean, it doesn't say "near San Francisco" or "outside San Francisco", it says "French Laundry in San Francisco". Weird. I mean, it's an hour and a half drive away.

3. "We judged the restaurants by determining the average cost of a meal per person with one glass of wine and tip, using data from the Zagat Survey." Um, well there ya go. Even so, I think you'd be hard pressed to have a meal and leave a decent tip at the French Laundry for $135, even if you did have only one glass of wine!

Cheers,

Squeat

Really Nice!

Really Nice!

Posted
Posted
The article.

2. The author seems to think the French Laundry is in San Francisco. Do other people think of the French Laundry as being in San Francisco?

Sacrilege! :shock:

Drink!

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. --John Mortimera

melkor

melkor

Posted
Posted

I don't think you can have any sort of meal at the french laundry for $135 since the 9 course veggie menu is $125 plus 18% service plus tax you're spending $160 before you have anything to drink at all.

NulloModo

NulloModo

Posted
Posted

Just looking at the French Laundry menu online it looks like the most expensive dinner is $150 per person, with other clocking in under that.

Given that, as long as one doesn't order wine (which I personally wouldn't, just don't have a taste for the stuff) it seems as if one could get out for a reasonable amount given the caliber of the place.

He don't mix meat and dairy,

He don't eat humble pie,

So sing a miserere

And hang the bastard high!

- Richard Wilbur and John LaTouche from Candide

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted

Seeger's in Atlanta isn't one which guests can get out of with a great meal for the price shown. We have pricier places here.

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

bloviatrix

bloviatrix

Posted
Posted

Compared with ADNY and Masa, Per Se is a bargain as the 9 course tasting menu is $150. I guess that's why they didn't mention it.

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

designchick88

designchick88

Posted
Posted

--slightly off topic--

Does anyone here work for an employer that would allow them to expense a meal, even an important client meal, at a restaurant like this? Just curious. If I tried to expense a $400 meal I would receive my rejected expense report back via FedEx along with an audiotape of the comptroller and my boss laughing their heads off.

Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

Posted
Posted

I used to do it all the time back in dot com days (along with all travel at first or business, whichever was available, luxury cars for rentals, and rediculously nice hotels for usual stays). Of course, the company that I worked for went bust and all of the investors lost their money. I found out that things were bad, in fact, when my company AMEX got rejected when I was taking some clients out to dinner in San Diego. Bingo! You're out of work! Hope you have a round trip ticket home (I didn't) :shock::angry::laugh:

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

docsconz

docsconz

Posted
Posted
Just looking at the French Laundry menu online it looks like the most expensive dinner is $150 per person, with other clocking in under that.

Given that, as long as one doesn't order wine (which I personally wouldn't, just don't have a taste for the stuff)

You forgot the appropriate smilie :raz:

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

bentherebfor

bentherebfor

Posted
Posted

I can't speak for the French Laundry, but I can for Trotters, and I simply don't think you can get food there for that little. The only time I dined there, it was at the kitchen table, so I can't speak for sure, but the bill came to just over 250 per person. That was with no wine! Furthermore, any drinks we did werent charged to us. It seems that almost all Zagat estimations should simply be assumed to be an underetimate, agreed?

Some people say the glass is half empty, others say it is half full, I say, are you going to drink that?

Ben Wilcox

benherebfour@gmail.com

jschyun

jschyun

Posted
Posted

Uh, Bastide is not the most expensive restaurant in L.A. I believe that honor goes to Urasawa at $250 a head.

I love cold Dinty Moore beef stew. It is like dog food! And I am like a dog.

--NeroW

davebr

davebr

Posted
Posted

I justify visiting these places as a true "traveling" value. Hell the plane ticket is less. What a bargain to travel so far in America and the plane ticket is less than the dinner bill------how could one afford not to go?

Gorganzola, Provolone, Don't even get me started on this microphone.---MCA Beastie Boys

davebr

davebr

Posted
Posted

Also, the preception of value is an amazing thing. I felt ripped off last sunday watching the Saints play football while eating 5 buffalo wings for $7 in a sports bar. Needless to say I'll never go back.

When my bill at the French Laundry was $350 for my wife and I in 1997, I asked the waiter if he remembered to put everything on the bill. Surely a meal so fine as that should have cost more money.

Preception of value.

Gorganzola, Provolone, Don't even get me started on this microphone.---MCA Beastie Boys

mjs

mjs

Posted
Posted

The prices are so far off as to be completely misleading. The article mentions a restaurant in Tokyo (L'Osier) being $197/person. While I'm not familiar with that particular restaurant, the number of dining establishments in Tokyo where one averages more than $200/person easily numbers in the thousands. Even with just one drink, I don't think you could dine at Kyubei for less than $300/person. The prix fixe at the Tokyo branch of Tour d'Argent starts at almost $200/person.

Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

Posted
Posted
  I felt ripped off last sunday watching the Saints play football

We all did, Dave. We all did. Being a Saints Fan is a tough row to hoe.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

Hest88

Hest88

Posted
Posted
The author seems to think the French Laundry is in San Francisco.

I actually see this a lot. For instance, Oliveto is often referred to in the national press as being in Berkeley, even though it's well into Oakland. I used to think that was because of the familiarity factor but now I think it's often just a snob factor.

Jerry_A

Jerry_A

Posted
Posted
Even so, I think you'd be hard pressed to have a meal and leave a decent tip at the French Laundry for $135, even if you did have only one glass of wine!

I only had two glasses of wine with my meal and it still cost double that.

Moopheus

Moopheus

Posted
Posted
I actually see this a lot. For instance, Oliveto is often referred to in the national press as being in Berkeley, even though it's well into Oakland. I used to think that was because of the familiarity factor but now I think it's often just a snob factor.

This sort of thing happens routinely in the Boston area too. I suppose national press organizations assume that no one outside of the area knows anything about the area, but peope who live there do it too. It's annoying but not surprising in the least that Forbes would do this.

"I think it's a matter of principle that one should always try to avoid eating one's friends."--Doctor Dolittle

blog: The Institute for Impure Science

fresh_a

fresh_a

Posted
Posted (edited)

This article is riddled with mistakes. The author claims the Ritz Paris' "Sidecar" is the most expensive commerically made cocktail in the world because it contains "1865 Ritz Champagne". It actually is so expensive because it contains "1865 Ritz Champagne COGNAC". The article looks like a rush job to me, but I'm quite surprised that FORBES fact-checkers are so lame...

Edited by fresh_a (log)

Anti-alcoholics are unfortunates in the grip of water, that terrible poison, so corrosive that out of all substances it has been chosen for washing and scouring, and a drop of water added to a clear liquid like Absinthe, muddles it." ALFRED JARRY

blog

fresh_a

fresh_a

Posted
Posted

Then again, if you check out some of the author's other articles , you probably won't be too surprised...

Anti-alcoholics are unfortunates in the grip of water, that terrible poison, so corrosive that out of all substances it has been chosen for washing and scouring, and a drop of water added to a clear liquid like Absinthe, muddles it." ALFRED JARRY

blog

fresh_a

fresh_a

Posted
Posted

I mean, Richard Gere and gerbils???

Anti-alcoholics are unfortunates in the grip of water, that terrible poison, so corrosive that out of all substances it has been chosen for washing and scouring, and a drop of water added to a clear liquid like Absinthe, muddles it." ALFRED JARRY

blog

LaurieA-B

LaurieA-B

Posted
Posted
2. The author seems to think the French Laundry is in San Francisco. Do other people think of the French Laundry as being in San Francisco? I mean, it doesn't say "near San Francisco" or "outside San Francisco", it says "French Laundry in San Francisco". Weird. I mean, it's an hour and a half drive away.

The Herbfarm isn't in Seattle, either.

Hungry Monkey May 2009
Daddy-A

Daddy-A

Posted
Posted
When my bill at the French Laundry was $350 for my wife and I in 1997, I asked the waiter if he remembered to put everything on the bill.  Surely a meal so fine as that should have cost more money.

Preception of value.

Am I the only one who found the Forbes article just a little disturbing? I understand what Forbes is all about, and why they would write such an article. But the fact that we're sitting around comparing restaurants based on their average ticket and not the quality of their food bothers me.

The article speaks of "snob appeal." God knows I understand and even rely on this concept. In my business it can mean the difference between a vacation camping in the backyard and a week in Mexico. Call me a hypocrite, but when a restaurant does it, to me it cheapens the meal.

To me it just smacks of the whole "bigger is better" concept. I may have to re-read the article to be sure, but I don't believe the author ever says anything to acknowledge that "cost does not equate quality". I know an article on "value for money" wouldn't likely find it's way into Forbes ... but it would be a whole lot more meaningful.

Perception of value.

A.

 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...