Forbes on "Most Expensive US Restaurants"

[Squeat Mungry]

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

[little ms foodie]

I agree about the prices mentioned, it always throws me when they order the bare bones and call it $150. Then I go and the bill is $300 and I haven't even ordered anything of an amazing vintage!

But that Hedonist Dinner sounds amazing! Can you imagine??? Hold on, i'm trying!!

[Really Nice!]

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?

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Sacrilege!

[melkor]

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]

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.

[Gifted Gourmet]

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.

[bloviatrix]

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.

[designchick88]

--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]

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)

[docsconz]

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)

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You forgot the appropriate smilie

[bentherebfor]

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?

[jschyun]

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

[davebr]

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?

[davebr]

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.

[mjs]

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]

  I felt ripped off last sunday watching the Saints play football

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

[Hest88]

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]

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]

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.

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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.

[fresh_a]

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 October 17, 2004 by fresh_a (log)

[fresh_a]

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

[bleudauvergne]

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

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Oh la la.

[fresh_a]

I mean, Richard Gere and gerbils???

[LaurieA-B]

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.

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The Herbfarm isn't in Seattle, either.

[Daddy-A]

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.

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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.