The Foodie Thread

My youngest and oldest brothers just ate there with their girlfriends/wives. The youngest was on vacation, and the oldest drove down from Berkeley.

They said it was great. Apparently, there's a lot of wine too, so they stayed in town overnight.

I wouldn't even think of it as a special occasion restaurant, but as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I could understand justifying the cost.

 

Chef owns innovative, well reviewed restaurant in the northern suburbs. But, it's "too innovative" for some diners, who give it poor reviews on Yelp.

Chef decides to fight back, and criticize the poor reviews. Hilarity ensues:

we are not a normal restaurant, and we are not for customers who do not want to be more adventurous than the average diner.

We are for people interested in unique, locally grown, sustainable cuisine in a warm and comfortabe setting with a nice and caring service staff.

i dont think Mike enjoys non-traditional restaurants, and thats ok, but places like inovasi and alinea are not for diners who only enjoy traditional french cuisine. Im sorry you did not enjoy your time with us.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/inovasi-lake-bluff#hrid:8c_pNXDOln6A6lE18FvV5A

http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2012/02/john_desrosiers_inovasi_in_lak.html

 

I'm not against splurging on a meal. I look at like you do, a potentially once-in-a-lifetime experience, or at the very least a great performance. The wife and I ate at Commander's Palace in New Orleans once, and I remember the experience -- how great the waiters were, the head waiter playfully (I think playfully) snapping at me when I tried to hand him a dirty plate -- more than I do the food. That was easily worth twice what we paid for lunch.
But spending upwards of $500 on one meal, or one performance? Just too much. I guess everybody has their limits. I would draw the line at $200, and that better be the best damn meal I've ever eaten.

 

Just to amuse myself, I looked up what tickets to the Book of Mormon -- maybe the hottest show on Broadway -- cost.

I picked a Saturday night in November, figuring tickets would be available. An orchestra seat is $155.00, pus $46.00 in fees.

http://boxoffice.broadway.com/boxoffice/pohinv2.aspx?oi=33607333&ox=4ED573BD-E0C0-4C08-B01E-FB05EEA08FC7

For a premium seat, you can spend as much as $352.00 plus $105.00 in fees.

And, if you're going to a Broadway show, you're probably going for a nice dinner too.

I believe the current menu at Next is a five hour affair. Alinea is a four hour dinner. It is dinner and a show.

These top chefs really are artists. The creativity is stunning. The experience is unique.

 

And I probably wouldn't pay $300-plus for a Broadway show, either.
Didn't know those dinners were four-hour, all-night events, but to blow $500 or more (I think Alinea was $225 per person when I checked) on one night's entertainment is just too much for me. If you can afford it, great. I can't. Not even once in a lifetime.

 

Chicago Tribune gives Next's El Bulli menu four stars:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/ct-dining-0223-el-bulli-review-vettel-20120222,0,1147365,full.column

Since their criteria requires two visits, I'm guessing we'll see a lot of low priced restaurants reviewed in the coming months.

 

This is pretty cool:

 

Next's elBulli menu in pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ulteriorepicure/sets/72157629567261977/

 

Chicago Trib reviewer coins the term, "nitropub":

Anyone been to a place like this? Is it a trend in your city, and what do you think?

Gilt Bar is one of my favorite restaurants in the city right now, and I like Maude's, Paris Club, and Tavernita. Have upcoming reservations at Nellcote.

I also dig the fancy cocktails and like trying to recreate them at home.

 

I hate, hate, hate eating in a place with loud music.

I've been to a couple of excellent places in NYC like this for work dinners where I was counting the seconds until I leave.

I am doing this tonight with a bunch of friends -- http://www.winedanddined.com/2011/02/dbgb-kitchen-bar-goes-whole-hog-w-all-you-can-drink-craft-beer-again/

 

You'll never have the best hamburger in the world then.