I have never had a problem expensing or chitting any entertainment or dining expense.
But aside from corporate expense accounts, there are just a large concentration of wealthy households in/around NYC. When the norm for a “regular” UES apt is upwards of 1200 / sq ft, a four-figure dinner every month or so is not so much an extravagant indulgence as much as it is a well-deserved reprieve from the City.
There are many NYC residents who consider a four-figure meal a rounding error in their bank account balance.
Perhaps the other 1%. The threshold for that in NY is $700k or so. Yeah there’s a fair number of people there but I wonder if it’s enough to keep all of these places full.
Oh by the way if you know where there’s a decent apartment for $1200 a foot on the UES, please tell. I will lift the offer.
But that isn’t a tasting menu but a prix fixe (which a lot of upscale restaurants also do instead of a tasting menu). At least for us the interesting part of a tasting menu is that the chef is creating unique dishes without any input from us/customer as a good tasting menu isn’t only about the single courses but also the overarching composition of a tasting menu (which will get totally lost with a prix fixe). It’s often even fun to connect with chefs who normally don’t offer tasting menus and arrange one - they really like to go all out on their creativity.
we did our 50th there - it was great.
The Black Olive is another good eats place - especially the fish.
the Foreman Wolf group took over The Milton Inn (Sparks Md) post covid. The Milton Inn was previously a mega-fav under Brian Boston and we were very excited at the prospect of it continuing in top notch form. regrets the new Milton Inn has not yet hit stride - we’ll try it again in 12-18 months.
What island are you thinking? Most I’ve been to would be more than that for a single night in a really nice hotel suite. I’d like to find some cheaper alternatives these days. The Caribbean is also getting pricey.
yes - it’s large a definitions question. by the strict definition there is no choice with a tasting menu, as you point out. it’s been ‘curated’ to showcase…
we’ve had some hits and misses with ‘tasting menus’ - but that happens with (every~) choice.
If I didn’t have to worry about cost, the experience would be more important than the price. When you hit a certain income/savings, it’s just a different lifestyle and set of priorities.
I’d love to have the chance to make up my own mind about it.
Not one in particular. My sister and I were able to do a 5 night cruise there for about $1500 for the both of us, so I was just speculating what $1000 might get instead of a single meal for 2.
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BarneyGrubble
(Beethoven and Latina singer fan in Ottawa)
32
Is spending $1,000 a guarantee that you will get a great meal at the 3-star restaurants?
Back in October I paid around 500 dollars a night for a good 4 star hotel in the UWS - in fact, one of the cheapest rooms in the hotel. That is double what a similar room in Paris would cost me. Looking at it from that angle, 1000 dollars isn’t outrageous…
I was in Baltimore last fall. Went to visit a client I had not seen in 3 years. Went to dinner here.
Really nice place in an old brewery. I was surprised by how good the food has gotten in town (away from crabs). Very reasonable prices. At least when viewed through a New York lens.
Plenty of hotels have rooms for less than that. But if you wanted a suite in a really nice hotel, with the ones I’m familiar with it’s not enough. Especially in high season.
I am comfortable with a very occasional 125 GBP/ $150 USD/ 135 Euro/ $200 Cdn splurge, not including alcohol.
Despite food costs and resto prices going up, I think my most expensive meal in the past 3 years was an Omakase in Toronto that was around $120 Cdn before tax.
I had a couple nice meals in Japan in 2020, but I don’t think I spent more than $100 USD on any of them.
When I finally return to NYC, I see myself splurging on high quality take-out, rather than tasting menus that take hours.
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BarneyGrubble
(Beethoven and Latina singer fan in Ottawa)
39
I know what you mean. I ate at a 2-star restaurant in Geneva 30 years ago (my only Michelin restaurant), and wondered what the fuss was all about as it was so unremarkable. OTOH, on the same trip, I had a great meal in a nondescript restaurant in Lyon; what drew me in were two words on a board outside, “Foie gras.”
