Your Turn
After thinking about Kim Kardashian's $1M cake and the $1000 sundae at Serendipity, I was wondering what is the most you have ever spent on a meal. You can include a wedding if you want, just because I am always curious about those things. My cheapest wedding reception was $3.95 which consisted of two foot long hot dogs in Vegas. And I wonder why that marriage didn't last.
The really fancy ones are usually paid for by a consultant and are work-related. I spent a few hundred on a birthday dinner once, but that's the only time I can think of.
ReplyDeleteMy wedding receptions were similar to Ent's. And those marriages didn't last either.
I paid about $100 for a dinner at Nora's in Washington, DC. That was for me. My husband was wooing me. I don't remember the total for the 2 of us.
ReplyDeleteI'm a vegetarian. Most of my meals don't get that expensive. It was really good. It was the last really good night I had with my husband before we split.
Most expensive meal was the one my husband and I had for our anniversary in DC. I think after everything was said and done we dropped almost four hundred, which is saying a lot since we're both sober.
ReplyDeleteLobster...usually, or one of the tasting menu's like Nobu.....OMG yum,
ReplyDeletebut otherwise we are just simple folk...cook at home mostly.
I think I spent over $100 at Spago's in Vegas with my friend.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this counts, but for my sister's birthday I gave her a $150 gift certificate to use at Morimorto in Philly. That only covered half of the bill for her and her husband.
$1,000 at Tru in Chicago (dinner for 2). It was an amazing experience.
ReplyDeleteThe most I ever spent on a meal was about 25 years ago... about $150. It was at some little authentic Italian restaurant on Rodeo Drive in LA (I don't even remember the name or if it's still there!) and I was with two co-workers. We were the only ones in the restaurant until Armand Assante came in. Anyway, the owner of the restaurant sent his three sons over to personally wait on us... well, those gorgeous sexy Italian boys had a way of looking into your eyes and talking low next to your ears and you'd pretty much order anything they suggested :) Too bad they weren't on the menu...heh! We spent way too much money on whatever they kept bringing us and I don't regret a penny... for the eye candy, especially!
ReplyDeleteI got a big sale early in my career and hubby and I went to Gibson's and I ordered a 2 lb lobster tail for $50.00. When all was said and done about $200.00.
ReplyDeleteI took a client out to dinner one night and he decided to "pick the wine." The dinner was over $600.00. My boss was none to please, but oh well.
brunch (not dinner) at the French Laundry 10 years ago...
ReplyDeletemy share was $250 (w/one glass of wine)
My husband and I live in Rome and we usually go out for pizza or pasta, since I don't really like the idea of wasting tons of money on restaurant meals.
ReplyDeleteBut we invited my mom to stay with us over her 50th birthday and took her out to this famous hotel overlooking the Spanish Steps. The bill was over 600 $ for the three of us!!! And the portions were ridiculously tiny, I actually ended up going home hungry, but for sure it was a meal I (and especially my husband who footed the bill) will never forget.
$450.00 @Heat in Chicago. The fish are killed right before they are served to you. The live shrimp are chopped up at the table, believe it or not. Also, I was at a wedding where the tab was $650.00/person including orchestra, food, bar and valet. And flowers. Also the bride wore couture Vera Wang. And a two- track, frozen vodka toboggan,if you can imagine it.
ReplyDeleteI would call myself a foodie but that to me is synonymous with asshole. But we eat out a lot at really renowned restaurants. When we were in Germany last month we had an 8-course meal at Residenz Heinz Winkler complete with a different wine for each course. A painful bill. Luckily it was in euros so it didn't seem as bad. Also up there: Steirereck and Palais Coburg in Vienna, Taillevent in Paris, Gramercy Tavern, Inn at Little Washington ... you get the idea. We're eating our way through the Relais Chateau book.
ReplyDeleteKrips, was it at the Hassler? We are staying there in March and would love to hear more about the restaurant.
ReplyDelete"The Claim Company" .. Oak Brook Shopping Center, Oak Brook, IL .. circa .. I wanna say 1985?? Maybe 1986?? Wasn't the food .. it was the tip. The waiter was gorgeous and I fell instantly in love. Bill was somewhere around $35 for me and my two friends .. and I left a $150 tip. Thing was .. I was so embarrassed I had done that afterward .. I never went back to see what might have happened.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what my wedding reception cost .. but it was a serious waste of my parents money .. I can tell you that.
$2500.
ReplyDeleteI had a boyfriend who was working in London, and I flew out to see him as a surprise only to end up being dumped after dessert (he made me pay for my half which was $200). After dinner we went back to his place so I could collect my belongings, hail a cab, and find a hotel room until my flight left for two days later. That asshole ruined London for me---fuck it, he ruined the whole of England for me. Whenever anyone talks about how great the UK is, I start to stew about the man-child who did me wrong.
Cancan, yes, it was the Hassler! The portions were tiny, but the food honestly some of the best I've ever eaten. We each took the sample menu and every course was a pure explosion of totally new tastes. My mom was actually moaning throughout the dinner, it was that good. If you go, make sure to book the corner table overlooking the Spanish Steps. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI never really spend a lot going out to eat--every time I have eaten at a "special" restaurant, it didn't seem so special at all-although I do love food and will drive to 10 different places when I grocery shop to get hot dogs from this butcher and perogies from this place, etc. The most is surely under $100 for me.
ReplyDeleteMy wedding reception consisted of a small cake made by a little panaderia called Marissa's in Mpls.
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&expIds=17259,18167,26637,26830,26992,27059,27095&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&cp=22&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=%22minneapolis%22+marissas&fb=1&gl=us&hq=marissas&hnear=Minneapolis,+MN&cid=11665962445888239561
and their tamales are crazy good. I don't think the amount spent on a reception directly influences how long the marriage lasts at all.
Krips...yes the Hassler...beautiful..
ReplyDeleteis that wonderful restaurant still there behind the Spanish Steps ?
250+ per person
ReplyDeletemoto in Chicago
and WORTH EVERY PENNY.
everyone needs to try it at least once.
My boyfriend and I went to Charlie Trotter's in Chicago a few years ago and did the tasting menu with the wine pairings. It was pretty unbelievable and cost around $275 per person. I would like to go to Per Se here in NYC before I move back to California, but I think I should start saving up, it's $250 per person without drinks.
ReplyDeleteMy dad paid for our honeymoon in Cabo. We stayed at a really expensive place (Las Ventanas) and at the end of the trip, he came out to visit with my sister and her boyfriend (he was single at the time). I thought as a gesture for paying for such a nice vacation, I would buy a round of drinks. I snuck up to pay and she gave me back my American Express and it said 492. I said, "That's pesos, right?" and she said, "No. That's dollars. Your father is drinking 50 year old tequila." I almost fell over. Damn. One round of drinks was $492! I don't think my dad ever even knew I paid for it!!
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't the most expensive meal I've ever paid for, but that was most definitely the most expensive round of drinks I have ever bought!
Krips - thanks! We are staying at the Hassler and will be there on a Sunday, when most restaurants are closed for dinner. However, the hotel restaurant is open -- fate! Glad to hear it's worthy!
ReplyDeleteback before the music industry reeled and flopped in the face of illegal downloading, every sector of the industry made ridiculous money...one night we were hungry and decided we wanted pizza. in italy. so we booked flights, and off we went. flew to rome. got there by morning, had seriously good noms at an excellent little place called o pazzariello, and returned home that evening...ahh, good times. if you're ever in rome, i highly rec their mondo-fab brand of yum. while on the topic of pizza...(and since we music peeps have now developed a taste for humble pie...surprisingly tasty, actually)...i seriously rec saluggi's in tribeca for some excellent ny style. great little hole in the wall that's very authentic.
ReplyDeleteas for priciest i never paid for...the last one was during super bowl wk this yr...table of 11...mostly nfl baller clients...bill of $42k @ the forge on miami beach. i'm telling you, athletes make musicians look piss poor. it's crazy.
I went to a million dollar wedding in SF- Rehearsal dinner at the top of the Fairmount- $65,000 on the flowers alone, really crazy and not nearly as fun as the shotgun wedding in a small town in NM with the best homemade mexican food I have ever had! I went to Joe's Stone Crab in Miami with a group of 25+ people and I don't remember the total but I belive it was in the 10k range.
ReplyDeleteAbout $600 pp, but that included a bottle of the cabernet sauvignon featured in "Bottle Shock." (We knew we were about to get laid off, and the company was paying for the dinner.)
ReplyDeletei rarely pay for my meals. but i can break down the costs of a few food items i've blown money on:
ReplyDelete$65 for a box of 12 macarons (outrageous, but worth every penny in quality)
$15 for 3 ounces of cheese
$35 for 10 ounces of honey
$25 for a small bag of handmade lavender infused marshmallows.
$45 for a box of 12 pink champagne chocolate truffles
but in the end? the dental bills are the highest prices due to my ridiculous habits of consuming expensive sweets, but i'm not going to let you all in on that one.
Hmmm. Most recently it was probably dinner for nine at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia for just a regular, non-wedding meal. It was wintertime so we all had odd game-type entrees (I had saddle of rabbit).
ReplyDeleteDa Mimmo's $30+ veal chop entree in Baltimore's Little Italy was a pretty high-dollar meal back in the early 90's when I was a struggling 20-something. But that damn veal chop was to DIE for! Still one of the best meals I've ever had.
I'm sure they were all dishes of a lifetime, but anyone paying what some of you claim to have paid for a dinner for 2 or 3 are suckers. There's no meal worth spending more than, say, 4x what its ingredients cost, anything more and you're just paying for atmosphere or hype or because the restaurateur can tell you're being indulgent. I can't remember spending more than maybe $100 on a meal for 2, and I'm pretty sure that was for sushi. But at least I didn't have to watch them kill it in front of me, GAG. Would you watch your cow slaughtered or your chicken have its head chopped off? Gross. I'm vegetarian now so at least that experience is totally off the table.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone is pulling a Camille Grammer here. Enty asked so people are telling outrageous stories. I pay over $100 per meal a lot, and I don't mind when the food is worthy and the wine is fantastic (and I am not rich). I enjoy it. My husband enjoys it. It's something we do. From the sound of it, a lot of people on this board enjoy spending money on food if it is worth it, hence us answering Enty's question. If it's not your thing, that's totally cool. I just don't think that makes us all suckers.
ReplyDeleteMost recently: Gary Danko's in SF. Michelin star (one). Wine pairing and price fixe dinner: $200 pp. We've eaten there twice and it's hard to think about eating anywhere else when we go to the City. Food is my extravagance. My dog lives on love and I live on love and food.
ReplyDeleteI eat cheap-as-hell dried beans, grits and canned sardines for dinner a lot of times too, trinnean, so crawl back under your sanctimonious tofu wad and let us enjoy the GD "Your Turn" without your bullshit from the peanut gallery.
ReplyDelete(I mean this in the nicest possible way)
I wasn't even including alcoholic beverages--I can kind of understand if the bill triples because you've had some amazing wine or ancient scotch or something (though I think those prices are often inflated also). If you are able to be frivolous with that sort of thing that's great, but I still think you're paying a lot more for not that much more value (and especially when you leave still hungry!). Food is food--there are some foods that can vary greatly in quality like red meat and fish, but otherwise the little guys and the expensive guys are buying the same thing. I will even take into consideration that some chefs at high-end restaurants have had special training, but cooking is something anyone can learn to do from home, even gourmet. I do realize most of these stories are special occasions or other people's special occasions, most of you are not doing this every week. If there is any blame to be cast I would cast it at the restaurateurs who charge more just because they know people will pay it and not because they're genuinely offering you a unique food experience.
ReplyDeletetrinnean - My fiance and I make decent money and we enjoy food. That $1000 meal was for my 40th birthday. The ambiance, service, food were just excellent. There are a number of world class restaurants in Chicago and I've been to a bunch and want to go more. It's my money and I will spend it as I see fit. On an unrelated note, nice to see so many Chicagoans on this site!
ReplyDeleteI meant what I said in the nicest way possible, too. Unfortunately the nature of the medium tends to make us read our own "sanctimonious" tone into things from time to time. Being called a sucker is hardly a thing to get bent out of shape about. I had a valid point to make about overpriced food and restaurants. I wasn't calling out anyone specifically. I think it merely proves that value is according to the individual and what someone will pay, not what a thing actually costs.
ReplyDeletei've had a lot of expensive dinners but the most i ever spent for an entree was $125 for white truffle pasta, which this excellent restaurant only has for a few months every year. it was worth every penny.
ReplyDeleteIn the spirit of full disclosure, I added in cost of flight + hotel + meals which equaled out to be $2,500. Literally, my most expense mistake ever.
ReplyDeleteIn my daily life, I have a rule I eat by: if it costs more than $10, I can’t afford it. (Trying to save money for retirement/down payment on a house.
@Treesap: That was pretty crappy of that guy, but I wonder if the gesture of going to such lengths on a surprise was what prompted him to make his announcement. If you're in This Place where that expenditure is just part of the package of love and he's in That Place where it's not, it might have made sense to him to do the breaking up sooner rather than later. I once drove 3500 miles (RT) for a surprise 2-day visit with my then-boyfriend who was in AmeriCorps, so I totally get where you're coming from. (Srsly, the drive up was longer than the visit.) That one didn't last, either. FWIW I think you were pretty gutsy and romantic! Just find a hot Brit who makes you feel amazing and it will change all your feelings about England. :)
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of really good steak houses locally. Without drinks plan on a minimum of $50 per person. Its a shame really because the best steak Ive ever had was picked up at the meat market for $6 a couple of hours before it hit my plate.
ReplyDeleteI've never spent more than $30 for a meal, but my boss took me and a co-worker to Vincent once, and I know that cost a fortune. Best food I've ever eaten. Enty, if you ever visit the Twin Cities again, Vincent has the best hamburger in the state.
ReplyDelete$750 for two people for sunday brunch at per se in new york. The best part was that my ex-bf from 10 years ago picked up the tab. If he was out to impress me with how he's done, it worked :) Best meal of my life, without doubt. Every single bite was something special, and I've never had better service in my life. 3 dessert courses alone. I'm salivating remembering that meal.
ReplyDelete$400 at Oya in Boston. Yummy... but $400.... not sure it was *worth* it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my friend stepped on Cameron Diaz's bag at the same place, and they ended up having a convo, she said she was super nice, and Cam said it was her favorite sushi place, including Japan.
ReplyDelete$150 for two, no drinks or dessert at the Napa Rose in the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland. A friend and I went for 4th of July fireworks and stumbled upon the restaurant while we were trying to escape the hords of people. It was spur of the moment meal and a little rushed so we could see the fireworks, but quite good.
ReplyDeleteThe most I've ever spent myself was around $75 (w/tip) when going out to a Brazilian BBQ place outside Dallas w/a whole pile of my friends from alt.music.nin (ah, Usenet...)--it was one of our annual get-togethers. They had smoked salmon (and lots of it, too) on the salad bar, along w/a gigantic bowl of bacon I just wanted to do a header into. I got off cheap because I didn't drink, so God only knows what some of the others paid, but considering the amount of drinking that went down that weekend, it must have been scary. :-o Most expensive meal anyone else fed me was when one of the rec.music.tori-amos regulars decided he loved Blue Ginger in Wellesley so much that he'd take anyone who wanted to go out for dinner, bless his heart--I think it was around $300 before tips for 4 of us, but so good, and we even got to meet Ming Tsai to boot. OM NOM NOM NOM NOM! (I do have another friend who flew Spain & back in a 24-hour whirlwind just to eat at El Bulli, though...)
ReplyDelete@Robin the Mad - I live near Blue Ginger! Ming is there a lot. We saw Daniel Dae Kim there, SWOON! It's not too pricey if you go for lunch,
ReplyDeleteThe most expensive dinner I've ever eaten was 500.00 for two people. My (ex!)best friend and I decided to have a date with one and other before she went away to school. It was at this place called "Splendido" in Toronto. It was o.k. Too much for my particular palate, and I was hungry after (ate a burger), but it was an experience...I'd rather eat a burger.
ReplyDelete$500+ for two at the Hassler in Rome (On top of the hill - over look Spanish Steps and Via Condotti) over an Easter weekend. It was fantastic.
ReplyDelete$180 at the Space Needle in Seattle for my oldest son's graduation. Great view and good food.
ReplyDeleteProbably something that was paid for by my parents or old bosses, likely BUT for my husband and I, dinner at New York Prime in Atlanta the weekend of the Conan show...$300.
ReplyDeleteI have alot of catching up to do with you guys! Sounds like you have been to some awesome places. I enjoyed reading everyone's posts (as per usual) :)
Wow! Great stories here!! About $100 for myself is tops for me alone, not including alcohol. Blue Agave in Fells Point, Baltimore. Really great chef. I always get an appetizer with dinner. I just tell the waiter "not chicken" or something like that and let the chef do whatever he wants. It's magic there! And, you can get a 50 year old tequila too!! Usually the dinner is no more than $35. The appetizer can be $10-$15. This was a great YT, thanks Enty!!
ReplyDelete