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This question is directed at people who live in Manhattan.
The New York City media and advertising is always promoting its fine but very expensive restaurants. There is perhaps more expensive four and five star restaurants in this town than anyplace else in America. With tax, wine and desert your meal will be over $100.
While New York City has all these upscale restaurants I don't know anyone who actually eats out in them. Even back when I was making $90K a year and was not jobless and broke I never went to places like Four Seasons. They seemed stuffy and just too expensive.
If you live in Manhattan do you eat out in four and five star restaurants? Why or why not?
I haven't been to too many really high end restaurants. I honestly don't see the need. In New York there are so many good affordable restaurants where you can get a high quality meal.
Due to work, I have been fortunate enough to dine at many of the “fine” restaurants in NYC and I have come to this conclusion
Never enough food. The servings are soooo small, always leaving hungry for more
They are getting by on their name or rating rather then the taste of their food, because it was horrible
Certain “things” you have to follow…….Mr waiter do not look at me funny or say excuse me if I want white wine with beef or red wine with fish (actually I hate wine..yuk)
I can go on and on but in the end...
I take Big Nicks Burgers, some wings at Dallas BBQ (yeah I said it, don’t judge..lol) or my FAVORITE RESTURANT IN NYC El Quijote on 23rd ANY DAY of the week over those 40 star resturants.
Due to work, I have been fortunate enough to dine at many of the “fine” restaurants in NYC and I have come to this conclusion
Never enough food. The servings are soooo small, always leaving hungry for more
They are getting by on their name or rating rather then the taste of their food, because it was horrible
Certain “things” you have to follow…….Mr waiter do not look at me funny or say excuse me if I want white wine with beef or red wine with fish (actually I hate wine..yuk)
I can go on and on but in the end...
I take Big Nicks Burgers, some wings at Dallas BBQ (yeah I said it, don’t judge..lol) or my FAVORITE RESTURANT IN NYC El Quijote on 23rd ANY DAY of the week over those 40 star resturants.
Yeah the portions they give you are small and you may expect more for your money but on the other hand you don't have leave the restaurant in a food coma like you do when you dine at other places.
Mr. All-white-Mayflower-American thinks an expensive dinner is $100 plus. maybe in that backwater town where you come from that's the case.
Not here.
Try $500 and up.
At an expensive place (Say, Jean Georges) just a bottle of (their cheapest) wine usually runs you more than $200.
Hmm.. last I checked, a 4-course dinner for 1 person at Jean Georges is in the range of $98 to about $148. Don't know where you're getting $500 from.
I haven't been to too many really high end restaurants. I honestly don't see the need. In New York there are so many good affordable restaurants where you can get a high quality meal.
I'm the same way. Me and my fiancee go out for special occasions or on date nights but for dinners that come out to like $120-$140 for both of us. I do want to try restaurants like Per Se and Daniel just out of curiousity, but that's going to be like a super super special, once in a year or two thing because I just can't justify spending that much money on a dinner. Even if we didn't have to pay the ridiculously high rent and had a lot of spending money, I just don't think I would be that type of person. I'd rather put the extra money toward a trip somewhere than dinner.
Most of the time I feel no need to eat expensive food when there are so many affordable and delicious choices everywhere. I actually have a hard time deciding what cheap food I want to go with because I crave all of them. Chinese, Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern, Puerto Rican, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Thai, German, Italian..and the list goes on. I have my favorite affordable place for every type of cuisine I could possibly crave at any point in time. Another plus is that all of them are run by hardworking people who deserve every penny. I get amazing meals at good prices and I get to support small businesses at the same time. It works out great.
Hmm.. last I checked, a 4-course dinner for 1 person at Jean Georges is in the range of $98 to about $148. Don't know where you're getting $500 from.
That was obviously hyperbole.
I havent been there in a while (2006) but that seems too cheap anyway.
Does that price include drinks, tax and tip? And you talking about dinner in the main room or the casual one?
Last time I went we spent almost $300. And it wasnt restaurant week, when they usually have promotions and pre-fix menus.
I havent been there in a while (2006) but that seems too cheap anyway.
Does that price include drinks, tax and tip? And you talking about dinner in the main room or the casual one?
Last time I went we spent almost $300. And it wasnt restaurant week, when they usually have promotions and pre-fix menus.
Not sure about those details. The most expensive restaurant in New York City (and the U.S.) is supposed to be Masa. You could easily spend over $1000 for 2 people.
One thing I noticed back when I used to eat at those places, like the Four Seasons, was 99% of the customers were white and over 40. Especially places with a white tablecloth.
You know someone has an issue with race if he brings race into a conversation when the topic has NOTHING to do with race SMH...
Anyway, I've dined at high end places for work related reasons (entertaining clients, etc). I had one client who would always pick the most expensive places when he came into town. It was like the man just looked at a list of most expensive restaurants in NYC and picked from that list. Thank god my company doesn't cap our T&E expenses (and too bad I changed accounts/client list before he got around to requesting Per Se).
When I dine out, I don't really like expensive places just for the sake of them being expensive. I usually go with popular, trendy or just any place that has high reviews for good food.
You know someone has an issue with race if he brings race into a conversation when the topic has NOTHING to do with race SMH...
Anyway, I've dined at high end places for work related reasons (entertaining clients, etc). I had one client who would always pick the most expensive places when he came into town. It was like the man just looked at a list of most expensive restaurants in NYC and picked from that list. Thank god my company doesn't cap our T&E expenses (and too bad I changed accounts/client list before he got around to requesting Per Se).
When I dine out, I don't really like expensive places just for the sake of them being expensive. I usually go with popular, trendy or just any place that has high reviews for good food.
I have had the same thing happen to me except the small firm where I was at the time did not cover. But he was what many consider a "whale" so I had to do....but was the cheapest man in the world when it came to his own finances (guess thats why he had the amount of money he did). After a while I made sure I got back EVERY PENNY AND THEN SOME of what I was shelling out
Mark ups are your best friend
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maybe in that backwater town where you come from that's the case. 
