is it douchebag to invite poorer friends to an expensive restaurant?

[alkemyst]

Can't speak for the OP, but some of the most memorable experiences of my life were at high end restaurants. I'm talking about multi-hour tasting menus and not steak, but I have no doubt that many people here feel the same way about steak they had somewhere.

That's a good example. Spending $150-175 for a price fixed menu is often a full night of tasting things that were prepared just for you and things you usually cannot even order outside that experience.

You usually are eating in a very private to semi-private dining room and not having to ask for anything...

 

[torpid]

That's a good example. Spending $150-175 for a price fixed menu is often a full night of tasting things that were prepared just for you and things you usually cannot even order outside that experience.

You usually are eating in a very private to semi-private dining room and not having to ask for anything...

To add to that, at the great restaurants each dish usually involves 5-10 elements that each have a complicated recipe of their own. It would be very time consuming to even attempt most of the dishes.

 

[Ns1]

Why do you pay that much money for dinner?

dinner as entertainment.

 

[Red Squirrel]

At $200 per person you are better off renting a hotel suite and just use room service a lot. :awe:

Seriously, that's insane money for a meal. You can buy a lot of things for $200 that will last longer than a meal will.

I would not even remotely pay close to that for the most awesome poutine in the world, and that's my favorite food.

 

[Ns1]

Seriously, that's insane money for a meal. You can buy a lot of things for $200 that will last longer than a meal will.

$200 for a meal = 2-4 hours of entertainment + being fed

For some people, this is a better deal than going to sporting events, concerts, H&B, drinking, etc

 

[Krazy4Real]

I wouldn't go and drop $400 at a restaurant for two people. You can get a great experience spending $120 for two people easy.

 

[BladeVenom]

Rolex Submariner

http://i53.tinypic.com/idgi1d.jpg

Sell the Rolex, and get a custom handgun.

 

[Ns1]

I wouldn't go and drop $400 at a restaurant for two people. You can get a great experience spending $120 for two people easy.

I wouldn't go about spending $$$ on a gaming rig either when you can get a dell for much less, easy.

to each his own 😉

 

[Red Squirrel]

$200 for a meal = 2-4 hours of entertainment + being fed

For some people, this is a better deal than going to sporting events, concerts, H&B, drinking, etc

But the thing is you can get the same experience elsewhere for way cheaper. You can go to a place like Caseys and get the exact same experience for $20-$30 per person.

 

[Ns1]

But the thing is you can get the same experience elsewhere for way cheaper. You can go to a place like Caseys and get the exact same experience for $20-$30 per person.

No, you can't.

Sitting down at outback for $20/head is nothing like mortons @$50-100/head, which is nothing like cut @$100-200/head.

The following pictures are from CUT

4 grades of beef: Japanese, Snake River, dry aged, and wet aged

NOT the same thing at all. About as similar as a $300 Dell vs a $1500 Alienware, or $500 front row seats vs $30 nosebleeds.

 

[sygyzy]

But the thing is you can get the same experience elsewhere for way cheaper. You can go to a place like Caseys and get the exact same experience for $20-$30 per person.

I'm just curious because I see a lot of people do this but when you drop a name like Caseys, does that mean you assume people on the Internet all live in your city or even province? I had to google it and it looks like it has a total of three locations. I am not poking fun of you. I just find it fascinating. If we were discussing burgers, I wouldn't say "That sounds good, but everyone knows the best burgers are at Mike and Keiths"

 

[DeathRows]

Where i come from the person who invites is the one that pays. If they want to pay or offer to help, that is great and you don't think twice about inviting them out to eat.

 

[SSSnail]

To each their own, some people are fine with burgers and hotdogs; some have no problem paying $50 for a few ounces of foie-gras.

Speaking of foie-gras, the last $400 for two dinner for me and the missus was for a very special occasion - The Foie-gras send off dinner at The 5th Floor in SF a few months ago (after all the floozies decided to ban foie-gras across the state, it was a sad day). It was 7-course that turned out to be 9 and the chef came out and we shook his hand afterwards. That, we thought was worth the money, but steaks?

I thought Charlie Palmer in South Coast is damn good for your money (about $200 for 2), anymore and it's ridiculous. Same for Ruth.

Anyways, to not be a douche is to pick up the check if you're inviting. If your friends care about you, they would have invited you to a birthday party that they throw for you at a place that they are comfortable with.

Oh, I occasionally wear a digital Casio watch, pimping. 😉

 

[sjwaste]

No, you can't.

Sitting down at outback for $20/head is nothing like mortons @$50-100/head, which is nothing like cut @$100-200/head.


NOT the same thing at all. About as similar as a $300 Dell vs a $1500 Alienware, or $500 front row seats vs $30 nosebleeds.

Serious question from someone who probably enjoys a great meal as much as you do - do you actually find steakhouses interesting or worth the price? Right now, I find myself avoiding them entirely as a boring experience. If I have $400 to burn, I'm going to Hugo's (Portland, Maine) with my wife for an 8 course blind tasting and wine pairings. Or I might go look for a hole in the wall ethnic joint. Or even just go get bar food. But if I want a steak, I usually just make it at home. Being near a great food city, I can get the good ingredients, and steak is the one thing where I'm very confident my preparation is as good as a high end steakhouse.

I've had one truly great, still memorable steakhouse experience, at Barclay Prime in Philadelphia. It was absolutely perfect from start to finish. I have to admit, that was great, but no other steakhouse has really impressed me.

 

[Ns1]

Speaking of foie-gras, the last $400 for two dinner for me and the missus was for a very special occasion - The Foie-gras send off dinner at The 5th Floor in SF a few months ago (after all the floozies decided to ban foie-gras across the state, it was a sad day). It was 7-course that turned out to be 9 and the chef came out and we shook his hand afterwards. That, we thought was worth the money, but steaks?

Well if you're going to a fine dining steakhouse it's a 3-4 course meal anyway...except you get a big fatty steak instead of small tasting portions.

Serious question from someone who probably enjoys a great meal as much as you do - do you actually find steakhouses interesting or worth the price? Right now, I find myself avoiding them entirely as a boring experience. If I have $400 to burn, I'm going to Hugo's (Portland, Maine) with my wife for an 8 course blind tasting and wine pairings. Or I might go look for a hole in the wall ethnic joint. Or even just go get bar food. But if I want a steak, I usually just make it at home. Being near a great food city, I can get the good ingredients, and steak is the one thing where I'm very confident my preparation is as good as a high end steakhouse.

I agree with you to a point - I think there's a certain "upper limit" to steakhouses, one in which I don't care to breach (CUT is past that upper limit to me). If I got $400 I'm probably dropping it on sushi, but many people on this board don't understand THAT fascination either. My "dream" meal is a meal for 2 @ Urasawa, which would probably run us $800 after tax/tip without significant alcohol consumption...

What I do find a good deal is Morton's when they have "steak for 2" type deals - $100 for a 3 course meal featuring wet aged filet. I don't like buying $20 pieces of meat then cooking them at home...because if you fuck up a $20 piece of meat you are an asshole. If Morton's fucks it up (which they have never done before), I send it back.

Secondly, I just don't have the equipment to do a steak the proper way at home. I live in an apartment, so A. my oven is not up to snuff and B. I don't have an IR grill that heats meat up to 1000'.

 

[ghost recon88]

I'm just curious because I see a lot of people do this but when you drop a name like Caseys, does that mean you assume people on the Internet all live in your city or even province? I had to google it and it looks like it has a total of three locations. I am not poking fun of you. I just find it fascinating. If we were discussing burgers, I wouldn't say "That sounds good, but everyone knows the best burgers are at Mike and Keiths"

Exactly. All these people acting like their favorite steakhouse should be known nationwide :thumbsdown:

 

[SSSnail]

Well if you're going to a fine dining steakhouse it's a 3-4 course meal anyway...except you get a big fatty steak instead of small tasting portions.

That's what I thought too, but by the time they got to the lamb tongue, I was full, and still had 3 courses to go...

I'm not really a big fat steak kinda guy, more into that portion and presentation thing. Check out Charlie Palmer some time. Damn, since we're taking about meat, I thought the Brazilian steakhouse on Colorado, Pasadena (at the Paseo) is freaking awesome value.

I'm now hungry. :awe:

 

[Ns1]

That's what I thought too, but by the time they got to the lamb tongue, I was full, and still had 3 courses to go...

I'm not really a big fat steak kinda guy, more into that portion and presentation thing. Check out Charlie Palmer some time. Damn, since we're taking about meat, I thought the Brazilian steakhouse on Colorado, Pasadena is freaking awesome value.

I'm now hungry. :awe:

I don't find value in brazillian steakhouses because you can't take the leftovers home - I will go to Fogo De Chao during DineLA though.

When I did a 10 course tasting menu @ L'atelier du Robuchon, I could still eat more at the end of it. Shit was really, really pretty and tasty though haha.

Urasawa is something like 11 courses and then a sushi course (which consists of another 10-20 items).

http://www.kevineats.com/2010/05/urasawa-beverly-hills-ca-6.html

 

[rudeguy]

I don't find value in brazillian steakhouses because you can't take the leftovers home - I will go to Fogo De Chao during DineLA though.

When I did a 10 course tasting menu @ L'atelier du Robuchon, I could still eat more at the end of it. Shit was really, really pretty and tasty though haha.

Urasawa is something like 11 courses and then a sushi course (which consists of another 10-20 items).

http://www.kevineats.com/2010/05/urasawa-beverly-hills-ca-6.html

you should enter a hot dog eating contest...

 

[Ns1]

you should enter a hot dog eating contest...

meh, not into that type of gluttony anymore.

 

[iGas]

The question is are you going to have more fun spending $20 a person, or $200 person. If the latter is true, then go a head and invite your friends to the fancy restaurant.

IMHO, I rather have fun with my friends over a BBQ and not stress their finance.

$400 would almost buy a quarter of beef for the BBQ.

 

[Geekbabe]

I want to go to Cut steakhouse ($350-400 for 2) for my birthday and inviting my friends. I'm fairly sure one couple doesn't want to spend that much for dinner.

So do I invite them or just not tell them about it?

Hosting your own birthday party, "inviting" guests but not prepared to open your wallet to properly host them?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

NOT the same thing at all. About as similar as a $300 Dell vs a $1500 Alienware, or $500 front row seats vs $30 nosebleeds.

Credibility -1.

 

[Ns1]

Man you guys must be ballers if you're paying everytime you invite someone to something.

 

[yllus]

dinner as entertainment.

If you look at Western society as a whole, it's pretty clear that the thing we live our lives for is to be entertained.

We save all year so we can manage to dash away to a foreign city and be gawking tourists.

We elevate music, television and movie stars to incredible riches because they make us laugh, cry or get angry.

Let's not even get into the ridiculous sums get paid out to sports players to run around on a field/pitch/diamond.

Entertainment is the most important thing in the world to humans. That people don't pay large sums of money to be entertained at dinner should be no surprise.