January 25, 2005
Gothamist Visits Per Se
There are times when you can't pass up an opportunity, even though you know it's not the smartest thing in the world for you to do. There are times when you take advantage of a situation that is in front of you and you deal with the consequences later. Saturday night was one of those times. Thanks to the magic of the blizzard, Gothamist had the chance to experience an evening at Per Se.
Notice that we didn't say "eat at," or even "dine at" -- no, this was an all-out experience. And it was everything a fine dining experience at a four star restaurant should be: formal, but not pretentious, seamless service, knowledgeable, friendly, and professional staff, and food that was out-of-this-world.
Our party of seven managed to get a 10:00 reservation, and immediately upon arrival we were made to feel welcome and comfortable. The dining room was stately, but not stuffy, and our table by the window offered us a view of the snow falling peacefully onto Central Park below. We were given a choice of the five course or the nine course chef's tasting menu ($175 each; note that they also offer an all-vegetable tasting menu for you vegetarian types), and were advised that the entire party needed to opt for the same menu, although special needs and preferences could be accomodated. After some brief negotiations among our group, we selected the nine course menu, and after some consultation with Andre, the sommelier, we put ourselves into his capable hands for wine pairings with each course. And then, we let go and began our journey.
We have to admit that we weren't even certain that we were capable of writing about our visit; for a great deal of the evening, Gothamist and our dining companions were at a loss for words to describe the sensations we were experiencing -- the combinations of striking presentations, contrasting and complementing tastes and textures, the bouquets of the wines, the adeptness with which the wine and food were paired, and the gracefulness of the choreography of the service. We'll see how it goes.
It began with an amuse bouche of a small, black sesame-studded cone filled with salmon tartare and crème fraîche -- it looked like a delicate mini ice cream cone and tasted light and fresh with a tinge of onion. Our taste buds started buzzing and we were off to a great start. As our first course arrived, in one smooth motion, servers surrounded our table, placed our dishes down in unison, and simultaneously lifted small ceramic lids to reveal "Oysters & Pearls," a poached Island Creek oyster in a creamy sabayon with pearl tapioca and a dollop of ossetra caviar. Our giddy anticipation gave way to sighs of pleasure. Each course followed with the same carefully choreographed service, at a genuinely leisurely pace, allowing us to fully appreciate each course without feeling rushed, tasting the food and the wine individually and then together, and chat with our dining companions in between our eye-rolling and groans of enjoyment.
For our second course, several of us had opted for a terrine of foie gras, heavily infused with truffles, served with toasted brioche, and paired with a 1994 Chateau D'Yquem sauterne. Since we had gotten to taste a Chateau D'Yquem at the PJ Wine Grand Tasting, we knew we were in for a treat, and to taste it with the foie gras terrine was sheer indulgence -- decadence at its best.
Next, a fillet of Pacific mo'i with crispy skin sitting on a bed of glazed heirloom radishes and tokyo turnips and drizzled with meyer lemon aigre-doux (sweet and sour sauce). Although the fish was somewhat salty on its own, when we took a forkful that included all of the ingredients, the saltiness subsided, and the flavors balanced beautifully.
The following three courses were a hat trick as far as we were concerned: lobster tail cuit sous vide (a cooking technique where ingredients are sealed in vacuum pouches) with herb salad and lobster vinagrette perched on a small potato cake; a rare slice of Liberty Valley duck breast atop brussel sprout leaves, bartlett pear relish and "fois gras mignonette" sauce (which we had to sop up with our bread, lest we miss out on a drop); and a rib-eye of Elysian Fields Farm lamb en persillade (seasoned with parsley and garlic), with a cassoulet of pole beans and thyme-infused olive oil.
This is where the commentary ability fades. At this point in the meal, we were so wrapped up in the flavors, the textures, the presentation, the wine, and truthfully, the great company, and the magical feel of the evening, that we are now hard-pressed to recount it back with an appropriate degree of descriptiveness. Each component flowed together seamlessly, providing for one of the best dining experiences we have ever had. Every detail was so well-honed: the high-quality ingredients, the bread selections, the two types of butter (one seemed extra creamy), the pace of the meal, the plates (white, simple, elegant), the silverware (our "Oysters & Pearls" came with a strikingly beautiful mother-of-pearl spoon), and the service.
The hat trick courses were followed by the cheese course, ossau iraty, a little-known French semi-soft sheeps' milk cheese over roasted sweet peppers and marinated eggplant, and after that, the sorbet course (our only course without a wine pairing): black tea sorbet with yogurt panna cotta, beet "foam," and a crunchy beet topping that had the texture of Nerds, but definitely not the taste.
Our dessert course was the only one that met with some degree of displeasure from our group. The "Mint Chocolate Chip" was a Valrhona chocolate brownie, accompanied by a spearmint sorbet, eucalyptus-infused ganache, warm mocha mousse, and caramel-chocolate croustillant. Although the brownie was a hit with everyone, we were split on the spearmint sorbet ("tastes like mouthwash," said one in our group) and we thought the eucalyptus was somewhat medicinal tasting. We happily stuck to the brownie and the sorbet.
At that point, sipping on our Dow's 1985 vintage port, we thought we were done. We had eaten nine courses. But no -- along came miniature crème brulées, and fig pôts de crème in small silver pitchers, a tiered tray of mignardises, filled with nougat, truffles, and buttery shortbread. And no, still not done. As the plates were cleared, each of us was given a small silver plate. What else could we possibly want or need? We proceeded to be presented with a selection of chocolates, each more exotic than the next, filled with everything from pistachio, to peanut butter, to wasabi, to jasmine, to Mexican hot chocolate, which had quite a kick to it.
And finally, four and a half hours later, we were done. The bill was definitely steep, especially given our wine pairing option, and we had to stifle a small gasp when we saw our portion of the check, but for us, it was worth every penny. We were even given a printed menu annotated with the wines that had been chosen for us, along with a small bag of meringue sandwich cookies, topped with a small brown bow with "per se" printed on it in silver.
There has been some discussion among us over the past few days -- was it, in fact, the best meal ever? For some of us, yes, for some of us, no, but for all of us, it was certainly up there. If you are able to get a reservation, and are willing to part with the money, you should go. We don't know if and when we'll get to go again, but we are thrilled to have had the opportunity. Many thanks to the blizzard, our fabulous dining companions, and the amazingly knowledgeable and impeccably professional staff at Per Se for an outstanding experience.
New York Times' Frank Bruni's four-star review.
And if you can't make it to Per Se for whatever reason, you can always try Per Se's butter-poached lobster at home, thanks to our own Joe DeSalazar.
Per Se, 10 Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center, 4th Floor, 212-823-9335. Open daily for dinner; Fri-Sun, lunch; reservations are required.
|
I, too, had the pleasure of dining at Per Se, and I was taken as a guest, which made it all the more enjoyable.
But...
I found the service to be comically pretentious. Every course came with a lecture. We were even lectured on the butter and the salt. After a while we were giggling into our napkins as the staff came around to explain something else about this chocolate vs. that chocolate. We started to think it would never end. The waiter himself explained that we should think of the evening as a performance rather than a meal. Indeed.
By the way, you say it took you four and a half hours. Are you saying you walked out of there at 2:30 in the morning?
Don -- being the food dork that I am, I loved the explanations of everything. It was an opportunity to learn even more. And yes, we walked out at 2:30 in the morning, which was fine with us.
how much?
Oh. My. God. This is so amazing. Thanks for sharing this with us, Laren. I will start saving my pennies for a trip there!
But one logistical question: Did you call per se for a reservation, or did you check OpenTable.com?
You said "amuse bouche". hehehehe.
hey, must be nice shelling out that kind of money while tsunamai victims starve. keep up the good work laren.
Oh yeah, Limousine Liberal. But at the same time, YOU SIT THERE USING THE INTERNET when you could easily sell off your PC and send the money to the tsunami victims too, right? Idiot.
Why pay full price for the "restaurant collection" during restaurant week? We ate at V Steakhouse yesterday for $20.05. While it was no 9-course bacchanal with wine pairings, it was enough of the experience to satisfy me. I think digging up the hidden gems of this city is infinitely more satisfying than heading straight to the blue-chip gastronomic temples and gushing over what must be an excellent but certainly not surprising experience.
Well, as much as I am in favour of appropriating the Per Se kitchen to feed and fuel the weal of the people, I'm not as strident as limo lib above.
But as always, you neglected to tell us EXACTLY how much your meal cost. Please be specific. And you paid for this meal yourself? I know I'm being nosy, but how can you afford that?
We were given life so that we may enjoy it, the sense of taste so that we may USE it.
There are things people enjoy doing. Some people save their money to buy CDs, for others it's subscriptions to the opera, or some will take weekend trips. I think you can assume the dinner cost a lot, but, if you're a foodie and you classify it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it's worth it. Some people make pilgrimages out to the French Laundry - factor in those airplane tickets!
meringue sandwich cookies? were you given french macarons? i ate at alain ducasse back when its prix fixe was the priciest in town. the food alone was not worth the tariff, but the whole experience certainly was.
I think these "experience" reviews are nothing if not insipid and narcissitic displays of vanity and wealth.
I've also had the pleasure of dining at Per Se back in July. However, I find it odd that they didn't let different members of your party select different menus. When I went, two of us had the tasting menu and the other two had the 5 course menu.
limo liberal, if we all used your logic, then spending money on ANYTHING beyond basic necessities in the face of 200,000+ dead people in Asia - not to mention countless tragedies elsewhere - would be horribly inappropriate.
but i don't use your logic because I understand that spending money in one area does not necessarily stop me from using money to help people in another.
before you flame Laren, perhaps you should have wondered about how much money she gave to charity last year, or asked how she volunteers in ways to help people in this city.
what a horribly ignorant comment on an innocent post.
I think any restaurant review should break down the true cost of the meal(s) reviewed. So, given the $175 base price, how much did it actually cost with wine, tax & tip?
My, my . . . I leave the internet for a few hours and look what happens. First, let's start by noting that how people choose to spend their money is a very controversial topic generally. Everyone has their own set of priorities, and as Jen mentioned, I'm a foodie, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for which I was willing to shell out some hard-earned cash. Second, if you're interested in finding out what I do for the community, feel free to contact me. Finally, my total for the meal including 8 wine pairings, tax, and a generous tip, was about $440 ($175 prix fixe menu, $30 fois gras supplement (we had a choice for that course), approx $165 for wine, and about $70 (or 20%) for tip, all of which I paid for myself), and I'll note that we gave them no limitations on our wine selection and we had some pretty amazing wines (if you're interested in the full list, contact me). Also -- we called that day for the reservation. It wasn't through Open Table.
did they serve golden calf as one of the entrees?
$440???
I don't think the ad hominem tone against the writer is productive. How the writer chooses to spend her money truly is her own business. And furthermore, the elements of an "expereience" in all things in life can make it more synergistic enjoyable, pleasurable, ecstatic even, then each by itself. We all know that.
But the cost of such an "experience" and its moral subtext is a fit subject for comment. "Foodie"s (god, what an ugly, ungainly coinage) like Alice Waters (actually she's far too important a figue to diminish with such a hideous word) assert that eating is a political act with the provenance of our food, how it is prepared, the working conditions etc key parts of that politic. Isn't the check equally political?
Per Se may be a unique "experience" and perhaps even worth it but not to consider the moral subtext of a $475 tariff at least in passing must be questioned. And perhaps the reason the writer didn't mention that truly huge--and to 99 percent of her readers, eternally unaffordable--bill is consciously or un-, she's embarrassed.
Conspicuous consumption indeed. Where is Thorsten Veblen when you need him? Oh, that's right. Dead.
Thanks for coming clean on the price, Laren -- I have to say it doesn't surprise me, especially if the Yquem is indicative of the quality of wines you were drinking. But I'm also interested in how the wine-pairing worked in practice. A table of 7, with 8 wines, seems almost perfect: you get one bottle per course, with slightly less than a full glass per person per course, and everybody drinking just over a bottle's worth of wine by the end of the 4 1/2 hours. But if you don't know what's coming, do you see something like the Yquem and suddenly think to yourself "oh no, there's another $100 each"? Or do you negotiate an all-in price for the wine pairings beforehand?
I'd also like to add in Laren's defense that people frequently get all up-in-arms about the cost of food at restaurants, but the fact is that every steakhouse in the city sees bills well over $440 per person almost every day, when the really rich (or well expense-accounted) decide to splurge on $2k or $5k bottles of wine. I would certainly say that spending $200 on food is a lot more defensible than spending $2000 on wine. Chill, people: this isn't a zero-sum game.
Have to love those Peter Singer-Lite kneejerk killjoys like limousine liberal. Toward the end of his tenure as the Times restaurant reviewer, Grimes wrote a thoughtful little essay about the angry letters he would receive every time after reviewing an extravagant restaurant.
Personally, I'd have nary a qualm over spending $500 or more for the right sort of meal. On the other hand, I can't imagine spending more than $50 for a television.
Thanks, Felix! I wasn't trying to "hide" the price, actually. I included the $175 in the write-up b/c that's the bare minimum (plus tip) that people could spend and have dinner there (not sure about lunch). Our group made a deliberate decision to go all out with no limitations because we viewed it as a particularly unique and rare opportunity for us. We didn't ask, but I think that the sommelier would be willing to work within budgetary limitations on the wine as well as have fewer pairings during the course of the meal.
And yet, the reason why there are now twenty plus postings here is not for the description of the flatware bit for the size of the bill.
And William Grimes? The Times writer? That's who you want to cite? Of course, he'd have no interest whatsoever in defending the status quo.
On the other hand, somebody got 3500 frequent flyer points on their card. Or did you split that, too? I'd love to hear that per se took a sheaf of cards and split the tab seven ways...
LOVE the storm-inspired initiative, by the way. Kudos.
"And William Grimes? The Times writer? That's who you want to cite?"
Yes, I think he's a nifty food writer. What's your point?
Laren rocks! Like you wouldn't take all that free junkus.
it also takes balls to admit that you don't have the words as a writer to properly describe an experience
You folks are cute. You know, if the price of a meal at Per Se (which is wonderful) bothers you, you should hear what I just paid for my new watch.
ho snap! Laren paid for all this... so why are you complaining?
Food is a lifestyle choice, there are people who wear crappy clothes and spend their extra money on food, it's just a decision, who are you to judge?
Actually, that's all we do as humans, is judge...
I wonder how many people who posted here are paying $7 for a pack of cigarettes every day. Seems just as "immoral," maybe more, than spending good money on good food.
I have no objection to spending so much on a meal in principle, but it just seems like such an obvious choice.
Food writing is so much more fun when it presents a new insight.
Oh Carl Marks...truly you are an asshat.
Responses to some comments, from someone who was present at the meal:
_____________________________________________________________
Don: I actually thought that the service wasn't terribly pretentious. I'm one of those people that got annoyed when Babbo was given three stars in the Times simply because they're more casual and play good music, and I was afraid that Per Se would be pompous and stuffy. The waitstaff was attentive without being doting, didn't once get into the differences between salts (though i admit i'd have been kind of curious) and, except for the fact that they were clad in suits, wasn't stuffy at all. And yes, we did leave at 2:30. That's what we get for a nine-course dinner at 10:00. But, frankly, I would have been out past 2:30 anyway; it was a Saturday night, after all... _____________________________________________________________
Jen: We figured the blizzard would scare some people off, so we called and got lucky. As you can see, it was still difficult (only available table was at 10pm). Incidentally, we stopped by Cafe Gray for a drink before the meal (which, by the way, looked great), and it was empty.
_____________________________________________________________
Limousine: Come on. I'm not going to take too much time to respond, since your assertion is so silly that it's not worth a lot of effort. However: 1) maybe I and others at the table donated money to relief efforts, and still wanted to go out. I notice you don't seem to care. (note: maybe we donated nothing; I don't see how it's any of your business). 2) Just because the tsunami tragedy got a lot of press, are you sure it's the only tragedy going on in the world? would it be any worse if the meal had occurred on December 23rd? Any better? 3) Do you stay in each night, rather than go out (and spend money), so you can donate money and/or time to all of the victims of these and other tragedies? Because apparently you should.
______________________________________________________________
Larry: I actually didn't know it was restaurant week until last night (whoops). Either way, though, I wanted to take advantage of what I felt was a one-time chance to get in somewhere where I would otherwise have a great deal of trouble getting a reservation. Per Se is one of those places.
______________________________________________________________
Carl: Needless to say, it was the most expensive meal I have ever paid for and is not something that I can afford regularly (or even semi-semi-regularly). All that said, though, I didn't look at it as a regular event, but rather as a one-time thing; kind of like a vacation. I am a food nut and so I'm willing to forego other things for a unique event such as this. Besides, like Brooke said, you can't take it with you. I see Laren's already broken down the cost, so I won't. In response to your second post, I don't see how there's any more of a moral subtext to spending $440 on a whim to go to a restaurant than there is to your spending the same to take your next vacation. One is a meal, one is a vacation; they're both luxuries. And there's no magic to $400, either, no? Would it really have been somehow better, in your mind, had it cost $50, or $100? Enough people in the world, unfortunately, make less than that in a month to make that a sad affair as well. I don't think most people would have been very offended, though.
______________________________________________________________
Critic: I disagree. Perhaps that sort of dining experience is nothing but an "insipid and narcissistic display". That's up for debate. Like I said, I happened to enjoy myself very much, despite my fears that the place would be kind of pretentious. I have a hard time seeing how the review (or any like it) is some sort of display, unless you really think there was some attempt to brag. I don't think that applies.
______________________________________________________________
KeithS: I agree about the TV. If you did, though, I wonder if you'd be lambasted on this message board...
______________________________________________________________
Felix: To be honest, I don't remember having any budgetary conversations with the sommelier, though we did speak to him about some items we thought were interesting (none of which ended up on our table that night). They were pretty good about serving wines that were "reasonable" (definitely a term that needs to be used in quotes because I actually thought that the list is somewhat overpriced compared to those at some other good restaurants - though the rent probably has something to do with that. They did not serve us the 8 most expensive wines on the list). Also, I have to say, each wine was paired absolutely perfectly with the course to which it corresponded.
______________________________________________________________
Greg: They did split the tab seven ways. Go figure. You have to love New York.
Laren! Don't apologize! Not that you did exactly, but why limit yourself by describing it as "once in a lifetime" -- I say, "Brava!" and hope you can make it three times a year! The folks complaining spend more $$ on their stereos, computers, tivos, cable bills, and other hipster accoutrements than you did on your meal. I'd take (I do take!) several great meals over a yearly digital cable bill anyday.
I got to go to Per Se in the beginning of June and also opted for the 5 course meal with the wine pairings. And (start lighting the pitch on your torches!) even paid extra to work in some bottles that we knew we wanted: a particular white burgundy and a particular rosé champagne.
When serving the champagne, the waiter DECANTED it and gave it a swirl -- I had never seen such a thing in my life. I asked and the waiter said that it was so the bubbles weren't too aggresive and didn't interfere with the texture of my soup. Now, as I said, I had never heard of this and neither had anyone I knew. Pretentious? Absolutely! But hilariously so. Why not?
I like nachos.
The value of raising the question of the implications of such a large tab and indulgent dinner seems validated by the defensiveness of the comments.(although I'll give n--b the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps s/he/it meant to say I was an ASSET.
Even though this is perhaps a diaristic blog, a review such as the above qualifies as "journalism" and really is subject to the challenges we might raise about a "William Grimes" piece.
Also, it seems like so many of those who disagree with the disagreers now come out as friends of the authour who were present at the dinner?
Ok, I'm going for pizza now
Thanks for the review. I think it totally conveys the sense of pleasure you experienced, and that makes it a fun read.
I have followed a plan I read about on another blog a while back: a savings plan. Every week, my friends and I have been tucking away $20, with the plan to all reserve a large table (or private room) at Per Se for an evening. We're looking toward spring, when Central Park is blooming, to reserve the table and all get together to experience the restaurant and a (hopefully) amazing evening. In meantime, it is fun to read reviews and hear other's experiences, to browse the amazing French Laundry Cookbook, and to know that soon, we will go and enojoy ourselves.
I think it is unfair to judge people for using their money toward one experience or another, especially one that hurts no one and brings the spender a lot of real pleasure. Is there a true problem with treating oneself? It seems puritanical to deny the pursuit of pleasure.
I'll keep saving. Thanks for keeping the desire kindled.
"Also, it seems like so many of those who disagree with the disagreers now come out as friends of the authour who were present at the dinner."
If by "so many" you mean "one," then you're right.
And I like nachos too. :)
Sorry, I thought I saw the same names in the recap and the postings. My crappy browser may be scrambling the format a bit.
And once again, I'm not saying don't enjoy food, life and what not. All I'm suggesting is mindfulness. I don't think I've ever read another critic review a place like this or Ducasse without acknowledging some of the conflict the meal's cost might engender. How could you not? It's not that there's a disaster half a world away. There is a politic to choices like this as I've amply argued above. Can't be, shouldn't be, ignored
one question, do they serve entrees or only 'tasting menues' to choose from?
if only the waitstaff were as pretentious as the diners....
not to bring the whole blue state/red state thing into this, but this is a good representation of why people in red states dislike the blue states. yes, we dislike their SUV's, but they certainly dislike anyone paying more than their mortgage payment for a meal and being really pretentious about the whole thing. and no, this is not the only reason, but this is a microcosm.
can you post a copy of the menu? call me a capitalist pig, but i'd love to see it and savor the vicarious thrill you've provided.
Kingsley writes, "not to bring the whole blue state/red state thing into this" and then proceeds to bring the whole blue state/red state thing into this. So a New Yorker spends $400 on a meal. And people in the midwest spend $50,000 on Hummers and live in giant homes that use a huge amount of gas, oil and electricity to heat and power. And people in red states are no more or less charitable than people in blue states. Boiling every choice, from where we eat to where we donate our money to what we drive, down to a blue state/red state divide is tiresome. No one type of state has a monopoly on morality.
Good works and a good life are not a zero sum game. See e.g. George Soros.
However, if you insist upon zero sum thinking consider this: Time spent in vituperation could well be spent working at a soup kitchen (or raising money for tsunami victims for that matter).
Laren, there's a few things you need to do from here on in:
1. Please post a copy of a pay stub, your 2004 W2 and your last credit card statement ASAP. I am required by law to shove my nose so deep into your affairs that the lack of blood flow leads to gangrene and amputation.
2. From now on, when writing about very expensive places most people cannot afford, don't neglect to mention the starving people in Africa, the victims of various tragedies, and the social injustices inherent in the capitalist system. Such analysis is not only relevant and appropriate, it also adds flavor and texture to a restaurant review.
3. In fact, you should think about these topics as you dine, as it will make the flavors richer and the wines sweeter.
Also:
4. Red state types wouldn't be able to appreciate this sort of thing. That is why God created Kraft macaroni and cheese. And Red states.
5. I'd also like to lodge a complaint about the lack of coverage of falling pita-bread quality sold in open-air markets in Baghdad since the U.S. invasion. how can you write ANY article on the Iraq debacle without mentioning this critical issue? Infidels!
God damned hippies. Get a job!
Everyone has the right to spend their hard earned money as they please.
Personally I love my food (I live in Scotland) and will happily pay good money for an excellent meal.
I think it's fantastic that you are able to go to a fantastic restaurant with friends who love food just as much as you and enjoy every minute and every $.
There is no need need to spend HARD-EARNED money on expensive restaurants. I like to steal hipsters beer money off LES bars when they are pontificating about world matters (as I know their parents won't really miss it).
while this post irritated me (sorry laren), personally i don't care how anyone spends their money. it's not the spending but the flaunting that irks me. at least the uber-rich, who eat like this daily, are discreet. but this is a food column, and that's what food columns are for. which is why i never read them. (i only came here from laren's blog, and probably won't come here again--a diary of consumption just isn't my thing.)
all of this is to say that while my sympathies are with the detractors, my advice is to stop reading columns like this if it irritates them so.
I will try to scan and post the menu at some point soon, but I have described all of the courses in the body of the post and can email you the wine list if you're interested.
And overall, please remember that my intent was not to flaunt, but to share the experience with Gothamist readers.
Laren,
Thank you so much for your review.
There are so many people that fail to understand that a restaurant like Per Se is not about satisfying ones appetite. It is about tasting things you never tasted before. When one tastes a carrot at Per Se is likely they would walk away and say wow " This is what a carrot tastes like." These ingredients cost money. ALOT of money.
So is it worth the cost? Yes, if you want to try things you never tried before. But even more than that; it is about experiencing a few hours that will lasts in ones memories a life time. Like your dad making chili on a cold winter day when you were a child. Or the taste of your first perfectly ripe peach. Can you put a price on that? Per Se is not about food; it is about the experience. When I visited Per Se last year, I was only working part time and not bringing home more than one-hundred dollars a week. Goes to prove not all are filthy rich who dine there. It was worth every dime to me. There has not been a week that goes by that my wife or I don't bring it up in conversation at one point or another.
well we all know what they say about good intentions... :)
i know it wasn't your intent, but intentions aren't the issue--it's the result of any food column. as is evidenced, i suppose, by the commenter who mentioned the food columnist who got lots of hate mail.
I love L'Emmedeur's sarcasm and s/he scores some amusing points. And I do take the point about special, once in a lifetime experiences. But the turth of the matter is there are implications, subtexts and politics to the one like was eaten. Just as there is if you drive a Hummer or wear an $10,000 fur coat. We look down our noses at the conspicuous consumption of the nouveau riche but when one of the blogging hipoisie engages in it unmindfully, we must applaud uncritically.
No!
Spending $440 for a meal at this moment means something.
$440 meals, $80 cheeseburgers, $100 cocktails, and yes $2000 bottles of wine. Consuming them has meanings, political ones and moral ones.
And those meanings should be teased out, explicated and explored.
Which today's discussion has animatedly begun to do.
I agree with cynthia in that it feels like lara was flaunting. I guess you can buy a $440 meal, but you still can't buy discretion or class.
Ya'll need to lighten up. Come out to the Bay Area and chill.
Three of us treated ourselved to the French Laundry and what an experience!!! One of the top two restaurants I've been to (Masa's #1 in my book). I'm not the kind of girl who likes to dole out her duckets on food, I'd rather buy a new camera lens or something more tangible that I can physically cherish. But, I have to say, I don't regret spending my hard earned duckets on the tasty sensation that the French Laundry offered. I will always cherish the memory. Everything was splendid, except for the stinky Vacherin cheese that tasted smelled like DOO DOO, I almost died. The waiter was making this big production of twirling that stinky stuff