rant: fine dining

[33anda3rd]

I can't speak for where y'all are from and what your experience is but here in Chicago, $100 for 2 to eat isn't "fine dining" to me. For TheMrs54 and I to go out and have a couple three drinks and eat, $100 is an upscale but casual neighborhood place--

#themiddle1%

#costofliving

[tlombard]

Unfortunately Tucker's lost out because nobody wanted to drive between dinner and everything else so we ended up at Copia. I learned an expensive lesson. I will never order a nightly special that isn't on the menu again. My bill with one beer was $95.xx before tip. I had a 16oz filet (bone-in), a small dinner salad and six little spears of asparagus. I've had filets that tasted every bit as good as that one for much, much less. It really was an ordinary filet that wasn't any better than what I get at Guido's or Gian-Tony's a time or two each month for under $30. Sure what I get at those places is half the size but it tastes every bit as good or better and also comes with pasta and a salad. I know a 16oz bone-in filet isn't cheap but I wasn't expecting $70 for just the steak when their 8oz filet with whipped potatoes and seasonal vegetables was either $35 or $39 if I remember correctly. Nothing on the menu other than the largest cut of prime rib was even $40 and that is for 40-42oz of prime rib and was still under $50!!! I would have been much happier paying maybe $55 for that steak. I wouldn't have even flinched at that price but for some reason the extra $15 made it much worse in my view at the time. The garnish sized portion of ordinary asparagus for $5 didn't help either. Then I looked over the other guy who got the filet and he had a huge pile of mushrooms for his $5 side and I regretted every decision I made to that point in the evening.

To make it worse, I really wanted the prime rib but they were out of it for the evening. They were also out of the blackened prime ribeye which was my second choice. I think half of our table wanted the prime rib! Two of our party ordered the lamb shank and the waiter came back later to tell us they were out of that also. Thankfully I wasn't the one who had to wait 20 minutes for his drink. He was not happy. The waiter told him three times that the bartender was working on it. He didn't order anything complicated. Scotch on the rocks. Ice, pour, done. That's all I kept hearing from that end of the table the last five minutes he was waiting, "Ice, pour, done."

Then even worse (well, not for him), one guy got the 8oz filet with potatoes and vegetables and added a 6oz lobster tail ($17). His entire meal including his beer cost less than just my steak! What really hurt even more is that they were out of the 6oz lobster tails so they gave him the 15-16oz for the same price. Everyone at the table just kept staring at him. I'm pretty sure most were contemplating stealing that lobster tail one way or another. I know I was really jealous.

[tlombard]

Fine LTD. You asked for it. Noon on Saturday. Meet me at 9th and Russell. We'll take it to a friend's back yard. After we settle this, kegs and liquor on me.

[Diddy]

the people who claim Applebee's isn't fit to be consumed and shouldn't even be called food. I just want to punch those people in the face.

The Apple is horrible, I haven't liked it since I was in high school. Occasionally well be with a group that decides to eat there and each time I'm more disappointed then the last. I'm amazed people want to go there.

It's way better than McDonalds. Get a hamburger and fries and a beer. It's fine.

Only time ill eat at the Golden Arches is when we're on the road and its just easy. You deffently pay for the convenience. If we're going fast food it's almost always chick fil a. Clean fast and usually have a good clean play place for the kids. If we're wanting burger fries and a beer it's usually red robin or cheaders both are much better then Applebee's. I think the fact that your comparing applebees to McDonald's speaks volumes about Applebee's and not in a good way.

[Fat_Bulldog]

the people who claim Applebee's isn't fit to be consumed and shouldn't even be called food. I just want to punch those people in the face.

The Apple is horrible, I haven't liked it since I was in high school. Occasionally well be with a group that decides to eat there and each time I'm more disappointed then the last. I'm amazed people want to go there.

It's way better than McDonalds. Get a hamburger and fries and a beer. It's fine.

Only time ill eat at the Golden Arches is when we're on the road and its just easy. You deffently pay for the convenience. If we're going fast food it's almost always chick fil a. Clean fast and usually have a good clean play place for the kids. If we're wanting burger fries and a beer it's usually red robin or cheaders both are much better then Applebee's. I think the fact that your comparing applebees to McDonald's speaks volumes about Applebee's and not in a good way.

I think you guys going back and forth about Applebee's and McDonald's is a [expletive] joke.

[haltz]

I sold the same bone in 16 oz filet last week for $55, which is a good price but also $30 over cost. That's someone that's too beholden to a fixed food cost percentage.

[stlouie_lipp]

Can anyone help explain the growing bone marrow fascination? I'm seeing it more and more. I tried it when I was in France and it was absolutely disgusting. Now that was over 10 years ago and maybe my tastes have changed, but I remember it being just awful. Are people really enjoying it, or is it just the new "it" thing?

[33anda3rd]

2 reasons, flavor and the nose-to-tail ehtos.

Flavor: it's delicious. You probably just didn't get a good dish. I've had bad french fries in Paris. Come to think of it, I've never had remarkably good fries in France. I'm sure there are plenty there, I've just never had them. I've had amazing banh mi and pizza in Paris, but never good fries.

Ethos: Using everything in the animal is the most respectful way to use an animal. Marrow, pig ear, duck hearts, chicken skin, fish cheeks, those things are ubiquitous in chef-driven dining now. Throwing away part of the animal is the least respectful thing you can do to an animal whose life has been given over for us to eat. The current trend (and it's a good one) is to butcher your animals in-house and use everything.

[haltz]

Marrow is fatty and delicious and people refer to it as "God's butter." Depends how you eat it. Butter is the greatest thing on earth, but if I handed you a teaspoon of the stuff you'd think it was gross. Put it on top of a steak or a piece of bread and it's fantastic.

[stlouie_lipp]

Marrow is fatty and delicious and people refer to it as "God's butter." Depends how you eat it. Butter is the greatest thing on earth, but if I handed you a teaspoon of the stuff you'd think it was gross. Put it on top of a steak or a piece of bread and it's fantastic.

That might help explain it. I just took a fork full and ate it.

33 - I did have duck hearts in France and they were quite good.