From: jmd@bear.com (Josh Diamond)
Newsgroups: soc.singles
Subject: Re: Most expensive meal of my life (was: Re: Picking up the Tab)
Date: 17 Dec 92 18:08:01 GMT
	<4c0H03vfc4M800@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
	<1992Dec17.072709.545@netcom.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: Bear, Stearns & Co. - FAST
In-reply-to: cocoa@netcom.com's message of 17 Dec 92 07:27:09 GMT


In article <1992Dec17.072709.545@netcom.com> cocoa@netcom.com writes:

   But back to the original title of our post ... the most expensive meal of
   my life.  A very nice friend of mine took me to the Bahamas once, courtesy
   of his frequent flyer points.  We split hotel costs down the middle and 
   treated each other to alternate meals.  While we were there, he managed to
   win several hundred dollars gambling in the casino.  And being the sweetie
   that he is, he treated me to the meal of my life at a very expensive
   restaurant.  We had three people waiting on us, and finshed our evening
   with souffles for desert.  I tried to sneak a peek at the bill, but it was
   quickly snatched away.  He acted a little bit insulted by my wanting to
   see it (mostly just playing though), and would definitely have been insulted
   if I'd offered to pay any of it.

At many _very_ expensive restaurants, only the host (he or she who
made the reservation) gets a menu with prices listed.  Specifically 
in order to avoid such unpleasantness, I presume...

   Our return trip was made in haste, and I somehow managed to end up with the
   charge card receipt for dinner.  It was a grand total of $250, including tip.
   If I'd know how much dinner was going to cost, I probably would never have
   accepted.  And If I'd seen the bill after dinner, I would have felt horribly
   guily at having eaten $150 dollars-worth of food while poor children starve
   in africa.  But finding out weeks later, just makes it a special experience,
   and a great memory.

You must not spend much time in NYC -- it's very easy to spend $250 on
dinner, even in a second line restaurant.  As an example to the top
rung, you can go to Petrossian and lay down $40 a person for the basic
meal, $90 for a wine fitting the quality of the meal, $150 for the
appetizer of 14oz of beluga caviar or a chunk of foie gras, and of
course the $100 bottle of champagne which you selected to drink while
eating the caviar...  Adds up to a $420 dinner for two!  And don't
forget the tip if you ever want to get a reservation there again...

Your bahamas experience makes me think of the time I went out to
dinner with my then-SO for Valentines Day, at The Four Seasons.  We
did the whole thing -- cocktails, appetizers, superb champagne with
the entrees, souffle for desert, and after-dinner cordials.  When the
bill came, I guess I must have shown some surprise on my face about
the amount -- and my then-SO noticed, and started to get upset.  But I
managed to calm her down.  You see, the bill was actually much _less_
than I had expected (thank the maker :-) !

And why feel guilty about $150?  After all, you're not really getting
$150 worth of food.  The $150 goes towards food as well as beverages,
service (all 3 waiters), rent, chef and cooking staff.  All have to be
paid...

After all, we all need to pamper ourselves once in a while...

   (And I didn't even *have* to have sex with him :)

Wow!  But did you? ;-)



Spidey!!!



--
You don't hunt ducks with a turnip! 

 /\ \  / /\  Josh Diamond                                          jmd@bear.com
//\\ .. //\\ AKA Spidey!!!                        ...!ctr.columbia.edu!ursa!jmd
//\((  ))/\\
/  < `' >  \                                              Do whatever it takes.
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