Hey, have you heard about the new superstar superchef dinner?
Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Per Se) and Grant Achatz (Alinea) are teaming up for three 20-course dinners, one at each restaurant, this fall.
The price tag? A mere $1500. (Hey, it comes with signed cookbooks from each chef, come on!).
I wish I knew enough to hazard a guess as to the hard costs of the meal. Whatever they are, they don't approach the cost of the dinner.
Maybe there's a charitable donation involved, maybe to a hunger organization or the American Cancer Society? you say.
Nope.
Just two greedy chefs.
I'm completely fucking disgusted and I'm never setting foot in any of their restaurants ever again.
*Barf*
Posted by: Stephanie | September 21, 2008 at 08:17 PM
It's enough to give you indigestion!!
Posted by: mom | September 22, 2008 at 01:20 AM
So many things cost much more money and don't deliver pleasure even close to equaling that of eating a fine meal at any price. Sure somewhere down the line greed plays a role but essentially diners are paying for art.
I do wonder how many of the patrons will ever actually cook from their books.
Posted by: Emily | September 22, 2008 at 09:56 AM
hi sounds excessive but i currently am head chef where poeple spend 1000+ on food and wine everyday, our meals start @ 8 usd till 140 per plate, wine from 60 - 3000usd, its all rellevent to your resources from a guests point of view, the amount of money you spend is also irrelevent to the quality of the food eanten.
mostly greed is not a factor for chefs remember we just want to serve the best food we can and sometimes the best products cost a lot, it would be a shame to deprive your self of eating from two of the best chefs of our day, imagine watching mozart live what would you pay?
thomas and grant keep leading the way with great food
autsralian chef
Posted by: brendan | September 22, 2008 at 11:50 PM
I find myself trying to rationalize it, and even in rationalizing, I think there are some things that are not worth it. I have never been someone who longed to be rich or eat expensive foods. My idea of an expensive meal is two people, $60 USD. I suppose to some people this is the only way to live. I think there are more important things. If I had a choice between a $1500 dining experience and feeding people in poverty, I would rather my money go to feeding people who are actually hungry.
Posted by: Lynn | October 17, 2008 at 11:15 AM
I am entering into this discussion late, I know, but a someone who sees the final bill of many diners at one of Thomas Keller's establishments, I frequently see diner's spend more than $1500 a head on a Sunday lunch...I also see bills on occasion that exceed my gross pay for the year. Depressing? A little. But there are also diner's who scrimp and save to have an exciting, delicious, laboriously prepared, and luxuriously delivered meal. Both were in attendance at this dinner. It was the Super Bowl for Food Fans. The Chefs would not offer such a thing if there were not an eager audience. To each his own.
Posted by: H. Barnwell | November 19, 2008 at 12:36 AM
Wow $1500 a head on a Sunday lunch, I wish its worth it.
Posted by: Jan | January 13, 2009 at 03:30 AM