Author Topic: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal  (Read 23767 times)

trailrated

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #100 on: August 16, 2016, 03:03:44 PM »
We talk about that meal several years later and I have even considered going to one of the sister restaurants (specializing in seafood instead of steak) for a really special occasion.

If you area talking about "The Sea" the hamachi shots are nothing short of amazing, but if you see "Sticks and stones" on the menu for dessert avoid it. $18 for crappy churros and half a bite of ice cream.

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #101 on: August 16, 2016, 07:49:33 PM »
Occasionally we have spent $200+ on dinner for the 2 of us, but only to celebrate something important, like an anniversary or a financial milestone. I will concede that the food does not always seem worth that money, but it is nice to have someone else cook you a great meal with some variety in it, usually with a nice ambiance and good conversation with your SO. And I would be willing to pay even more for a once-in-a-lifetime meal, no problem.

forummm

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #102 on: August 17, 2016, 08:35:52 AM »
Occasionally we have spent $200+ on dinner for the 2 of us, but only to celebrate something important, like an anniversary or a financial milestone. I will concede that the food does not always seem worth that money, but it is nice to have someone else cook you a great meal with some variety in it, usually with a nice ambiance and good conversation with your SO.

Is the $200+ meal better than a $50 meal? I can see value in having someone else cook for you and having a special occasion. But you can have a pretty decent time for $50 (IME).

Chris22

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #103 on: August 17, 2016, 09:20:27 AM »
Occasionally we have spent $200+ on dinner for the 2 of us, but only to celebrate something important, like an anniversary or a financial milestone. I will concede that the food does not always seem worth that money, but it is nice to have someone else cook you a great meal with some variety in it, usually with a nice ambiance and good conversation with your SO.

Is the $200+ meal better than a $50 meal? I can see value in having someone else cook for you and having a special occasion. But you can have a pretty decent time for $50 (IME).

I would say we typically have trouble staying under $50 even at "fast casual" type places like Chillis (which I hate buy my wife likes...)  There are probably places you can get a very good meal for $50 for 2 people, but in general, you've got to stay under about $15/entree/person to hit $50 (when taking into account drinks and tax/tip) and that tends to be pretty hit or miss.  There are SOME places that are very good, but in general, yes, a $200 meal is likely better than a $50 meal. 

Of course, if you intentionally are ordering the absolute cheapest thing on the menu and only drinking water, you may have more success, but that isn't really apples:apples with a $200 meal. 

forummm

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #104 on: August 17, 2016, 09:41:09 AM »
Occasionally we have spent $200+ on dinner for the 2 of us, but only to celebrate something important, like an anniversary or a financial milestone. I will concede that the food does not always seem worth that money, but it is nice to have someone else cook you a great meal with some variety in it, usually with a nice ambiance and good conversation with your SO.

Is the $200+ meal better than a $50 meal? I can see value in having someone else cook for you and having a special occasion. But you can have a pretty decent time for $50 (IME).

I would say we typically have trouble staying under $50 even at "fast casual" type places like Chillis (which I hate buy my wife likes...)  There are probably places you can get a very good meal for $50 for 2 people, but in general, you've got to stay under about $15/entree/person to hit $50 (when taking into account drinks and tax/tip) and that tends to be pretty hit or miss.  There are SOME places that are very good, but in general, yes, a $200 meal is likely better than a $50 meal. 

Of course, if you intentionally are ordering the absolute cheapest thing on the menu and only drinking water, you may have more success, but that isn't really apples:apples with a $200 meal. 

I don't drink so that keeps my costs lower. I prefer water to other beverages. I also don't get stuff besides an entrée (which is usually more than enough food by itself). So I guess my idea of a $50 meal is something still somewhat extravagant. My favorite Ethiopian place runs us <$30 and I'm uncomfortable from eating too much. A good Thai place will also be $30ish. Maybe $12 per entrée. We have $25 on a giftcard for Longhorn steakhouse (that we haven't used in over 4 years). I saw a commercial during the Olympics (the only time I see commercials) about a $12 meal deal, which includes an entrée, side, desert or appetizer, and bread/butter. I can't remember if it includes a salad too. I'm planning to get that to use the card. I'm curious to see if I enjoy the experience similarly to the $230 meal. There's also an ad for $10 unlimited appetizers at TGIF. Definitely not the same atmosphere or food quality. But it would be someone else "cooking" for you, and you'd get some variety (trying 2-4 different items). I haven't eaten there in 20 years, but would probably rather do that 10 times than the fancy steakhouse once. I definitely would prefer the Ethiopian or other ethnic food option multiple times.

Chris22

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #105 on: August 17, 2016, 09:50:59 AM »
Occasionally we have spent $200+ on dinner for the 2 of us, but only to celebrate something important, like an anniversary or a financial milestone. I will concede that the food does not always seem worth that money, but it is nice to have someone else cook you a great meal with some variety in it, usually with a nice ambiance and good conversation with your SO.

Is the $200+ meal better than a $50 meal? I can see value in having someone else cook for you and having a special occasion. But you can have a pretty decent time for $50 (IME).

I would say we typically have trouble staying under $50 even at "fast casual" type places like Chillis (which I hate buy my wife likes...)  There are probably places you can get a very good meal for $50 for 2 people, but in general, you've got to stay under about $15/entree/person to hit $50 (when taking into account drinks and tax/tip) and that tends to be pretty hit or miss.  There are SOME places that are very good, but in general, yes, a $200 meal is likely better than a $50 meal. 

Of course, if you intentionally are ordering the absolute cheapest thing on the menu and only drinking water, you may have more success, but that isn't really apples:apples with a $200 meal. 

I don't drink so that keeps my costs lower. I prefer water to other beverages. I also don't get stuff besides an entrée (which is usually more than enough food by itself). So I guess my idea of a $50 meal is something still somewhat extravagant. My favorite Ethiopian place runs us <$30 and I'm uncomfortable from eating too much. A good Thai place will also be $30ish. Maybe $12 per entrée. We have $25 on a giftcard for Longhorn steakhouse (that we haven't used in over 4 years). I saw a commercial during the Olympics (the only time I see commercials) about a $12 meal deal, which includes an entrée, side, desert or appetizer, and bread/butter. I can't remember if it includes a salad too. I'm planning to get that to use the card. I'm curious to see if I enjoy the experience similarly to the $230 meal. There's also an ad for $10 unlimited appetizers at TGIF. Definitely not the same atmosphere or food quality. But it would be someone else "cooking" for you, and you'd get some variety (trying 2-4 different items). I haven't eaten there in 20 years, but would probably rather do that 10 times than the fancy steakhouse once. I definitely would prefer the Ethiopian or other ethnic food option multiple times.

Like with the bolded, I start almost every meal I eat with a salad.  You can argue it's dumb to pay for, and that's correct, but the flip side is A) it's healthier, and B) I end up eating less of the entree, which then becomes tomorrow's lunch, so it sorta balances out. 

It's funny, we have a few local steakhouses that are more like $25-30/person, and those are the ones I avoid because I find the steaks aren't as good as the ones I make at home, etc, so the meal just isn't very good.  Or if I end up there (family wants to go there) I'll get the fish or something else that's harder to prepare myself. 

I also don't even know what Ethiopian food is, and don't particularly care for Thai or other Asian foods.  I like Italian food, and BBQ and meat.  And seafood, but not much great seafood in IL.  I'm a sucker for a good burger, and I will admit you can usually get out of a good burger place for ~$50, even with a beer.  But it's just a different kind of food than you would get at a $$$ place, I can't say one is "better" than the other, it just depends on what sort of food and experience you are after. 

dividend

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #106 on: August 17, 2016, 01:51:20 PM »
$100 is an interesting price point.  It seems like anytime my husband I go out for a sit down dinner, 2 entrees + 2 cocktails + tax/tip and we're at ~$40-50.  These are the meals I could cut out with no real qualms, and sometimes do for months at a time - they often seem good but not worth the money.  Plus at brew pub type places, I could make most of that stuff at home, and have.

We spent right around $100 last Friday at the supposedly best restaurant in this quaint little destination town nearby.  Worst meal I've had in a long time.  Just terrible - overcooked, over-seasoned, bland, ugh.  My husband had a plate with a small filet, a piece of chicken, and a tuna steak, all of which tasted like bad Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.  Total regret.

My favorite (and arguably the actual best) restaurant in town does a 10 course tasting with wine pairings that works out to $400 for 2.  Some of the most amazing bits of food I've ever had in my whole life - fresh, creative, beautiful, delicious, just an all around awesome experience.  I've been doing that for my birthday every year, since the years I had to scrimp and save to make it happen.  It's been great.  We dine at that level like twice a year - our anniversary, and his birthday.   These are awesome, special evenings and I'd hate to have to give them up. 

We went out last night to a Mexican place where the only thing on the menu is chicken - a whole, or a half.  Half a charbroiled chicken, stack of soft tortillas, beans, rice, and a full sugar coke for like $9.  It's dive-y and delicious, and probably one of my favorite cost-to-awesome ratio discoveries.




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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #107 on: August 17, 2016, 07:59:51 PM »
My fiancee flies up the coast to visit me this weekend, and we were going to celebrate by having some expensive seafood. Turns out the place we wanted is booked out for a month, so we'll just be doing the 'cheap' places with high ratings.

But not as cheap as last weekend's seafood, when I showed up with a 12-pack to a BYOB party and someone showed up with a huge tray of steamed crabs they caught that morning ^_^

forummm

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #108 on: August 18, 2016, 10:29:13 AM »
Occasionally we have spent $200+ on dinner for the 2 of us, but only to celebrate something important, like an anniversary or a financial milestone. I will concede that the food does not always seem worth that money, but it is nice to have someone else cook you a great meal with some variety in it, usually with a nice ambiance and good conversation with your SO.

Is the $200+ meal better than a $50 meal? I can see value in having someone else cook for you and having a special occasion. But you can have a pretty decent time for $50 (IME).

I would say we typically have trouble staying under $50 even at "fast casual" type places like Chillis (which I hate buy my wife likes...)  There are probably places you can get a very good meal for $50 for 2 people, but in general, you've got to stay under about $15/entree/person to hit $50 (when taking into account drinks and tax/tip) and that tends to be pretty hit or miss.  There are SOME places that are very good, but in general, yes, a $200 meal is likely better than a $50 meal. 

Of course, if you intentionally are ordering the absolute cheapest thing on the menu and only drinking water, you may have more success, but that isn't really apples:apples with a $200 meal. 

I don't drink so that keeps my costs lower. I prefer water to other beverages. I also don't get stuff besides an entrée (which is usually more than enough food by itself). So I guess my idea of a $50 meal is something still somewhat extravagant. My favorite Ethiopian place runs us <$30 and I'm uncomfortable from eating too much. A good Thai place will also be $30ish. Maybe $12 per entrée. We have $25 on a giftcard for Longhorn steakhouse (that we haven't used in over 4 years). I saw a commercial during the Olympics (the only time I see commercials) about a $12 meal deal, which includes an entrée, side, desert or appetizer, and bread/butter. I can't remember if it includes a salad too. I'm planning to get that to use the card. I'm curious to see if I enjoy the experience similarly to the $230 meal. There's also an ad for $10 unlimited appetizers at TGIF. Definitely not the same atmosphere or food quality. But it would be someone else "cooking" for you, and you'd get some variety (trying 2-4 different items). I haven't eaten there in 20 years, but would probably rather do that 10 times than the fancy steakhouse once. I definitely would prefer the Ethiopian or other ethnic food option multiple times.

Like with the bolded, I start almost every meal I eat with a salad.  You can argue it's dumb to pay for, and that's correct, but the flip side is A) it's healthier, and B) I end up eating less of the entree, which then becomes tomorrow's lunch, so it sorta balances out. 

It's funny, we have a few local steakhouses that are more like $25-30/person, and those are the ones I avoid because I find the steaks aren't as good as the ones I make at home, etc, so the meal just isn't very good.  Or if I end up there (family wants to go there) I'll get the fish or something else that's harder to prepare myself. 

I also don't even know what Ethiopian food is, and don't particularly care for Thai or other Asian foods.  I like Italian food, and BBQ and meat.  And seafood, but not much great seafood in IL.  I'm a sucker for a good burger, and I will admit you can usually get out of a good burger place for ~$50, even with a beer.  But it's just a different kind of food than you would get at a $$$ place, I can't say one is "better" than the other, it just depends on what sort of food and experience you are after. 

You might give Ethiopian a try. It's incredibly flavorful meats and vegetables that you pickup with a spongy high-protein bread called injera. Get a combo platter so you can try a bunch of different dishes and see which ones you like. Since you use your hands they will get a little messy. It seems that you go for more bland foods, so maybe it won't be your thing. But it could be fun to have a new experience.

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #109 on: August 18, 2016, 11:52:27 AM »
I haven't had much Ethiopian even though my area is saturated with Ethiopian immigrants. I have only had Doro Tips and injera but that injera is filling unless you're starving go slow lol...
I need to try more of their food I did buy some Berbere spice but haven't done anything with it yet.

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #110 on: August 19, 2016, 10:53:18 AM »
Wow....I never thought I would see so many stories of super fancy restaurants in a mustachian forum!  Some of these stories are amazing. 
 

I just figure that the people posting in this thread are mostly the ones for whom the big advice is not "skip the daily expensive coffee", but rather "skip the second home and 3rd car." But even more than that, I think mustachians are people who take the time to know what's important to them, and for some it's amazing food :)

Or, skipping the daily expensive coffee, lunches out, or weekly Applebee's garbage, and go for a very nice and memorable dinner a couple times per year.

We are in that camp, in that we rarely eat out anymore.  Rather than dropping $40 once every week or two on a mediocre dinner, we'd much rather hit a nicer restaurant a few times per year and order whatever we want.  That usually winds up being around $160 for the two of us for birthday dinners. However, DH usually wants a steak, and as has been mentioned, we usually get better results by dropping $30 on a couple excellent steaks from Whole Paycheck and cooking them at home.

Last month we went to Portland and Seattle, with the primary objective of eating some great food.  I'm not making roasted bone marrow or procuring fresh anchovies at home.  I came back inspired to try out some new flavor combinations at home.  We had great service and felt like the whole thing was worth it.  I'm guessing we spent around $500 on food and drinks over three days, but only because DH's aunt joined us for one dinner and insisted on picking up the check.

Some of these very high-end restaurant experiences sound amazing, and I totally don't rule out doing something like that once every 5-10 years.

SoccerLounge

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #111 on: August 21, 2016, 07:58:00 PM »
I've never heard of a "connoisseur" or "foodie" taking a photo of something like this and commenting online that it tastes like crap.

Hi! I'm SoccerLounge. Now you have. Except I don't take photos because that's a bit tacky (no offense, all you food-Instagrammers).

One of the fascinating things about the US is that we don't just have 'expensive but fancy' restaurants, as in many other places in the world. We also have 'expensive but not at all fancy but lol a $500 steak is a status symbol to a certain type of person' restaurants.

I have no problem dropping some bucks on Michelin-star level artistry. Unique flavors, rare ingredients, or just the pinnacle of kitchen skill make these rare culinary experiences worth it, at least to me. Dropping bucks on a mediocre pork chop because the place decided that higher prices make people think the food is better? Usually in some Famous Upscale-Franchise Steakhouse? Fuck no. I'd rather go to Burger King.

forummm

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #112 on: August 27, 2016, 05:51:52 PM »
We went to Longhorn Steakhouse tonight to use a gift card we got 4.5 years ago. The experience was a little different because we brought our baby with us and it took a lot of attention to keep him from throwing everything on the floor or squawking too much. But I would say that it compared pretty reasonably with the $230 place. We spent about $30 total (no alcohol). The steak today was a little lower quality than the one at the expensive place, and it was smaller. And the sides were also not quite as good (one was pretty close, the other was another step down). I'd say we ended up getting about as much food for about 1/7 the cost, and I enjoyed the experience about as much. I actually had some negative feelings about going to the expensive place just because I don't like wasting money like that.

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #113 on: August 27, 2016, 06:33:26 PM »
We went to Longhorn Steakhouse tonight to use a gift card we got 4.5 years ago. The experience was a little different because we brought our baby with us and it took a lot of attention to keep him from throwing everything on the floor or squawking too much. But I would say that it compared pretty reasonably with the $230 place. We spent about $30 total (no alcohol). The steak today was a little lower quality than the one at the expensive place, and it was smaller. And the sides were also not quite as good (one was pretty close, the other was another step down). I'd say we ended up getting about as much food for about 1/7 the cost, and I enjoyed the experience about as much. I actually had some negative feelings about going to the expensive place just because I don't like wasting money like that.

The wife and I call that "cost per wow."  $230 for something that was pretty good == awful.  $30 for the same thing == really good.

forummm

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #114 on: August 27, 2016, 07:26:41 PM »
We went to Longhorn Steakhouse tonight to use a gift card we got 4.5 years ago. The experience was a little different because we brought our baby with us and it took a lot of attention to keep him from throwing everything on the floor or squawking too much. But I would say that it compared pretty reasonably with the $230 place. We spent about $30 total (no alcohol). The steak today was a little lower quality than the one at the expensive place, and it was smaller. And the sides were also not quite as good (one was pretty close, the other was another step down). I'd say we ended up getting about as much food for about 1/7 the cost, and I enjoyed the experience about as much. I actually had some negative feelings about going to the expensive place just because I don't like wasting money like that.

The wife and I call that "cost per wow."  $230 for something that was pretty good == awful.  $30 for the same thing == really good.

Yeah. Free food is usually great. And I enjoy eating things more when I got a great deal on it.

Mr. Llama

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #115 on: August 28, 2016, 01:04:52 AM »
It's true. It's the most expensive meal I've ever had. And it wasn't that good.

But I didn't pay for it. (Of course)

It was a gift for DW from her parents. They think that expensive meals are nice. It was a steakhouse that was supposed to be one of the best restaurants in the metro area. But beforehand I predicted that the pork chops that I made the day before would be tastier. My pork chops were about a buck each, and they were much tastier than the $50 steak I had. The best thing about the meal was the $10 grit fritters.

I don't get it. Why do people pay that much for mediocre food? That's as much as we spend each month on groceries. I could also have had 10 meals at cheaper places that I would have enjoyed at least as much for that same cost.

At least it's another validation that I don't need to be that rich to live a really nice enjoyable life. Those luxuries just aren't worth it.

Be careful not to miss out on life experiences or enjoyment just to prove a point that you can live frugally.

I eat at home most of the time (my wife is a great cook) but we also love to try out new restaurants especially when travelling. I have had amazing experiences at cheap local stalls in Indonesia and Michelin starred restaurants in France. I have also had many mediocre experiences, but that's life. Taking the whole family out for a swanky dinner might cost 1-2 weeks of eating at home but I do not regret a single cent of the money I spent for these experiences.

There is a middle ground between never eating at a restaurant - ever - and eating out 3 times a day because you're too lazy to cook.

Fearthebait

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #116 on: August 28, 2016, 06:38:32 AM »
I'll admit the Melbourne from Outback Steakhouse for $20 is the greatest steak I have ever tasted. It beatw out the $150 steak I ate at a 4 star restaurant a few years ago. I ended up paying about $275 for that meal because my ex was huge into food (Spending lot's of money on it more than wanting to make it herself).

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #117 on: August 28, 2016, 10:37:24 AM »
I am a foodie and while I get most of my foodie joy at home making my own wonderful food, I like to sample the best that vegan chefs can create. I consider the expense of these restaurants to be part education, part inspiration, and part sublime joy. I try to approach it in such a way that it is not wasted on me. Ideally, I want to bring something back to my own cooking, whether it is how to plate, a new way of flavoring food, or a completely new type of food that would bring our meals to a higher level.

In our everyday life, my husband and I stay out of restaurants except for our birthdays and anniversaries. (So we eat out about 4 times a year unless we have to eat out as a requirement of our working lives.) However, if we learn that there is a top-rated vegan restaurant somewhere we are traveling, we absolutely make space in our budget and our schedule to spend time there. The best meal I have ever had in my entire life I had at Roxanne's, an amazing raw food restaurant in Marin County that sadly no longer exists. The tasting menu was $120 (for just me) and I still remember every exquisite course. Once I got home, I bought her book (Raw) and began putting what I'd learned into our own food. My husband was delighted.

We've also enjoyed every minute spent at Matthew Kenney's gourmet raw vegan cuisine (in Oklahoma City before he moved it to Venice Beach) and at Plant in Asheville, NC. All are expensive gourmet restaurants that we loved.

Some restaurants don't really have much to teach me anymore but we still enjoy them when we travel and we don't count the cost because amazing food is part of why I travel: Chicago Diner (Chicago), Spiral Diner (Dallas), and High Noon Cafe (Jackson, MS) are in this category. Though I would rather eat peanut butter sandwiches in my room while traveling than expose my tastebuds to mediocre meals or food from non-vegan restaurants (unless they are known for their vegan dishes). We save our pennies for the experiences that matter.

In less than a week we will go to DragonCon in Atlanta and planning our food is second only to planning our seminar schedule. We will probably try a vegan restaurant or bakery while we are there, but most of our food will be made in our hotel room. I am bringing our griddler, which will allow me to make stir fry and panini sandwiches. The point of food is pleasure. If a restaurant can't make food better than I can, I have no patience with it.

forummm

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #118 on: August 28, 2016, 01:01:00 PM »
Be careful not to miss out on life experiences or enjoyment just to prove a point that you can live frugally.

I eat at home most of the time (my wife is a great cook) but we also love to try out new restaurants especially when travelling. I have had amazing experiences at cheap local stalls in Indonesia and Michelin starred restaurants in France. I have also had many mediocre experiences, but that's life. Taking the whole family out for a swanky dinner might cost 1-2 weeks of eating at home but I do not regret a single cent of the money I spent for these experiences.

There is a middle ground between never eating at a restaurant - ever - and eating out 3 times a day because you're too lazy to cook.

I probably do miss out on some good experiences because I don't want to spend the money. But I definitely skip a lot of not-worth-it experiences that way too. What I was expressing is that this luxury experience just wasn't worth it to me. I don't understand how they get people to pay those prices when the quality isn't so amazing that it's obviously worth it. I've had really great restaurant meals before. This was good, but not $230 good.

Chris22

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #119 on: August 29, 2016, 09:43:32 AM »
We went to Longhorn Steakhouse tonight to use a gift card we got 4.5 years ago. The experience was a little different because we brought our baby with us and it took a lot of attention to keep him from throwing everything on the floor or squawking too much. But I would say that it compared pretty reasonably with the $230 place. We spent about $30 total (no alcohol). The steak today was a little lower quality than the one at the expensive place, and it was smaller. And the sides were also not quite as good (one was pretty close, the other was another step down). I'd say we ended up getting about as much food for about 1/7 the cost, and I enjoyed the experience about as much. I actually had some negative feelings about going to the expensive place just because I don't like wasting money like that.

I went to Longhorn last weekend with my mom as a meal near the airport before my daughter and I flew home.  I thought it sucked ass.  I got a ribeye, it was ~$20, and it was flat, tasteless, and overcooked ( I requested medium rare).  I can make better steaks using a $7 Costco filet and my little Smokey Joe $30 charcoal grill I have for tailgating.  I generally stay away from the low-end steakhouses like Longhorn, Outback, etc, because they suck; I can taste a huge difference between them and the high end $50/steak places.

Metric Mouse

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Re: ForuMMM eats a $230 meal
« Reply #120 on: August 29, 2016, 03:58:24 PM »
Be careful not to miss out on life experiences or enjoyment just to prove a point that you can live frugally.

I eat at home most of the time (my wife is a great cook) but we also love to try out new restaurants especially when travelling. I have had amazing experiences at cheap local stalls in Indonesia and Michelin starred restaurants in France. I have also had many mediocre experiences, but that's life. Taking the whole family out for a swanky dinner might cost 1-2 weeks of eating at home but I do not regret a single cent of the money I spent for these experiences.

There is a middle ground between never eating at a restaurant - ever - and eating out 3 times a day because you're too lazy to cook.

I probably do miss out on some good experiences because I don't want to spend the money. But I definitely skip a lot of not-worth-it experiences that way too. What I was expressing is that this luxury experience just wasn't worth it to me. I don't understand how they get people to pay those prices when the quality isn't so amazing that it's obviously worth it. I've had really great restaurant meals before. This was good, but not $230 good.

I've found that I often regret the things I avoided far more than the things that I have experienced.