Does anyone DINE at very fancy restaurants anymore?

[questioner]

Americans spend alot of money on out to eat restaurants but I wonder if anyone DINES anymore. In the Portland Oregon area, a number of fine dining establishments have closed in the last few years. These were very popular places that use to be almost impossible to get a reservation (table) ten years ago.

Do you ever eat out (DINE) at a real fancy restaurant anymore? I am talking about places where a meal costs at least $50.

 

[mommaU4]

Not me. Either I don't have the time, the money, or a sitter or all three! Lately Olive Garden is about as fancy as we get.

 

[crazelion]

Can't afford to out now. The food places is to expensive. Plus everything is closing up because people can't afford to eat out here. It seem like I look at the newspaer another food places is close.

 

[Jeafl]

Occasionally. Just went out to a very nice place Saturday night for my birthday. We don't go just for the heck of it, but for special occasions we do splurge.

 

[Castlebound]

If someone else is paying I sure do! I have yet to eat at Tony's, which is St. Louis's only 5 star restaurant. DH and I both think that it is a little too stuffy for our tastes. We have eaten at Morton's Steakhouse and Mike Shannon's but both meals where expense account meals. I would not spend my money on either restaurant because I think that they are just too expensive. We love Cafe Provencal in Kirkwood and The Sidney Street Cafe in Soulard. They are both what we consider nicer restaurants and we feel that they are worth what we pay.

I guess I should add that the last time we were at Disney we ate at Jiko's and Citricos. Our whole family including DS8 & DD6 loved Jiko's.

 

[ducklite]

Americans spend alot of money on out to eat restaurants but I wonder if anyone DINES anymore. In the Portland Oregon area, a number of fine dining establishments have closed in the last few years. These were very popular places that use to be almost impossible to get a reservation (table) ten years ago.

Do you ever eat out (DINE) at a real fancy restaurant anymore? I am talking about places where a meal costs at least $50.

Regularly. In the past month I've dined at Jiko, Emeril's, and the California Grill. Next month we are planning on dining at Capriccio and trying Blue Zoo.

Anne

 

[supercarrie]

If someone else is paying, yes! I am a student on a very limited budget, and in London, I don't even eat out that much to begin with, if I am, it is a cheap takeaway place usually. (In CA, ate out a lot more though.) The last time I had a fancy meal was about a month ago, actually (I visited my best friend in Edinburgh and he took me to The Witchery, a VERY nice restaurant...the wine list is a book!) Before that...can't remember!

 

[goodeats]

We love to go all out on a meal. In fact I'd rather not eat out every week so we can really splurge on a nice meal.

We just had a 4 course prix fixe meal with wine pairings at a swanky restaurant for my birthday, and it was lovely. Much rather go out like that once a few months, than go to a chain restaurant regularly. I can make better food than the chain restaurants serve. blech!

 

[nwdisgal]

Yes. I do. I especially like doing multiple courses (tastings) with wine pairings.

 

[dg39]

Yes, we do. NYC has many wonderful restaurants and we go quite often.

 

[nwdisgal]

If I lived in NYC, I'd be going often too. You just have great cuisine, all around.

 

[Micca]

A few times a year...and it's usually DMIL's treat Actually I don't like sitting at a table for 2-2.5 hours. I get uncomfortable and feel the need to get up an move around. If they could only bring the food to me on my sofa

 

[bicker]

Part of the problem, I believe, is that many of these places continued to charge superlative prices, even though the dining experience they were offering was no better than folks realized they could get from chain restaurants, due to the advancements in the quality of food and service at the chains.

 

[grinningghost]

Never, if I can help it. I like "regular" food at reasonable prices. I also enjoy a very relaxed, casual atmosphere.

Anyone remember my infamous "Victoria & Albert's" thread on the Restaurant Board?

 

[stemikger]

I actually like the casual places better. Although I live in New York where we have some of the best fancy restaurants in the world, I personally hate all the pomp and stuffy atmosphere of these places.

I also hate the snobish attituted of some of the wait staff and matre ds. I want to go and eat my dinner in levis and a mickey mouse shirt.

You can't do that in the fancy places.

By the way, I'm in good company, the second richest man in the world loves to go to the local dinner and eat cheesburgers and cherry cokes. If you don't know who I'm talking about, it is none other then warren buffett.

 

[WDWLVR]

Nope, about the only time we eat out is on vacation. Just not our style.

 

[Kahana-ri]

The last time we 'dined' at a fancy restaurant was before our son was born and it was becuase I had won a gift certificate. Good thing it was a gift certificate too becuase at the time I was pregnant and ordered a lobster. It was $50.00, and when it came out I became queasy from the smell and didn't even eat it. It was a nice restaurant, but not a place to really enjoy ourselves. Our favorite restaurant is a small Italian place, quiet and quaint. We still don't eat there often at all, we now need family friendly.

 

[mickeyfan2]

On occasion.

 

[Bob Slydell]

From time to time, yep. Usually for special occasions, since with young kids, it has to be a "night out" these days, so it's extra effort lining up a babysitter and all that.

 

[aprincessmom]

I do at least once every other month. I love fine dining and I like that DD, now 9, is enjoying it as well. I like being treated well and having good food, good wine, fine linens, china, silver and crystal on the table, and a calm, peaceful atmosphere in which to eat. And it's nice to get dressed up a bit to do something more special than our usual. But we also love going out on a Friday night and grabbing a Patty Melt at Friendly's