Las Vegas Restaurants

Ken Blake wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

restaurant.

We were invited to come for a special wine dinner by the Wine Institute of Las Vegas. $888 for a Dom Perignon/Don Ruinart reception, six glasses of Cheval Blanc, and 3 glasses of d'Yquem (one was a '66) along with a several course meal of various fantastic dishes I don't consider extreme. I am in a wheelchair and it is not like my Wife and I can play tennis. Gourmet food and vintage wine is something I can enjoy. Considering what some people spend on their "hobbies" I don't consider a fine meal now and then out of line. Fine food and fine wine is our hobby. Some people that might see spending $1,776 on a dinner for 2 absurd, but have a $20,000 fishing boat in their driveway. It is not like we have a meal like that every week.

Fred.

Understood, and if I sounded like I was chastising you for spending that much, my apologies--that wasn't at all my intent. It's not for me to complain about how someone else spends his money.

Actually my wife and I choose to spend our discretionary money much the same way as you do. But we apparently have different amounts of discretionary money to spend. I wish I had the option of spending that much for a single dinner, but I don't, not unless I choose to have a lot fewer good dinners.

Some years back between 1988 and 1995 a wine store in Burlingame, CA, Wimax, put on a DRC dinner each January. At $500 per seat it was very expensive by 1990 dollars but I thought it was well worth the price. I have not had a single DRC since I stopped attending those and the Pinot Noirs that I do buy now days are so thin that it is hard to think of them as wine. Max Hauser was probably sitting across the table from me back then.

LOL! As I've met both of you face-to-face, I'll scour the Web for some photographic evidence, Bill. Actually, though, I expect that Max's tasting group(s) were probably his major source of Burgundy tastings, then and now.

Mark Lipton

Actually, since I assume this was tasting I saw notes on (Cheval included '89, '90, '98 and '00), I'd say once you factor in both wine and food (at JR prices), it's probably a fairly good deal at $888. Some of the CBs go for $1000+ a bottle, and the Yquems aren't cheap. It's more than I could spend, but I'll hope for one day.:)

I think most folks here understand that we all have different means and priorities. As you note, many people spend far more on their interests. Food is cheap compared to sailing, horses, and many other interests.

Probably true. But just because something is a good deal doesn't mean I can afford it. If someone offered me a new Ferrari Testarossa for "only" $100,000, it would be a great deal, but I still couldn't afford to buy and own it.

I wish you the best of luck! It's highly unlikely that I'll ever get there.

Oh, I agree. I was just commenting on the value part. With my income I know I could ever pay that much for one evening (even if there wasn't a kid in college). Most I've ever spent for dinner for two was probably around $500. I've done a few wine dinners where I've spent $200-300. Those are few and far between. Barring winning the lottery, inventing a clean cheap renewable substitute for gasoline, or inheriting the fortune of a distant relative I've never known, seems highly unlikely I'll get there either. :)

Right. We clearly agree.

I *once* spent almost $600 for two, at the three-star Buerehiesel in Strasbourg. But that was a big stretch, and I certainly couldn't afford to do it often.

I'm clearly out of luck: I don't buy lottery tickets, know nothing about inventing anything, and have almost no living relatives to speak of.

Probably too late to help, but Picasso @ Bellagio, has always come through for me, on both the food and the wine end. We've had intimate dinners for two, and hosted board events, and they have excelled.

Had really weak performances from SeaBlue and Aureole. Have not been lately, to try some of the newer heavy-hitters, Guy Savoy, etc., so cannot comment. Might want to check out

Hunt