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 美国吃喝玩乐系列：Most Expensive U.S. Restaurants 2005（转帖） |
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安普若
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头衔: 海归元勋
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加入时间: 2004/02/21
文章: 26038
来自: 中国美国的飞机上
海归分: 4196257
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作者：安普若 在 海归茶馆 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
Most Expensive U.S. Restaurants 2005
Sophia Banay
Americans spent $884 per person on eating out in 2003.* That would just about cover dinner for two at Masa in New York City. The new Japanese restaurant in the Time Warner Center only accommodates 38 people per night and flies its seafood directly from Japan every other day. The prix fixe menu starts at $350 per person.
For raw fish.
Alcohol is extra.
And tip isn't included.
If you think that's steep, there's a (relatively) cheaper option right next door: Per Se, also located in the Time Warner Center. The second venture for celebrity chef Thomas Keller, whose French Laundry in Napa Valley has been recognized as one of the best restaurants in the county, Per Se opened to media fanfare last February and features a nine-course Tasting of Vegetables menu that runs $210 per person. Yes, the hen-of-the-woods mushrooms with caramelized fennel bulb and aged sherry mignonette sounds to die for. But you might actually have to fake your own death and cash in on your life insurance policy before impressing a dinner date here--and don't even think about bringing the entire family.
When compiling our second annual list of The Most Expensive Restaurants in the U.S., a question arose. Has fine dining gotten a little too fine when bills for two (including a good bottle of wine and maybe a snifter or two of cognac) at the best establishments in the country routinely approach--and exceed--the $1000 mark?
"I think people are becoming accustomed to paying more when they go out to dinner," says Charles "Chick" Marshall, chairman of DiRoNa, a New York-based nonprofit association of restaurants, and co-owner of Mr. Stox Restaurant in Anaheim, Calif., where he sees diners pay $2,000 per night on a regular basis. "There's so much emphasis on prime ingredients and on the level of service at restaurants today. This whole cadre of celebrity chefs has created a demand for the best. And people are willing to spend for it."
And spending they are: The National Restaurant Association estimates that the industry will generate sales of $476 billion by the end of 2005.
According to Adam Weissenberg, the national managing partner for tourism, hospitality and leisure at Deloitte & Touche, high-end restaurants generate a minuscule percentage of the total revenue of the restaurant industry. So even though not all of those dollars are being spent at top-of-the-line establishments, like French Laundry or Alinea, the new restaurant from Grant Achatz in Chicago, the point is that Americans are spending more than they ever have on dining out. Americans will spend nearly half of their total food budgets--about 47%--on dining out by the end of 2005, according to the National Restaurant Association. Compare that with 40.5% in 2000, or with 1955, when dining out constituted a mere 25% of the average American's overall food budget.
Talented and high-profile chefs, made popular by the advent of the Food Network (which is currently seen in 80 million American households), are certainly part of the reason that Americans are dining out more and paying more to do so. But restaurants are increasingly willing to spend their own money to get you to spend yours.
Marshall estimates that the operating revenue necessary to keep a first-rate restaurant running smoothly, including keeping the décor fresh, buying and restocking china dishware and finding and retaining experienced staff--not to mention procuring fresh raw ingredients--could be upward of $5 million per year. Of course, many first-class restaurants earn as much as $10 million annually. But the formula for success can be trickier than keeping sushi fresh.
"If properly managed, restaurants in the ultra-high-end sector can have large profit margins," says Weissenberg. "However, they face challenges. The cost to build them is very high--prime locations mean high rents and top-of-the-line labor means higher than average salaries. In theory, if the menu is priced correctly, the restaurant should make a nice profit. But if anything is out of synch--for example, food costs are more than expected--the restaurant can very quickly move to a money-losing venture."
Visiting any of the 20 restaurants on our list might be a money-losing venture for you as well, but the experience will be enriching in other ways. There's no way to experience the legendary bread baskets at The Inn at Little Washington outside Washington, D.C., or the homegrown produce of The Herbfarm in Seattle, without actually going there. But food is the least of it--the restaurants on our list cater to the other senses, as well. The original Picasso artwork decorating the walls at Picasso in Las Vegas is just as big a treat as the French-Mediterranean menu. And at Tony's in St. Louis, waiters are concerned enough with your personal welfare that they'll bring you a shawl without asking, if you look cold.
To compile our list, we worked with the Washington, D.C.-based Travel Industry Association to ascertain the 20 American cities with the highest volume of annual business travelers--after all, these are the people whose expense accounts support much of the industry. Then we partnered with the New York-based Zagat Survey to get dollar amounts (which represent the estimated price of dinner, with one drink and tip, per person) for the most expensive restaurant in each city.
New York: Masa
$366
British pound: 210
Indian rupee: 16,390
Australian dollar: 487
Canadian dollar: 431
Singapore dollar: 618
Euro: 305
This tiny restaurant, which seats 26, is the most expensive in the country, with the prix fixe menu ranging from $350 to $500 per person--not including alcohol. Thinking of saving by bringing your own bottle of wine or sake? You can try, but expect to pay a corkage fee of $75. The menu changes frequently, but always includes five appetizers, a sushi entrée with up to 20 types of seafood flown directly from Japan and a dessert course served with tea.
For more information, call (212) 823-9800 or visit www.masanyc.com.
*All prices per person exclusive of tip.
Chicago: Alinea
$192
British pound: 110
Indian rupee: 8,598
Australian dollar: 255
Canadian dollar: 226
Singapore dollar: 324
Euro: 160
Alinea's opening last spring generated major buzz, thanks to Executive Chef Grant Achatz, former sous-chef to Thomas Keller at French Laundry in Napa, California. Achatz left French Laundry for Trio, the Illinois restaurant where he continued making his name with an entrée called Black Truffle Explosion, which actually featured bursts of truffle broth while diners chewed. At Alinea, guests choose from a menu of as many as 24 mini-courses, which can take as long as five hours to finish. Since opening, Alinea has not disappointed Achatz fans, and reservations must be made several months in advance.
For more information, call (312) 867-0110 or visit www.alinearestaurant.com.
Seattle: The Herbfarm
$152
British pound: 87
Indian rupee: 6,807
Australian dollar: 202
Canadian dollar: 179
Singapore dollar: 257
Euro: 127
Live guitar music, herbs and vegetables grown on the grounds and a large selection of Pacific Northwest wines are just a few of the reasons why The Herbfarm is a unique dining experience. Paying over $150 per person outside of New York or Los Angeles is a bit uncommon, but at The Herbfarm--where a nine-course meal (at $159 to $189, including wine but excluding tip and tax) can take over four hours to consume--we promise you it's worth it.
For more information, call (425) 485-5300 or visit www.theherbfarm.com.
San Francisco: French Laundry
$135
British pound: 77
Indian rupee: 6,046
Australian dollar: 180
Canadian dollar: 159
Singapore dollar: 228
Euro: 113
The restaurant takes reservations two months to the calendar date in advance, so get booking now--it's universally acknowledged as one of the must-dine destinations in California, and even in the entire U.S. Thomas Keller, the renowned chef behind the restaurant, made waves lately with the opening of Per Se in the Time Warner Center in New York, but French Laundry remains his landmark property, and one well worth checking out. The prix fixe menu consists of between five and nine whimsically named dishes, such as Oysters and Pearls, which is pearl tapioca custard served with caviar and oyster. Tasting menus are priced at $175 per person.
For more information, call (707) 944-2380 or visit www.frenchlaundry.com.
Washington, D.C: Inn at Little Washington
$129
British pound: 74
Indian rupee: 5,777
Australian dollar: 172
Canadian dollar: 152
Singapore dollar: 218
Euro: 108
This country inn and restaurant opened in 1978 in a converted garage in Rappahannock County. The self-taught chef and owner, Patrick O'Connell, has since catapulted his inn and restaurant--now a Relais & Chateaux property--to national attention with innovative, hearty appetizers and entrées like lobster napoleon or a "salmon five ways" starter. The homemade bread basket brought to the table, which includes chewy poppy seed rolls and rye bread with currants and nuts, is refilled every few minutes. Prix fixe menus start at $138 per person during the week.
For more information, call (540) 675-3800 or visit www.theinnatlittlewashington.com.
Philadelphia: Le Bec-Fin
$120
British pound: 69
Indian rupee: 5,374
Australian dollar: 160
Canadian dollar: 141.5
Singapore dollar: 203
Euro: 100
Le Bec-Fin celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. To commemorate the event, the restaurant launched a new, three-course prix fixe dinner as an alternate to the much heaver, seven-course prix fixe ($138 per person) that had traditionally been the only option. To toast your date, order La Bicyclette, a champagne co-cktail with raspberry spirits and Chambord raspberry liquor introduced in honor of this year's anniversary. When it opened in 1970, Chef Georges Perrier couldn't have known the formal restaurant would become a hallmark of a town famous for its cheese steaks. Luckily for us, it did.
For more information, call (215) 567-1000 or visit www.lebecfin.com
Los Angeles: Bastide
$101
British pound: 58
Indian rupee: 4,523
Australian dollar: 134
Canadian dollar: 119
Singapore dollar: 171
Euro: 84
Classic French cuisine wouldn't set Bastide apart in and of itself. But the impeccable quality of the ingredients helps explain why this restaurant has made our list for the second year in a row--and helps justify the price tag. Indeed, the restaurant's owner, Joe Pytka, once paid $35,000 for a one-kilogram white truffle, which he incorporated into the menu. Entrées start at $50.
For more information, call (323) 651-5950.
Las Vegas: Picasso
$91
British pound: 52
Indian rupee: 4,075
Australian dollar: 121
Canadian dollar: 107
Singapore dollar: 185
Euro: 76
Although The Bellagio isn't short of dining options, the Picasso is a venerable favorite for hotel guests or anyone who comes through Las Vegas. Original works of art by Pablo Picasso, including oil paintings and ceramic sculptures, decorate the dramatic space. But don't come for the art: Come for the French-Mediterranean menu, the real reason for the restaurant's popularity. And plan to come early to fortify yourself before a night of gambling, as the kitchen closes at 9:30 P.M. The four-course menu is $90 and the five-course meal is $100.
For more information, call (877) 2-DINE-LV or visit www.bellagio.com.
Atlanta: Seeger's
$86
British pound: 49
Indian rupee: 3,851
Australian dollar: 114
Canadian dollar: 101
Singapore dollar: 145
Euro: 72
Currently closed to undergo renovations on everything from the dining room to the menu, Seeger's will reopen on Oct. 14. The eclectic menu, which changes daily according to the whims of Head Chef Guenter Seeger, will feature four-course ($105 without wine) and eight-course ($125 without wine) tasting menus, instead of the five- and eight-course menus previously on offer. The dining room, which once accommodated 65, will be whittled down to only 32, and the wine list will be thoroughly expanded. If this sounds up your alley, Seeger's is currently accepting reservations for the week of their reopening.
For more information, call (404) 846-9779 or visit www.seegers.com.
Orlando, Fla.: Victoria & Albert's
$85
British pound: 49
Indian rupee: 3,807
Australian dollar: 113
Canadian dollar: 100
Singapore dollar: 144
Euro: 71
Frette linens and Christofle silver may not sound very Disney, but it's all part of the dining experience at Victoria & Albert's, the restaurant located in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, a part of Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Fla. Not only that, but the seven-course seasonal menu ($95 without wine; $145 with wine), which is customized daily and may include such delicacies as Hudson Valley foie gras, Fuji apples or dayboat diver scallops, is very adult-friendly--as is the 4,200-bottle wine cellar.
For more information, call (407) 939-7707 or visit www.disney.com.
Boston: L'Espalier
$84
British pound: 48
Indian rupee: 3,761
Australian dollar: 112
Canadian dollar: 99
Singapore dollar: 142
Euro: 70
This French and American restaurant in Boston's Back Bay has been a local favorite for years, although tourists are often too distracted by the culinary gimmicks of the North End to get here. Local fishermen supply the fresh cod and other seafood on the menu, and farms in Massachusetts and Vermont supply the fresh fruits and vegetables that go into dishes like the native raspberry cobbler. The prix fixe menu starts at $70 for three courses.
For more information, call (617) 262-3023 or visit www.lespalier.com.
Detroit: The Lark
$81
British pound: 46
Indian rupee: 3,627
Australian dollar: 108
Canadian dollar: 96
Singapore dollar: 137
Euro: 68
The Lark is one of the few places in the Midwest where you might actually be fooled into thinking you're in Europe. The restaurant overlooks a walled garden with a splashing fountain and grape trellis, and romantic doesn't even begin to describe a candle-lit dinner here. The French menu features main courses (around $70 each), which include Nova Scotia halibut with artichoke hearts ($72), chanterelle mushroom cannelloni ($65) and wild striped bass with littleneck clams ($69).
For more information, call (248) 661-4466 or visit www.thelark.com.
Dallas: French Room
$77
British pound: 44
Indian rupee: 3,448
Australian dollar: 102
Canadian dollar: 91
Singapore dollar: 130
Euro: 64
Downtown dining in Dallas has never been finer than at The French Room--the restaurant in the Hotel Adolphus. Although French, this restaurant features Kobe steak and seafood, as well as other favorites, like roasted breast of duck with duck confit, foie gras, caramelized pearl onions and dried cherry port wine sauce. If you fancy a little caviar before the $85 prix fixe menu ($135 with wine), Golden Iranian Asetra ($265 per ounce) or Iranian Sevruga ($235 per ounce) is available.
For more information, call (214) 742-8200 or visit www.hoteladolphus.com.
Denver: Alpenglow Stube
$73
British pound: 42
Indian rupee: 3,269
Australian dollar: 97
Canadian dollar: 86
Singapore dollar: 123
Euro: 61
Located atop Keystone's 11,444-foot North Peak, Alpenglow Stube is open for the winter ski season and for summer mountain biking, but is closed during the spring and fall. The dramatic dining room is reached via a gondola, and the blazing fire will warm you while you ponder a six-course ($87) or dégustation ($95) menu, which includes ragout of black crab and cider marinated muscovy duck. This year, Alpenglow Stube will be open from Nov. 18 until April 16.
For more information, call (970) 496-4386 or visit www.keystonedining.com.
Tampa, Fla: Six Tables
$70
British pound: 40
Indian rupee: 3,134
Australian dollar: 93
Canadian dollar: 82
Singapore dollar: 118
Euro: 58
Dining at Six Tables in Tampa is like being the guest of honor at the exclusive private dinner party of your best friend. With only six tables and one seating per night, this restaurant is hard to beat in terms of service quality. The food, which is modern Continental with a French influence, is hard to beat too. The evening starts with champagne served on a silver platter and only gets better from there. The entire dining room can be reserved for groups of up to 24. The prix fixe menu starts at $70, without wine.
For more information, call (813) 207-0527 or visit www.sixtablestampa.com.
San Diego: Mille Fleurs
$66
British pound: 38
Indian rupee: 2,956
Australian dollar: 88
Canadian dollar: 78
Singapore dollar: 112
Euro: 55
The exposed brick, wooden beams and roaring fire in Mille Fleurs make it a cozy place to experience some of the county's best dining. Although the waitstaff has a reputation for being brisk, it's their job to keep the place running--a responsibility they take seriously, with tables timed to turn exactly once during the evening. The French-inspired menu features grilled lamb, poached beef and pork tenderloin, all garnished with locally grown vegetables, like warm cucumber. The essence of heirloom tomato soup is a popular dish. Entrées range in price from $26 to $36.
For more information, call (858) 756-3085 or visit www.millefleurs.com.
Houston: Tony's
$64
British pound: 37
Indian rupee: 2,866
Australian dollar: 85
Canadian dollar: 75
Singapore dollar: 108
Euro: 53
Tony's is one of the few--if not the only--place in Houston where you can find fresh fish flown in from all three U.S. coasts, Asian-influenced hamachi or a prime-cut steak all on the same menu. But the food, while excellent, is only part of the fun of having a meal here. The Versace plates, chandeliers and shiny Italian wood make the atmosphere ostentatiously (but good-naturedly) Italian. House specialties include truffle-scented baby hen with wild mushroom risotto. Entrées range from $28 to $42 on the à la carte menu.
For more information, call (713) 622-6778 or visit www.tonyshouston.com.
St. Louis: Tony's
$57
British pound: 33
Indian rupee: 2,553
Australian dollar: 76
Canadian dollar: 67
Singapore dollar: 96
Euro: 48
One of the best-known restaurants in all of Missouri, Tony's is famous for their hearty Italian fare and solicitous service--a waiter may even bring you a shawl if they think you look cold. Lobster Albenello is the specialty of the house, featuring shrimp and the lobster of your choice, served in a cream sauce. Entrées range from $25 to $40 on the à la carte menu.
For more information, call (314) 231-7007 or visit www.tonysstlouis.com.
Minneapolis: Cosmos
$55
British pound: 31
Indian rupee: 2,463
Australian dollar: 73
Canadian dollar: 65
Singapore dollar: 93
Euro: 46
Inside the trendy Graves 601 Hotel is Cosmos, a brand-new reason to visit Minneapolis. Cosmos serves a global-fusion menu with highlights of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. A la carte entrées are available, as is a weekly tasting menu that costs $60 per person and kicks off this week with a yellowfin tuna and hamachi roll made with pineapple, cipollini onion, grapefruit, wakami, soy caramel and fried egg.
For more information, call (612) 312-1168 or visit www.cosmosrestaurant.com.
Phoenix: T. Cook's
$53
British pound: 30
Indian rupee: 2,375
Australian dollar: 70
Canadian dollar: 62
Singapore dollar: 90
Euro: 44
The Royal Palms Hotel is home to arguably the best restaurant in Phoenix, the Spanish-Mediterranean T. Cooks. Entrées on the à la carte menu range from $24 to $34, and the pork tenderloin served with apple-garlic tart and brandy cream sauce is a reliable favorite. T. Cook's and the adjoining Cigar Room both ban cell phones, but complimentary phones are provided in case business just can't wait.
For more information, call (800) 672-6011 or visit www.royalpalmshotel.com.
作者：安普若 在 海归茶馆 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
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 美国吃喝玩乐系列：Most Expensive U.S. Restaurants 2005（转帖） -- 安普若 - (20161 Byte) 2007-9-01 周六, 01:40 (4583 reads)
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