When Is Food Too Expensive? What's Your Bottom Line?

When Is Food Too Expensive? What's Your Bottom Line?

Posted by Ed Levine, November 28, 2007 at 6:45 AM

More than $20 for an individual-sized pizza at Una Pizza Napoletana? $34.95 for fried calamari at Cipriani? $?? (I couldn't even find the price) for linguine with clam sauce at Il Mulino? $250 for lunch at Per Se? $350 for dinner at Masa? We all have a little cash register-computer in our heads that is constantly ringing when it comes to food and drink. It silently rings when we are being fairly charged for food and drink and it loudly sounds the alarm when we feel we are being ripped off. But everybody's food-and-drink cost alarm is calibrated differently. We all bring a different set of expectations when it comes to something like the cost of food. Let me tell you mine. Then you can tell me yours.
Delicious, handmade food made with love, passion, and great skill by one person is priceless and maybe even a bargain
Small pizzas costing more than $20 made in this way by Anthony Mangieri at Una Pizza Napoletana do not feel like a rip-off to me. Anthony uses superb ingredients, he makes every pizza that's ever been sold at his restaurant, and he believes in his pizza so much there is nothing else on his menu, not a salad, not a vegetable, not a slice of salumi, to distract his customers. I once suggested he add a salad to his menu to add a little variety and to increase his check average. Mangieri demurred. He didn't want anything to get in the way of his pizza. We need more people like Mangieri making food for us, not fewer.

Motivation matters. I know when I'm being ripped off
When restaurants like Il Mulino or Cipriani charge an outrageous amount for linguine with clam sauce or a plain risotto, it just feels wrong, because it has nothing to do with the price of the ingredients and the skill of the person making it. Rather, it's all about restaurateurs taking the measure of their customers and deciding what their traffic will bear. Cipriani customers are almost gleeful about being overcharged. In fact, they feel it is a sign of their status. As Frank Bruni said in the New York Times, "Besides, prices are the point of Harry Cipriani, which exists to affirm its patrons’ ability to throw away money." Il Mulino buries its customers with "freebies" like chunks of cheese and salami so they won't notice how ridiculous the prices are for items on the menu they are actually paying for. And yet many people love Il Mulino. Why is that?
I don't mind paying more for something that is truly special and delicious
Peach growers like Ron Mansfield of Gold Bud Farms in Placerville, California, don't pick peaches until they are at the peak of ripeness. As a result, the crop yield is much lower. So Mansfield charges more for his supremely delicious peaches. And I happily pay for them.
Artistry, obsession, and the diner's experience matter
A meal at Masa in New York costs $350 before beverage, tax, and tip. And yet all serious critics who have eaten there have appreciated Masayoshi Takayama's artistry and the experience of eating at his restaurant. More important, they don't feel they're being ripped off. That tells you something, namely that the 20 people who Takayama cooks for every night feel they are experiencing something unique, special, and worthwhile. Diners eating at Per Se in New York and Alinea in Chicago feel the same way.
People making or growing great food by hand don't get rich doing it. That is not their primary motivation
Mangieri could make more money selling hundreds of lesser quality pizzas at a lower price. Mansfield isn't getting rich growing his special peaches. Money is not what principally motivates them, and that's important to me.

The values of the people making or growing my food inform my perception of the value of their end product. And that's my bottom line

from - http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2007/11/when-is-food-too-expensive-what-is-too-much.html

World’s Most Expensive Foods

World’s Most Expensive Foods
The lifestyles of the rich and famous have always been fascinating to those of us who don’t have the funds to spend on ridiculously over-priced items. For those who can afford it, these delicacies offer the best the world has to offer. Just imagine if you could consume some of these foods…would you even want to?

White Truffle

Not surprising, the white truffle is the world’s most expensive mushroom.  Found in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, the white truffle’s price is due to it’s relative rarity.  These truffles are generally sold for anywhere between $1,350 and $2,700 per kilogram.  The record price paid for this delicacy, however, was $330,000 for 1.5 kilograms worth.

Essen Platinum Club Sandwich

The world’s most expensive sandwich is the Essen Platinum Club Sandwich.  It is a triple-decker sandwich, containing the finest grade chicken, ham, hard-boiled quails’ eggs and white truffles.  This sandwich contains almost 2,000 calories and is the world’s most expensive, selling for a hefty price of almost $200.

Steak and Mushroom Pie

Based on the traditional steak and mushroom pie that is so popular in England, this dish contains $1,000 worth of Wagyu beef, $3,330 worth of Matsutake mushrooms, two bottles of Chateau Mouton Rothschild priced at $4,200 each, black truffles and edible gold leaf.  The whole pie serves 8 people and costs around $15,900.  A single slice costs $1,990, but is also served with a glass of champagne.

Le Parker Meridien Omelet

The most expensive omelet in the world is sold at Le Parker Meridien restaurant in New York City.  It contains 10 ounces of Sevruga caviar, six eggs, and an entire lobster.  If you order it in the restaurant, it costs $1,000.  To make it yourself at home, the ingredients will only run you $700.

Serendipity 3 Sundae

One of the most expensive desserts in the world is a sundae sold at Serendipity 3, located on the east side of Manhattan.  Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most expensive dessert, it consists of five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, Madagascar vanilla, 23 karat edible gold leaf, and the world’s most expensive chocolate, the Amedei Porceleana.  To order this rich dessert, it will cost you over $1,000.

Kona Nigari Water

The most expensive water in the world is Kona Nigari water.  This desalinated, high-mineral water comes from the deep waters off the coast of Hawaii and costs $16.75 per ounce.

Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum

This rum is the highest-selling because of its rarity as well as its high proof.  Bottled in 1940, there are only four bottles left in the world, each priced at around $53,000.

Tieguanyin

A rare Chinese green tea, Tieguanyin costs $3,000 per kilo (2 lbs, 3 oz) and approximately $15 for a single cup.

Kopi Luwak

You can’t have a discussion of the world’s most expensive foods without mentioning Kopi Luwak.  Originating from Sumatra, Kopi Luwak is created from coffee beans that have passed through the digestive track of the Asian Palm Civet.  The civets eat the coffee berries and the undigested beans pass through their system.  The beans are then collected and brewed.  Many people claim that the coffee has a high level of complex acidity that cannot be achieved through any other brewing method.  With only around 500 pounds of beans produced every year, the cost for a pound is upwards of $300

from - http://www.healtynews.com/worlds-most-expensive-foods/

Is food in Paris expensive?Can anyone tell me an average?

Chosen by Asker

Depends where you go. If you were going to Fouquet's, then yes, I'd say take out another mortgage on the house.

Honestly, it's not too terribly expensive. Luckily, the menus are posted outside the restaurants so you can check out the selections (and prices) before you go in.

You can eat light for lunch and splurge on a dinner while in Paris. The food is absolutely delicious. You'll want to splurge at least once.

One of my favorite places to eat is at the Louvre food court. There are a plethora of choices to satisfy any palate and any budget. You can get a veggie burger, fries and a drink at Universal Burger for around 4 Euros or you can get a decadent crepe at the crepe stand off by itself there for the same price. There are so many choices...

A picnic in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is superb. It's fun shopping for the food as well...Rue Cler has some great shops for everything you need, from cheese to wine to dessert. You can also swing by a sandwich shop or order a crepe, which can be quite filling.

Another way to save a few Euros is to order tap water in a restaurant (un carafe d'eau). If you just order water, you'll get a bottle of water that will cost you 3-4 Euros. Pop will get you every time...I've seen it as expensive as 6 Euros for a glass. You're better off buying a larger bottle at a grocery store and storing it in your hotel room. Same with water...get a large bottle (they are really inexpensive...I've purchased a huge bottle for 25 centimes) and fill up your water bottle each morning before you hit the sightseeing road.

Near Notre Dame, there are some nice cafes. Two of my favorite are Cafe Quasimodo and the Esmerelda Cafe (fitting names, eh?). They offer delicious food at cheap prices, plus they have nice (read: free) restrooms. I've eaten there for about 5 Euros.

Watch out if a waiter asks if you want a salad...it's extra and adds up quickly.

I'd budget at least 10 Euros for lunch and 20-25 for dinner. You'll spend more some times, you'll spend less most of the time. Fill up at breakfast, if your hotel offers it. If not, bring some cereal bars from home. If your hotel has a buffet breakfast, bring a zip-loc baggie to throw in a croissant or two for a mid-day snack.

Here are a few average prices of everyday items:
A sandwich (take-out)…2.20-3.20 Euros
Bottle of mineral Water (from a shop, 0.5 litres)…0.20-0.40 Euros
Cup of coffee (from a café, espresso)…1-1.85 Euros
Cup of coffee (crème, larger cup with milk)…1.85-2.25 Euros
Beer (un demi--half a litre)…1.85-2.60 Euros
Glass of house wine…1.85-2.15 Euros
French national newspaper…1-1.20 Euros
International newspaper…1.50-2.30 Euros
Metro ticket (single)…1.30 Euros
Metro ticket (per ticket if you buy a carnet)…1,10 Euro
Camera film (36 pictures)…7-8 Euros

 

The Gastronomy

In the coastal regions of Croatia the cuisine has a rather Mediterranean flavour, as you would expect, with lots of olive oil used in the preparation. However, Croatian cuisine does have its own distinct identity, especially in regards to the cooking of fish. The tradition of grilling and roasting fish and delicacies of the sea has been carried down from generation to generation, where the taste of the fish depends on the grilling technique and the type of wood chosen. There is also the tantalising Dalmatian olive oil method of cooking, gradelavanje, which gives the fish a particular and fantastic taste. All along the coast and the isles, the fish menus are unrivalled - even the humble sardine will never taste quite so delicious. Many Croatian fish restaurants have their own fishing boats, so you can be assured of the freshness of the fish. Also, it is not uncommon to choose your own fish from a selection of different species kept on ice in the centre of the restaurantCroatian cuisine isn’t restricted to fish, they have many delicious meat dishes too. Grilled pork and roasted lamb are common dishes, and beef too, which is often cooked in a delicious tomato sauce, although you can, of course, have your steak ‘straight’. Regional differences in Croatian cuisine are quite evident and in the north of Croatia Austro-Hungarian culinary influences are strongest. One finds meats cooked in bread crumbs, goulashes served with stuffed cabbage, and a dish called sarma, a winter delight of a rare excellence. In the region around Zagreb, strukli, thin sheets of cheese cooked in water, is a speciality. In Slavonia, the speciality is kobasice, or pork sausages. Along with the many types of delicious sausages on offer, there is the famous kulen, which is very similar to salami.

Connoisseurs of cheese must try all the different cheeses on offer. In the markets one finds a thick white cheese svjezi sir sold in little plastic sacs and usually eaten, as an accompaniment to a salad, with salt and pepper. Paski sir, a hard cheese from the isle of Pag, is an excellent cheese and one of the most reputed

from - http://www.dalmatiancoast.com/holidays/gastronomy.html

expensive delicious foods

We picked this place in Culver City on a Friday night because of positive customer reviews and we enjoyed it. The upsides include a variety of tasty appetizers, good atmosphere, and a wide selection of wines (they will open any bottle as long as you are going to order two glasses of it...although this can be an expensive proposition). The downsides were small portions for the price (don't come too hungry) and slow service. We will probably go back but not until we sample some of the other local restaurants.
link
http://meganfoxstar.blogspot.com/
http://elishasexycool.blogspot.com/
http://junkfoodtoday.blogspot.com/
http://japanesefoodyum.blogspot.com/
http://winherfullpower.blogspot.com/

the Most expensive foods on earth

Vielle Bon Secours Ale
You won't be playing beer pong with this frothy beverage! Vieille Bon Secours Ale is the most expensive beer on earth, according to the Telegraph. A bottle of this ale will set you back more than $1,000. It has been aged for 10 years - who knew old beer could cost so much?! - and has eight percent alcohol. The paper reports that the beer has "a complex taste with citric, caramel and toffee flavours with an undertone of liquorice and aniseed."
link

http://meganfoxstar.blogspot.com/
http://elishasexycool.blogspot.com/
http://junkfoodtoday.blogspot.com/
http://japanesefoodyum.blogspot.com/

Kopi Luwak in expensive food

You can’t have a discussion of the world’s most expensive foods without mentioning Kopi Luwak.  Originating from Sumatra, Kopi Luwak is created from coffee beans that have passed through the digestive track of the Asian Palm Civet. 

 The civets eat the coffee berries and the undigested beans pass through their system.  The beans are then collected and brewed.  Many people claim that the coffee has a high level of complex acidity that cannot be

achieved through any other brewing method.  With only around 500 pounds of beans produced every year, the cost for a pound is upwards of $300.