Fine Dining RIPOFF tactics. I am so sick of this!

[Overmind One]

There is a certain type of restaurant...one that pretentious food snobs love to go to, but whose food is mediocre and run-of-the-mill. But the PRESENTATION is unparalleled. Beautifully presented food (even if just ordinary food) is how to get the pretentious to spend obscene amounts of money for next to nothing in terms of a meal. Let me give you my present example. I just had lunch here: http://fundamental-la.com/

They call themselves "LA Fundamental". Here is what to expect for dinner entrees:

How about we do lunch?

The second photo shows TWO chicken drumettes, and those sandwiches are one HALF a sandwich, cut in half. Im sorry, but I am not swallowing the "Oh, these drumsticks are from free range chickens locally sourced". The meal was more than $15.00, when you factor in the way overpriced ice tea. What? Im glad I wasnt paying for it, but the other two people at lunch with me were raving about their little fishbites of a meal (presumably to kiss the ass of the client). When my drumsticks came to the table, I literally laughed. Unlike the picture, mine came with some sort of sauce drizzled over them, and a carefully spilled line of the same sauce around the chicken. It was so pretty and artsy looking! But I wasnt really feeling like appreciating art. I wanted to EAT!

Oops...forgot the other entree....

Questions:

1. Why the hell do people eat at places like this? Do they not see the fact they are eating lunchbox foods which should cost about $2.00 for the whole shot, only it is served on plates with flatware and the condiments are used in artsy dollops and spills on the plate?
2. Where in 90024 is there a chicken farm? How about 50 miles from that zip code? Since there isnt, how can the claim of "locally sourced" have any meaning?
3. If the restaurant is watching MY diet by serving smaller portions, how come the prices don't reflect that?
4. Why do people fall for "styled" food and presentations when they go out to EAT? If you put motor oil in a crystal decanter and then put it in my car, should I pay like...20 times the price for it?

I have no respect for people who blindly spend money on this sort of thing. Here I am, eating a packaged tuna sandwich and a bag of Sunchips because after leaving that dumbass "restaurant", Im freakin STARVING.

*sigh*

 

[Illiterati]

A restaurateur will tell you that it's about "presentation".

I don't CARE about how pretty my food is. If you're going to charge me a small fortune for it, give me a decent-sized portion.

Oh, and lay off the artistic smears of colored whatever, while you're at it!

 

[Illiterati]

There is a certain type of restaurant...one that pretentious food snobs love to go to, but whose food is mediocre and run-of-the-mill. But the PRESENTATION is unparalleled. Beautifully presented food (even if just ordinary food) is how to get the pretentious to spend obscene amounts of money for next to nothing in terms of a meal. Let me give you my present example. I just had lunch here: http://fundamental-la.com/

They call themselves "LA Fundamental". Here is what to expect for dinner entrees:
View attachment 31172

How about we do lunch?

View attachment 31173 View attachment 31174

The second photo shows TWO chicken drumettes, and those sandwiches are one HALF a sandwich, cut in half. Im sorry, but I am not swallowing the "Oh, these drumsticks are from free range chickens locally sourced". The meal was more than $15.00, when you factor in the way overpriced ice tea. What? Im glad I wasnt paying for it, but the other two people at lunch with me were raving about their little fishbites of a meal (presumably to kiss the ass of the client). When my drumsticks came to the table, I literally laughed. Unlike the picture, mine came with some sort of sauce drizzled over them, and a carefully spilled line of the same sauce around the chicken. It was so pretty and artsy looking! But I wasnt really feeling like appreciating art. I wanted to EAT!

Oops...forgot the other entree....

View attachment 31175

Questions:

1. Why the hell do people eat at places like this? Do they not see the fact they are eating lunchbox foods which should cost about $2.00 for the whole shot, only it is served on plates with flatware and the condiments are used in artsy dollops and spills on the plate?
2. Where in 90024 is there a chicken farm? How about 50 miles from that zip code? Since there isnt, how can the claim of "locally sourced" have any meaning?
3. If the restaurant is watching MY diet by serving smaller portions, how come the prices don't reflect that?
4. Why do people fall for "styled" food and presentations when they go out to EAT? If you put motor oil in a crystal decanter and then put it in my car, should I pay like...20 times the price for it?

I have no respect for people who blindly spend money on this sort of thing. Here I am, eating a packaged tuna sandwich and a bag of Sunchips because after leaving that dumbass "restaurant", Im freakin STARVING.

*sigh*

"Locally sourced" probably refers to a farm somewhere near the Los Angeles County line. I live in Pomona, which is still L.A. County, although just barely. There are chickens out here, believe it or not, and it's only 33 miles from downtown L.A.

 

[Illiterati]

FWIW, you can buy a 40 pound box of chicken drumsticks at the Costco Business Center for about 56 cents a pound. Chicken thighs are only a few cents more than that. You KNOW they're paying something in that region for their raw bird, even though it's "locally sourced". And what does "locally sourced" mean, anyway? It's a subjective phrase.

Chicago is "local" compared to Sydney.

"Huntington Meats" is "local" compared to "Publix".

What part of that "source" is "local"?

Did they say it's from a local free-range FARM? Or are they bisecting bunnies and just making the meat market their "local" source?

 

[Tripler]

A good friend of mine whom is well to do took my wife and I out a few times now to those posh restaurants that we have here in TO . Rain is the name of one . Dinner for 3 was over $700 ... WTH i thought . Glad I was not buyin and I had all these kinda of food that your pics had in them . All fancy and stuff but tasteless and frigin annoying cuz the waiter had to spend 15 minutes to tell us how it was made and this is this and that is that ! Other than gettin plastered I found it to be a ridiculus way to spend $700 ...
Sheese huh !
TO has a ton of restaurants that cost almost as much and others that are fricken awesome that won't put you in the poor house .

 

[Overmind One]

A restaurateur will tell you that it's about "presentation".

I don't CARE about how pretty my food is. If you're going to charge me a small fortune for it, give me a decent-sized portion.

Oh, and lay off the artistic smears of colored whatever, while you're at it!

The "chefs" are literally playing with my food, much like I used to make faces with carrots and green beans and mashed potatoes on my plate as a kid. Part of this presentation (the least obvious) is the absolute whiteness of those plates. They are like a round canvas, and they sparkle just enough to really bring out whatever artistic masterpeice the kitchen has made with a couple of spoonfuls of rice and some pathetically small bits of meat and veggies. Oh, and the seasonings are all-important. They have to be from anywhere except somewhere you have heard of. It isnt just salt, it is Red Sea Salt, collected by "locals" living near the Red Sea. Or, the chicken has lineage to special chickens kept by King Louis IV or some crap. And what the HELL is up with the sauce splashes and drops? What am I going to do with two drops of mustard? I supposed that is all you need with the size of the meal.

"Locally sourced" probably refers to a farm somewhere near the Los Angeles County line. I live in Pomona, which is still L.A. County, although just barely. There are chickens out here, believe it or not, and it's only 33 miles from downtown L.A.

How long would one have to walk to cover 33 miles? Im okay with chicken sourced even hundreds of miles away. Just spare me the whole speil about how the chickens are locally sourced, hugged individually each night and then serenaded to sleep by listening to Bach. Of course, Im exaggerating, but these waiters will spin a yarn long enough to make a sweater, just to empty my wallet.

 

[Overmind One]

A good friend of mine whom is well to do took my wife and I out a few times now to those posh restaurants that we have here in TO . Rain is the name of one . Dinner for 3 was over $700 ... WTH i thought . Glad I was not buyin and I had all these kinda of food that your pics had in them . All fancy and stuff but tasteless and frigin annoying cuz the waiter had to spend 15 minutes to tell us how it was made and this is this and that is that ! Other than gettin plastered I found it to be a ridiculus way to spend $700 ...
Sheese huh !
TO has a ton of restaurants that cost almost as much and others that are fricken awesome that won't put you in the poor house .

A whole lot of that hoity toity food is just plain NASTY, mkay? Other stuff has zero taste except the seasonings you put on it...like escargot (snails) and calamari (fried squid). Super salty, gritty caviar is NASTY. Even the best belugas are meh. NONE of that crap is worth several Ben Franklins.

 

[shavedape]

A restaurateur will tell you that it's about "presentation".

I don't CARE about how pretty my food is. If you're going to charge me a small fortune for it, give me a decent-sized portion.
Oh, and lay off the artistic smears of colored whatever, while you're at it!

This. A million times this!

My pet peeve these days has to do with those stupid ass smears of pureed crap on the plate. That and the nugget-sized entrees they act as skid marks to. It goes beyond pretentious and becomes insulting. I can't stand watching prime time cooking shows anymore because they are nothing but baby food smears on plates.

 

[shavedape]

There is a certain type of restaurant...one that pretentious food snobs love to go to, but whose food is mediocre and run-of-the-mill. But the PRESENTATION is unparalleled. Beautifully presented food (even if just ordinary food) is how to get the pretentious to spend obscene amounts of money for next to nothing in terms of a meal. Let me give you my present example. I just had lunch here: http://fundamental-la.com/

They call themselves "LA Fundamental". Here is what to expect for dinner entrees:
View attachment 31172

How about we do lunch?

View attachment 31173 View attachment 31174

The second photo shows TWO chicken drumettes, and those sandwiches are one HALF a sandwich, cut in half. Im sorry, but I am not swallowing the "Oh, these drumsticks are from free range chickens locally sourced". The meal was more than $15.00, when you factor in the way overpriced ice tea. What? Im glad I wasnt paying for it, but the other two people at lunch with me were raving about their little fishbites of a meal (presumably to kiss the ass of the client). When my drumsticks came to the table, I literally laughed. Unlike the picture, mine came with some sort of sauce drizzled over them, and a carefully spilled line of the same sauce around the chicken. It was so pretty and artsy looking! But I wasnt really feeling like appreciating art. I wanted to EAT!

Oops...forgot the other entree....

View attachment 31175

Questions:

1. Why the hell do people eat at places like this? Do they not see the fact they are eating lunchbox foods which should cost about $2.00 for the whole shot, only it is served on plates with flatware and the condiments are used in artsy dollops and spills on the plate?
2. Where in 90024 is there a chicken farm? How about 50 miles from that zip code? Since there isnt, how can the claim of "locally sourced" have any meaning?
3. If the restaurant is watching MY diet by serving smaller portions, how come the prices don't reflect that?
4. Why do people fall for "styled" food and presentations when they go out to EAT? If you put motor oil in a crystal decanter and then put it in my car, should I pay like...20 times the price for it?

I have no respect for people who blindly spend money on this sort of thing. Here I am, eating a packaged tuna sandwich and a bag of Sunchips because after leaving that dumbass "restaurant", Im freakin STARVING.

*sigh*

The one good thing about living in the Midwest is that restaurants like this generally don't survive very long here. We're accustomed to getting decent sized entrees and people will vote with their feet if they are not satisfied.

 

[Overmind One]

The one good thing about living in the Midwest is that restaurants like this generally don't survive very long here. We're accustomed to getting decent sized entrees and people will vote with their feet if they are not satisfied.

Its just frown-inducing to me. I go to a local restaurant and pay about $8.00 for a meal like this:

But go into Beverly Hills, and I will pay $10.00 - $17.00 for this laughable meal (this is a main course):

 

[Illiterati]

Its just frown-inducing to me. I go to a local restaurant and pay about $8.00 for a meal like this:

View attachment 31176

But go into Beverly Hills, and I will pay $10.00 - $17.00 for this laughable meal (this is a main course):

View attachment 31177

Check out Industriel on the corner of 6th and Grand. Giant bowl-plates with a tiny serving in the itsy bitsy center bowl section of the thing -- and they charge you your firstborn child for it, too.

I believe the bit at the bottom of your "Beverly Hills" plate is actually portabella mushrooms, rather than beef. So you're being charged 17 clams for a plate of steamed vegetables.

 

[Joelist]

I agree with Shaved. Out here it's actually harder to find a "fru fru" restaurant than a more real world one. Even our pricier places tend towards more straightforward dishes.

 

[Overmind One]

Check out Industriel on the corner of 6th and Grand. Giant bowl-plates with a tiny serving in the itsy bitsy center bowl section of the thing -- and they charge you your firstborn child for it, too.

I believe the bit at the bottom of your "Beverly Hills" plate is actually portabella mushrooms, rather than beef. So you're being charged 17 clams for a plate of steamed vegetables.

Portabella mushrooms, eggplant, and tofu, are the "meat" of vegetarians and vegans. They will charge you MORE for the vegan dish, even though it costs them LESS time and money to make it.

Sadly, the Beverly Hills photo is actually a San Francisco steakhouse photo and that is indeed steak. The plate costs more than $15.00:

http://allen-journal.blogspot.com/2009/11/san-francisco-steakhouse-midvalley.html

I searched Google Images and just got the photo which looked most like a "steak dinner" I had recently in Beverly Hills, and that was the closest thing I could see. They get away with it by calling it a steak "medallion". . You see a price of about $8.00, and most high end restaurants do not have pictures of the food on the menus. You miss the "medallion" part of the description unless you know the deal. Here is a photo of filet mignon "medallions" from The Palm restaurant in Beverly Hills:

 

[shavedape]

I agree with Shaved. Out here it's actually harder to find a "fru fru" restaurant than a more real world one. Even our pricier places tend towards more straightforward dishes.

Been meaning to mention to you JL that if you're in the mood for good Chinese food be sure to check out the Phoenix restaurant on Archer ave in Chinatown, Chicago. I've been there numerous times just for the Peking duck, which is amazing! One duck can be split by several people because they carve it up and put it in mooshoo (sp?) shells (pancakes) and then they take the rest of the duck back to the kitchen and use the rest of the meat for a stir fry that they then serve back to you also.

Go there during the dim sum rush (Saturdays are insane but delicious!), order the duck, get a pot of tea and nosh on some pot stickers (or any of the myriad other appetizers they come around with) and then enjoy the duck two ways while also enjoying the view of the Chicago skyline.

This place really is the best I've found for Chinese food and it's definitely worth the drive. It's usually quite busy and the ingredients get a lot of turn over, which is good. Depending on when you dine there you might have to wait awhile to be seated as it's that popular. (I have no idea about reservations as we just always put our name in when we arrive.) I am putting the link to it below, but don't be put off by the fanciful pictures of the dining room. Yes, it's large and clean but the atmosphere is quite relaxed and not stuffy at all. The place is quite popular with Asian families so you know it's the real deal.

http://www.phoenixchinatownchicago.com/#about

 

[Overmind One]

Check out Industriel on the corner of 6th and Grand. Giant bowl-plates with a tiny serving in the itsy bitsy center bowl section of the thing -- and they charge you your firstborn child for it, too.

I believe the bit at the bottom of your "Beverly Hills" plate is actually portabella mushrooms, rather than beef. So you're being charged 17 clams for a plate of steamed vegetables.

Bolded is a clever trick. The plates subliminally fill the table space (and hopefully your stomach), and the vast expanses of porcelain plat surface serves as the perfect canvas for dripped on, drizzled, spilled and poured artistic expressions using the sauce which would be much better on the food itself. . They do the dessert this way as well.

Anybody for ice cream and cake?

 

[Joelist]

I like that place Shaved!

I also like Little Three Happiness in Chinatown off Cermak.

 

[Overmind One]

This. A million times this!

My pet peeve these days has to do with those stupid ass smears of pureed crap on the plate. That and the nugget-sized entrees they act as skid marks to. It goes beyond pretentious and becomes insulting. I can't stand watching prime time cooking shows anymore because they are nothing but baby food smears on plates.

I have come to expect such horribly blatant antics from these restaurants. They tip you off by their names, usually. ANYTHING in French, or any place with the word "Cafe" preceding the name. Or, perhaps a mundane name, but with "Bistro" appended to it (eg The Kitchen Bistro, or GateFans Bistro). Spaced out letters, muted ambiance...you know the deal. Now, what if you went to somebody's home and they served you such a dinner? Me...I would be appalled. If I did such a thing, people would think I was having hard times.

 

[Illiterati]

Portabella mushrooms, eggplant, and tofu, are the "meat" of vegetarians and vegans. They will charge you MORE for the vegan dish, even though it costs them LESS time and money to make it.

Sadly, the Beverly Hills photo is actually a San Francisco steakhouse photo and that is indeed steak. The plate costs more than $15.00:

http://allen-journal.blogspot.com/2009/11/san-francisco-steakhouse-midvalley.html

I searched Google Images and just got the photo which looked most like a "steak dinner" I had recently in Beverly Hills, and that was the closest thing I could see. They get away with it by calling it a steak "medallion". . You see a price of about $8.00, and most high end restaurants do not have pictures of the food on the menus. You miss the "medallion" part of the description unless you know the deal. Here is a photo of filet mignon "medallions" from The Palm restaurant in Beverly Hills:

View attachment 31178

"Medallion"?

Honey, that itty bitty steak's no great prize.

If I'm going to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a piece of beef, I go to Lawry's on La Cienega and get their Bowl cut Prime Rib. It's enormous and comes with potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and my choice of either corn or creamed spinach (I highly recommend the spinach -- and I don't care for cooked spinach).

Plus, they have free meatballs in the front area to munch on while you wait for your table.

 

[Tripler]

Its just frown-inducing to me. I go to a local restaurant and pay about $8.00 for a meal like this:

View attachment 31176

But go into Beverly Hills, and I will pay $10.00 - $17.00 for this laughable meal (this is a main course):

View attachment 31177

Top one $25 here in TO ...

The bottom one would be anywhere from $40 ,$60 , $80 or more ...

 

[Tripler]

We have a small chain of Restaurants here called VIP , pronounced Vee Pee . Owned by one fella or family and they have three in my local area close to me . Very small venues and the food is reasonably cheap and very tasty but it could be considered fru fru just a little as there dished are very nicely presented but with substances enough to fill you with healthy heaps of veggies . It's the restaurant were I saw the Sky clone that made me fall off of my chair .
I recommend them if your ever here .
If you like Dim Sum then you have to go Queen's Quay . Pronounced Queen's Key . Princess Restaurant . It is in the heart of the harbour front tourist trap area but the food is amazing . Best Dim Sum in To and the view is fantastic . A couple of Sing Tao and a bunch of food I can't name and it's a very enjoyable meal ...