Last night was a quiet evening and we were eating at the local steak house and the waiter comes over and says that they have Tomahawk steak as a special that night.
Hummm. Had that several times in the past, great presentation and tasty. Somewhat expensive, but not wallet breaking so we order it.
As advertised, delicious and impressive to look at. I expect the price to be somewhat north of the most expensive steak on the menu (which was $69). Figured give or take $90.
Turns out it was in the Great White North of that.
$150.
Good news is that the waiter waved the $20 corkage fee (we brought our own wine).
Our fault for not asking the price ahead of time, but if you have to ask, you can't afford it.
Lesson learned.
Image above for illustrative purposes.
$135
Me, wife and daughter go to Walnut Creek CA and have that once or twice a yr
Just did a Morton’s 16oz bone in rib eye in palm desert for my bday last week
Think it was around mid $60 or so
Both make excellent steaks. Sure the foodies can suggest better, but I do enjoy dinners out to both places
We went out to dinner at The Galley Beach in Nantucket, its a very expensive place. The waitress specialed this Wagyu beef tips that served in portions of 4 oz, but you could order whatever amount you would like. My uncle did know what he was doing and was planning on getting 12 oz as his meal. Before he could order it I asked how much the wagyu special was and she said $20. I then asked $20 per portion? She said no, per ounce. Also we had to order it in prtions of 4. So if my uncle ordered what he planned to, he would have been boned with a $240 item. I straight told her it was highly unprofessional, got up, went to the manager and asked for a new waiter. I could see her furious because we were an 8 top. We got our new waiter and the meal was just south of $1400 and my Dad and uncle tipped $150 each. That would have been a good NIGHT at work for me when I was working restaurants. Hell of a way to learn that lesson.
I don’t know if I would ask for a new table, but I sure would explain to the waitress that it’s not ethical to leave out “ per oz” part
Most people can’t afford to drop $240 on a steak. So it’s BS for someone to leave that small detail out. Screw it. I guess if I was dropping that kinda coin probably want a new waitress too
Heck. Ten yrs ago if u told me I would pay more than 50 for a steak I would tell u you were crazy
Of course I said the same thing with houses before I moved to Bay Area CA
I don’t know if I would ask for a new table, but I sure would explain to the waitress that it’s not ethical to leave out “ per oz” part
Most people can’t afford to drop $240 on a steak. So it’s BS for someone to leave that small detail out. Screw it. I guess if I was dropping that kinda coin probably want a new waitress too
Heck. Ten yrs ago if u told me I would pay more than 50 for a steak I would tell u you were crazy
Of course I said the same thing with houses before I moved to Bay Area CA
Not a new table, a new server. We didnt move. I didnt go after her job, just having been doing the same job she had, I knew what she was doing. She was huffing and puffing around the dining room for the rest of the night.
Im sorry but you dont do that. Its like when you ask for a wine with dinner and for the server to choose the one they like the best and they bring you a $30 glass of Bordeaux to go with a chicken dish. They didnt try and do right by you, they are trying to jack up your bill.
Everything ala carte. $12 for spinach, 12 for potatoes
what a profit,
I get beautiful cuts of meat and can cook it as good if not better than any steakhouse, Billi in UT (AZ) too
I have, on VERY rare occasions, been asked
by the host of a table to not mention ANY prices of specials or liquor....even if asked by the other guests. The host wanted everybody not to hesitate ordering whatever they wanted. If we had very high end ticket item I would ask the host if it was okay to include that as part of my spiel. If we were running a crazy special like shaved white truffles on a dish for a 125 supplement, or a baller surf n turf with 12 oz lobster tail, 16 oz ribby and truffled mashed for $100, I want him to know before all 8 of his guests get that.I mean, if they are drinking AND they order like that, I dont care how happy he is that his daughter graduated college, that could be $200/person after you just dumped 200k on them getting their womens studies degree. Lol.
Also, if I know the guest well, and they have money, I might withhold saying the price. Especially Italian Dads. They just want everybody to enjoy themselves and they love feeling like a great provider. But for the most part, ALWAYS say the price if its not printed. I dont care if its a $12 salad.
Everything ala carte. $12 for spinach, 12 for potatoes
what a profit,
I get beautiful cuts of meat and can cook it as good if not better than any steakhouse, Billi in UT (AZ) too
Their margins are very tight on the beef. The rule of thumb is that the restaurant COST of something is about a qarter of the list price. But with higher end stuff, you cant do that. For instance, that $60 prime t bone did NOT cost $15. It was probably more like $25. So they have to make up for that selling sides that are prcier. If someone orders a steak as medium, it comes out medium but they wanted it Med Rare, that steak is a pretty significant loss and nice little snack for the dishwashers.
Same with wine, if you are ordering wine that is $40 at the store, its hard to sell a bottle like that for $160. Tiganello retails for $112. The most I have ever sold that bottle for was $250.
You would be surprised how little that bone weighs. I have been weighng and logging my meals quite a bit over the past year just to control how many calories Im taking in. I weighed the bone of a 24 oz porterhouse after I ate it and was stunned to see it weigh under 2 oz.
The food scene in Philly has very much gone that route. Now most places offer "tasting menus" which locks you in to a price per person (for food), but you basically score because you pick out a few items and most of these places then just send you other dishes. I fucking hated working that format....because it keeps me from upselling. Lol. These people come in for dinner, take up a table will order two small plates and then sit there forever like they just had Easter dinner. I know I know, get a new job, which I did, but that whole concept is lost on these people who go out for a snack and sit there for 2 hours. When I would go to these places, it was with friends and we ordered and ordered and made it like a Baccanalia. So it that respect its cool. But in terms of the dumb ass coupon cutting guests who would try and get more and more shit for free and try and swap things out and modify their meals...fuck that.
I get beautiful cuts of meat and can cook it as good if not better than any steakhouse, Billi in UT (AZ) too
Thanks, gtt, I appreciate that. There are a bunch of others here though that I'm sure could do a better job than me :) As an aside, that picture from Stan looked closer to 1 pound than 2. I hope he took the bone home to the dog. I got a couple of gift certificates for Flemings for my anniversary early into Covid, so I guess I've got a steakhouse trip coming up. I was hoping for a veal chop,but I don't see it on the menu. They do have a 35 oz prime tomahawk for $92
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I get beautiful cuts of meat and can cook it as good if not better than any steakhouse, Billi in UT (AZ) too
Thanks, gtt, I appreciate that. There are a bunch of others here though that I'm sure could do a better job than me :) As an aside, that picture from Stan looked closer to 1 pound than 2. I hope he took the bone home to the dog. I got a couple of gift certificates for Flemings for my anniversary early into Covid, so I guess I've got a steakhouse trip coming up. I was hoping for a veal chop,but I don't see it on the menu. They do have a 35 oz prime tomahawk for $92
The reason it looked smaller was that 2 lbs was the precooked weight of the meat
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In comment 15258519 gtt350 said:
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I get beautiful cuts of meat and can cook it as good if not better than any steakhouse, Billi in UT (AZ) too
Thanks, gtt, I appreciate that. There are a bunch of others here though that I'm sure could do a better job than me :) As an aside, that picture from Stan looked closer to 1 pound than 2. I hope he took the bone home to the dog. I got a couple of gift certificates for Flemings for my anniversary early into Covid, so I guess I've got a steakhouse trip coming up. I was hoping for a veal chop,but I don't see it on the menu. They do have a 35 oz prime tomahawk for $92
The reason it looked smaller was that 2 lbs was the precooked weight of the meat
So youre saying that the cooking process melted off 2 lbs of matter? Lol.
Lastly that price us still exceptionally high for a 32 oz Tommy. We sold 48 oz tommies for I think 110 at Mulherins in Philly. That was also a prime cut.
Lets not be so sensitive Just saying what i may or not do
Not telling u what u should do
If u read everything i wrote, i pivoted halfway thru and said screw it, i may do something similar
Dont go all snowflake on me
I
A year ago it usually sold for around $9.
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but it’s just too much food. I pretty much only eat tapas style when I go out. Would rather try a bunch of stuff with good drinks, all for less than the OPs single steak.
The food scene in Philly has very much gone that route. Now most places offer "tasting menus" which locks you in to a price per person (for food), but you basically score because you pick out a few items and most of these places then just send you other dishes. I fucking hated working that format....because it keeps me from upselling. Lol. These people come in for dinner, take up a table will order two small plates and then sit there forever like they just had Easter dinner. I know I know, get a new job, which I did, but that whole concept is lost on these people who go out for a snack and sit there for 2 hours. When I would go to these places, it was with friends and we ordered and ordered and made it like a Baccanalia. So it that respect its cool. But in terms of the dumb ass coupon cutting guests who would try and get more and more shit for free and try and swap things out and modify their meals...fuck that.
I won’t even eat Italian anymore. Gigantic portions of food are just a turnoff for me now. I’m a quick eater so I’m an ideal guest - in 60-90 minutes we’ll have 5 or 6 small plates and 2 drinks each in all likelihood. But that’s typically at Mexican or Spanish tapas places, or something along those lines which is usually what people order anyway.
Lets not be so sensitive Just saying what i may or not do
Not telling u what u should do
If u read everything i wrote, i pivoted halfway thru and said screw it, i may do something similar
Dont go all snowflake on me
I
I didnt! I didnt get worked up at you at all. Just wanted to explain what I meant. Getting a new table involved moving 8 people across a floor to a new table that prob has to be set and looks disruptive. I just wanted to work with a different person.
Like I said, flemings tomahawk pretty good
Don’t know if deals are all over country or just CA
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Not judging u for getting a new server
Lets not be so sensitive Just saying what i may or not do
Not telling u what u should do
If u read everything i wrote, i pivoted halfway thru and said screw it, i may do something similar
Dont go all snowflake on me
I
I didnt! I didnt get worked up at you at all. Just wanted to explain what I meant. Getting a new table involved moving 8 people across a floor to a new table that prob has to be set and looks disruptive. I just wanted to work with a different person.
You'd think that could just reassign another waiter, rather than moving your whole table.
Never ever ever ever ever ever. That is never the case. Ever. The last thing mgmnt wants to deal with is an irate check payer over a top end item. Not just the scene they cause, but comping shit and enticing them back with gift cards all goes on the books. Managers dont want to get read the riot act by ownership about comps. Comps and voids are like blowfish toxin to mgmt. Those numbers lead to summary firings by owners who dont know what they are doing. Manager has too many of these, they lose their job. Happens constantly. If a manager fired the waiter, its like an execution stay for him. That industry is brutal on the mind as well as the body.
Like Ive said, the only time I wouldnt give prices is if I was asked not to by the guest or supervisor. I would use my judgement with regulars. I think that has only backfired once in my entire time doing the job when all six guests got a lobster tail supplement ($40) and the guy knew the owner. The owner was annoyed that I didnt tell him what they were ordering so he could give them a break, but knowing his history, he hated giving breaks on food. I got scolded a bit, but at the end of the day, the owner needs to say, "hey let me see their order before you put it in." There have also been times when I have gone to ownership to dbl check that he wanted to charge a friend or relative in full, owner scoffs and says "of course" and that I was bothering him, only to have the friend or relative bitch about the bill afterwards. Of course the owwner then wont go near the table. Im truly damned if I do,damned if I dont. Kinda just have to do the necessaries and reciting the price of $150 special is necessary.
*Side note: I dont think I believe that the price of a 32 oz rib eye was $150. Thats $50 per ounce and insane.
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In comment 15258608 Payasdaddy said:
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Not judging u for getting a new server
Lets not be so sensitive Just saying what i may or not do
Not telling u what u should do
If u read everything i wrote, i pivoted halfway thru and said screw it, i may do something similar
Dont go all snowflake on me
I
I didnt! I didnt get worked up at you at all. Just wanted to explain what I meant. Getting a new table involved moving 8 people across a floor to a new table that prob has to be set and looks disruptive. I just wanted to work with a different person.
You'd think that could just reassign another waiter, rather than moving your whole table.
Thats exactly what I asked for and they did. The girl lost an 8 top. When I asked for that and gave my reasoning, the manager barely blinked. He called over a back server, whispered in his ear, bought our first round of drinks and a new (older Server) showed up and flowed into dinner service as if nothing happened. Nobody around us thought anything was up and to take credit, it was the right move. Everybody was happy....except that heifer waitress.
It's funny.
When I was in college, we'd get appetizers because that was all we could afford.
25 years later, we get them for your exact reason above! Trying different things. We'll spend more on alcohol than food, usually.
Stan I really could not care less about whether you paid what you did. Im just saying you got screwed by not knowing the price. I just took a quick search and a 40 oz tommy at Ruth's Chris (where they happily are at the top of the price list) are charging 150 for a 40 oz chop of Prime beef. It sounds like the local steakhouse may have gotten a deal on tommies and took you for a bit of a ride. They probably only started the night with 7 or 8 max and they got them that day. Next time go back a few days later when those things are laying around. Watch that price dip down to a more reasonable level in no time. Otherwise they have to face making those fucking things for staff meal.
Everything ala carte. $12 for spinach, 12 for potatoes
what a profit,
I get beautiful cuts of meat and can cook it as good if not better than any steakhouse, Billi in UT (AZ) too
Does your house come with a wait staff and high end ambiance. Is the rent about 20k per month also?
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but it’s just too much food. I pretty much only eat tapas style when I go out. Would rather try a bunch of stuff with good drinks, all for less than the OPs single steak.
It's funny.
When I was in college, we'd get appetizers because that was all we could afford.
25 years later, we get them for your exact reason above! Trying different things. We'll spend more on alcohol than food, usually.
It’s more fun too. Tapas style usually comes with a more lively energy, which is simply more fun to be a part of. We’ve recently started eating at the bar more too which also increases the fun factor. I’m not one for bartender chitchat but a good bartender knows how far to go in the convo and when too much talking becomes annoying. You also get direct access to better drink recommendations.
May have to check it out
Still haven’t been to Peter Lugers in my
Will be in NY next week but family in Hudson valley, not Brooklyn
So me and wife are doing terrapin in Rhine beck ( an old favorite of ours)
Maybe Santa Fe in tivoli (oaxacan tacos are great there)
Mmmm. Getting h7ngry!
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I would guess that if a waitperson neglects to give a price or is deceptive about pricing, that comes from the top. The second time something like that was mentioned to the boss in a pricey eatery, if it was against company policy, the waiter would be gone.
Never ever ever ever ever ever. That is never the case. Ever. The last thing mgmnt wants to deal with is an irate check payer over a top end item. Not just the scene they cause, but comping shit and enticing them back with gift cards all goes on the books. Managers dont want to get read the riot act by ownership about comps. Comps and voids are like blowfish toxin to mgmt. Those numbers lead to summary firings by owners who dont know what they are doing. Manager has too many of these, they lose their job. Happens constantly. If a manager fired the waiter, its like an execution stay for him. That industry is brutal on the mind as well as the body.
Like Ive said, the only time I wouldnt give prices is if I was asked not to by the guest or supervisor. I would use my judgement with regulars. I think that has only backfired once in my entire time doing the job when all six guests got a lobster tail supplement ($40) and the guy knew the owner. The owner was annoyed that I didnt tell him what they were ordering so he could give them a break, but knowing his history, he hated giving breaks on food. I got scolded a bit, but at the end of the day, the owner needs to say, "hey let me see their order before you put it in." There have also been times when I have gone to ownership to dbl check that he wanted to charge a friend or relative in full, owner scoffs and says "of course" and that I was bothering him, only to have the friend or relative bitch about the bill afterwards. Of course the owwner then wont go near the table. Im truly damned if I do,damned if I dont. Kinda just have to do the necessaries and reciting the price of $150 special is necessary.
*Side note: I dont think I believe that the price of a 32 oz rib eye was $150. Thats $50 per ounce and insane.
**Side note: start using a calculator for help...
May have to check it out
Still haven’t been to Peter Lugers in my
Will be in NY next week but family in Hudson valley, not Brooklyn
So me and wife are doing terrapin in Rhine beck ( an old favorite of ours)
Maybe Santa Fe in tivoli (oaxacan tacos are great there)
Mmmm. Getting h7ngry!
Finally driving up to Santa Fe for a few days at the end of Sept. Mostly going to stick to Mex/SW restaurants. Made a reservation yesterday at Sazon, the top rated restaurant in town on TripAdvisor. Happens to be Mexican.
*Side note: I dont think I believe that the price of a 32 oz rib eye was $150. Thats $50 per ounce and insane.
**Side note: start using a calculator for help...
Lighten up, Googs. It's only off by a zero, which is nothing :)
And the abuse from the waiter is free :)
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In comment 15258635 Bill in UT said:
Quote:
I would guess that if a waitperson neglects to give a price or is deceptive about pricing, that comes from the top. The second time something like that was mentioned to the boss in a pricey eatery, if it was against company policy, the waiter would be gone.
Never ever ever ever ever ever. That is never the case. Ever. The last thing mgmnt wants to deal with is an irate check payer over a top end item. Not just the scene they cause, but comping shit and enticing them back with gift cards all goes on the books. Managers dont want to get read the riot act by ownership about comps. Comps and voids are like blowfish toxin to mgmt. Those numbers lead to summary firings by owners who dont know what they are doing. Manager has too many of these, they lose their job. Happens constantly. If a manager fired the waiter, its like an execution stay for him. That industry is brutal on the mind as well as the body.
Like Ive said, the only time I wouldnt give prices is if I was asked not to by the guest or supervisor. I would use my judgement with regulars. I think that has only backfired once in my entire time doing the job when all six guests got a lobster tail supplement ($40) and the guy knew the owner. The owner was annoyed that I didnt tell him what they were ordering so he could give them a break, but knowing his history, he hated giving breaks on food. I got scolded a bit, but at the end of the day, the owner needs to say, "hey let me see their order before you put it in." There have also been times when I have gone to ownership to dbl check that he wanted to charge a friend or relative in full, owner scoffs and says "of course" and that I was bothering him, only to have the friend or relative bitch about the bill afterwards. Of course the owwner then wont go near the table. Im truly damned if I do,damned if I dont. Kinda just have to do the necessaries and reciting the price of $150 special is necessary.
*Side note: I dont think I believe that the price of a 32 oz rib eye was $150. Thats $50 per ounce and insane.
**Side note: start using a calculator for help...
*Another side note, nobody values your opinion.
Quote:
*Side note: I dont think I believe that the price of a 32 oz rib eye was $150. Thats $50 per ounce and insane.
**Side note: start using a calculator for help...
Lighten up, Googs. It's only off by a zero, which is nothing :)
Zero is the rating I would give as well.
Crabcakes and pasta primavera tonight Bill. Just about to turn on the pot of water...
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In comment 15258762 Jimmy Googs said:
Quote:
*Side note: I dont think I believe that the price of a 32 oz rib eye was $150. Thats $50 per ounce and insane.
**Side note: start using a calculator for help...
Lighten up, Googs. It's only off by a zero, which is nothing :)
Zero is the rating I would give as well.
Crabcakes and pasta primavera tonight Bill. Just about to turn on the pot of water...
Going simple and basic tonight- sous vide/seared burgers, nothing but S&P, mushrooms and onions with a splash of Woosty, and double fried french fries in the air fryer. But I'm eating 3 hours earlier than you- that's what old people do :)
Quote:
*Side note: I dont think I believe that the price of a 32 oz rib eye was $150. Thats $50 per ounce and insane.
**Side note: start using a calculator for help...
Lighten up, Googs. It's only off by a zero, which is nothing :)
Yea Ive been drinking....meant 50/10ozs