Most expensive Meals
100 MOST EXPENSIVE MEALS: WP51\MC\LISTS\EXPEREST #6 6/24/14
1) $518.40 6/10/11: Pic*** tasting on FRANFOOD trip; best meal of trip.
2) $482.35 1/21/05: Masa tasting & two bottles of sake with Ken. Once only!
3) $455.10 (taxi)/$412.85(no taxi) 9/9/08: El Bulli*** with Ken. Once only!
4) $440.25 6/13/11: Alain Ducasse*** Monaco; FRANFOOD, NOT second-best meal!
5) $408.41 5/30/11: Le Bristol*** Paris:FRANFOOD, very good:Poulet de Bresse
6) $401.50 5/26/05: Taillevent*** with Ken and Paul and Christophe,not great
7) $395.12 6/2/11: Le Meurice*** Paris: FRANFOOD, not that great.
8) $380.86 9/21/08: Eugenie-Les-Bains*** with Ken, ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!
9) $362.75 11/12/06: Alinea in Chicago with Ken, BEST MEAL IN USA!
10)$359.14 5/28/11: Pré Catalan*** Paris: FRANFOOD, one of four best
11)$340.81 6/8/11: Georges Blanc*** Vonnas: FRANFOOD, one of four best
12)$335.70 12/22/11: Romero with Paul C., oddly different
13)22.00 11/6/05: Per Se with Ken and 7 others, "wine bargain," no bargain
14)$321.98 7/23/04: La Pergola/Rome Hilton with Ken.2006:Italy's 1st Mich***
15)$321.75 6/15/11: Ledoyen*** Paris: FRANFOOD, one of poorest
16)$303.19 6/1/11: Astrance*** Paris: FRANFOOD, one of poorest
17)$299.77 6/11/11: Le Petit Nice*** Marseille: FRANFOOD, one of poorest
18)$299.00 11/11/06: Charlie Trotter's in Chicago with Ken & Isensteins, OK
19)$296.17 7/24/94: Eden Hotel Terrace Restaurant** /Rome with Ken, worth it
20)$293.06 6/4/11: Cote St-Jacques*** Joigny: FRANFOOD, middling on trip
21)$286.26 8/6/06: Gordon Ramsay with Paul;two GREAT dishes, some poor wines
22)$286.25 10/11/05: Modern with Ken, after wedding, very good
23)$282.18 9/12/08: Can Fabes*** in Sant Celoni, Spain, / Ken, disappointing
24)$280.36 6/7/11: Bernard Loiseau*** Saulieu: FRANFOOD, middling on trip
25)$267.37 12/24/04: Cafe Gray tasting with Ken and Ken Halliday(waiter),FAB
26)$266.81 6/5/11: Lameloise*** Chagny: FRANFOOD, one of four best
27)$257.34 5/13/08: WD-50 with Ken; they try too hard and I drink too much!
28)$253.83 5/8/03: Alain Ducasse with Paul, disappointing and overpriced
29)$252.91 9/2/08: Abac** in Barcelona with Ken,awful tastes and empty place
30)$251.98 9/11/08: Carme Ruscalleda***/Sant Pau,Spain,with Ken/garden/ABFAB
31)$250.10 8/18/05: Chanterelle with Ken and his friend Bob, not memorable
32)$250.00 5/5/02: Inn at Little Washington/Four Seasons (Beard/Ken),charity
33)$249.00 9/3/05: Per Se with Ken, I have only a kir, he takes bottle home
34)$243.00 7/26/00: Alain Ducasse with Mildred and Charles,for LUNCH yet!FAB
35)$239.00 9/15/06: Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier with Ken, not great
36)$236.07 8/18/12: Jean-Georges for Ken’s birthday, good
37)$231.87 4/6/12: Palazzo Sasso** in Ravello, worth it for truffle pasta
38)$230.49 10/8/08: Corton with Ken and Charles, good not great
39)$226.63 4/2/12: Il Buco* in Sorrento, underground not worth the star
40)$225.00 10/31/95: Bocuse at CT with Ken and Charles, not quite worth it
41)$223.94 8/8/09: Simon Radley at Chester Grosvenor with Ken, good
42)$221.35 6/22/11: Corton with Ken and O’S.s, ABFAB
43)$218.00 12/31/05: Bouley with Ken, Edgardo, and Marina, not best
44)$217.60 10/14/04: Per Se (sad!) with Mildred
45)$213.12 6/7/03: Auberge de L'Ill*** with Ken, disappointing
46)$210.75 6/1/03: Buerehiesel** in Strasbourg with Ken, not memorable
47)$208.73 11/22/12: Jean-Georges Thanksgiving with Ken, just OK
48)$208.24 9/10/08: El Celler de Can Roca** above Girona, Spain, with Ken;OK
49)$208.00 6/22/06: Tantris*** in Munich with Fred,one of the very very best
50)$207.45 8/18/06: Cafe Gray tasting with Ken, mediocre
51)$207.20 9/1/08: Drolma* in Barcelona with Ken: worth one star, no more
52)$206.87 7/5/97: Guy Savoy** in Paris alone, tasting menu,two wines, ABFAB
53)$204.83 6/3/03: Schoenenbourg* in Riquevihr with Ken, good with wines
54)$202.03 2/4/06: Gilt with Ken, disappointing compared with FAB lunch
55)$201.12 10/8/09: Toqué in Montreal with Steve Hayes, GREAT!
56)$200.00 9/12/06: Boulud celebration at Beard in Board Room, OK
57)$200.00 2/21/10: D'Artagnan at Beard with Ken, good
58)$196.00 7/18/97: La Grenouille with Paul, good tasting and super desserts
59)$194.76 3/30/14: The Elm Tasting, not sensational, no need to return
60)$193.26 10/11/05: Felidia with Ken, mediocre
61)$192.57 1/15/08: Sushi Samba tasting with Ken, mediocre
62)$190.00 7/7/97: Taillevent*** with JeanJacques in Paris (est.: he paid)
63)$189.82 3/15/07: Aoyagi** with Ken and Sadahiro / Tokyo, not so worth it
64)$185.40 3/21/09: Adour with Paul, worth it, good wines
65)$184.96 12/31/09: A Voce with Ken, GOOD
66)$183.52 9/4/08: Lasarte* in Barcelona with Ken; Me: Alex Garas worth **
67)$182.67 8/10/99: Lespinasse with Paul, tasting not quite up to former par
68)$180.48 9/20/08: Chez Ruffet** in Jurancon, France, with Ken, FAB!
69)$177.99 7/19/04: Agata e Romeo* in Rome with Ken, one of the best
70)$177.53 5/4/09: Corton with Ken, very good
71)$177.25 8/6/99: Tonic food & wine tasting with Mildred,Helen&George,ABFAB
72)$176.90 12/31/07: Del Posto with Ken, mediocre
73)$174.41 1/8/06: Asiate tasting with Ken and Sandy, great food and company
74)$173.72 12/7/05: Wallse tasting with Ken, disappointing and overpriced
75)$172.71 10/10/98: Ousteau de Baumaniere** with Ken in France,should be***
76)$171.00 1/14/87: Quilted Giraffe with Susan, incredibly good
77)$170.39 12/31/08: Annisa with Ken on New Year's Eve, just OK
78)$170.00 6/1/06: Gramercy Tavern with Ken, not quite worth it
79)$169.89 6/9/00: Spoon des Iles with Ken in Mauritius,just barely worth it
80)$169.00 8/15/05: Snake River with Ken in Jackson Hole, overpriced
81)$168.00 7/26/95: Lespinasse with 7member Mensa group,great,lots of wines
82)$165.71 5/31/03: Crocodile** in Strasbourg with Ken, overpriced
83)$165.40 10/18/98: Paul Bocuse*** with Ken outside Lyon in France, kitschy
84)$163.43 7/29/09: Crown at White Brook* Wales with Ken, GREAT
85)$161.00 7/23/97: Le Cirque with Mildred, Bernice, Charles/ champagne gift
86)$160.64 3/2/05: Blue Hill at Stone Barn with Susan, dynamite
87)$160.16 9/15/08: El Castell de Ciutat* with Ken in La Seu,Spain, mediocre
88)$159.30 5/3/96: L'Ambroisie*** with Jean-Jacques, Don, and Paul C., ABFAB
89)$158.09 8/18/10: Bouley for Ken's 66th birthday, just OK
90)$155.47 7/10/05: Gramercy Tavern with Ken, OK
91)$150.44 1/3/06: River Cafe with Shelley, Edgardo, Marina, good, not great
92)$150.00 4/27/07: Napa Valley at Beard with Ken, OK
93)$150.00 5/31/07: New Orleans at Beard with Ken, OK
94)$150.00 9/8/07: Australian Wine dinner at Beard with Ken, OK
95)$149.00 1/21/86: Quilted Giraffe with Susan, transcendent
96)$144.00 12/30/06: La Grenouille with Ken, disappointing
97)$142.65 11/24/05: Cafe Gray Thanksgiving 3 courses & wine & Ken,not great
98)$141.41 8/9/99: Cello with Paul, extremely disappointing and overpriced
99)$140.60 7/14/01: Do & Co in Vienna with Ken, great
100)$140.03 2/5/07: Cru, gift of Susan, 3-course tasting, 3 desserts, good
101)$140.00 3/29/01: Janos in Tucson with Fred, overpriced
102)$139.38 12/29/07: Insieme with Ken, not worth it
103)$139.24 10/30/00: March with Mildred, disappointing
104)$137.00 7/17/97: Le Bernardin with Paul,with 20% Dining alaCard discount
105)$134.96 11/15/06: Carlos' in Chicago with Ken and Isensteins, OK
106)$133.46 5/7/97: Jean-Georges tasting with Paul, ABFAB
107)$132.50 6/27/89: Chanterelle, treated by Alice
108)$132.21 11/14/06: Arun's in Chicago with Ken, great
109)$130.64 6/15/02: Papillon with Sherryl for her birthday, fabulous
110)$129.97 12/23/04: Biltmore Room with Ken, overpriced
111)$129.70 12/7/00: Atlas with large group, dynamite Chef Liebrandt, ABFAB
112)$129.27 11/25/04: David Burke & Donatella/Ken & James for Thnksgvg, bomb
113)$125.96 10.31/06: Veritas with Charles, great!
114)$125.00 5/2/01: Chanterelle at Beard, not that great
115)$125.00 4/30/03: Gotham at Beard, one of MANY $125.00 meals!
116)$125.00 4/29/04: Locke-Ober at Beard
117)$125.00 5/3/04: Bacchanalia at Beard
118)$125.00 5/11/04: Samuelson at Beard
119)$125.00 6/21/04: Samuelson for Summerday at Beard
120)$125.00 12/31/04: Swifty's with Fred (discount from $175) at Beard, OK
121)$153.64 7/31/80: Palace with Dennis (for two)
122)$152.75 12/9/82: Cellar in the Sky with Dennis (for two)
123)$151.00 9/2/82: Claude's with Dennis (for two)
124)$148.00 12/9/83: Cellar in the Sky for me and Dennis
125)$141.15 2/10/80: Hubert's for me and Dennis,first $100+ restaurant for 2
126)$126.55 10/30/81: Le Chantilly with Dennis (for two)
127)$120.00 7/30/80: Le Cygne with Dennis
128)$118.17 7/2/03: Tocqueville with Ken
129)$115.00 7/30/87: Petrossian for Dennis's birthday
130)$114.43 11/20/02: Lespinasse in its last week with Mildred
131)$114.00 12/1/88: Auberge Maxine with Joan Pankosky
132)$113.30 10/25/80: Dodin-Bouffant BEST meal with Dennis (for two)
133)112.00 11/9/88: Rakel with Alice
134)$111.32 5/29/03: La Terrazza in Interlaken with Ken
135)$111.31 5/25/03: Principe Leopoldo in Lugano with Ken
136)$110.22 11/20/01: Annisa tasting menu with Charles
137)$110.04 4/22/03: Washington Square North with Charles
138)$109.72 11/23/00: Palladin with Mildred
139)$109.49 9/1/04: Asiate with Charles
140)$105.47 4/19/01: Quince with Mildred
141)ABOUT $90.00 5/15/00: La Perle de Prague: $81.74 WITHOUT tip
142)$85.26 6/21/03: Berasategui lunch/Guggenheim Bilbao with Fred:EXQUISITE!
143)$??.?? 8/21/84: Eugenie les Bains*** dinner: Paul & Dick M.:ONE OF BEST!
144)$78.47 8/2/82: Lameloise*** in Chagny alone
Top 60
(44 in US, 16 outside US) (26 NOT that great!) (20 $200 and over)8/2/06 (#3)
(43 in US, 17 outside US) (26 NOT that great!) (25 $200 and over)5/2/07 (#4)
(34 in US, 26 outside US) (28 NOT that great!) (34 $200 and over)10/8/08(#5)
(28 in US, 32 outside US) (29 NOT that great!) (51 $200 and over)6/22/11(#6)
Top 100
(50 in US, 50 outside US)(53 NOT that great!)(57 $200 and over)6/24/14(#7)