I was just noodling around on the wire and came across a story from the St. Perterburg Times. The writer was the host for the evening at a restaurant and one of her guests ordered a special. Only when the check came did she find out that it cost $107! You can click here to read the whole story.
This reminds me of a story from about 15 years ago. A friend of mine took her husband to Folks Folly for his birthday and he ordered the lobster, which was market price–and huge. His lobster was $69. I believe they were told this before they placed their order, though, unlike the SP Times reporter. What happened there, if you don’t want to read the whole article, was that her guest ordered the Kobe beef, she didn’t want to ask the price and the waiter didn’t offer it. The chef later explained to her that since one customer was once insulted when he was told the price of specials, now it’s the policy of the restaurant not to tell. You have to ask. I think that’s wrong.
That said, I’ve noticed that many restaurants in town–maybe most–don’t offer the prices on specials. (But I ask.) In fact, I might start putting it in my reviews when the prices aren’t recited with the specials. I think it’s nuts to buy anything without knowing the price. If you don’t know the price, how can you know value? Say I find a pair of sandals that I like and as an educated shoe shopper, I look at them and figure they’re made like a $50 pair of shoes. I’d be a fool to spend $200 on them, wouldn’t I? But if they weren’t marked, I’d have to ask the price to find out if they’re worth what they cost. Is there a difference with a meal?
Rants
Responses to “I’d rather wash dishes…”
May 18th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
This wretched situation is exactly what restaurants want; they assume that guests will be embarrassed to ask the price of specials, as if by asking it’s a confession that you actaully are poor enough that you have to think about money, so waiters are told not to tell the price when they recite the specials. And as we all know, specials tend to cost more than regular entrees; isn’t THAT clever! That bit about a guy getting angry when he was told the price of a special sounds bogus to me. Yes, when the waiter says, “Tonight, Chef has prepared especially the pink-peppercorn-encrusted Chilean seabass with gorgonzola-turnip smashed potatoes and a papaya-Thai-barbecue reduction,” he or she should follow that description by saying, “And that’s $29.50.”
May 18th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
I’ve gotten burned to a less bank-breaking degree myself a couple of times over that sort of thing. Though it’s more due to absent-mindedness than embarrassment over asking the price—I’m certainly not worried about someone who has to deal with problematic and drunken customers forming a bad opinion of me because I’m not a spendthrift.
May 18th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I have no qualms about asking for the price because as impressive as the special may sound I might not believe it is worth the cost…or I might believe it is a worthy selection. It can go either way but it’s my money and I want to spend it wisely.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
This brings to mind a trip my sister made to New York many years ago. She ordered a chef salad from hotel room service and was quite surprised when a bill for $25 was presented. My question was whether the chef came with it. These days that might seem like somewhat of a bargain in a New York hotel, but then it was a lot of money. I agree that servers should announce prices along with their recitations of the specials. I would much rather know what I’m splurging on than to be unpleasantly surprised when the bill is presented. Add tax, tip, beverage & possibly dessert to a special of unknown price & it might mean the difference in eating out again in the foreseeable future or dining on PBJ for the rest of the month.
May 19th, 2007 at 11:38 am
I really like the way that Interim handles pricing of specials. I had lunch there on Wednesday and they offered several specials including a pasta and a fish special. The menu clearly states the price of the fish special and the pasta special but with no description. The waitron then describes the special to you.
I know this is not always workable because the kitchen may want to offer a special with ingredients that don’t work for a set price but over all it is a handy way to avoid pricing surprises for daily specials.
One technique I use to deal with a waitron who does not offer prices on specials is to wait until the end of his/her recitation, then to ask in my sweetest, honey-laden, southern belle voice “Those all sound so divine - how innovative to put chili peppers in the sorbet. Would you mind just running down those entree prices for us?” Somehow, preceding the price request with a smile and a compliment and asking for all the prices at once seems less awkward for me than saying “How much is the Kobe beef?”
Of course, in the best of all worlds, you would always be told the price along with the menu description just as Fredric suggests.
May 19th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
GrantParish’s experience at Interim is just another reason to like that place! Jennifer, I like your idea of including in your review whether or not the server gave prices for the specials. And I like the idea of asking for all the special prices at once, as that might be a determining factor about which one is chosen. It’s easy for the price to get lost in the description, or part of the description to be missed if you are trying not to gasp in shock at what they are charging for their culinary masterpieces(!) I have found that putting on a little Southern belle charm now & again never hurt a thing.
May 20th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
That’s why all our specials, both lunch and dinner, are written down, with prices. At lunch (for counter service) they are posted both at the door and right by the counter. At dinner (table service) they are in writing right in the menu each person receives.
As much as I hate not knowing the price, I also hate when there are six or eight (or even more) specials and the server recites them from rote memory…if you interrupt he will inevitably have to start over from the beginning…but I can never remember them all, to ask prices! Is it that big a deal to run off copies so I can hold it in my hand while I contemplate the rest of the menu before making my decision?
May 21st, 2007 at 11:01 am
Alice is correct. In an age when evry restaurant has a computer and printer, it only makes sense to print out the specials (with prices) and present them with the menu.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:41 am
This now standard practice of casually leaving out the prices, making one wonder “what makes it so special anyway?”, is one of my biggest pet peeves when dining out. The subtle price-omission is designed to make us feel awkward. Props to those who print the specials, list them on a board and genuinely give you fair notice to what they are and what they cost. I feel like specials used to be an item which was “the deal” of the day, now it seems its “the splurge” of the day. Of course if it sounds good enough, I’ll order it!
9 comment.