Memorable dining extravaganzas ...... are they worth it?

[bobcat]

First up in the category of legendary cuisine is an establishment known as The Lost Kitchen in the quaint little town of Freedom Falls, Maine.
It's a 5 hour dining experience that apparently draws the interest of over 20,000 per year, requesting the privilege by postcard. Then they conduct a random drawing to see who the chosen will be, and the would-be diners are thereafter notified.

Many courses (12 or so I understand), are shuttled to the table, as the gastronomic adventure proceeds in a planned session. At a cost of $250 per person, it isn't something most would do that often, but as one might expect, the memory of the event is said to be something quite lasting.

The ingredients for the feast are from local sources, and surprisingly, nothing is fancy or avant-guard, just simple and astonishingly delicious. The chef is a self-taught woman who uses a farm-to-table approach, and keeps her creations within the boundaries of uncomplicated, yet elegant.

It's a subjective question as to whether it's worth it. Probably not for me, as I don't think I could eat 12 courses and still be conscious. But hey, if I'm gonna pay that, I guess there really ought to be a to-go bag for later.

 

[RadishRose]

I don't think I'd go for it. I saw one of those on TV with the diners being all "celebrity chefs". It went on and on. The courses were actually little bites. Very little, which makes sense. It was entertaining to watch but $250.00 is too much for me.

 

[911]

I don’t like gourmet cooking. I don’t like eating or ordering food I can’t pronounce.

 

[againstthegrain]

A 5 hour dining experience is over the top, imo. I have had few, expense account fueled, spectacular dinners and lunches over the years. It's pretty damn fun to spend 3 hours enjoying yourself w your loved one(s) eating great food. Combine the meal w a night at a beautiful hotel and some kind of cultural treat it became a mini-vacation and best of all no airports or jet lag!

Our top experience was Per Se in NYC w Le Bernadin a close 2nd. Worst experience of this type was Stone Barn at Blue Hills.

 

[hollydolly]

I couldn't possibly. I would have eaten enough to feel bloated after 15 minutes... I'd want to take the whole 11 courses back home to freeze for the rest of the week...

 

[hollydolly]

I don’t like gourmet cooking. I don’t like eating or ordering food I can’t pronounce.

Don't you like Langoustines ? AKA Lobster

 

[Aunt Bea]

I’ve eaten in some amazing restaurants with amazing prices.

I enjoyed the atmosphere/experience and the food but I’m more content/satisfied with a good value from a local mom and pop restaurant.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I guess I'm some kind of cuisine heathen. I eat because my stomach orders me to. Food has to be edible, but considering the few seconds it's in my mouth, I'm not going to get carried away.

 

[Jules]

First up in the category of legendary cuisine is an establishment known as The Lost Kitchen in the quaint little town of Freedom Falls, Maine.
It's a 5 hour dining experience that apparently draws the interest of over 20,000 per year, requesting the privilege by postcard. Then they conduct a random drawing to see who the chosen will be, and the would-be diners are thereafter notified.

I heard of this place. $250 doesn’t seem bad based on the bragging rights of getting in. Since it’s in an out-of-the-way area, you’d likely be spending more for hotels and travel.

 

[Capt Lightning]

I've eaten in a lot of fun restaurants in a number of countries. The one I most remember from the US is 'Hubbell House' in Mantorville Mn.
They had hosted the good and the famous - presidents, Nobel laureates - even Capt Lightning and his family.

 

[bobcat]

I heard of this place. $250 doesn’t seem bad based on the bragging rights of getting in. Since it’s in an out-of-the-way area, you’d likely be spending more for hotels and travel.

Yeah, I guess it has to be viewed with a comparative perspective. Many will spend $250 a night for a nice hotel room, or a 5 hour flight, so I guess a 5-hour dining experience may not be that much different. Again, it's not something an average person would do that often, so here's to livin' la vida loca.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I’m a picky eater so it’s no for me. I couldn’t eat that many courses even if I liked them all and 5 hours is way too long. A 2 hour dining experience is my limit.

 

[bobcat]

I've eaten in a lot of fun restaurants in a number of countries. The one I most remember from the US is 'Hubbell House' in Mantorville Mn.
They had hosted the good and the famous - presidents, Nobel laureates - even Capt Lightning and his family.

Sounds yummy.
There used to be a place near S.F. called the Cliff House. Many celebs dined there, but I don't think it is still around.
It probably was dislodged by the trendier establishments.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Sounds yummy.
There used to be a place near S.F. called the Cliff House. Many celebs dined there, but I don't think it is still around.
It probably was dislodged by the trendier establishments.

Some of my friends have eaten there and said it was amazing. We would forget to try it when in San Francisco. It’s closed now.

 

[911]

Don't you like Langoustines ? AKA Lobster

I like Lobster Tails, yes. I was invited to a dinner that was held for Troopers commemorating their 25th anniversary. The highest ranking Trooper, which is the Commissioner and is a Colonel was also in attendance. They took us to a very upscale restaurant that served gourmet cooking. I saw 2 types of lobsters on the menu. Maine Lobster and Rock Lobster.

I thought to myself that I never had Rock Lobster, so I would order that. When I placed my order, some of the 20 other men gave me a funny look. I couldn’t figure out why until the man sitting beside me whispered in my ear that I would be lucky if it weighed over a pound. That’s when I went and found my waitress and asked to change the order, which was OK. I ordered a Maine Lobster Tail with a Petite Filet Mignon priced at $65. That was in 1998. Today it’s probably close to $100.

The joke on Monday was the guys asking me if I had any Rock Lobsters lately.

 

[bowmore]

When we were in Lima, Peru, we took a dining tour that lasted all day. It was fantastic

 

[RadishRose]

I like Lobster Tails, yes. I was invited to a dinner that was held for Troopers commemorating their 25th anniversary. The highest ranking Trooper, which is the Commissioner and is a Colonel was also in attendance. They took us to a very upscale restaurant that served gourmet cooking. I saw 2 types of lobsters on the menu. Maine Lobster and Rock Lobster.

I thought to myself that I never had Rock Lobster, so I would order that. When I placed my order, some of the 20 other men gave me a funny look. I couldn’t figure out why until the man sitting beside me whispered in my ear that I would be lucky if it weighed over a pound. That’s when I went and found my waitress and asked to change the order, which was OK. I ordered a Maine Lobster Tail with a Petite Filet Mignon priced at $65. That was in 1998. Today it’s probably close to $100.

The joke on Monday was the guys asking me if I had any Rock Lobsters lately.

Good thing you changed. Rock lobster is not like the lobsters we are used to. I ate one one time, even tho' I was warned. Ugh.

 

[Lethe200]

Some of my friends have eaten there and said it was amazing. We would forget to try it when in San Francisco. It’s closed now.

Re: the Cliff House, SF:
Known more for its views than its food, for many years now. It closed during the pandemic/lockdown. Being on National Park Service land, applying to open a new restaurant takes time for NPS to process. A lessee was selected earlier this year, but recently reports have disclosed the building needs literally millions of $$$$ in remodeling to bring it up to current code, including earthquake standards.

There are many more, and better, restaurants in the SF Bay Area to choose from.

 

[CinnamonSugar]

For a fun, down-home dining experience, you can’t beat a true Low Country Boil. Shrimp, red potatoes, corn on the cob, and kielbasa sausage cooked in a big pot with Old Bay seasoning (+ whatever else is necessary—I’m no expert). When it’s ready you spread several layers of newspaper on the table, they pour the drained food in the middle of the table, and everyone eats communally, with their fingers.

It gets it’s name from the GA/SC coastal area, also known as Low Country

 

[Remy]

No thanks. I'm a lousy cook and not a picky eater at all. So I don't need that stuff.

 

[Lethe200]

As a foodie - ugh, I hate that term and prefer the old "gourmet" descriptive! - in a HCOL area, we enjoy dining out and have been to any number of banquets and tasting menus over the last 50 yrs. Spouse likes to say he is more a gourmand than a gourmet, so we go to the less-expensive tasting menu restaurants, as well as many others, some of which are Michelin-rated. Most are not, since there are simply too many restaurants extant in the SF Bay Area to even keep track of, let alone visit!

For those who are unfamiliar with our area, I can say that Michelin's Bib Gourmand recommendations (value + above-average food) are often well worth following. Our biggest issue with Michelin's ratings is that they are very, very weak on ethnic foods, which abound in the SFBA and are well beyond what any but the most familiar with SFBA's ever-changing food scene, would ever hear about, let alone know anything about.

Also, due to SF's peculiar situation within the SFBA - it is a city/county demographically and economically unlike any of the other 100 cities in the SFBA - it is far from the only place to find good restaurants, no matter what price point. And the SFBA itself, although economically the "heart" of Northern CA, is geographically very small in relation to the entire Northern half of the state.

We dine out very often. In our area, dinner for two is often in the $200-250 range even in moderate-priced restaurants.

Expensive? Yes. Worth it? For us it is, but we can afford it and as an excellent cook myself, for me it's enjoyable not to have to shop, store, prep, cook, and wash up - especially considering as a couple we are indulging in a 2- or 3-course meal, with each of us having different dishes.

The creativity and presentation is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the mouth. The portions are small in a tasting menu, which works perfectly because it's designed to satisfy your hunger, not satiate the diner into a food coma. I'll post some photos later when I have a little more time. I'm a member of a couple of food forums and members do these kind of photo reviews quite often.

 

[jujube]

Once in Morocco, we ate at a hotel restaurant in Meknes. There were appetizers. OK, we were ready for those. Then they brought out what I thought was the main course so we ate heartily. THEN, they brought out the MAIN main course, and it was so good we had to eat some more. Then there was dessert which was delicious and I felt I was duty bound to show my appreciation by eating some.

I was afraid they were going to have to widen the door to let me out.

Of course a feast doesn't have to be expensive or fancy to be memorable. We ate lunch one day at the Paul Dean Buffet at some casino in Tunica. Man, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. There wasn't a thing on that buffet that was actually GOOD for you, but I heard the angels singing. Really, I did. When we left, I was pretty sure every artery in my body was clogged beyond repair. Butter, butter, fat, fat, salt, salt, sugar, sugar. I don't think I've ever eaten such an array of wonderful food. Down home and delicious.

Those days when I could eat stuff like that are past, unfortunately.

 

[Nathan]

My son-in-law went to chef's school, doesn't actually work that field now, but when we all get together my SIL is "in charge" of ordering the various menu items for the group to share. We definitely over-eat, but we eat well.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Re: the Cliff House, SF:
Known more for its views than its food, for many years now. It closed during the pandemic/lockdown. Being on National Park Service land, applying to open a new restaurant takes time for NPS to process. A lessee was selected earlier this year, but recently reports have disclosed the building needs literally millions of $$$$ in remodeling to bring it up to current code, including earthquake standards.

There are many more, and better, restaurants in the SF Bay Area to choose from.

I’ve been to San Francisco frequently because we aren’t that far. The allure of going there was the fabulous view along with good food.

 

[bobcat]

For a fun, down-home dining experience, you can’t beat a true Low Country Boil. Shrimp, red potatoes, corn on the cob, and kielbasa sausage cooked in a big pot with Old Bay seasoning (+ whatever else is necessary—I’m no expert). When it’s ready you spread several layers of newspaper on the table, they pour the drained food in the middle of the table, and everyone eats communally, with their fingers.

It gets it’s name from the GA/SC coastal area, also known as Low Country

I used to DJ for those events for the Lions. This one was a crab feed, but we did Lobster feeds, etc...., and they were all done exactly as you described, as a community feed. We always had a great time.