Dining out is like theater.
The justification of a fine dining experience comes from an appreciation of craftsmanship and storytelling through food. The fine dining restaurant is like an interactive stage where guests have the unique experience of participating in operatic-level theatrics.
High-end cutlery, precision in steps of service, and the reputation of a chef work in tandem to make a two-three hour tasting experience worth the ticket price.
The price for a tasting menu or à la carte option of this sort will set you back about $50-300/person all-in depending on location and restaurant. This is a hefty one-time price to pay for a few bites of food, and most people think they could never afford it.
I’m here to help you responsibly navigate your way to a fine dining table and not put the bank account in red.
5 ways to fine dine on a budget.
1. Plan Ahead
Enjoy tasting the fruits of your labor; Quality over quantity.
If we counted up our countless Starbucks lattes, Chipotle lunches and excess spending at the grocery store, it would add up to a tasting experience in no time.
Personally, I would rather enjoy a 150$ tasting menu once a month than buy coffee and eat lunch out 3X/week all month.
For convenience sake, we oftentimes eat quick, low-quality meals on the go during the work week. For example, the classic Chipotle lunch will be about 11$/visit, and if we did this three times a week for a month, we’d spend 132$/month. Add in a morning coffee on the way to work and that adds about 60$/month to the tab.
Most of the time, the quality and appreciation of these meals is clouded by convenience while our typical 40$/week groceries sit idle in our fridges and coffee machines at home.
Instead, opt to cook at home, drink coffee in bed in the morning or at the office and pocket the cash for a relaxing meal out with friends.
When eating well is a priority, you can plan ahead to incrementally save on lesser-quality meals and experiences in preparation for a fine meal.
2. Bring Lots of Friends Along
When dining à la carte, I typically want to order everything on the menu.
With a few friends along for the ride, you can!
Psychologically speaking, there’s something super fulfilling about sharing a table full of food.
Between three people, 5-6 small plates at an average 15-20$/each feels substantial and also leaves room for couple desserts as well. Throw in a nice bottle of wine and split it three ways for a fun evening.
3. Make Friends With Your Server
Treat your servers well, and they will treat you well. You never know when they could send an extra amuse-bouche to your table, slip putting an extra round on your tab, or send out free dessert.
Tip AT LEAST 20% across the board.
4. Go Sober Curious
Eater has starting publishing maps with the best places for spirit-free cocktails.
I recently enjoyed a few evenings at Kumiko, where the first few pages of the drink list are purely spirit free. In a recent interview with USA Today, Julia Momose of Kumiko’s beverage program says that “spirit-free is empowering: it denotes a choice, not a compromise. A spirit-free is any variety of stimulating non-alcoholic mixed drink made of diverse and distinct ingredients.”
Startups like Seedlip are making waves in the N/A world. Now, most respected tasting menus and high-end bars are offering innovative, spirit free cocktails using high-end mixers, juices, syrups, and shrubs.
Don’t knock it until you try it. Most spirit-free menus are competitively enticing in a better-for-you way.
It’ll also shave a few bucks off your bill.
5. Get Your Money’s Worth
The most important aspect of money-mindfulness when eating out is getting your money’s worth.
What does this mean, exactly?
Well, that same crappy 11$ Chipotle burrito could buy you an incredible first course at a well-respected restaurant.
Meanwhile, there’s nothing worse than signing a check for a meal with poor service, dirty cutlery, and/or sub-par food. Lucky, here in Chicago, we have some of the best, bulletproof restaurants around. Even then, when paying upwards of 100$/person for an evening, things must be done correctly. The stakes are high.
My Top Recommendation Per Quality and Approachability in Chicago’s Fine Scene:
Stay tuned for restaurant reviews and where I think you should spend your time, company, and money.
Cheers.