Do you guys ever do "fine dining" or really fancy restaurants?

jenna8984 · May 2014

So we're flying to Vegas tomorrow and I've been googling places to eat. FI and I are boring and simple so we will mostly be eating food court type meals, sandwiches, and buffets. My friend suggested this restaurant she just went to overlooking the Bellagio Fountains so I looked it up online. Yea.....No. It's like $60 a plate for all this french stuff I've never heard of like fois gras (which is apparently liver?). I'm all for a nice night out but to me that's like $40 on a massive prime rib that I know I'll love. We are jeans and t-shirt type of people so FI isn't even bringing shoes that aren't Nike and they probably wouldn't even let us in to that place dressed like that hahah. I guess I'm just wondering- are we the only childfree, financially comfortable 30 year olds who don't enjoy stuff like this?

And I guess while we're on the topic- any good recommendations in Vegas? lol

AprilH81 · May 2014

We don't eat really expensive meals outside of an occasional really nice steak dinner. I'm too cheap and my taste buds don't usually appreciate "fine dining". I'm just as happy with a pizza or burger.

ETA: We have the money to occasionally splurge but we really don't...

HisGirlFriday13 · May 2014

'foie gras' is, specifically, fattened liver: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras

We did fine dining on our honeymoon one night. It was our 'splurge' night, and it was TOTALLY worth it. Fabulous steakhouse with multiple course, jacket and tie required for DH, no jeans allowed.

It's nice to spoil ourselves, but usually we're beer-and-wings people.

lyndausvi · May 2014

Well my DH is a fine dining chef. So yeah, we do go out to fancy, fine dining restaurants. Not often, but we do a few times a year.

Foie gras is awesome.

theartistformerlyknownas · May 2014

Childfree, financially comfortable 30 year old here who LOVES that kind of stuff.

Well maybe not duck liver, but schmancy meals. They're not QUITE that expensive in Detroit usually, but I've eaten some damn good food. Michael Symon has a restaurant here that's amazeballs.

If you want more standard fare, Planet Dailies inside Planet Hollywood has some pretty damn incredible nachos (or, at least they did a few years ago) and they're open 24 hours.

pinkcow13 · May 2014

We like to occasionally like to go to fancy steakhouses. That's what our "fine dining" experience consists of.

For some reason I can't think of where we are when we went to Vegas. I know we went to a burger joint across the street (I think) from our hotel that served really huge drinks.

SmileDamnit · May 2014

FI is a foodie & I just like food, so we do usually splurge on a really good meal out about once a month. Not necessarily 60 bucks an entree splurge, but it's out of the norm for us to spend $200 + tip (granted that usually covers app, entree, dessert and a decent bottle of wine &/or cocktails). That said, we're just as likely to go to the Pho restaurant around the corner and get a kick ass meal for $20 total.

cupcait927 · May 2014

FI and I are late 20s, childfree and sound just like you and your FI. We don't do chains or fastfood, but we don't do the other end of the spectrum either. We like to stick to local restaurants that have good food and a nice atmosphere. Now, if/when we go on our honeymoon, I'd love to have the fine dining experience at least once. Or heck at least sometime in the next year even. We absolutely love going out to eat (most of our extra funds get spent on food and good alcohol) and I think it would be a great experience to try some food that we'd otherwise never get to. Plus I think it would be fun to get dressed up for something like that.

SmileDamnit · May 2014

lyndausvi said:

Well my DH is a fine dining chef. So yeah, we do go out to fancy, fine dining restaurants. Not often, but we do a few times a year.

Foie gras is awesome.

I meant to tell you about our favorite restaurant when you said you guys would be in Denver, Lynda. Remind me next time y'all are down the hill!

grumbledore · May 2014

I like fine dining - FI doesn't care about that kind of stuff. $60 for a great meal isn't a lot at all imo. It's not something I would do all the time, but if I was looking for a really nice night out, I wouldn't scoff at it.

lyndausvi · May 2014

Niccirf said:

lyndausvi said:

Well my DH is a fine dining chef. So yeah, we do go out to fancy, fine dining restaurants. Not often, but we do a few times a year.

Foie gras is awesome.

I meant to tell you about our favorite restaurant when you said you guys would be in Denver, Lynda. Remind me next time y'all are down the hill!

Do tell?

Emmy1493 · May 2014

I just love food in general. FI and I are generally comfortable for two young adults, but not super comfortable. So we usually do semi-fine dining, like an Outback Steak house. Which is pretty nice for us.

JCbride2015 · May 2014

Yep, we do this sometimes. Not lately during the school year, but definitely at times when we are both working. We are spoiled by so many great restaurant options near where we live!

FiancB · May 2014

Nah. Once in a while we go to a nicer restaurant, but even that isn't very spendy around here. I guess there's a place where we're moving that FI went to for a bach party that was a fancy meat buffet that was around $70 a person, maybe we'll try it some time but overall we don't see much point.

Funny thing, we went to Chicago and went to this place called the Grand Luxe Cafe. I guess it's like a more upscale version of the cheesecake factory. Anyway the building was gorgeous and it was basically the fanciest place we'd ever been to, but it was only rated 2 or 3 stars. We thought that was funny because clearly Chicago standards are very different from northern MN standards.

We eat very well at home. I'd rather pay $15/lb for filet mignon at the grocery store and just make it at home. When we go out I'm just happy to not be cooking.

SmileDamnit · May 2014

lyndausvi said:

Niccirf said:

lyndausvi said:

Well my DH is a fine dining chef. So yeah, we do go out to fancy, fine dining restaurants. Not often, but we do a few times a year.

Foie gras is awesome.

I meant to tell you about our favorite restaurant when you said you guys would be in Denver, Lynda. Remind me next time y'all are down the hill!

Do tell?

It's called Twelve - Jeff Osaka is the chef. He changes the menu once a month & we have never once been disappointed. Meal, service, atmosphere...it's just fantastic! Neighborhood is borderline sketch, but that would be thee only thing even semi-negative I could say about the place.

climbingsingle · May 2014

We're financially comfortable, child-free, 33 and 40 years old. We both love food. I'm maybe a little more of a foodie than FI. We go out to eat at least twice a month to an upscale place. But we'll also go to our friend's tapas restaurant in Harlem that has $6 dishes. So basically, if it has good food, you'll find us there whether it's high end or a little hole in the wall. We don't do chains or fast food though.

Cookie Pusher · May 2014

I'm a foodie, FI is just starting to "get" food. I love fine dining... when someone else is paying. Otherwise, I'm far too practical and frugal. Maybe once or twice a year, I'll take FI out somewhere super swank and fancy, but it's just not his thing.

lyndausvi · May 2014

ckel24 said:

FI and I are late 20s, childfree and sound just like you and your FI. We don't do chains or fastfood, but we don't do the other end of the spectrum either. We like to stick to local restaurants that have good food and a nice atmosphere. Now, if/when we go on our honeymoon, I'd love to have the fine dining experience at least once. Or heck at least sometime in the next year even. We absolutely love going out to eat (most of our extra funds get spent on food and good alcohol) and I think it would be a great experience to try some food that we'd otherwise never get to. Plus I think it would be fun to get dressed up for something like that.

We do fastfood sometimes, but not regularly (3 tiimes a year?) I think the only chain sit-down we go to is P.F. Changs and even then it's a once a year thing. Or if we are with parents who are chain restaurant people.

Mostly we go to go local restaurants. Some fancy, some dive places and everything in between.

jenna8984 · May 2014

I would like to become more of a foodie and try all of these fancy things (well maybe at an event where I wasn't paying lol) but FI is not adventurous at all. He wants his calzones and corn dogs which gets annoying sometimes. I tried some weird stuff in Tokyo and all he would eat was plain white rice!

jenna8984 · May 2014

@lolo883 thanks I'll check that place out!

MrsMack10612 · May 2014

We both love food and trying new things. We are comfortable, children free 40 somethings. We will generally do a really fine dining experience a few times a year, usually when we are on vacation or for special occasions.

We are saving to buy a new house, so we don't go out as much so we can save up as much down payment as possible.

afox007 · May 2014

FI prefers to have me make us fancy dinners every now and then he picks up fillet an lobster and I cook and we pull out the china.

The closest to nice wee do is this German resturaunt by us since they have amazing "weird" meat specials so well head over and have braised rabbit or venison and a bottle of wine. FI usually also gets their escargot because it makes him feel fancy!

lyndausvi · May 2014

Niccirf said:

lyndausvi said:

Niccirf said:

lyndausvi said:

Well my DH is a fine dining chef. So yeah, we do go out to fancy, fine dining restaurants. Not often, but we do a few times a year.

Foie gras is awesome.

I meant to tell you about our favorite restaurant when you said you guys would be in Denver, Lynda. Remind me next time y'all are down the hill!

Do tell?

It's called Twelve - Jeff Osaka is the chef. He changes the menu once a month & we have never once been disappointed. Meal, service, atmosphere...it's just fantastic! Neighborhood is borderline sketch, but that would be thee only thing even semi-negative I could say about the place.

I've heard of it.. We might check it out next time. This time we hit up Jax and the Chop House.

VulgarGirl · May 2014

I'll go eat just about anywhere. You know the scene in Bridesmaids at the questionable resturant? I totally eat at places that look just like that (have never gotten food posining from one of them). At the same time, we do go out for fine dining every so often. Sometimes just because being fancy is fun.

And I like chain places too. Sundays are half price apps at Chillis and I'm always down for that.

Seriously, I can't cook, I'll eat anywhere.

FiancB · May 2014

MagicInk said:

I'll go eat just about anywhere. You know the scene in Bridesmaids at the questionable resturant? I totally eat at places that look just like that (have never gotten food posining from one of them). At the same time, we do go out for fine dining every so often. Sometimes just because being fancy is fun.

Haha the best restaurant in my hometown is literally a hole in the wall and has plastic lawn chairs for furniture. It's the best though- it's the kind of place that only the locals know about and the tourists get scared away.

csuave · May 2014

We are older and child free with a decent disposable income. We go out a lot to casual places (and use coupons a lot). We go to nice places where we dress up somewhat a few times a year.

Our city has restaurant week 2x a year where the nicer places have 3 courses for a super price. We went to 2 places earlier this year during the winter restaurant week since the price was so good. One of those was the Capital Grille and the 3 course deal was only like $35 or $40. We also saw the goalie from the hockey team there---imo a benefit of going to a "nicer" place if you are a hockey fan like I am

Fran1985 · May 2014

I think that's where our entire budget goes to. We have been burning through money lately and its not on stuff its on delicious places. I'm in DC so there are a lot of overrated restaurents. Being expensive doesn't always mean good. But sometimes it means so so good. Belly happy wallet sad.

jenna8984 · May 2014

FiancB said:

MagicInk said:

I'll go eat just about anywhere. You know the scene in Bridesmaids at the questionable resturant? I totally eat at places that look just like that (have never gotten food posining from one of them). At the same time, we do go out for fine dining every so often. Sometimes just because being fancy is fun.

Haha the best restaurant in my hometown is literally a hole in the wall and has plastic lawn chairs for furniture. It's the best though- it's the kind of place that only the locals know about and the tourists get scared away.

OMG me too! There's a disgusting looking Chinese place that everyone I know refuses to even walk past. My brother and I can't get enough of it and all our friends (and spouses) think we are totally nuts.

buddysmom80 · May 2014

We'll do fancy dining for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries) most of the time our favorite restaurant is an all you can eat sushi place down the street.

Restaurants in Vegas: Mesa (Bobby Flay's restaurant) at Caesars. It's nice, but it's not crazy fancy. We went there for lunch and I think my mom wore jeans.

Also my parents LOVED Gordon Ramsey's Pub & Grill (also in Caesars).

As you can tell, Caesars is our favorite casino in Vegas.

VulgarGirl · May 2014

jenna8984 said:

FiancB said:

MagicInk said:

I'll go eat just about anywhere. You know the scene in Bridesmaids at the questionable resturant? I totally eat at places that look just like that (have never gotten food posining from one of them). At the same time, we do go out for fine dining every so often. Sometimes just because being fancy is fun.

Haha the best restaurant in my hometown is literally a hole in the wall and has plastic lawn chairs for furniture. It's the best though- it's the kind of place that only the locals know about and the tourists get scared away.

OMG me too! There's a disgusting looking Chinese place that everyone I know refuses to even walk past. My brother and I can't get enough of it and all our friends (and spouses) think we are totally nuts.

I took FI to this little Mexican restaurant in town, it looks horrible. There are bars on the windows, plastic lawn chairs inside, the tables are folding card tables, really questionable looking. She just looked at me like I was nuts when I told her it was good food. I converted though. She loves that place. It is in a sketchy part of town so we don't go at night usually, but it is soooo good.

ETA: They also make one kick ass margarita for $2. Seriously, one of the best I've ever had.

JCbride2015 · May 2014

MagicInk said:

I'll go eat just about anywhere. You know the scene in Bridesmaids at the questionable resturant? I totally eat at places that look just like that (have never gotten food posining from one of them). At the same time, we do go out for fine dining every so often. Sometimes just because being fancy is fun.

And I like chain places too. Sundays are half price apps at Chillis and I'm always down for that.

Seriously, I can't cook, I'll eat anywhere.

I have a bizarre love for Chili's. Most of the time I hate chain restaurants, but there's just something about the queso dip that is sooooo good. I went there for lunch the other day, when I just was by myself and had some time to kill-- I got yummy food and it was seven dollars. Can't beat that.

Do you guys ever do "fine dining" or really fancy restaurants?

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