12 Restaurants That Are Totally Worth the Splurge
New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells recently made waves when he reviewed Thomas Keller’s famed Manhattan restaurant Per Se, knocking it down from four stars to two in the process.
In his scathing review of the restaurant, Wells described in great detail several slip-ups and stumbles over the course of his three dinners there, as well as an array of underwhelming dishes. His chief complaint, however, was that this mediocre experience came with a staggering price tag: The eight-course dinner costs $325. That’s not including any supplements to the menu ($30 for foie gras here, $125 for white truffles there) or a wine pairing (which is not a set price), leaving Wells to conclude, “Per Se is among the worst food deals in New York.”
With that sentiment in mind, we decided to pull together a collection of restaurants that are worth splurging on. It’s not every day (or month or year) that one decides to plunk down a big chunk of change on a meal, so it better be worth it when you do.
While Yahoo Food doesn’t have the resources to canvass the entire United States, we do have a large team of editors and writers who know a thing or two about indulging on fancy dinners while on a tight budget. We kept our picks mostly outside of New York City, where the cost of dining triples as soon as you enter city limits.
Scroll through the gallery and let us know what you like — and don’t like — in the comments below.
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