Putting things into perspective

If you are a food lover, you may fantasize about going to a ridiculously expensive restaurant to enjoy a phenomenal meal. In fact, you may have already done so and thought your money was well spent. Or, you’ve had an experience similar to the one Jay Rayner recently had while dining at Le Cinq in Paris. 

After becoming irritated by readers of his regular column, who complained about what they considered to be expensive meals in London, Rayner decided to have an exceptionally costly meal at a lavish Parisian restaurant for a “reality check”. He chose Le Cinq, located in the Four Seasons Hôtel George V. It was supposed to be a “joyous trip to one of France’s famous gastro palaces”, but it went terribly awry. 

Rayner contends it was the worst dining experience of his 18 years on the job. I cannot do justice to the descriptions of the utter repulsion he experienced. In relating a dish of gratinated onions, he writes “It is mostly black, like nightmares, and sticky, like the floor at a teenager’s party.”   If you visit Rayner’s website, you can also view photos of his food compared to the pictures provided by the restaurant to see the stark difference between what was served versus what was advertised. 

Reading about such a terrible meal that cost more than most of us spend on food for a month makes me feel much better about the more humble fare I put on my table. It is fair to say that we likely enjoy better meals at a fraction of the price.