On February 26, 2002, the New York Times reported that Barclays Capital fired five of their six bankers who spent $62,700 (£44,000) on dinner at Petrus, one of London’s most expensive restaurants, last July. The total amount was spent on libations, since the restaurant comped the food. At first the bankers paid the tab themselves, resulting in “a slap on the wrist” from the bank since such exuberant 1990s spending in the current economic atmosphere of sobriety was frowned upon. Later some of the bankers tried to pass off the bill as client expenses, and they were subsequently fired. On their bill was a vertical of Chateau Petrus, 1945, 1946, and 1947 for £11,600, £9,400, and £17,500 respectively, and a 1984 Montrachet (£1,400). They finished the evening with a 100-year-old bottle of Chateau d’Yquem for £9,200.
Obviously to run up this kind of bill, a restaurant would need to have a vast wine cellar filled with extraordinarily expensive wines. I am unaware of such a cache in any Charlotte restaurant. Two years ago during the holiday season The Pine Room at Night sold two bottles of 1994 Screaming Eagle cabernet within a month. Restaurateur Pete Pappas remembers the bottles running between $1,550 and $1,940 each. One was served during a surprise birthday party.
None of the local restaurants I asked had a bill which even approached $10,000 per person. A Capital Grille manager says that he has seen big spending decline in the past two years, but did note that on his first day on the job three years ago, three dinner guests rang up a sale of $1,300, primarily from the sale of a pair of Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
By the way, a 15 percent tip on $62,400 is about $9,400.
Do you have a restaurant tip, compliment, complaint? Do you know of a restaurant which has opened, closed, or should be reviewed? Does your restaurant or shop have news, menu changes, new additions to staff or building, upcoming cuisine or wine events? You can fax this information, at least 12 days in advance of event date, to Eaters’ Digest: 704-944-3605, or leave voice mail: 704-522-8334, ext. 136. *
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2002.
