9 ms·
There are only 18,000 people in this town. To hit his goal of 60 diners a day would require the average person in town to visit more than once a year. How many
by daveFNbuck 9y ago
There are only 18,000 people in this town. To hit his goal of 60 diners a day would require the average person in town to visit more than once a year. How many middle class people are going to spend $130 on an entree on an average Tuesday night? I've never spent that much on a meal and my income is too high to be considered middle class in the US.
- pjc50 9y agoYou need to count tourists, especially those specifically looking to tour Michelin star restaurants. There's the reason a tyre company is publishing a food guide in the first place.
- daveFNbuck 9y agoIs touring Michelin star restaurants a middle-class hobby?
- justherefortart 9y agoWhy wouldn't it be? I love eating out at nice restaurants and traveling. Maybe the issue is the middle class doesn't have as much disposable money as it used to.
- cyberpunk0 9y agoNot at "$130"
- bdamm 9y agoAlmost all middle class families can afford a $130 meal once or twice a year. It's really just about what else they're giving up. Think about how many "middle class" families own Harley motorcycles - and those things are inflated money sinks, similar to a boat, ATV+trailer, RV, lifted truck, or dirtbag travel habit. Most "middle class" families can afford one toy. On that scale, $130 even once a month is quite affordable.
- user5994461 9y agoDo they have kid menus? $130 for 4 people would be $520. That's insane. That's the monthly rent for a many bedroom flat in France (outside of major cities). The after tax income is twice or three times that number. Don't expect a middle class family to eat there.
- caoilte 9y agoI don't have kids (although I might be insane), but apparently there's a thing called a "baby-sitter" you can deploy in situations like this and for considerably less than $130 per child.
- watwut 9y agoThen it is not familly dinner.
- sithadmin 9y ago$520 for a group of 4 at a high-end restaurant isn't insane. It's actually fairly reasonable, especially if you throw a bottle of wine or two into the mix. For upper-middle class people that value high-end dining experiences, $130/person for a meal a few times a year isn't particularly unusual (in the USA, at least). Such people are easy to find if you join a local foodie/dining interest group.
- user5994461 9y agoThe income in France is many times less than the income in the USA.
- sithadmin 9y agoI'm aware. I think my comment made it clear that I was speaking to the middle-class experience in the USA. That said, $130 USD or €110 /person still isn't unreasonable for a truly good restaurant in France. It might be above what the 'middle class' is generally willing to spend, but you can practically throw a rock in France and hit a restaurant that charges these kind of prices. And people (including myself) go out of their way to travel to France to indulge in dining experiences at these sorts of places.
- cpach 9y agoYep :) I can really recommend it. Haven’t been disappointed so far.
- nilkn 9y agoFor folks who live in the general area but not necessarily that particular town, I imagine it easily could be. For folks who have to fly across the world and take significant time off from work, probably much less so.
- goialoq 9y agoYes, that's the meaning of Michelin stars: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_Guide#Stars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_Guide#Stars 1 Michelin star: "A very good restaurant in its category" 2 Michelin stars: "Excellent cooking, worth a detour" 3 Michelin stars: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" But OP is abour one-star restaurant, which means it is only recommended for people who are already in the neighborhood or passing by.
- barrkel 9y agoDamn straight it is. It's my secondary hobby, after motorcycling.
- bsaul 9y agoIt’s actually the reason Michelin ( which is a tyre brand) invented this guide in the first place : to incite people with cars to hit the road and visit good restaurants outside their town.
- dougmany 9y ago> With a top menu at $130 That $130 is most likely for an entire several course meal, not an entree. I think most middle class people go out to nice dinners a few times a year for anniversaries and birthdays.
- will4274 9y ago> I think most middle class people go out to nice dinners a few times a year for anniversaries and birthdays. I grew up "upper middle class" in the USA. We went out to nice dinners on anniversaries and birthdays - meaning $30 entrees and $5 desert, not $130 entrees. A $130 meal is a once in a lifetime type celebration (e.g. 50th wedding anniversary, making partner in a company you've worked for for a decade), not a few times a year. At least for my family.
- caoilte 9y agoI always find these discussions pointless without more context. How old are you? $40 in 1979 prices is $130 now. And don't get me started on trying to define how American definitions of class have evolved in the last fifty years...
- chrisseaton 9y ago> And don't get me started on trying to define how American definitions of class have evolved in the last fifty years... Yeah I don't understand what Americans mean by middle class... in the UK middle class means educated, successful, with a respected profession and more sophisticated cultural tastes. A doctor or lawyer who owns their own home and takes a couple of foreign holidays a year with children in private school would be a classic example of the UK middle class. Middle class in America seems to basically mean poor? The phrase doesn't seem to translate at all.
- CapitalistCartr 9y agoAll Americans like to imagine themselves "Middle Class" and woe betide the politician that says otherwise. The doctor making 250k per year, and the workman making 25k. Its the American love of egalitarianism and pretense of no classism.
- mc32 9y agoThere are about four Michelin starred restaurants within a 30km radius, there are also other towns within that radius, so its a little more complicated than one town of 18,000 one Michelin starred restaurant. Also menu items started at 30 and went up to approx 110 euros.
- daveFNbuck 9y ago30 Euros per entree is still a lot for a middle-class family. I don't see how this makes it an issue of a declining middle class rather than just the decline of a particular town.
- seszett 9y ago> menu items started at 30 and went up to approx 110 euros Is it another restaurant than this one http://www.jeromebrochot.com/media/original/575147df7d79e/carte-entrees-viandes-desserts-jerome-brochot.pdf http://www.jeromebrochot.com/media/original/575147df7d79e/ca... ? Prices are rather reasonnable here, on the expensive side but I would consider eating there. While a menu where items go from 30 to 110 euros is completely out of the question for anyone I know.
- mc32 9y agoNo, that's it. The prices I "sampled" were from 29 to prix fixe 130 (which I erroneously wrote as 110, but close enough)
- jldugger 9y agoIt's the 110 euro part of the menu that he's ditching and losing the star over. The article mentions how much expensive sea bass and turbot is wasted because nobody buys it.
- Momquist 9y agoFor people wondering about the prices... Here is the chef's website, with various menus and prices: http://www.jeromebrochot.com/fr/cartes-et-menus.html http://www.jeromebrochot.com/fr/cartes-et-menus.html It goes as low as 21€ for the Winter menu (starter, main course, dessert): http://www.jeromebrochot.com/media/original/575147df7d79e/menu-saveurs-d-hiver-21.pdf http://www.jeromebrochot.com/media/original/575147df7d79e/me... Up to 110€ for the New Year's Eve menu (170€ with drinks included): http://www.jeromebrochot.com/media/original/575147df7d79e/menu-st-sylvestre-2017.pdf http://www.jeromebrochot.com/media/original/575147df7d79e/me...
- gyc 9y agoOK so it looks like the 21-110 Euro range was for a set menu, not individual courses.
- barrkel 9y agoAt a Michelin starred restaurant, you'd typically want to select a menu, usually the full tasting menu, rather than individual plates. You get a lot more variety and experience a full range of the creativity and skill of the chef. Otherwise it's a bit like going to a variety show and only seeing one or two acts.
- barrkel 9y agoIf you've never spent that much on a meal, you're not a foodie. That's OK: but there are people who do appreciate excellent food, and are willing to pay for it. Personally, the most I've spent is about $700 on a tasting menu for two at a place in Washington DC. $130 on a meal for two including wine wouldn't be unusual - I have meals like that maybe 10 to 15 times a year. Michelin starred restaurants are frequently destination restaurants - they will attract people from some distance. That's why Michelin thought up the idea - to encourage people to drive and wear out their tires!
- GuiA 9y agoPeople who frequent these French villages do not have incomes that let them dine out in such a place 10-15 times a year.
- joefourier 9y agoHow much you're spending on a meal is not necessarily related to the quality of the food. You can have a Michelin-starred meal for just $2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Soya_Sauce_Chicken_Rice_and_Noodle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Soya_Sauce_Chicken_R... I've had a $5 plate from an inconspicuous family restaurant taste far better than a $250-per-person meal at a location where you had to reserve 3 months in advance. There are some ingredients that are worth the cost, but you can certainly appreciate and love food without having to spend an average individual's weekly paycheck on a single meal.