Priced Fixed Add-Ons

[meagan]

We just came back from a lovely dinner at a local French restaurant. The menu is price fixed only for 3 courses. A number of the choices for the appetizers and entrees had additional charges ( such as for fois gras and lobster.) I ordered the Dover sole, which was a special this evening. When the bill came, there was an addition of $20 for the sole. When he told us the specials, the waiter did not mention the additional $20. I had not thought to ask if the specials were more $. We did not mention this when we graciously paid the bill. But I will think twice about going to this particular restaurant again. Is is customary for the waitstaff to mention the higher price? Or should I, the customer, have asked the prices?
Thanks for your input. Meagan

[babette feasts]

$20 for sole??? That seems like a lot extra for a piece of fish, even if it was fresh off a plane (plenty of fish is, and it didn't come over on the Concorde). How much was the regular menu?

[meagan]

There were 2 fixed priced menus; one was $56., the other $76. We had the $56 one which included an appetizer, entree and dessert. Beverages, including coffee, were extra. It was an expensive meal and I don't drink at all!
Meagan

[emilief]

Dover sole is rare on menus and very expensive. Not just your average sole.
Wow , if I got charged $20 extra I certainly would have said something!

[MMRuth]

I'm not terribly surprised at the $20 upcharge for the Dover sole - at La Grenouille it is $17 and well worth it, though it is noted on the menu.

Dover Sole are words that, like truffles, lobster, foie gras and veal chop, trigger me to inquire about prices of specials.

[mikefoody]

I agree with jfood that the specials should always be in writing but like everyone else am used to them not being. I usually don't ask for the prices but use a list similar to MMRuth's to know when my bank account might really regret it. I'd add Diver Scallops and Kobe / Waygu to that list too.

[jfood]

Dover Sole are one of those "supplements" that range from $15-20. Although $20 is at the high end, it does not surprise jfood. When mrs jfood has that urge, jfood tries to buy it at the local fishmonger and cook it at home.

[babette feasts]

OK, so I understand that it's a special thing, but $20 on a $56 p.f. still seems like a lot. Say the restaurant allows $8 for dessert (on which food cost is usually extremely low, most of my desserts cost around $1 or less in ingredients) and $12 for the starter, that leaves $36 for the entree, of which actual food cost should be about $10. How much does a portion of Dover sole really cost? If you can buy it frozen online for $7/#, fresh to restaurants is probably not more than twice that, so I doubt they paid more than $5 for that serving of fish.

I think I'm wary of p.f. where there are too many supplemental charges, it seems dishonest, like the restaurant is trying to convince you that you can have a nice meal for a certain price but if all the good stuff costs extra, that's not really true. A good chef knows how to work the luxury ingredients into the menu without going overbudget - a little foie fat in the sauce here, a half teaspoon of caviar garnish there. I guess the only question is whether they want to actually give value with their p.f. menu, or only appear to.

[MMRuth]

Dover Sole is about $30 - 40 a pound at retail stores in Manhattan. As a reference point for the prix fixe, the one at Grenouille, for lunch, is $49 (supplement $17 for both lunch and dinner for the sole). I look at the supplements on a prix fixe in the opposite way - $49 seems a pretty good deal for a three course meal (more courses if you add in the amuse and the mignardise) at a great restaurant with very well prepared food, and I like the option of then paying more if I want something that involves more expensive ingredients.

[jfood]

Not having a visual of the specials and just having them presented verbally is deplorable. There is ABOSLUTELY no reason for a restaurant not have them in writing for the customer to see, to review and to commit to a price point. Many restaurant say that they could not possible keep up with the "special menu", or there is only one section that has them because they are from the day before (i.e. braises), or all kinds of excuses. Jfood response to that is "BS".

But if you have a special that is above the price point of others you have even MORE of a responsibility to tell the customer. Other than that the customer can only view this as a "gotcha" from the restaurant's.

And jfood is not blaming the server because he has learned on these boards that management tells them not to in certain cases.

This is probably jfood biggest gripe against menus. PUT IT IN WRITING. Think it upsets jfood? Yup, you betcha.

[punkin712]

I couldn't agree more, jfood. Nothing kills the buzz of eating out like having to ask your server "And, how much is that?" after every special that is recited.

[jfood]

P

Agreed and also when all the pasta dishes in a resto is $15-21 and you order the special pasta and it's $36 when the bill arrives. Ouch. And yes that happened to jfood. Will he go back to the reso, absolutely, on the power rotation but jfood asks the owners on the way in if the server can leave the specials with prices at jfood's table. Always complies since jfood is a regular.

[duck833]

The server made a mistake in not noting the supplement to the fix price amount.

[stolenchange]

Agreed. It should have been mentioned by the server.

[MikeG]

Two things wrong with the scenario IMHO. First, prices should IMHO always be proffered with verbal specials. But I get that this doesn't happen as often as it should. What bugs me most here is the weird-ish, fence-straddling "strategy" - they offer "fixed price" meals but then proceed to regale you with "specials"? Not that unusual I suppose, but to me it smacks a bit of of "bait & switch" when "supplemental specials" are not clearly highlighted..

On the other hand, if that was the only problem, I doubt it would keep me away forever, it's not like an ignored service-related catastrophe or anything like that.