Le Coucou

[mitchells]

 

Consider the following (although I think they've raised the price of it since opening):

 

8601

Christian Tschida 'Kapital I' / Burgenland

bläufrankisch - cabernet franc

2013

$92

 

Perfect because I have a $100 certificate from Hilton that I need to burn in a NYC restaurant.

[joethefoodie]

I see what you're saying. It'll be interesting to see what happens when I go next week.

It'll be interesting first to see what happens when we go on Friday.

[taion]

I still don't quite understand how Orik managed to spend well over twice as much as any of the rest of us.

[Wilfrid]

He spent about $100 pp on food, which is surprising but not twice as much as the rest of us. I don't have the receipt with me, but I don't think I got tripe, quenelles and rabbit for $50.

[voyager]

 

I've gotten comped up the whazoo the last few times I was there.

 

I know. It sounded like comping was being put under control and delegated up the five levels of management. Of course as in any such organization with log(N) layers, this immediately generates fraud ("put in that I comped table 23 their glasses of wine because they were waiting, but actually they're my friends")

 

 

Getting comped is a two edged sword. A grande dame friend of mine advised me "there is a tithe on life", meaning that there are no free lunches. Comps are swell but come at a price. Out in Paris with my son and d-i-l, the d-i-l gushed, "OMG, you're on the A list." I told her that it came at a cost. You just couldn't sit there like a wart but had to emote, show gratitude, give feedback, etc, etc, whether you really liked or more important wanted the extra plates. More is not always more. And it is weighty when you really like the host.

[Sneakeater]

Totally agree. Sometimes you just want to go out to a restaurant.

 

There are places I can't go to for this reason when I just want a quickish bite. Not just the extra food, but (as you put it) the emoting.

[taion]

He spent about $100 pp on food, which is surprising but not twice as much as the rest of us. I don't have the receipt with me, but I don't think I got tripe, quenelles and rabbit for $50.

All-in, I mean, relative to the prices others have mentioned earlier.

 

The stated price comparison to Blanca is just not that useful.

[Orik]

Can you please come up with more ways in which stuff is not useful? Thanks

[Orik]

I mean, I did nothing other than order from the three menu categories plus a bit of cheese, do you want to explain why that is somehow unusual?

[Sneakeater]

I spend that much. It just never occurs to me to compare a very self-indulgent night out at a place like this with going to someplace like Blanca. (I'm not criticizing here -- I'm the one who's deluded.)

[Sneakeater]

You know, for all their supposed overemphasis on cream and butter, I find this one of the easiest places in New York to eat with my Celiac, lactose-intolerant friend.

 

(Splinky should especially note that their buckwheat-coated fried dishes -- that quail! -- are a godsend to the Celiac. You can have some of the best fried poultry in New York!)

[taion]

Because you're ignoring some concept of representativeness.

 

What's the median check for 2 at Le Coucou v. at Blanca?

[taion]

Like, if your metric says that Le Coucou is 80% as expensive as Blanca, it's your metric that's broken.

[Orik]

I understand why a neocon kid would want to eat at a restaurant run like a 12th century royal court, but I just couldn't care less. The food is sheer gastronomic idiocy and I hope Rose knows that.

[joethefoodie]

You know, Ori can not like this place, not enjoy his meal, not enjoy the style of service, and may spend a lot more than many of us might on dinner - that's all fine. We all have different tastes, expectations, needs, etc. when go out to a restaurant for dinner.

 

Others here have had some food that wasn't that great either...consistency issues. And I recently dined at a restaurant in San Francisco that was highly touted by a few people whose opinions I respect - the meal was underwhelming, both food and service-wise.

 

I think we (my wife and I, that is) can continue to do a monthly meal here, and for our money have a nice time - that's all that really matters to me most of the time. And I can continue to recommend this place to friends - friends whose taste I have an understanding of; I'll hope they have the same experience as us.