I didn't look up the sundae ingredients so I can't address that one. But there's an awful lot of margin in the sandwich, too. Japanese beef is expensive partially because of the overhead. Raising cattle takes land and that's in short supply in Japan. Yes, there's the massaging and the beer, but when you buy Japanese beef you are buying beef that by definition is going to be more expensive because it's raised on incredibly expensive land.

Chez Panisse serves amazing food. And you find no £85 sandwiches there. Although it's plenty expensive, it's mostly because the people who raise the food, transport the food, prepare the food, and serve the food are getting paid a decent wage. I don't know if the same can be said of the Selfridges chain-of-provenance.

Even so, hella margin. Must be.

Oh, totally.

With the $10K martini, you do get to keep the ice. [link]

I mean, I wish I liked broccoli, as it is one of those mega-good-for-you veggies, but it literally makes me gag.

t divides the "Liver is teh NAST" corner into "Likes Broccoli" and "Doesn't Like Broccoli" sections

t sits in the "Likes Broccoli" section

Do you get to keep the cup and straw with the julep? I figured yes.

I'm pretty sure you don't, which makes paying extra to eat out of a gold-plated bowl seem pretty frivolous. Not that I wouldn't do it if someone else paid, but I could probably buy my own gold-plated bowl and put my own sundae in it for much less than Serendipity's charging.

I agree with ita that the sandwich is not all that overpriced, considering what goes into it, and how much.

t sits on Sean's lap

Of course, the sad thing is that the workers who sew designer clothing are probably not paid much more than those who make clothes for Old Navy.

[link]

there's an awful lot of margin in the sandwich, too. Japanese beef is expensive partially because of the overhead.

That's not margin. Price of sandwich=cost of making sandwich+margin. I have to pay a gazillion dollars for the beef--and the things you describe about the cost of beef isn't even margin for the beef supplier. It's the costs of producing that beef.

If you just want excellent beef without the legend, buy American wagyu. (Which isn't easy to find.)

[link]

I'm pretty sure you don't, which makes paying extra to eat out of a gold-plated bowl seem pretty frivolous.

Yeah, that's nuts.

Not that I wouldn't do it if someone else paid, but I could probably buy my own gold-plated bowl and put my own sundae in it for much less than Serendipity's charging.

Word.

Gawker or someone had a bit when NYC got rid of the sales tax on clothes under $110, but they were like "Who buys jeans cheaper than $110?"

This person lives in a competely different world than I do.