Five Reason Why You Should Embrace Fine Dining

1. Forget the special occasion
Everyone wants to celebrate at a fancy restaurant: graduation, engagements, promotions, divorces, mergers, successful start ups, recording deals. As far as I am concerned, every morning when I shuffle out of bed in in my jammies to free-base Americanos, pick up the San Francisco Chronicle and not see my name in the obituaries is a reason to celebrate. Why wait for an occasion? Life is an occasion.

Sometimes it is worth living like there is no tomorrow, because when you get right down to it, there isn’t. Work hard, play harder, have passion; you deserve a glass of Krug and a perfect foie gras terrine for dinner. It should be welcome to have someone take care of you for a change.

2. Fine dining is affordable luxury
Fine dining is not about spending $100+ per person but about the whole experience of “someone else taking care of you” in an ambient setting that entails fine service, glassware, cocktails, food, wine, — with a crisp white table cloth!  It’s not about having one  staff member for every two diners, where there is a small army capable of occupying Paris tending to a rare and elegant product (welcome back, foie grae) so in reality the overall cost is truly not exorbitant.

You cannot get a spa treatment for the same experience you achieve in fine dining, so why not relax and splurge!

3. Fine dining has more than one entry point
The restaurants on our list is not all about “prix fixe menus.”  You can choose to lounge in the bar, have a bespoke cocktail, perfect canapés, maybe try a few artisanal cheeses — done!  It’s about the experience!  There’s à la carte options, wines by the glass, dessert tastings. You can dip a toe without taking the plunge.

When it comes to comparable luxury items, it is nearly impossible. Most of us will never touch a private jet or buy a Patek-Philippe watch, but we can pop in for a tasting of white truffle risotto for comparatively little money.

4. Why be obvious?
Anyone can go to a beer garden wearing retro-high tops. Anyone can follow a burger trend. But no matter the blend of luxury ingredients or the rarity of the kicks, the fact remains that it is still a hamburger or a sneaker.

The common thread throughout is that everyone got dressed, donned a sexy jacket with a high-collared shirt and became willing participants in on ongoing stage show called Haute Cuisine.

5. Sensory emotion
We come together at a table for many reasons – to celebrate, to laugh, to live life!  The material fades but the tastes and aromas linger, direct links to our most primal instincts and the only true sensual pleasure we share in a room full of strangers.

We hope you enjoy all your fine dining experience!  Cheers!!