Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

The last time I was in Israel I stayed at a hotel that offered a breakfast buffet. The food was nothing less than amazing. They had cheeses and spreads from all over the middle east, a large assortment of fresh baked bread, familiar and exotic fresh fruit, and the most delicious yogurts I can remember having. It was very different from the breakfast buffets I have been to here in the US (less animal fat, less protein, less fried potatoes, less sweetened simple starches). In any case, most of us at that hotel ate smaller portions and seemed to be just as satisfied since the food was so fresh and tasty.

Wtf?! Are all Nello's dishes laced with gold??? I can't believe people are stupid enough to pay those ridiculously high prices...

@Peensez: I guarantee you that Nello's didn't use $2-a-box pasta for the pasta specials.

I, too, am amused by all the outrage. A lot of people made a lot of money off this guy: isn't that a good thing?

yum...i am booking flight to NYC soon!

@Nathan Teager: Haha, this made me smile. You're right. Give us your poor, your tired...and the occasional hungry millionaire.

I find the outrage and disgust...odd. Why is it our business to judge what he does with his own money? @queenbleu, why should you detest the rich? He spent a lot on lunch - so what? At least he was more generous than he had to be with his server. Why all the anger? We have no way of knowing how he uses his money on a regular basis - nor is it our business. He might be just as lavish in his giving to charity for all we know.
Lighten up, people.

What funkopolis said... :)

It's always those little extras that add up, I guess.

Or the f*king crazy-ass wine!

He certainly can use his money however he wishes, but it doesn't stop me from finding this disgusting. And I'm not envious at all.

I don't see why there are so many people upset by this. Sure, we don't have money like this guy, so we can't indulge like he does; for that I am either jealous or envious, can't figure which one. I can't say I am disgusted by it though. It's his money, he could flush it down the toilet if he wanted, and essentially he just did, but again, it is his money. Everyone knows restaurants charge ridiculous mark-ups on alcohol, particularly wine and Nello's is no exception. Hell, I drink wine that is $5 a bottle from my local liquor store and have seen it on menus for $8 a glass!! Okay, I'm jealous and envious and it seems most of you are too.

Unfortunately, this makes me detest the rich even more than I did before.
I'm sure the alcohol was used as a 'lubricant' if this was a business meal. I guess if your are a Russian oligarch, then you don't seem to mind spending a year's salary (not mine!) on one little ol' luncheon. This just shows that the excess of the classes is still alive and well and living in the food industry as much as Wall Street.

Wow, the final bill ($52,221.09) came out to the price of a home in some cities...YIKES.

Oh well, it's all relative, I suppose.

so excited for my next trip to nyc. kicking myself for not finding it when i lived there! amazing.