The Most Expensive Meal I Never Paid For

Posted byVanya Wryter ConsultingPosted inMarketing, StoriesTags:, , ,

The most money I’ve ever spent on a meal is, technically, zero dollars, but the value of that dinner was probably the highest I’ve ever experienced.

Early in our careers, my friend received a gift certificate from work to a five-star steakhouse. He invited me to go with him. We’d never been to a place like this before. (We were more accustomed to three and four-star restaurants.) It was a bit too fancy for us, but we thought it was worth a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So we got all dressed up and pretended we were elite upper class for a day.

From the moment we sat down, the whole experience was different than usual. We ordered our food without caring about the prices. Our salad order was a performance. Our server wheeled over a cart and made Caesar salads while we watched, tossing and mixing with more gusto than I apply to a simple salad at home. You would think it was the salad of the century. We ordered perfectly cooked steaks that melted in our mouths, and desserts that were tasty pieces of art.

The meal was completely covered by the gift certificate, but the experience was priceless. It wasn’t just about the food; it was a glimpse into a lifestyle we hadn’t experienced before. It wasn’t until afterward that I realized we should have taken more photos!

Daily writing prompt
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?
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11 thoughts on “The Most Expensive Meal I Never Paid For”

  7. After going to a 4 course wine dinner where we knew the price and felt it was justified, we returned to the same restaurant for a 9 course tasting dinner. No prices were offered or requested. The first offering was a champagne glass, again with no prices. I recognized the most expensive champagne so selected the third cheapest. We essentially rented the table for the evening. With the tip, it was our first and only $1k dinner. On the plus side, our car was ready and waiting for us when we emerged from the restaurant. Hope to never be that ignorant again.

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