RP has lunch with an old, wealthy, friend. He liked it, but felt they didn't get value for their money.
During residency we had a series of lectures on dealing with different kinds of people. It was mostly racially based, but not all of it.
In an extreme generalization, based on economic class: lower class perceives value in amount, middle class perceives value in quality, upper class perceives value in appearance.
I may be reading too much into it, but it sounds like he didn't like the quality, both of the food and of the dining experience. [or at least, they were decent but not worth the money]. On the other hand, just to be seen dining in certain places carries value to certain people, which may be why the restaurant is set up to crowd people together. Just a guess.
My problem is, I tend towards lower class values, [a shirt is a shirt, I don't care who made it]. I know this, and try to work against it sometimes, but sometimes I just don't.
Update: Thoughts after a weird dream last night: How much would it suck to have an upper class value filter, but not nearly enough money to fulfill it? No wonder my high school had a uniform code.
Posted by Owlish at July 22, 2005 11:15 AM | TrackBackInteresting analysis. Here's my take on your take.
I thought the food was just fine, but not worth the $250 they charged for two lunches. Not up to that quality. Mind you, the wine was probably very expensive.
The crowding is a function of two things. One, to create buzz and atmosphere. They feed off each other and make a place look/feel hot. And two, real estate in Manhattan is so expensive that they have to put as many tables in as they can to maximize their investment in the restaurant.
I think I probably fit squarely in the middle. I preceive value in terms of a cost to quality ratio. The higher the quality, the less the cost is a factor, up to a point. Appearance? Important only in that design counts. Take watches for example. Design, or appearance, makes the difference for lots of people who don't no squat about how watches are made.
No, for me, I like to spend my money as if the purchase was an investment. Go for quality, for longer lasting construction. I feel it is a better return on my dollar. That is a generalization, too.
Posted by: RP at July 22, 2005 12:01 PM