by Elizabeth Marie

Created on: October 18, 2009   Last Updated: November 04, 2009

The French Laundry, located in Yountville, California, is the fourth most expensive restaurant in the world. Why is it that at this fine dining institute you have to pay thousands of dollars to eat a normal portion of food? It's because their dishes are self-proclaimed as "works of art."Their cuisine is served in very small portions and some does not look appetizing to me. If you take a look at this website here[http://www.izismile.com/2009/04/27/one_of_the_m ost_expensive_restaurants_in_the_world_25_pics.html] you can see that some dishes only offer one bite! If you are willing to pay thousands of dollars just because of the ambiance of an Idaho potato be my guest! Looking at these photos the only difference I can see between Apple bees and gourmet is how the food is placed on the plate. A restaurant like this is, in my eyes, a big scam.Since most might be hurt or angered by my words, here is why I think these organizations are obviously scandalous.

In the words of Sue Dyson and Roger McShane, "In a world where too many people struggle to get the calories they need just to survive, it is a luxury to eat just for the pleasure of a series of tantalising games, where the satisfaction of hunger doesn't seem to have any part in the motivation for preparing and offering the meal." When you eat at a so called "fancy" restaurant you're not eating to satisfy hunger but rather to experience the taste and ambiance of the food and establishment itself.So, in this case is a restaurant that does not satisfy hunger but rather satisfies the want for a beautiful atmosphere worth its price tag? That depends on the view of the customer, which intern, depends on the view of the food critic.

So why is it that I think these types of organizations are obviously scandalous?The dictionary definition of the word "restaurant" is:"An establishment where meals are served to customers." If I'm not getting a meal which is made to satisfy my hunger, then it's not worth my money.I suggest to all of you readers not to go to one of these restaurants unless you are going for the experience not the food.Also, don't be fooled by the fancy name and nice lighting. If you are looking for somewhere nice to eat, do a litte research before you waste an evening. May you have a memorable time and an empty stomach!

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