Cities With No Upscale Restaurants

[Dewey_Finn]

@Dangerosa

I can’t think of many restaurants on the West Coast or Midwest where suit and tie is normal. My husband got to eat at The French Laundry on a business trip once. I know he didn’t pack a suit - or even a jacket and tie. And I don’t think anyone would argue that it isn’t an upscale restaurant.

I get the impression that dress codes are on the way out everywhere, not just the West Coast. So I just spent the last few minutes looking for dress codes for the four-star restaurants in New York. Here’s what I found:

Del Posto: “Jackets preferred”, according to OpenTable.
Eleven Madison Park: “Smart casual”, according to OpenTable.
Jean Georges: “Gentleman are required to wear a jacket. No jeans, sweatshirts or sneakers allowed. Tie is not required.”
Le Bernardin: “Jackets are required for gentlemen in the main dining room during both lunch and dinner. Ties are optional.”
Per Se: Jackets required but not ties
Sushi Nakazawa: “Smart casual”, according to OpenTable.

[Amateur_Barbarian]

@even_sven

Sacramento is pretty bad. It has some expensive restaurants, but not much that is truly upscale.

Land of chain restaurants. Every indie decent place died because the state worker crowd just adored Olive Garden and Coyote Grill. The upscale crowd there drives Escalades to Outback, Mortons and Ruth Christamitey.

[Dangerosa]

@Dewey_Finn

I get the impression that dress codes are on the way out everywhere, not just the West Coast. So I just spent the last few minutes looking for dress codes for the four-star restaurants in New York. Here’s what I found:

Del Posto: “Jackets preferred”, according to OpenTable.
Eleven Madison Park: “Smart casual”, according to OpenTable.
Jean Georges: “Gentleman are required to wear a jacket. No jeans, sweatshirts or sneakers allowed. Tie is not required.”
Le Bernardin: “Jackets are required for gentlemen in the main dining room during both lunch and dinner. Ties are optional.”
Per Se: Jackets required but not ties
Sushi Nakazawa: “Smart casual”, according to OpenTable.

I suspect you are more likely to find suits and ties in New York and Washington DC (lesser extent places like Boston), than in SF or Chicago or Seattle. Not because the dress code requires it, but that the clientele is more likely to be congressmen, lobbyists and investment bankers - who wear suits.

[Dewey_Finn]

My point was that even in those fine-dining restaurants in New York, three of six don’t even require jackets, and the other three don’t require ties.

[FordTaurusSHO94]

I ate at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans over the weekend. I wasn’t aware of what it was until I got there and realized it was pretty nice. I looked at the website later and noticed that jackets were preferred and jeans were discouraged. I think men have to wear collared shirts and closed toe shoes though, which, luckily, is how I was dressed.