# Grated Cheese And Ground Pepper: When Did This Become A Luxury In Restaurants? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 19, 2006, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988 "2006-03-19T11:02:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988/41 "2006-03-20T23:47:40Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Where the hell do YOU live? Even in Alaska it’s no more than $12-13 a pound. You can mail order it for [$12.99 a pound](http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/shoppe.asp?cat=1&subcat=ALL+Grating&price=&ScrollAction=2). I’d say you’re getting ripped off royally. If I’m not mistaken, that’s $12.99 for 8 oz. Still, a pretty far cry from $40. per lb. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988/42 "2006-03-20T23:50:04Z")
> [@Godfrey Daniels](#): > > If I’m not mistaken, that’s $12.99 for 8 oz. Still, a pretty far cry from $40. per lb. Well, hell. :o :smack: :special cut, my…: ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988/43 "2006-03-21T03:50:07Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Huh. Perhaps restaurants fear the loss out of proportion to the reality of it. Or that particular place has a classier clientel than most places. Actually, the highest rates of theft come from the more expensive joints. People aren’t stealing them for financial reasons so much as for the thrill of it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988/44 "2006-03-21T03:55:40Z")
> [@Godfrey Daniels](#): > > If I’m not mistaken, that’s $12.99 for 8 oz. Still, a pretty far cry from $40. per lb. Nope. One pound, $12.99. Perhaps you were looking at the one following it. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988/45 "2006-03-21T05:37:36Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Actually, the highest rates of theft come from the more expensive joints. People aren’t stealing them for financial reasons so much as for the thrill of it. This seems like a good candidate for a sting operation. Those who are both privileged enough to eat at a $100+ restaurant and dishonest enough to pocket the odd grater or grinder are exactly the sorts of people who need a spell in prison. After all, they presumably have opportunities for less visible malfeasance; punishing instances of gratuitous and petty theft seems like a straightforward and relatively inexpensive method of identifying those unworthy of society’s trust. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988/46 "2006-03-21T06:55:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Those who are both privileged enough to eat at a $100+ restaurant and dishonest enough to pocket the odd grater or grinder are exactly the sorts of people who need a spell in prison. Nah, just make them bus tables for a few hours in front of their “colleagues”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grated-cheese-and-ground-pepper-when-did-this-become-a-luxury-in-restaurants/348988.md?page=2)