# The Pulp Fiction Food Factor: Ever buy a food item because of its high price? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201 "2014-04-02T21:45:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/21 "2014-04-04T03:53:45Z")
All the time. It’s the curiosity that forces you. And yeah, I tended to do that when I’m was dating. Well, with my wife, we order our favorites regardless of the price. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/22 "2014-04-04T23:30:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I once bought my brother a $20 bottle of tonic water because: a) I needed a Christmas present (this was only one part of the present) b) He likes tonic water and c) I was wondering what in the hell $20 tonic water could be like. I never got a chance to try it, but, apparently, quite good and concentrated. > > Similarly, I first got into IPAs back in 2003 or 2004, when my cousin and I were at a bar and there was a $20 bottle of beer available. I had no idea what in the hell a $20 bottle of beer could taste like, so we ordered it. (Well, he ordered it, since I was feeling cheap that day.) It was Three Floyd’s Dreadnaught Imperial IPA. It was one of the most amazing beers I’ve ever tasted and smelled. I’ve never come across a beer since that has won me over like that, and even the current incarnations of that beer just aren’t the same. I eventually grew tired of the Imperial IPAs (well, not completely, but my tastes have long since gone in a different direction), but, wow, did that brew just open up a whole new world of beer to me. I had no idea flavors and _smells_ like that were possible from beer. Are you talking about tonic water or [tonic syrup](http://jackrudycocktailco.com/purchase/mixers/small-batch-tonic/)? Because a bottle of tonic syrup can make about a gallon of tonic water, making it somewhat of a less absurd purchase. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/23 "2014-05-06T20:15:32Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Are you talking about tonic water or [tonic syrup](http://jackrudycocktailco.com/purchase/mixers/small-batch-tonic/)? Because a bottle of tonic syrup can make about a gallon of tonic water, making it somewhat of a less absurd purchase. Sorry for the late response. I’m not exactly sure if that was it, but something along those lines. It was supposed to be stretched a bit, but I don’t remember it making quite as much as a gallon. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/24 "2014-05-06T20:54:18Z")
On a trip we spent $39 for a jar of [mustard](http://www.moutarde-de-meaux.com/en/), after trying it with a charcuterie platter and an incredible Rose from a winery in S.Ontario. It was worth every penny, best mustard I’ve ever had. Same goes for the cheese we had with it, Bella Vitano. $11/ 100g seems like a lot to spend on cheese but if you can find it, try it. Blows Reggiano and Asiago out of the water… ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/25 "2014-05-06T23:45:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Anyhow, the flavor I would describe as rich, creamy/buttery, and a bit earthy. I don’t know what food I could possibly compare it to. Also, I prefer the goose version to the duck. The goose is a bit more buttery and delicate, to my palate. When it comes to foods that are generally considered bourgeois “delicacies,” it’s my favorite. Delicious stuff. When you said “earthy” I realized the taste reminds me of mushrooms. It’s not the SAME taste, but I think that quality of it is similar to the earthiness of mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/26 "2014-05-07T00:09:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I agree that a good American pilsener-style beer is tough to find. Victory has a good one in Prima Pils, but it definitely has its American characteristics (which I think is good), with a more forward hop profile, but not too crazily so. I love that Prima Pils, and I recently tried North Coast’s Scrimshaw Pils and thought it was pretty good. There’s another one I like a lot, Penn Kaiser. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/27 "2014-05-07T00:17:57Z")
I’ve bought Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee a couple of times. One bag was really really good, the second time it was nothing special. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201/28 "2014-05-07T00:35:40Z")
I had a $75 porterhouse steak for two in NYC at Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn. While it was a great cut of meat, I have had steaks just as good for 1/3 the price at chain restaurants. They weren’t,however, _ **Peter Luger’s** _.:dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pulp-fiction-food-factor-ever-buy-a-food-item-because-of-its-high-price/685201.md?page=1)