# What would you be having for dinner if money was no option?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 14, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285 "2005-10-14T21:30:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![deevee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@deevee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deevee)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/41 "2005-10-15T22:28:23Z")

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[parthenokinesis’ kidney](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339832&highlight=kidney) and a nice chianti.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/42 "2005-10-16T00:35:57Z")

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A nice salad with some arugula in and French Dressing.  
The barbecued ribs of three guys I don’t like.  
A little bit of NY strip steak, in case human ribs aren’t good barbecued.  
And some asparagus.

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**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/43 "2005-10-16T17:25:31Z")

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I’d find one of the top chefs in the world and ask for 2 things: a cheeseburger and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But not those exactly. I want the ultimate gourmet version of these foods. There would be a few rules:

1. The cheeseburger must be made from a bovine. Cow, bison, buffalo, yak, gnu, all ok. I don’t want a turkey burger.

2. More than one cheese may be used, but any cheese used must be the best version of that cheese in the world.

3. Since this is a gourmet PB&J, I expect that the peanuts will be substituted for a higher quality nut, like macadamias. And by jelly I mean any fruit spread.

4. If possible, I want everything made from scratch, the jelly most of all. If there’s mustard on that burger the chef had better ground the mustard seeds himself.

5. Since money is no object the chef may get the ingredients from anywhere in the world, and travel anywhere if necessary.

6. Subcontracting is allowed. If the chef is a poor baker he can hire a good one.  
Other than that, I’d leave everything up to the chef and his creativity.

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/44 "2005-10-16T20:56:09Z")

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Pre-meal: nibbles with Champagne.  
Starter: Gravelax with a Montrachet  
Main Course: Saddle of Lamb with roast potatoes, carrots, and brussel sprouts. With a Grand Cru Corton Renarde.  
Desert: Lemon Mousse with a Cadillac or chocolate profiteroles with a demi-sec Champagne.  
Cheese: Selection of cheeses, with port - a suitably aged Taylors.

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**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:** [October 16, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/45 "2005-10-16T21:19:46Z")

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Appetizer: Rattlesnake Cakes…Two patties of free range desert rattler with ancho-rosemary aioli.

Main Course: Pumpkin Seed Trout…Local Road Creek trout with cilantro lime sauce, vegetables & wild rice pancake.

And a glass or two of champagne.

(from the Cafe Diablo in Torrey, Utah)

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**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/46 "2005-10-16T21:34:50Z")

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> [@sciurophobic](#):
>
> I’d find one of the top chefs in the world and ask for 2 things: a cheeseburger and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But not those exactly. I want the ultimate gourmet version of these foods. There would be a few rules:
> 
> 1. The cheeseburger must be made from a bovine. Cow, bison, buffalo, yak, gnu, all ok. I don’t want a turkey burger.

Somehow that reminds me of the story from Lee Iaccoca’s biography about henry ford the second’s hamburgers. He didn’t go quite that far though. 😃

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/47 "2005-10-16T23:46:41Z")

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Any overpriced dessert with edible gold in it. Tasteless, odorless gold.

Really, though, it’s all about priorities. If I want lobster and cheesecake, I’ll have lobster and cheesecake. Money and calories be damned. (but check in with me later when my career takes a downturn and my metabolism slows down).

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**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/48 "2005-10-17T01:22:18Z")

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The biggest Maine lobster available steamed with melted butter (clarified, of course), a thick 24 oz ribeye medium rare and an ice old beer. For dessert, a tartuffo (not sure if that’s spelled right).

Maybe something with truffles too, since I’ve never tried them.

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**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/49 "2005-10-17T05:54:31Z")

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Mellow Mushroom pizza hand fed to me by a nude rotation of Jennifer Love Hewitt, Evangeline Lilly, and Jessica Biel. I’m sure with enough money I could persuade them that the nudity is integral to the scene.

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**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/50 "2005-10-17T13:02:15Z")

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Since money is no consideration, I’d build a time machine and go back in time to when my grandmother was still alive. I would make sure it was set to Thanksgiving day, I don’t care what year.

Dinner was never fancy or elaborate, just turkey, stuffing , several vegetables, dirty rice, mushroom gravy, glass of wine, etc; but it was done in a way that only an Italian grandmother could do, and it has yet to be matched by anyone.

That would be my Death Row last meal if I ever get caught, err… convicted.

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**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/51 "2005-10-17T15:15:05Z")

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My wife and I just celebrated our anniversary with a nice dinner on Saturday and money was no object, so here’s what we had, start to finish.

2 glasses of Mumm’s Cordon Rouge Champagne  
Foie gras with a caramelized peach and Minus 8 vinegar  
I had the Heirloom tomato soup with baby mozzarella and my wife had a Greek lamb soup  
For entrees I had Venison Rossini with brown sugar sweet potatoes and cocoa bordelaise and my wife had Strauss Veal tenderloin with honeyed butternut squash puree.  
Washed all of that down with a bottle of Murphy-Goode claret, 2000 vintage.  
Dessert was a Dark chocolate torte with strawberries made for us by the pastry chef because our excellent waiter told him it was our anniversary.  
My wife had coffee and I had a flight of vintage ports to round off the evening.

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**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/52 "2005-10-17T16:07:30Z")

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**Appetizer:** Shrimp De Jonghe  
**Main Course:** Steak (filet or course), rare, Twice Baked Potato, Asparagus  
**Dessert:** Hot Fudge Sundae, no nuts, no whipped cream, no cherry, extra fudge.  
**Beverage throughout:** Old Style. I’ll have coffee with desert.

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-be-having-for-dinner-if-money-was-no-option/326285/53 "2005-10-17T16:52:59Z")

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I’m not sure what I’d have for my meal: that would be up to the superb chefs that I would hire for this all-out affair (with, of course, the proviso that it meet my dietary preferences: heavy on the vegetables, no warm-blooded animals, no firm white fish, no eggplant, etc.) I’d crack open a selection on profoundly epensive wines to drink with it, since that’d be the only time in my life I got to see what a profoundly expensive wine tastes like. I’d make sure there was plenty of extra food and wine, so that I could invite all my friends over. I figure that with careful planning, I could push the budget into the six-figure range.

Daniel

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