Mark Gilley wrote:while i like garage bar and wish them great success, last week i got the calzone of the day. it was o.k. as far as calzones go. the kicker is it was seventeen dollars. for a calzone. we had a pizza, calzone,six oysters and three beers and our bill was almost eighty dollars. i don't care how hip or cutting edge the venue is, it's still pizza and beer. for eighty dollars i could have a much better meal at about 40 locations around town.
btw, the bartenders were very cool and we did recieve excellent service.(we ate at the bar)
I feel you on that snafu- they should change that, for sure. I didn't even evaluate the food menu, but I can tell you they have some craft cocktails for $7. The reasonable standard in Louisville is $9, so this pricing made me reevaluate my own standard of 'the $9 cocktail, across the board.'
If I can produce a crafted cocktail with an exceptional well, charge less, but still have almost the same quality- wouldn't it behoove me to do so, in order to bring people in. Once at the bar, they become inspired and generally will throw themselves on chef's whim- in which case price becomes meaningless.
Don't get me wrong: I use the products I feel lend best for the desired effect. I almost never look at price when designing drinks. The exception being super premiums like Laguvilin ($16 a pull.) That's why the $9 formula worked so well for me all these years. If I put vodka in front of you, it's Russian Standard, not Grey Goose. Old Forester (my well bourbon) is still my go-to, because I like its balance...
Why not get away from the formula and design a new one: $1 more than standard charge? For the time, consideration and creativity...
That way a $7 drink is fair and a $13 drink is fair.
Sorry to have run off topic- you just watched an old dog learn a new trick!
