Friday, July 18, 2008

That Costs WHAT?!? $7 Cups of Tea at BLT Market

That Costs WHAT?!?

I wish I'd thought of this idea, which is going to be a regular feature on the NY Times' Diner's Journal blog:

These are tough times. Companies have downsized. The price of fuel has skyrocketed. The economy is in the dumps. And if you’re intent on vacationing in a country with a currency significantly flimsier than the dollar, you’re pretty much stuck with Zimbabwe.

These are times, in short, to be especially watchful of price. And in that spirit Diner’s Journal inaugurates this occasional feature, “That Costs WHAT?!?”

It will spotlight restaurant items or things sold in food-related establishments or food-related services with prices that stop a consumer short, for worse or for better.

It will pause to ponder those prices. It may try to put them into some kind of context. It will serve as a warning in the case of a high price, or as a helpful tip in the case of a bargain.

And best of all, it costs nothing!

For this, the first installment of the series, we turn to the restaurant BLT Market.
For the uninitiated: it’s part of the fleetly expanding BLT fiefdom, which began with the BLT Steak in Midtown and has grown to include many additional BLTs in New York and in other cities. There’s not a whole lot we can predict about life in future colonies on other planets in our solar system, but we know this: there will be a BLT Jupiter, followed quickly by a BLT Pluto.

BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel, the chef who presides, usually in absentia, over each BLT. BLT Market opened last summer in the Ritz-Carlton on Central Park South. It’s different from other BLTs in certain ways, but the same as most of them in one way.

It’s not cheap.

Especially not the hot tea.

Which costs $7.


Wow. The article does go on to compare tea prices at other restaurants and offer BLT's attempt at justifying that price, which really is a bit outrageous, isn't it? $7 cocktails don't surprise anyone any more, but $7 for a mint teabag and some hot water? How delicious can it possibly be?

5 comments:

Anny said...

WOW is right! That's a better investment for them than alcohol since its smaller to store and cheaper to make.

Maybe hot tea in summer is a delicacy ;)

mysticdomestica said...

The rest of his lunch bill is pretty shocking too--including the tea, they somehow spent $30 on nonalcoholic drinks!

Noel Larson said...

Expense account restaurant :)

Money to burn or others money...

People charge what they think they can get. I don't thing the standard BLT crowd cares.

WhiteStone said...

The standard BLT crowd may not care. But the common consumer Should Care. But why not say "That costs WHAT?!?" to numerous other things in life? I very seldom drink pop (known as soda in some parts of the country) because I refuse to pay $$ for a bottle or glass or carton of colored, carbonated sugar water. I'll take my water plain, thank you. Or with my morning tea...in this case, in my own kitchen at pennies a cup.

Anonymous said...

Let me just say I am definately not looking forward to the times when I will always be saying "That costs WHAT??!!"
But hey, its life and if you want it you will pay for it.