The most expensive date of my life.

[Aaron]

Dating this girl for about 6 months now, and for whatever reason decided to take her out to the best restaurant I could find in Colorado Springs. Pretty much unanimously chosen was The Penrose Room at the Broadmoor. Having never done truly first class dining, it was like being in a foreign country.

Im not going to go through the date play by play, but it was top shelf. I'm not even sure what the hell I ordered or ate, but it tasted good. Wine was perfectly paired. The service could not have been better, that impressed me the most. You don't know how pathetic Chili's servers are until you go somewhere where they put the napkin on your lap for you!

Dress code was strict, I didn't know they had one so luckily we dressed nice. My date was cold about halfway through dinner, so I got up, removed my jacket, and put it over her. It was no more than 8 seconds before a staff member professionally and politely told me that males could not remove their jackets while in the dining area!

Ended up spending just over $290 for dinner. This was their cheapest food choice (3 course as opposed to 4 or 7), about $45 in wine, and a $60 tip. And $8 for parking. Overall expensive but worth it, I encourage you to try it when you can, I had a great time. I wish I could afford to do this more often, but once every 27 years isn't too bad!

[jcj81]

We stayed at the Broadmoor a few years ago, by far best hotel service we've ever had. We had dinner at the penrose room as well, good food, best service throughout the hotel.

[madvlad]

$290?!?!? That food better be the most ridiculous thing I've ever tasted for me to pay that.

[mxer]

After 6 months, what else is there to prove? Sounds like cops are getting paid too much.

[I`m Batman]

My company used to have annual new year kick off party there every year. We got the great service, the 5 course meal, open bar and room to stay the night. I thought the food was OK wasn't that great, the room was OK, just a bunch of decorative pillows on the bed that I immediately threw on the floor. I thought it was overrated... I could be wrong. Some of my co-workers thought the same. Obviously all the higher ups thought it was awesome because they had to pay for it and probably stayed in a nicer room. My wife wasn't impressed either... and we've been there 3 times.

[bulldog]

Just wait for the big "date"....wedding, then you will really see the most expensive date of your life :lol:

I am going the cheaper route and doing a destination wedding (Cozumel) and still dropping at least $3k on it...which is very cheap for a wedding. Do a big wedding and you will laugh at the $290 you spent because that could maybe provide 4-5 people with a wedding dinner...when most wedding have at least 50 people.

[tecknojoe]

My sister did the destination wedding. Even though I had to pay my $1200 bill, it was the best wedding I'd been to. Just a relaxed 4 day vacation with a 1 hour ceremony in the middle. You won't regret it

[sloridr]

Just wait for the big "date"....wedding, then you will really see the most expensive date of your life :lol:

I am going the cheaper route and doing a destination wedding (Cozumel) and still dropping at least $3k on it...which is very cheap for a wedding. Do a big wedding and you will laugh at the $290 you spent because that could maybe provide 4-5 people with a wedding dinner...when most wedding have at least 50 people.
This is so so true! I fully agree with the destination wedding, we did Jamaica ourselves. Had a blast and I think with first class tickets and a really nice room, it was like 5k. So cheap!!!

[bulldog]

My sister did the destination wedding. Even though I had to pay my $1200 bill, it was the best wedding I'd been to. Just a relaxed 4 day vacation with a 1 hour ceremony in the middle. You won't regret it


This is so so true! I fully agree with the destination wedding, we did Jamaica ourselves. Had a blast and I think with first class tickets and a really nice room, it was like 5k. So cheap!!! Yeah I we went to a buddies wedding a couple years ago (old CSC member: Hoopty) in Playa Del Carmen and loved it...also the best wedding we had ever been too. Luckily my girl loved it too so it got us to talking about us maybe doing this when we got married; which was a huge relief because I did not want to spend $30K on a wedding to make the family happy. Like techojoe said, it basically is a small nice ceremony and then days of relaxing and partying with no worries (since everything is covered on resort....hence all you can drink!). Plus is weeds out all the family members that just want to come out for a free dinner that you will probably never see again.

Sorry Aaron, I didn't mean to de-rail your thread, I am just going through the wedding stuff now so it made me think how cheap a $290 date is compared to the big date.

[birchyboy]

I went to a conference in Vegas a couple years ago and my boss said to take my wife out for a nice dinner on her. We were staying at the Wynn so we went to their Bartolotta Ristorante. After sitting at the bar and having a few too many Vespers, we ordered a fish flown in from Italy that day that was prepared table side. When I submitted my $400 bill for reimbursement, I received my expense check with a nice note saying that I had crossed the line and wouldn't be extended the courtesy again. Oh well, it surely was a good meal.

[Ghosty]

Sweet, sometimes you gotta get frivolous. You really don't remember what you ordered? I'd be curious. I love good food, but avoid any "Offal", weird meats like organ meats, sweetbreads, liver, etc. Even if they're high-end chef stuff.

I always loved the Broker Inn in Boulder (now closed). Not as high-end as the Penrose, but still super nice.

P.S. I know you're joking mxer, but cops definitely do NOT get paid "too much", lol.

[birchyboy]

Sweet, sometimes you gotta get frivolous. You really don't remember what you ordered? I'd be curious. I love good food, but avoid any "Offal", weird meats like organ meats, sweetbreads, liver, etc. Even if they're high-end chef stuff.

I always loved the Broker Inn in Boulder (now closed). Not as high-end as the Penrose, but still super nice.

P.S. I know you're joking mxer, but cops definitely do NOT get paid "too much", lol.

If you're referring to my post, as I recall we started with lobster tails, then some scallops, and the fish was Turbot. The dinner was finished with a couple different deserts but I can't recall which. I had a handful of Vespers (Bond's martini) and the wife had a few different wines. If you ever get the chance to have a fish (or any dinner) prepared table-side, and I don't mean Benihana, it is a very cool experience.

I cannot recall ever being that drunk at dinner, which is likely why I didn't mind running the bill up.

[bulldog]

If you're referring to my post, as I recall we started with lobster tails, then some scallops, and the fish was Turbot. The dinner was finished with a couple different deserts but I can't recall which. I had a handful of Vespers (Bond's martini) and the wife had a few different wines. If you ever get the chance to have a fish (or any dinner) prepared table-side, and I don't mean Benihana, it is a very cool experience.

I cannot recall ever being that drunk at dinner, which is likely why I didn't mind running the bill up. Pretty sure he was talking to Aaron because he said he didn't remember what he ate....which was weird to me because I could never forget what I ate, especially if it was that expensive

[~Barn~]

I've stayed at The Broadmoor and had dinner at Charles Court on a couple of occasions, and it was just as spectacular as you've made the Penrose Room out to be. It really is an amazing hotel, in pretty much every regard. Glad you had a awesome time!

[Aaron]

It wasn't that I don't remember, just that I don't know. I don't know what 3/4 of that menu was! Despite being paid too much, I've never had the opportunity to do this for some reason. The appetizer was a chilled salmon. It was unlike any salmon I've ever has before. It was 4 cylinders of a fish, so not fillets, and served cold. But it wasn't sushi. I'm not sure if it was cooked, and if so for how long, but the fish cut easy. It didn't have a strong salmon flavor, but it was delicious nonetheless. My date had vegetable beets, I wasn't a huge fan, and I still don't know what beets are.

The entree was a striped bass fillet seasoned with lemon/pepper in a special sauce over a bed of vegetables I've never heard of before. It was fantastic as well. She had Colorado Lamb. For dessert she had a sorbet dish of 3 different sorbets, and I had a tropical shuffle with a sorbet to go with it.

The food wasn't what amazed me the most. It was delicious, everything was cooked and arranged perfectly, but It was more than the food I guess. The class of the restaurant was top notch, the servers etiquette was perfect, the live music was first class, and the location was spectacular. The entire evening couldn't have been any better.

[Keyser Soze]

$290 isn't that bad. $45 for wine? Just one bottle? I've only been to a couple fine dining restaurants and the best was Mastro's in Scottsdale. They have a couple out here in CA I need to get out to. Worth every penny.

[bulldog]

Lamb and beets :puke:

Dump her now!!!!!! :lol: Although she may be a keeper for you considering you don't know what beets or bass is....those are pretty common words...scary


You want to see even better service go to a 5 star resort in Cancun, Mexico. You get treated like that for days!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ghosty]

Have you ever seen a Turbot fish? Fucking gross and creepy/scary looking, lol!

Loves me some lobster tails, salmon, scallops, and Colorado Lamb is so awesome when prepared right (mid-rare pink, medium AT MOST).

Can't believe you don't know what a beet is, lol! :p No biggie, I hate beets, so in my opinion you aren't missing anything. I think Russians love them (Borsch = beet soup), and chefs like to put them in some salads for that weird beet taste.

(He knows what a bass fish is, he didn't know what veggies were underneath)

[Keyser Soze]

Love me some beets in vinegar.


FYI

http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/10/6-health-benefits-of-eating-beets/

[sprtbkbabe]

I had a 7 course meal at Claridge's in London (Gordon Ramsay restaurant) and the bill was $550. Was it worth it? It was mind-blowing!!

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.luxist.com/media/2010/09/gordan-ramsay-dining-room-580cs090710-1284181110.jpg

[bulldog]

Hurry up and post a picture of yourself Ghosty...I know you got my PM! :lol:

EDIT: Nevermind I see you did post it :)

[rforsythe]

I went to a conference in Vegas a couple years ago and my boss said to take my wife out for a nice dinner on her. We were staying at the Wynn so we went to their Bartolotta Ristorante. After sitting at the bar and having a few too many Vespers, we ordered a fish flown in from Italy that day that was prepared table side. When I submitted my $400 bill for reimbursement, I received my expense check with a nice note saying that I had crossed the line and wouldn't be extended the courtesy again. Oh well, it surely was a good meal.

I was treated to dinner there by a vendor along with about 25 other people. We had the back room to ourselves, and it was off the charts good. Several courses (all flown in that day - that place does not mess around) and prepared tableside, including truffles which were served on separate plates just because they were that special. Ridiculous amounts of wine as well. Not sure how many thousands of $$ that bill was, but I'm glad I got to do it once.

[Jmetz]

Talk about throwing money down the shitter..

[Clovis]

After you pay $650 for a set of tires, all spending caution gets thrown to the wind!

[TinkerinWstuff]

Good for you Aaron. Everyone should treat themselves once in a while.

i once surprised a girl by taking her to the airport and did a day trip to Chicago for lunch and the zoo. That one was great at the time but turned out to be a waste of money in the long run :)

Another vote for destination wedding. Wife and I went to Hawaii - 10 days, 3 islands.

[Clovis]

I thought this story was going down a different path...

"I once surprised a girl by taking her to the air port..."

I kind of expected to see "and I gave her the ticket and told her we were done" or something to that extent. ;)

[Aaron]

Clovis is all full of the funnies tonight!

[Ghosty]

i once surprised a girl by taking her to the airport and did a day trip to Chicago for lunch and the zoo.
Awesome. If I was dating someone that seriously (future Wiff material), I would totally do shit like that. If it doesn't work out later, who cares, I'm sure the weekend was fun as hell.

[j0ker]

Awesome. If I was dating someone that seriously (future Wiff material), I would totally do shit like that. If it doesn't work out later, who cares, I'm sure the weekend was fun as hell.

Exactly! You still had a great time doing something you normally wouldn't!