I don't understand why anyone would be surprised or upset that cocktails (or wine) would be rather expensive at a restaurant whose standard dinner menu is $185 per person.

nsxtasy wrote:I don't understand why anyone would be surprised or upset that cocktails (or wine) would be rather expensive at a restaurant whose standard dinner menu is $185 per person.

These were cocktails with dinner at the bar, where it's reasonable to assume that prices and average tickets are not as high as they are in the dining room.

The GP wrote:We hit the bar at Acadia last night for dinner.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:These were cocktails with dinner at the bar, where it's reasonable to assume that prices and average tickets are not as high as they are in the dining room.

Average tickets, certainly, assuming you're not getting the full tasting menu. But is it customary for restaurants to charge different prices for the same drinks (cocktails, wine, etc) at the bar vs in the dining room? I wouldn't expect the prices to be any different, but I honestly don't know what the prevalent practice in the industry is (or whether it's any different for fine dining restaurants vs the more affordable places). What's typically done?

Or perhaps the cocktail-bar-attached-or-adjacent-to-a-Michelin-star-restaurant is officially a thing. Kumiko's drinks are between $18-28; Aviary is roughly $20-31. I agree that there's still a bit of sticker shock seeing a $20+ cocktail, but the precedent is there.

Went on an impromptu west loop bar crawl early Friday night and here are some data points.

Moneygun - 11.75 for all their cocktails. I love this place and would consider it a hidden gem.

Kumiko - 16 to 21 and worth every penny for the quality of service

Lone wolf - 14 to 16. The place is what it is but the drinks were good

Cocktail prices are like beers at entertainment venues. Sticker shock and annoyance at first. But I'm a sucker and still not high enough for me to abstain

Going on 5 years since Darren72 noted service issues and the restaurant switched to Tock (and back out again?). Any recent dining room (not bar) experiences here?

Enjoyed a luxurious stay-at-home dinner thanks to curbside pickup from Acadia. We ordered the lobster wedge salad, lobster pot pie, a Malaysian lime martini cocktail kit, and banana cake. The cocktail kit gave my martini-loving husband an opportunity to try a new style and upgrade our home bar. It included a bottle of Russell Henry Malaysian Lime Gin, Ferdinand's Saar Dry Vermouth, Lemon & Lime Dashfire bitters, and a dozen black limes for grating. The salad came with a sunny-side up egg that was a tad undercooked so perfect once briefly reheated, in addition to iceberg, bacon, guacamole, blue cheese, and a side of ranch. The pot pie was deconstructed, with two broken-down, butter-poached lobsters, mashed potatoes, roasted fingerlings, pearl onions, baby carrots, lobster bisque, and a puff pastry crown. We paired this with a 2009 Bouchard Père & Fils Puligny-Montrachet we purchased pre-shelter-in-place from The Wine Cellar, a gem of a wine store in Palatine. For those desiring fine-dining at home during the COVID-19 crisis, I highly recommend Acadia

We did their meal last week.

Lobster roll - delicious.

Noodles - also delicious.

Fries - deep into “why bother” territory. Pasty white and limp with no crispness at all. I known it’s hard, but after our five minute drive home they were stone cold. Right in the trash.

Timing - we arrived spot on our 6:15 time. Got in a huge line of cars. Our order emerged at 6:45. Clearly they can’t keep up so maybe cut orders off??

We tried Acadia for the first time last week; unfortunately it was pretty disappointing, and it seems like their transition from dine-in to take-out has been tough. They forgot to pack part of our order (one of our two entrees, which they comped when we called to mention it) and the dishes we got were fine, but pretty unmemorable.

Love,
John