Because I know that many people from around the world will be traveling to this venue to watch some of the top athletes in their sport compete to win gold for their country, I decided to find a restaurant in London (so it’s close to all the Olympic action) that looks not only delicious, but absolutely British to the core.

Our pick for best dinner in London has to go to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. I love the Dinner website! It has a modern dictionary-esque take on the concept of dinner, providing the part of speech (Noun), definition, and etymology (From Old French disner.

Let’s Talk about Food

My favorite thing about the Dinner menu is that it is all traditional English food. The appetizers sound positively medieval with names like Meat Fruit (from the 1500’s), Roast Marrowbone, and Rice and Flesh. If you get an appetizer, expect to spend about £15.00, or $23USD.

The main courses follow the same traditional English theme. I would go with the Hereford Ribeye, described as being served cooked in “Mushroom Ketchup, Red Wine Juice and Fries.” You can’t go wrong with a ribeye, right? If you want to go with something else, other choices are Powdered Duck, Spiced Pigeon, or Cod in Cider (yum!). The cheapest dinner is Braised Celery, a vegetarian option for £23.00, or about $36USD. The most expensive is the Spiced Pigeon for £33.00 or about $52USD.

The desserts look absolutely divine! A chocolate bar is on the menu, but it is made with passion fruit jam and ginger ice cream for £9.50 or $15USD. You can also choose from British Cheese (interesting dessert, no?), Lychee Frozen Ice, Brown Bread Ice Cream, or Taffety Tart. I would definitely go for the Brown Bread Ice Cream that comes from the 1830’s.

The Cost

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is a great deal for all of you fine diners out there. For all three courses, you can expect to leave paying around £55.00, which comes out to $87USD.

It seems like that is a great cost to pay for a genuine traditional British meal.

You can make a reservation online at the Heston Blumenthal website or call to speak with a member of their staff. All of the contact information is on their website.

Happy Dining!

Today, I am going to focus on one restaurant in particular that seems as though it would be a fantastic place to dine: Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg, California just of the Redwood Highway.

The fascinating thing about Cyrus Hotel is that it features either an 8-course dinner or a 5-course dinner.

When I looked over the 8-course menu, called the “Tasting Menu,” it had options like “Foie Gras Torchon with Quince,” “Roasted Lobster with Cauliflower Cream, Uni Emulsion,” and “42 Hour Short Rib with Potato, Mustard Greens and Crimini, Sauce Bordelaise.” In addition to these mouth-watering dinner selections, the Tasting Menu has 3 courses of dessert.

Like the 8-course menu, the Five Course Menu has very similar options, but the dishes you can taste are more limited.

For the Tasting Menu, you should expect to pay $135 per person, and for the Five Course Menu, expect to pay $108.

Not only is the food amazing, but as you would expect, the wine is reputed to be fantastic as well. There are 45 pages filled with hundreds of different kinds of wine from all over the world.

After looking over the wine menu, my eyes rested on a pretty impressive number. $6750. That is how much the Cyrus Restaurant’s most expesive bottle of wine costs.

On average, if you come eat at the Cyrus Restaurant, you should expect to pay around $300 for a bottle of wine. It is definitely possible to spend less than this, but from what I have seen $300 is probably the average.

One reviewer said of the Cyrus Restaurant:

“When people ask where I’ve had my favorite meal, this is it. Each one of the eight courses is exceptional beyond compare. Although the menu changes seasonally, it seems as though more often than not they will include the amazing bone marrow custard, pork belly, and short rib, which are all the best I have had in my short but well-fed time on earth.”

Another reviewer said that the Cyrus Restaurant was the “best restaurant in [the] bay area, if not country, bar none.”

So there you have it! If you happen to find yourself in California’s wine country hungry for a fine dining experience, try out the Cyrus Restaurant.

What you would not expect, however, is for there to be no menu, no requests on cuts or doneness of meat, and no dessert.

However, as noted in Forbes Magazine, the most expensive restaurant in the world, Aragawa, does not have the usual characteristics of a fine dining restaurant.

Environment

The original location of this restaurant, which was the first steakhouse in Japan, was in the basement of an office building. There was no music, valet parking, or even windows.

However, since the original restaurant opened, it has since moved to Onarimon. The restaurant has moved to street level and now has distinguishable decorations, but still has no music or valet parking.

There are only six tables in the restaurant, making reservations extremely hard to come by. Despite the $300-$500 tab per meal, per person, the restaurant is usually full.

Menu

There is no paper or written menu at Aragawa. The waiters will verbally tell you your options. However, there certainly are not many.

You have the option of an appetizer or salad. You will then be served lightly toasted white bread with butter.

The restaurant only serves Kobe beef for the main dish. The options you do have include the grade (premium and super premium) or weight (12, 16, or 20 ounces). They do not ask you what cut of beef you want or how you would like it cooked.

The steak is seasoned with pepper, grilled, then served with only a side of mustard. The restaurant is known for having the juiciest, fattiest, and most tender Kobe beef. Despite the large price tag, many people find this to be worth it. Others argue that they will never return because it is far too expensive.

No dessert is served at Aragawa.

Kobe Beef

True Kobe beef can only be found in Japan. Kobe beef cows are raised in a very specific way. The average Kobe beef cow in Japan is treated better than most people. These cattle are massaged by hand daily, fed a bottle of beer, listen to classical music, go for regular walks, and are brushed. The idea behind this is that happy cows make tastier beef.

Aragawa has a relationship with a specific farm that they get all of their beef from, so customers know they truly are getting the best.

Kobe beef can be sold for up to $800 per pound, so many believe that the profit margin for the restaurant is very small.

Conclusion

If people are planning on dining at Arawga, they must make reservations well in advance and be willing to pay a pretty penny for their meal. Although this restaurant is popular among many people, others think it is ridiculous.
It is worth researching fine dining restaurants before you decide to attend so you know what you are getting yourself into.

In general, fine dining restaurants are small businesses. Most fine dining restaurants are not chain restaurants; they may only have one or two locations.

Fine Dining Menu

Menus at fine dining restaurants will almost always be very different from menus at traditional or casual restaurants. Because fine dining restaurants are usually attended on special occasions, most restaurant owners strive not to disappoint in selection or quality.

Fine dining restaurants will not feature a huge menu. They will most likely offer items that customers would not normally see at a restaurant. In fact, many fine dining restaurants offer prix fixe menus. This means the restaurant offers limited menus that change on a daily or weekly basis. The advantages to these types of menus are that owners can buy seasonal items at their peak of freshness and the chef can use his creativity to design dishes.

Fine dining restaurants are full service restaurants. The food portions will most likely be smaller than at other restaurants, but it will also be much more visually appealing.

Fine dining restaurants will only offer top shelf liquors. Most will also have an array of cognacs, brandies, and other after dinner drinks. Many times, actually, a wine will be paired with a specific dish.

Fine Dining Customer Service

When you attend a fine dining restaurant, you will quickly realize that customer service is much more attentive. The staff at fine dining restaurants will be heavily trained and most likely wear formal attire.

While all fine dining restaurants are a little different, it would not be out of the ordinary for servers to escort you to the table or restroom, crumb the table between courses, replace napkins if you get up from the table, explain menu items, and serve food directly to the plate already on the table.

You will find that no detail is too small at a fine dining restaurant.

Fine Dining Atmosphere

Decorations at fine dining establishments will have higher quality materials than you would find at casual restaurants. The restaurant will most likely use fine china, glassware, and flatware. The music of the restaurant will reflect the theme and the lighting will most likely be dim.

Some fine dining establishments may require a dress code. If the restaurant specifies to wear a jacket, men should do so. Women should then choose attire that is equal in dress as the man’s jacket. Other restaurants may be more casual elegant, so women may dress in fancy, but not formal, dresses and men in suits.

General Table Manners

Now that you know what to expect at a fine dining restaurant, you may review the following list of general table manners according to All Food Business:

-Sit up fairly straight
-Keep your elbows in
-Spread your napkin on your lap when you are seated
-Large dinner napkins are half folded
-Small napkins opened full size
-At the end of the meal, leave the napkin semi-folded at the left side of the plate
-Wait until all are served before beginning to eat
-Use the silverware farthest from your plate first
-Only cut one or two small pieces of meat at a time
-Always pass to the right
-Eat in small, slow bites
-Place used silverware on the dish to which it belongs
-Replace your chair after a meal

1. Soup and Pudding- While eating soup, your bowl should always stay on the table, never pick it up and slurp like you would your fruity pebbles on a Saturday morning. Soup spoons come in two shapes, one shaped like a bowl, the other like an egg. Do not slurp, and never put the entire spoon in your mouth–simply drink from the edge.

2. Knives and Forks- If setting a table, always remember that forks go on the left side of the plate while knives and spoons go on the right. If a table has been set with several of each utensil, it’s generally safe to move from the outside in. Begin with the sliverware furthest from your plate for the first course, and work your way in.

3. Body and Seating- If your table has no seating chart or place cards, wait to be seated by your hostess. The host always sits at the end of the table and his wife will sit to his right. Never sit in either of these two seats. When seated, always leave your feet firmly panted on the floor, sit up straight, and never put your elbows on the table.

4. Bread- Use your bread plate that should be displayed on the left hand side of your main plate. If there is no bread plate (and this may sound surprising), it’s acceptable to place your bread on the table next to your dinner plate. You should never put bread directly onto your dinner plate.

5. Conversation- Topics to never discuss at the table unless with a group you know very well: religion, politics, or sex. These subjects often spark controversy and are better shared over drinks at the bar or over coffee in your own home. Fine dining should always be a pleasant experience, do not ruin the dining experience of others by imposing your opinions on them while you eat. Also, it’s important to carry on coversations that everyone at the table can participate in. Save inside jokes, private conversations, gossip, and secrets for the playground please.

6. Fine Dining Dont’s:
-Don’t complain if you don’t like a certain dish
-Don’t blow on a dish to cool it down, wait for it to cool
-Don’t photograph the table (it’s isn’t classy)
-Don’t treat servers poorly
-Don’t overstay your welcome

With these simple etiquette rules and tips, no one will be able to tell if you frequent fine restaurants or if you usually go through the drive-through. Test yourself at a casual dinner sometime, etiquette rules can become quite the game.

Here are a few foods you can use to make aphrodisiac desserts:

1- Pineapples and Strawberries dipped in chocolate: Pineapples and strawberries are high in vitamin C and help to boost energy and elevate mood. Chocolate releases Phenylethylamine and Serotonin which are feelings of happiness and increased energy.

2- Fruitcake with Strawberries and Pine Nuts: Pine nuts are high in zinc, which is known as a male aphrodisiac.

3- Bananas and Whipped Cream with Cinnamon: Bananas are high in potassium and vitamin B with help to stimulate hormone production.

4- Cinnamon Buns: According to Dr. Alan Hirsch- the small of cinnamon is an aphrodisiac. Baking cinnamon buns will fill your home with the smell of cinnamon.

5- Honey and Vanilla Ice Cream: The smell of vanilla is also an aphrodisiac. Honey is known to increase levels of vitric oxide in the bloodstream which can also help to set the mood.

These are some fun desserts to try with your significant other this summer.

Smith & Wollensky is almost an elite restaurant, having only nine locations in prime cities. It was established in 1977 in New York. Now, the signature green and white building is known for luxury. The nine locations include the iconic restaurant in New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, Columbus, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.,  and Boston. An additional Smith & Wollensky is being built in another part of Boston this summer.

So what is the Smith & Wollensky claim to fame? Although the restaurant has been in several Hollywood flicks like “The Breakup” of “The Devil Wears Prada,” the food is more noteworthy. Smith & Wollensky is the only national steakhouse to dry-age and butcher on site.

Dry-aging is a process used to make meat more flavorful and tender. Smith & Wollensky places fresh beef in coolers for several weeks, usually up to 28 days. The top 2% cuts the restaurant uses dry-ages with near perfect marbling for intense flavor.

When it comes to lobster, they fly fresh fish in daily. Every side and pastry is made by hand daily as well.

To top off the experience, Smith & Wollensky has top honors from Wine Spectator magazine for excellence. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence requires interesting selections, wide range of appeal, and appropriate to cuisine. Smith & Wollensky has some of the best wines the United States produces.

One of the intriguing qualities about this steakhouse is the dress code. For such a classy and quality restaurant, Smith & Wollensky encourages comfort above anything else. Some guests prefer suits, while others dine casual.

Overall, Smith & Wollensky’s is fine dining at its finest.

Common preparations for escargot include steaming or boiling. Snails are typically served still in the shell, although there are several recipes that do not include the shell. Often, escargot may be served on a special escargot plate, a plate with depressions for each shell to sit in.

In order to eat escargot, you use special tongs to remove the flesh from the shell. Once you have the meat, you then use a small fork, comparable to a crab fork, to dip the escargot into a sauce. The most common sauce for snail is butter or garlic based. Wine sauces are also popular.

There are at least 100 different types of edible snails. The most popular in France are the Petit-Gris and Escargot de Bourgogne. The nutritional value of a snail can depend on how it is prepared. Snails are low in fat and high in protein. Snails are also 80 percent water.

If you are interested in preparing your own escargot, canned snails are available.