steventoomey.com — Plate Inflation

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Entree prices have broken the $40 mark at top-flight restaurants in New York and Las Vegas, and even in places like Fort Lauderdale and Denver, according to The New York Times.

As an example, the article states that when Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill opened in 1991, the most expensive entree was $19, or an inflation-adjusted $28.30. Flay’s most expensive entrees are now $34. Plate inflation is now almost on par with tuition inflation.

On a related note, Zagat has a rundown of various “value-added” services in restaurants across the US. I myself have felt the pain of the $1 rice charge at The Slanted Door.