12 People - Family Dinner - Friday, 7 PM - NW DC (Dupont Is Best)

[AlexC]

I've been going 'round and 'round on this... we need something simple enough to appeal to ages 21 to 90, with good food and a reasonable corkage policy, because we'll have a case a couple bottles of wine with us.

Less formal is better than more formal, and something in the world of American or European cuisine is gonna be go over best.

Any ideas?

Thanks so much.

Alex

Edited March 27, 2013 by DanCole42

[Mark Slater]

You're bringing a case of wine to a restaurant?

[AlexC]

Ha. That was perhaps a little flippant... We'll probably bring four bottles for twelve of us.

[Rieux]

I've had great success with Bistrot du Coin for similar groups, but you have to reserve a table in the upstairs (quieter). I've also had luck with Cashion's for this kind of dinner, but 12 might be stretching capacity -- I'd call them.

[frogprince]

Pesce?

[Joe H]

I wouldn't have the nerve to show up at a restaurant with twelve people and my own four bottles of wine unless their corkage was appropriate.

We should start a new thread on here about what is a fair number of bottles ( if any) for corkage? And you are joking about bringing a case.

[AlexC]

Is that inappropriate?

I thought the whole point of a corkage fee was to make that an appropriate thing to do.

Sorry to be insensitive/unaware of restaurant protocol in this regard. Lemme know why this is so gauche.

Alex

[Joe H]

Because restaurants make profit off of wine. And most restaurants charge a nominal amount for corkage, $10-15 when most bottles they will sell have more profit.

Are you aware that much of America doesn't allow you to bring one bottle of wine to a restaurant?

I bring a bottle. For four or more people. And, we buy more from the wine list. There is a limit to what is appropriate. Why can't you bring one or two and buy several from the restaurant?

[Joe H]

I am sure that many reading this are going to disagree with me. Especially since on another thread I was critical of Joe's Stone Crab in Vegas (or Chicago) having a 4 X wholesale markup of wine. But there seems to be a fair price for corkage and for wine off of a wine list. Somehow, for me, the corkage charge also depends on the restaurant. By this I mean that if it is a restaurant with $20-25 entrees a corkage charge of $25 is fine. But if it is a serious restaurant with entrees/prix fixe the corkage charge could be more. Say, $30-35. At a restaurant like The Inn at Little Washington (which didn't have corkage) $50 or more might be appropriate. For corkage.

Anyway, I believe that four bottles for a group is pushing it unless it is a specified wine dinner and the restaurant can adjust the price of the food to reflect this.

I guess I am also surprised at your attitude: you are jesting about bring a case of wine.

I want to drink the best wine I can at a reasonable price. I saw your avatar: look at mine. But I also understand it must be a reasonable price for both myself and for the restaurant. As the amount of wine that we will buy goes down it would seem the corkage charge should go up.

[DonRocks]

Call Lavandou in Cleveland Park. The food's not what it used to be, but they're very friendly when it comes to bringing wine.

[bookluvingbabe]

Dino? (I don't bring in my own wine. But we've taken the 80+ year old father-in-law and he liked it...)

[AlexC]

We've ended up with reservations at Sette Osteria -- walkable for everyone, including the older crowd, they can seat us at a single table, Italian is totally unobjectionable, etc.

Dino was very high on the list, but I selfishly nixed it because I have plans to go there with a big group next week.

On the hairy question of corkage and appropriate wine volume, my basic response is that relying on the good graces of a costumer to drive profitability is a lousy model, but I'll try to be more graceful going forward.

And, yes, I was jesting about bringing a case of wine. I meant it as a comment on the nature of my family gatherings and sort of thought it was absurd on the face of it, but I guess I should have said three cases to really drive the point home.

Alex

[DonRocks]

We've ended up with reservations at Sette Osteria -- walkable for everyone, including the older crowd, they can seat us at a single table, Italian is totally unobjectionable, etc.

Dino was very high on the list, but I selfishly nixed it because I have plans to go there with a big group next week.

On the hairy question of corkage and appropriate wine volume, my basic response is that relying on the good graces of a costumer to drive profitability is a lousy model, but I'll try to be more graceful going forward.

And, yes, I was jesting about bringing a case of wine. I meant it as a comment on the nature of my family gatherings and sort of thought it was absurd on the face of it, but I guess I should have said three cases to really drive the point home.

Alex

See this post. There's nothing *at all* wrong with bringing a case of wine to a restaurant if it's worked out in advance, and it happens fairly often.