The $20 Side Dish Is Here

"In 2013, sautéed mushrooms at Minetta Tavern cost $14 and an arugula side salad at Marea was $11. Today, the Minetta mushrooms are, admirably, $18, but Marea's salad is up to $22. The 100 percent increase far outpaces the rate of inflation - but it also puts the arugula's pricing right alongside a number of dining destinations where the contorni have officially passed the $20 threshold, a psychological Rubicon that few chefs would have crossed even five years ago."

"Cost-conscious operators have long leaned on sides and skillful upselling to boost check averages, but - like nearly every other expense associated with running a restaurant - rising prices have forced restaurateurs' hands, so side dishes now come with supplements of their own. An $18 serving of fries at Daniel Boulud's La Tête d'Or becomes $35 fries with the addition of optional black truffle, for example."

Side-dish prices at high-end restaurants have climbed, with contorni now often priced above $20. Sautéed mushrooms at Minetta Tavern rose from $14 in 2013 to $18 today, while an arugula side salad at Marea increased from $11 to $22, a 100 percent jump that outpaces inflation. Operators rely on sides and upselling to lift check averages, and rising costs have pushed restaurateurs to add supplements. An $18 serving of fries at Daniel Boulud's La Tête d'Or can become $35 with optional black truffle. At the Golden Steer and Crane Club, sides are upgraded or presented as stand-alone dishes with premium additions.

Read at Grub Street