The most expensive drink--$11 for a glass of wine at Sullivan's in Naperville, IL. And the WORST steak salad I EVER had. It had 2 tiny, thin, measly strips of steak (1 oz or 2 oz, MAYBE?)and a plate FULL of french fried onions (like the kind that go on top of Mom's Green Bean Casserole)

Whenever I talk to someone who has been to that restaurant the only thing they talk about is how expensive it is. I have NEVER once had anyone tell me how good the food is.

Gotta say..Chardonnay for a change and the negroni at the Hotel Danieli in Venice $16 euros in 2002. God knows what the drink costs now!

This is a little off target but still on point. We had a dinner reservation in Las Vegas. It was early so we decided to go to the bar and play some video poker. They offered us free drinks while playing so I had a single malt scotch and my wife had Polish vodka. A young couple came up to the bar and ordered drinks. It cost them close to twenty dollars. Then they decided to play poker. If they played first the drinks would have been free.

Well, that's good to know! It's first thing in the morning and already I've gotten my Fodor's Tip of the Day. It's amazing the things you learn on this board?

bobrad, any tips for getting free drinks out by a Vegas pool. I'm assuming there's no video poker out there - but who knows!? :-)

Unless someone else is hosting, I always ask first. After 45 years of buying wine, I know "reasonable".
M (SMdA,Gto.)

Re: "free" drinks in the casinos. I don't gamble very much so my main concern is not running out of money before the waitress comes back with the drink and they usually take their time about it, OR if it's really busy at the bar it will take some time for them to be able to get all the drinks made. So, if you are there and run out of credits, most people will pop another 20 in so they will be there when their drink arrives. It's another way to keep you at the tables and the machines.

I didn't get stuck with the most expensive drink. I actually gravitated towards it this summer... at the Absolut Ice Bar in Stockholm! 150 Swedish Kronors (approx $20).

Basically, what you paid for was a drink, a poncho and gloves for you to wear, and admissions into a literal ice bar, which I found absolutely beautiful and worth every penny. Took my mom, of course, and dad and uncle. My dad and uncle didn't think anything of it and walked out without drinking even a non-alcoholic drink (like orange juice), but my mom was totally game and downed a nice cranberry juice in a cup of complete ice. Totally fun. I had something with champagne and cranberry juice, with the obligatory dash of absolut vodka ;)

Hm...now thinking of it, my mom and my drinks just went up to 300 Swedish Kronors...oy! @-)

Thanks for the tip, sistahlou. I'll have to check that one out. ;)

I love the Ice Bar in Stockholm mcnyc. It is worth every penny.

Makes the so-called "ice bars" here in the US look pathetic. A chilled bar top? You gotta be kiddin'. Where's my poncho? I look stunning in silver lamé with a faux fur fringe. :-D

Starrsville, adding to your answer above about fish tacos..guess what? There 's a great inexpensive taco --the first place i ever had fish tacos- - on Piedmont Ave in Oakland discussed on another thread. Bet PamSF knows the place too.
Drinks?? Don't recall the most expensive, but i love name of my favorite: a tropical itch. Maybe$ 6--8 depending on hotel/bar.
Happy trails to you, Statia!

starrsville, where did you have the fish tacos?
Cali...I, too, love a Tropical Itch.

crefloors, every "free" thing I ever got at a casino was actually quite expensive. :-))

So are you guys gonna tell us what's in a Tropical Itch? :D

And, speaking of fish tacos, does anyone have a good recipe for the white sauce on top of the cabbage? I'm guessing it's some combination of sour cream, lime juice and cumin? At least it was something like that on the first and best fish tacos I've ever had. Those were in Frisco, CO.

To go back to the original question, my poison is hard cider. And, since I almost always order beer, I don't think I've ever had anything much over $5 a pint. Which I think is high enough! But is pretty much standard these days. On our recent trip out east, I was pleased to get good local beer a few places for as little as $3.50 a pint.

Re: the tropical itch, it does sound funny when ordering: "May i have a tropical itch?" I was so intrigued first time hearing that, just had to try one...and was hooked thereafter.

It was invented by the same bartender who invented the Blue Hawaii. Caph, the "itch" contains rum, passionfruit and orange juice, and orange curacao. If made right, it's fruity but not icky-sweet. Would you agree, Icee?


I've made a poor (but easy) imitation with Passoguava Juice out of the carton, and rum.

Re: fish taco sauce, I'll ask later at the local taqueria --a good excuse to order one! Hopefully they'll divulge the ingredients of their "secret" sauce.

Caph, as you are a hard cider fan, do you know about "Scrumpy" from SW England? When living in UK, I was warned about that stuff, and never tried it. What a wimp!

Thanks, CaliNurse! That Tropical Itch does sound good!

As for Scrumpy, we were in that part of England 24 years ago. And we drank quite a bit of draft cider. But, after all these years, I couldn't begin to tell you the brand names.

I like hard cider but don't actually drink it often. Just don't think of it for some reason. I bought some on sale a few months ago. Happened to see it yesterday when I was looking for something else. And that's why I was drinking it last night! It was quite tasty though! :D

Well, my most expensive drink thus far has been from Canada....I bought a bottle of ice wine for my best friend's mom. I loved the taste of the ice wine, but didn't buy a bottle for myself.

It did make me really start liking sweeter white wines like zinfandel....yum!

In fact, I am about to go and have a nice glass of white wine right now!

salut! :)

Hi Statia,

I missed this thread on Friday, but wanted to chime in and wish you a very nice trip.

My most expensive drink story is so ridiculous. It happened to my DH at Krabloonik, a wild game restaurant in Snowmass, CO. Our table wasn't ready, so we sat at the bar. DH felt like a glass of Port. The bartender asked him which one he would like. He said, whatever is good (neither of us are connoisseurs). The bartender poured him the oldest port on the bar (in the customary tiny cordial glass). He enjoyed it, so he ordered another, just as our table became ready.

Once we sat down at our table and looked at the wine list, we learned that his little glass of Port costs $45! And he had another one on the way! I'm sure that bartender still gets a laugh about the look on our faces when we opened the wine list. But this was Aspen, and I'm sure plenty of people order this stuff without batting an eye.

Caph, as I remember...and it's the same as Cali...Passion Fruit Juice, Orange Curacao, Vodka & Rum.....it is great!

Thanks to you too, iceeu2. As I told Cali, it sounds very good!

Just wanted to say thanks for all the nice wishes for a safe trip. I'm having a glass of white wine on my patio and turning in shortly.....an exhausting month of back and forth from the island ahead of me.

Have a good week, Fodorites. :)