Lesson for working at a trade show....bring your own food!
Yesterday, while I was standing in line to buy two small bottles of water, $4 each, the lady in line in front of me was charged $40 for a pre-made, pre-packaged salad, sandwich and cup of coffee. We are talking mediocre food here at its best, not a slice of foie gras on brioche. It's one thing to make a reasonable profit, it is another thing to totally rip people off when they are isolated in a convention facility.
And...while I'm on the topic of pricey food, why does the Maine lobster pot pie at Michael Mina's restaurant at the Bellagio have to cost $78? The lobster alone can't cost more than $20 so what accounts for the other $58 dollars in the price? And considering that Michael Mina is considered to be one of the best chefs in the US, why was the green pea soup that was served as an appetizer, the same base sauce used it the Alaskan halibut entree? I can certainly understand economies of scale in the use of ingredients at any basic restaurant, but this kind of blatant lack of originality at Michael Mina was not OK.
But enough of my rant...I suggest that you go over to Dave Tom's blog Savoir Faire and read the fab post on Helena Rubinstein and her jewelry collection. If anyone knows a current day Helena Rubinstein who buys ruby beads like you and I buy a coffee at Starbucks...please introduce me. I need a client like her.