Will do ;)

Because plate presentation is a valid artform. Just because you are ignorant doesn't mean everyone is.

You, my good sir, are a f**kwit.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't get mad at you. It's not that you're an ignorant ass, its just that you're uneducated about this sort of thing.

Allow me to explain why portions are so small at really nice restaurants and the common misconceptions about them:

There are scientific reasons that portions sizes are so small at fine dining restaurants. The first bite of a dish is the most physically and mentally stimulating. The reason that portions are so small in fine dining is to prevent the diner's palate from getting 'bored' of the dish.

In any fine dining restaurant worth their salt, they have lots of courses to a meal (which remedies the small portion sizes). A standard tasting menu usually runs 8 - 15 courses, I've seen them go up to 45!!! This is also one of the reasons for an exorbitant price tag.

Another reason for an exorbitant price tag is the meticulous preparation and level of detail that goes into every dish and the quality level of the ingredients. They just plain cost more to prepare than most restaurants dishes.

I usually like to compare fine dining restaurants to concerts or sporting events. Why go to a concert when you can just buy the CD? Why go to a sporting event when you can watch it at home on your TV? The answer is simple: The experience is leagues different.

You go to a diner to fill up the tank, but going to The French Laundry or any similar fine dining restaurant isn't about getting full. Its about experiencing flavors and textures that you've never seen or tasted before. Fine cuisine can evoke strong emotions and feelings that normal food cant. Its romantic, its exotic, its unusual. You aren't just buying food when you go there, you are buying memories and an experience.

You aren't paying $15 for just a bit of food, you're paying for a piece of art that you can experience will all of your senses.