A high-end dinner

We splurged last night family style.  Dinner for 8 consisted of

• salad with kumquats and pecans.
• caprese salad with di bufala and heirloom tomatoes
  
• a green lentil salad with wild arugula and goat cheese, the hit of the night.
• rib-eye and filet mignon steaks.  This place served prime grade beef and you could taste the difference over choice grade.   We had a chimichurri of olives and escabeche (pickled jalapenos, onions and carrots)
• mashed potatoes

We also splurged on wine in a big way.

• Phelps 2002 Insignia, WS 96 and the #1 wine of the year in 2005.  Disappointing given the huge expectations and build up.  Many said it was too young (tannic) and it was a bit flat.  I thought otherwise, as it was rich, though a bit simple, with olive overtones.  My score: 90.
• Two Hands 2005 Bella's Garden Shiraz, WS 95 and the #5 wine for 2007.  This was so good we got a second bottle, despite the price.  Everyone liked this a lot. A thick rich wine with spices and lots going on in the background.  So long as I tried some food between sips so as not to fatigue my palate it was delicions sip after sip.  While it wasn't the best wine I've ever tasted it was right up there.  And I realize I've capped my scoring at 93 (which is artificially low) before, but I need to break out of that.  My score: 94.
• Layer Cake 2007 Primitivo.  Primitivo is the genetic precursor to zinfandel, from Italy.   Unanimously interesting, but for different reasons.  C said "glass jelly".  I got something familiar that was baked, with almost jammy flavors that was almost elegant.  M just kept saying "Interesting". And anything that bring such diverse yet strong opinions is great.  My score: 91.
• Cristom 2006 Pinot Noir Mt Jefferson this was the weakest wine of the night.  Tasted a bit thin with much complexity.  My score: 86.

How much do you think this was per person?  Given that the restaurant was "Mi Casa".  Yes, my place.  The dominant costs were the wine and the beef.   The Primitivo was only $14 and the Two Hands from Costco was $56/bottle.

Let's just say we had a high-end "Michelin" meal at 1/3 the price.