No kidding - the least!
Again, I feel like with pairings, it should be buyer beware. I had friends in town who had reservations with Ever less than a month ago, and I warned them against pairings. (For the record, Michael Muser is terrible, and he hates good wine.) Under tremendous pressure from the server, they caved, ordered the pairings, and received a progression of mediocre Spanish and Italian wines, none of which was more than $30 / bottle retail. Pairings are a scam the vast majority of the time, and everyone should expect this. Also, Maple & Ash is a pretty good steak house, and the IDGAF menu also is good. Just don’t get the pairings!
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Different scenario, since it’s not specific pairing with food. It says it’s supposed to be tailored to the customer:
And by pairing we mean pairing with you.
Tell us about yourself. We’ll make the decisions so you don’t have to.
I guess he told them that he was a pigeon.
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I am not familiar with Chicago, as I have only been there a couple of times. That said, here in Vegas, we love Bavette’s Steakhouse, which has only one other sister restaurat (the original in Chicago). 
Bavette’s is fantastic (dessert is especially memorable and underrated). Totally different class, IMO. And one of the best corkage policies in the business… no charge, you just have to give one glass to a random guest at the restaurant.
Back to Maple and Ash… I think the pairings may be the least of the shady things going on…
Oh come on. That’s bullshit. My friends were wine industry professionals, and Michael Muser served them total garbage, without regard to who they were. Once again, wine pairings are bullshit, and the sooner that everyone recognizes this, the better. Especially the people on this board, who should know better.
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Bavettes eliminated this corkage policy in response to Covid. I love Bavettes, but don’t go in thinking you can bring whatever you want by sharing a glass.
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I was informed the policy may have changed. It’s been a while since I’ve been in. Bummer. Loved that policy.
I loved it too! By far the best corkage policy anywhere. It was amazing seeing the reaction from another table when you shared something amazing.
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What’s bullshit about it? You’re bringing up a deferent restaurant and different scenario. If this is what they came up with for him by what he told them, they at least could have given him the Il Poggione vs the Poliziano. I’m not saying everything had to be a winner but there should have been one or two surprises. Sounds like IDGAF is just a prix-fixe BTG, which is being completely disingenuous. Unfortunately he lost his bargaining power when he signed the check.
You also never answered about how you’d feel getting $100 worth of food for $200.
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It was a cool corkage in theory, but I learned to hate it. When the server pours a third of the bottle into a glass and gives it to a table drinking cocktails that has no idea what they’re about to drink, it’s just disappointing.
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The thesis of the OP is that Maple & Ash’s IDGAF pairings are uniquely bad, reflecting poorly on the restaurant as a whole.
Personally, I think ALL pairings are a poor value, as I said, and I pointed out another restaurant (Ever) that provides a similarly poor value with its pairings.
In my view, pairings always are a sucker bet, and the buyer should beware. Also, the list at Maple & Ash represents decent value for a Chicago steakhouse, and everyone is better off ordering off the list.
So not cool when Ever scams your friends, but ok in this case because he should have known better? Why don’t you have the same distain for “Doc Love” as you do Muser?
Again: you still haven’t answered the $100 for $200 question.
I ate there last year, did not do btg, did byob. Dropped the bottle off a few hours beforehand for decanting, no issues. Mason took great care of us during service & we had a great time.
That’s too bad about the IDGAF experience, as they are clearly trying to foster a party vibe and there is no bigger buzzkill than feeling cheated.
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No, not ok, obviously. But I think my general point is and always will be valid — pairings are bullshit, in the vast majority of cases. And the buyer should beware. If you don’t understand that by now, I’m sorry! Have an excellent evening!
Apples to apples it’s about $80 ( $25 for the desert wine?)
The only thing I can think of is that you can have multiple pours for the $160. So they essentially doubled the price. Otherwise it’s a blatant ripoff.
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Not saying this IS what happened and I don’t know the restaurant at all. But maybe they booked in system/charged you for the $160 pairing and served a lower tier pairing?
Did they have a $80 pairing perhaps? Just curious. Not saying it’s not a rip off or what not. But maybe?
We were there once with another couple, about two years ago now, and ordered the IDGAF menu with pairings.
The food was excellent and the wine pairings equally good. Our wines for the night were NV Delamotte, O Leflaive Chassagne, M Gay Aloxe-Corton VV, Arista pinot, Mayacamus cab sauv and a Royal Tokaji 5-putt with the dessert…we were treated very well and while it was an expensive evening, I felt it was fairly priced for what we received.
Perhaps it’s gone downhill maybe naturally as time has passed, or perhaps on account of the troubles noted upthread, or perhaps it’s just the staff that you happen to draw on a particular night.
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Two years is a long time when it comes to dining, especially since COVID.
There is a $160 and a $500 IDGAF pairing. It’s clear on their menu. Their refusal to discuss, if true, it is odd.
@adam_caldwell, can you confirm you didn’t describe yourself as this? Because that is how they treated you. Don’t wait for an email, call them.
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