As a result of surgery for the broken hand, the visit to New York post-Australia had to be postponed about a month. It was unfortunate because we already had a table secured for Per Se, a place that I have been wanting to try for a LONG time.
When I called the restaurant and explained the situation, they were actually really cool about it and placed me at the top of the wait list for when I was going to be in NY. We recruited Lisa and Jarrett to join in the fun, and we purchased a sports jacket for Marc so he has one (funny, he will be wearing it 3 times in 4 months!). Fortunately they were able to get a babysitter for the occasion, and off we went. And the "purple claw" got to join in the fun!
I posted all of the pictures up on Facebook, but I have to say that I was concerned that it wouldn't live up to the hype - especially for the cost of the meal. While I don't see myself paying that kind of money for a meal in the near future (inflation adjusted obviously), I will say that the food, service and the room were pretty spectacular. We received a tour of the kitchen after the meal, and they accommodated the dietary preferences of the table without any issue.
It was a fantastic meal, but the wine mark-ups are significant, bordering on absurd. I'd probably bring a great bottle or two from my own cellar and pay the corkage. I don't know if that makes me cheap but it is a huge pet peeve of mine to pay 4x-5x the amount that I can get retail.