For most of us, eating at the The French Laundry is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Getting a reservation feels like an odd combination of winning the culinary lottery and going to the prom, due in equal parts to its draconian reservation policy (only accepted 60 days in advance to the date) and because it’s widely considered the “best restaurant in the world.”

When a friend tells you they’ve secured a rez to the end-all, be-all of haute cuisine, I don’t care how broke you are, or how lactose intolerant your girlfriend happens to be; you get yourself to Yountville. The bragging rights alone are worth the $270 per person! (That includes service charge, but sadly, not wine nor add-ons).