Rose's Luxury, which doesn't take reservations, offered up just that this morning for New Year's Eve and—shocker—sold out within minutes. It didn't take long for least one scalper to take to Craigslist:
Reservation-makers for the $95 prix-fixe meal had to put down a deposit of $50 per person, but this poster is seeking a profit. Y&H contacted the seller, who says she posted the ad as an experiment. She agreed to answer some questions on the condition of anonymity:
So you're not actually unable to go because of travel? It's purely an experiment?
I already had this travel booked WAY in advance—I was actually sitting at my desk this morning and wondering how impossible it would be to get through. When I did on the second try, I figured it must not be as popular as I thought (and all the hype made it seem) but then I saw that all the reservations were gone in under three minutes. I bought the seats figuring that in any case, I will give it to my parents for their anniversary (or if they don't want them, cancel it before the 48-hour deadline), so there wasn't much risk. I haven't even eaten at Rose's, and while I would have wanted to try it before the hype, now that people are waiting in too long of lines for it, it's lost its luster completely for me.
I realize it's been like one hour, but has anyone (aside from me) contacted you about the reservation?
Surprisingly, no, nobody has. Which can mean one of a few possibilities: 1. People aren't willing to pay that much 2. I'm not posting to the right places 3. It's too early in the day.
If you get it, what will you do with the money?
If someone paid me that much, I would donate it to DC Central Kitchen along with some other organizations.
Do you feel at all bad about profiting off of it?
Not really—mostly because anyone who would pay that much clearly has disposable income to afford it. D.C. is just that kind of town when it comes to eating at the "IT" restaurant. We aren't like NYC where there are five versions of Rose's Luxury every few blocks. We just have one right now, so it reaps all the benefits. I know that is cruel, but I have lived in both cities, and while D.C. will always be my home, it's just the truth about the competing dining scenes.
If you want a reservation the legit way, you'll have to cough up even more bucks. The restaurant is auctioning off a reservation for two—with food included—to benefit World Food Program USA. (It's good for any day except New Year's Eve.) Already, the bids have reach $760. An identical auction that's now closed topped out at $1,075.
Photo by Jessica Sidman