Is it smarter to spend on drinking or eating well?

Is it smarter to spend on drinking or eating well?

I’m a restaurateur, but also a customer. I live in New York — a city that offers an incredible variety of restaurants, cultures, and dining experiences. Every day a new place opens, every week a new concept pops up. But lately, I’ve been noticing — and not without a little disappointment — a rising trend in the city: the rise of bars, cafés, taverns, or inns where the main business isn’t really food, but alcohol. Don’t get me wrong — I love good cocktails. When it’s done right, it’s an art form. But in many of these new spots, food has become a side note, a supporting act. The menu is often minimal, easy to execute, and sometimes… let’s say, questionable in quality. The focus is clear: get the customer to drink — with cocktails starting at $18, often pushing past $20. That’s where the profit is. And so I ask myself — both as someone in the industry and just as a human being: is it still smart to spend that much on drinks instead of on food? Because cooking — real cooking — is no joke. It requires experience, awareness of ingredients, timing, and skill. Even something as “simple” as pasta demands precision. The weather, the humidity, the temperature — they all change how it cooks. The sauce needs balance, heat, and control. You need time, attention, and care. A well-made dish is a journey. A cocktail, by contrast, is (mostly) consistent. Ingredients are measured, mixed, and shaken. The outcome doesn’t shift much with the seasons or the bartender’s mood. Again — mixology is a beautiful craft. But I can’t help wondering: in a time where everything feels so rushed and surface-level, wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in a real food experience — something that stays with you, that maybe even transports you across the world without leaving your seat? So, here’s the real question, especially in a time like this, when every dollar counts: is it smarter to spend it on drinking or to spend it on eating well? I have my own answer. But I’d love to hear yours. The floor is yours — and so are the comments.

Riccardo Massetti

Owner at Cremini’s Restaurant