‘$40 half chicken at a wine bar?’: NYC politician ignites online furor over high cost of dining out — but the owner insists it was the ‘right price’

When dining out, the baselines of "fair" and "overpriced" can get even murkier, which makes your budget harder to plan. Many Americans are now opting for inexpensive appetizers over pricier dishes, and skipping dessert completely, if they're visiting their favorite restaurants at all anymore (1).

Amid this period of valuation flux and confusion, tensions are high. Most of us have been feeling the squeeze for some time, and are severely stressed about the fact that our grocery and restaurant bills continue to rise (2) — which is why social media outrage over specific instances of perceived "greedflation" (3) or "shrinkflation" (4) is not only uncommon, but tends to snowball into a flurry of debate about the cost of living in America.

Take, for example, one New York City council member's recent Instagram post about a local restaurant meal that he felt was particularly exorbitant.

$40 for half of a chicken — the new normal or too steep?

Chi Ossé, who represents NYC's 36th District, took to Instagram earlier in April to lament the cost of a half-chicken dinner he was served at a Brooklyn eatery.

"$40 half-chicken at a wine bar? Really?" he wrote in a succinctly-worded post on April 9 that, at the time of writing, has amassed more than 9,300 likes and more than 500 comments (5).

As is to be expected, many users jumped in to vent about their own frustrations with soaring costs, agreeing with the elected official that the price did not match the product. Some pointed to gentrification, while others called for action as far as removing the business's liquor license. One joked that they would rather "raise the chicken [themselves] for that much."

But, it seems many more commenters are on the side of the restaurant, admitting that, although the $40 figure is unsettlingly high, it is likely justified given that bills — rent, ingredients, labor, utilities and more — are rising on restaurants' ends, too.

"What gives?" vs. "Give them a break!"

Quite a few users contended not just 28-year-old Ossé's opinion of the menu item's fee, but also his posting about it publicly.

One person put it bluntly: "It's strange to me that you (or any politician) would spend time punching down at an independent restaurant like this. The spot in question is employing full-time staff, paying them a living wage, and serving delicious food. And the prices include the service fee."

Some were also quick to point out that Ossé, more than other consumers, is in a position to understand why the price point was as high as it was, and also to do something about it.

"The chicken costs $40 because their rent is out of control as are all their costs," reads one comment. "You're in power; maybe do something about lowering costs for small businesses instead of victim blaming."

In the restaurant's defense of its high costs

The New York Times has since provided management from the establishment at the center of the hubbub — Gigi's in Greenpoint — a platform to explain the charge (6).

Seeing as his employees receive paid time off, health benefits and fair compensation (including, crucially, a service fee that's rolled into the displayed amount), owner Hugo Hivernat told the outlet that $40 is "the right price" for the meal in question. He adds that it goes for just shy of the same amount at other Big Apple spots when served as a full plate with sides, like it is at Gigi's.

Poulet Sans Tete (7), which has locations in the West Village and the Upper West Side, charges $17 for a half-chicken on the bone ($2 extra to debone), an additional $5 to $16 per side ($8 for a small potato side comparable to the one at Gigi's), plus $2 per sauce (Gigi's comes with three), bringing a comparable dish to $31 to $33.

This is around the listed price of both The Ribbon's (8) spit-roasted half Amish chicken, complete with mashed potatoes ($32). The Fly's (9) half-chicken comes in at $38 with accompaniments. At Malka (10), it's $69.