Most Expensive Wine

The world's most expensive bottle of wine, according to The Guinness Book of World Records, is a 1787 Chateau Lafite, a Bordeaux that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. The bottle, in fact, has the initials Th.J. etched on the glass. The wine is undrinkable because of its age, and was bought by a collector of Jefferson memorabilia for $160,000.

The world's most expensive drinkable wine was sold in auction in New York City in 2001 as a seven-bottle case, for $23,929 per bottle (a $167,500 total). It was a Montrachet 1978 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, a white wine (curiously, red wines fetch much higher prices in auction).

Most Expensive Restaurant

You don't have to leave the country for your most expensive meal. Just jet to Masa, on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center in New York City, for the priciest sushi of your life. The intimate 36-seater restaurant does not have a menu. The chef and owner, Masayoshi Takayama, decides what you'll be eating, and the choices can vary daily, so you'll never know what to expect. As the choices vary, so do the prices. A fix sampler plate will set you back between $350 and $500. For that, you get a variety of dishes, from a uni risotto with white truffle to caviar on toasted Japanese sweet bread. Sushi is made right in front of your eyes, one piece at a time, which can turn your dinner into a three-hour-long experience. No cell phones are allowed in the restaurant, and reservations are needed at least three weeks in advance. Oh, yes, tips, taxes, and beverages are extra.