The Psychology Of Menus

by Patrick Appel

William Poundstone explains the Balthazar's:

The main role of that $115 platter—the only three-digit thing on the menu—is to make everything else near it look like a relative bargain…The restaurant’s high-profit dishes tend to cluster near the anchor. Here, it’s more seafood at prices that seem comparatively modest.

(Hat tip: MR)