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  • Support your neighborhood beanery

    Posted Aug 20 2008, 09:24 AM by Donna Freedman
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    When a Smart Spending message board reader posting as "jestjack" gave his daughter $10 for fast food, he expected to get back a bunch of change. He didn't. It cost his daughter more than $7 to get chicken strips, fries and a drink. In a thread called "Where have I been?" Jestjack remembered filling up his 1973 Chevy for $7. "I feel like I'm Rip Van Winkle," he lamented. "Anybody else going through sticker shock like this?"

    Yep. In high school, I was able to get a cheeseburger and fries for less than a buck. Nowadays, I could easily spend $7 on the "extra value" menu. Or I could spend that money at Barriga Llena ("full belly"), a tiny restaurant that specializes in meaty Mexican sandwiches called tortas. I'd be supporting a small local business, and I might even practice my Spanish if I could be certain they'd hold their guffaws until I left the restaurant.   Read More...

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  • Like ordering from the dollar menu 81 times

    Posted Apr 04 2008, 09:04 AM by Donna Freedman
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    Who's up for a $15 cup of coffee, a $35 movie ticket, an $81 burger and a $480 cocktail?

    Oh, and I'm not buying.

    I'd be awfully surprised if you were buying, either. Those who read this blog are not likely to want to spend $81 on a sandwich.

    Not that this is just any old burger. It's a 14-ounce Japanese Kobe beef patty formed around a quarter-pound seared Kobe medallion, according to an article at wcbstv.com. No plebeian Heinz or Hunt's for this sammich; it comes with house-made sake onion catsup and a miso and ginger aioli.

    And if that doesn't fill you up? It also comes with a side order of  Tater Tots. Honest.   Read More...

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  • Cheap sandwich, no tips allowed -- what an idea!

    Posted Jan 18 2008, 09:04 AM by Donna Freedman
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    The other day I treated myself to a ham and cheese sandwich at Jimmy John's in the University District. As I ate, I wondered why I like this place so much.

    Maybe it's the bread, I thought; it’s chewy, not crumby. Maybe it's the day-old baguettes that are sold for 50 cents and that turn leftover soup into a very nice supper. Maybe it's the price: $3.65 for a "plain slim" (no lettuce, tomatoes or onions).

    Probably it's the staff, I decided. Quick with a smile. Always willing to cut those 16-inch baguettes in half so they'll fit in my book bag. And they really do provide the "freaky fast" service the store advertises.

    Then I realized what really tied it for me: There isn't a tip jar by the cash register.   Read More...

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