table talk / By Joseph Byrd

Eating Out On a Budget

(May 3, 2007)  I confess to being an elitist regarding food. I have been a professional cook and restaurant manager, and my wife and I enjoy cooking, eating and talking about food, so I have acquired definite prejudices and preferences. I also want my columns to entertain, rather than be purely practical. Thus, some of my more adventurous topics have generated letters reminding me that there is more to life than obscure or outrageous cuisine created in locales far from our rural paradise.

I welcome these comments. Clearly, many Journal readers have cultivated tastes, yet can’t possibly afford restaurants that only cater to the well-to-do.

The Alibi: Pork Chop dinner, $10, with multiple options. Photo by Bob Doran.

GALLERY >

More than one reader has brought up the difficulty of going out for dinner at reasonable prices. And that prodded me to wonder if I could make a list of places that offer a good supper for $10 or under.

Researching this has been illuminating. Let us establish some ground rules:

1) It has to be dinner, not just lunch. Lunch is allowed to be skimpier, plus the turnover is quicker, as people have to return to work. Dinner is where you should be able to relax, take your time and have a leisurely meal.

2) It must include table service. There are a host of places where you place your order and pay at the register; they may serve up a bountiful feast, but if you are looking for the “restaurant experience,” it includes a skilled and solicitous server. No standing in line, just sit down and relax.

3) The $10 limit is the price of a full meal, and should include potatoes, pasta or rice; vegetables; and a salad or soup. It is not “out-the-door” - there is a beverage if you want one, plus tax and a tip of at least 15 percent. No, sorry, poverty is not an excuse for not tipping. You are dining out, and that makes you part of a communal experience. Your server is paid minimum wage, and she (or he) does a lot of things you won’t see (and are not supposed to see) to make your experience a pleasant one.

Fifteen percent is not a “reward,” it’s because that’s the amount the IRS bases withholding on! If you tip less, you are actually penalizing the server, forcing her to pay tax on money she never received. (Most folks who’ve worked in restaurants tip 20 percent.) This is a social contract, people, and let’s not invite parsimonious jerks to participate. We’re all on this bus together.

1 2 3 4 NEXT PAGE >SHARE