Mixed Bag

Brunch-a-saurus

On any given weekend morning, crowds of people clog the sidewalks in front of the neighborhood breakfast places, but I should have been a little scared when I noticed American made cars outnumbered the Prisuses and Hondas on my dog walk - Mother’s Day brunchers were out in force.

According to the US population counter there were 305,000,000 around for this Mother’s Day. 50.8% of whom are women and about 90% of that group or 139,000,000 are mothers. All were out for brunch yesterday, most of them camped out in my neighborhood waiting for a table.

Going out to breakfast or brunch is a dubious proposition anyway – Saucyman’s much repeated bromide about getting charged $9.25 for 87¢ worth of ingredients is factually iffy and used to illustrate a larger point - paying for breakfast isn't worth the trouble. For half the money you’d spend in a restaurant you can make French Toast, Coffee and Bloody Mary’s for 6 without enduring long lines, weak coffee and occasionally disinterested servers. That is on a good day, on Mother’s Day, I rather attempt to have a pleasant, slow paced meal in a restaurant on Valentine’s Day.

Despite my warnings, dire warnings, like a code orange for brunch, Americans spent an estimated 3.5 billion – B billion dollars on taking mom out to brunch or dinner this year leaving me to ask what is wrong with a book or depending on the mom - gambling.

For those of you who enjoy thoughtful analysis more than wild speculation anchored by a few accurate stats…

The outstanding Sara Dickerman has a way good article about fancy food in the time of recession over at Slate.

Lost Supermarket

Only in the last few years has Grocery store opened near the Saucyman World Campus- A pair of articles from different coasts highlight the perils of limited food options

LA Times & NY Times

Salmon Ration –

The intricate question of how ethical or wise it is to eat seafood in this day in age becomes a little more complicated as the West Coast salmon fisheries are declared a disaster this year – here.

Check in later: Before the week is over Saucyman will answer 2 new questions -