Take a recent outing where the waiter quickly moved himself into the annoying corner as he seemed to meet resistance with his every ploy. Sparkling water became a spigot that was never shut off. You know how I feel about the restaurant versions of still and sparkling without a cost to the consumer.

When the waiter moved to a more profitable part of the menu as he  tried to sell truffles a thousand ways, he lost everyone at the banquette. The group preferred a conversation rather than a lesson in pricing or slicing. He was unstoppable as he moved through menu gyrations with the almost musical tone, “we could just add a thin truffle slice to make the dish purr.” Seriously, uninterested and turned off by this overpowering display of in-your-face possibilities. Let us dine. Let us relax and chat and welcome our dining choice rather than secretly dread the restaurant decision.  Did he mention the cost? No need; there were no bites at the table. He quickly tried another approach, also an unsuccessful strategy as he encouraged additional courses. He asked, “Is that it?” Not smooth; not impressive, and not a winning tool.

Yes, dining out can be complicated and expensive with rising food costs and creative plating as chefs struggle with all matters of pricing.  Yet, the annoyingly, cloying waiter needs to remain a caricature and not make a visible presence tableside. Let the diners’ imaginations go wild and let them initiate as in, “could I have the truffle atop that salad, or…”.  You get the picture. Food is expensive enough at high-tiered restaurants without the nagging upsell that has again entered the market space.

Let’s all be hospitable and relax.

What special benefits can hotels offer to distinguish themselves? That is an ongoing industry, marketing question. Hyatt jumped up to the plate with a Welcome Credit. Depending on the number of nights, the monetary reward could be as high as $150. A guest should have no problem enjoying spending the money on the property. Hello, steak dinner.

If you’re Vegas-bound, you have the universe of selections as hotels are tripping over each other with good deals as their economy still lags. Once you settle on a property, take a stroll down the Strip and dine to your heart’s content as a whole coterie of big-deal chefs continue to wine and dine the visitor. It seems no end is in sight as to the restaurant potential in Vegas. Corby Kummer finds that the food now matches the hype! Jose Andres followers take note: The famous chef continues to research and study the history of foods. His latest education turns his palate to Chinese food. Washington, DC, which feels a certain hometown national pride over Andres’s food empire, will readily welcome a good Chinese restaurant, or two.

Let’s not forget coffee. In-room coffee service has been heavily scrutinized, and criticized, for its questionable cleanliness standards. Hotels have fought back with lobby coffee partnerships that promise a respectable cup of coffee. Marriott Hotels have various coffee partnerships depending on the brand. Newer or refurbished Courtyards offer Starbucks in the Bistro, and the higher-end properties (JW Marriott, Renaissance) may have taken coffee to a new height: An Espressamente Illy., a true coffee experience. The logic is quite simple: Keep the money in the property rather than watch guests stroll down the block and return to the hotel with someone else’s cup.

Sure small refrigerators and minibars stocked with a guest’s pre-ordered items (Hilton) are popular, but what’s better than good food and a great cup of coffee? OK, a lovely wine, but that’s not really been a hotel’s downfall. So pack your bags and take a hotel holiday or a mini-vacation. It is summer, after all.

In the past few years since the Obama Administration took office, it seems that food has become a major player in the national conversation. We have talked about the White House Garden, the commitment to getting people to Move off the couch and be aware of their food intake. Obesity has been a major topic of concern as has the School Lunch program. Yet, so many of these discussions have their roots in much earlier times. It is impossible to speak of food safety legislation today without thinking about the letter Upton Sinclair wrote President Theodore Roosevelt.

Our current obsession with food, chefs, and food trends is nothing new. Buying local and supporting the farmer has deep-seeded, yes, it’s true, roots in our country’s agricultural history. You’ll be able to study the past while reflecting on how so much of what we believe today parallels our government’s earliest commitments to food safety. No need to make this sound so serious, as the exhibit focuses on all the aspects of our food culture.

What this exhibition hall is filled with it the how the Federal government’s programs intersected with our lives whether we are referencing food safety regulation or tracing the early paths of those we affectionately call “agricultural pioneers.” Besides enjoying the numerous posters from the collection including the already popular “Vitamin Donuts” or “Uncle Sam Says , Garden to Cut Food Costs.” My initial favorite, “Eat the Carp” includes the advice, “The muddy taste can be washed away.”

Trust me, you’ll have fun exploring the original records (“Eat More Cottage Cheese“) that explain the history of our country through its food supply with an emphasis on four distinct influences on our food environment: Farm, Factory, Kitchen, and Table.

Check out the event calendar as numerous additional programs and speakers have been lined up to supplement the standing exhibit. The exhibit opens today and continues through January 3, 2012. You need to know that date as you’ll want to go more than once!

Well, the Girl Scouts are smarter than we are. In a move that highlights the economic financial chaos that has everyone rethinking their food budgets and generosity quotients, the Girls have decided not to offer their expansive list of delectable choices but to concentrate on the big sellers and not fill up their inventory with unsold boxes. Helps the consumer’s angst, too, as temptation lures with every supermarket outing.

Several chapters are concentrating on the six biggest sellers to see how this type of change will impact overall sales. The most popular cookies will continue to headline the leader-boards. Don’t worry the Thin Mints, the peanut butter Do-si-dos, and the buttery shortbreads are certain keepers. This type of experiment should have the number crunchers busy figuring out the stats. The rest of us will have  to wait and see.

Smart move on their part and probably a saving grace for the rest of us as the selection process will be more limited, and we can probably smile and get away with just a single purchase. OK, two boxes, but you get the strategy. No need for us to bulk up as we commiserate with the young ones and fall victim to our inner cravings.

Smart economic move for the organization; our waistlines thank you.

There was news this summer of additional accolades for multiple wineries while new enterprises were coming on board. Public highlights of recognition include the Virginia wine that was served two years ago at Inauguration events and then this past summer at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. Somehow the end of harvest sent up a warning flag of different news as two wineries are now in financial trouble. One, the larger and more widely known, Kluge Estates is fighting the banks to avoid a complete shutdown. The other, Sweeley Estate Winery has acknowledged that foreclosure bank proceedings are scheduled for later this month.

How did this happen so quickly? Are these two wineries just another example of the devastating effects of the economy? Both tough questions to answer. Maybe the ecstatic aura surrounding the strength of Virginia as a wine destination had to produce some casualties. After all a lesson from the past several years is that quick growth and vast spending met with devastating results in a number of industries and individual businesses.

The bigger question for the state is what next? The simple answer is that all the new wineries are in survival competition with each other as it is easy for visitors to pay a mere tasting fee for a weekend outing but another level of commitment to purchase wine or join one of the many wine clubs. Another stumbling block rests at the heels of the distributors as product into the nearby DC market has not been as successful an undertaking as many of these wineries need. In turn many nearby local restaurants have not been quick to jump on the local wine bandwagon but instead offer lists that lean more heavily to other more familiar domestic and international areas. No one is saying that everyone of these 180 wineries deserves a place at the restaurant table, but that instead plenty of worthy contenders are having difficulty getting that seat.

As a wine and food writer, I can only hope that the furling up of these two winery flags will open a common sense approach to further growth and enable the established wineries to continue to work with their terroir and produce the best product from their grapes. Too much progress has been made over the past two decades to turn our back on what Thomas Jefferson believed was a natural product from his beloved state.

Let’s champion the growth and support the wineries that deserve a place at the table.

This past week solidified the reality of shopping. Chicago area chain Dominick’s (aka, Safeway) fired a missile into the competitive marketplace with their recent roll out of personalized deals: Just for You. They do not have the exclusive handle on this strategy as most of the majors have figured out they need to get into our grocery baskets to help us earn savings for our regular purchases. Not invasive; just cost-saving as most of these grocery programs are limited to car-carrying loyalists!

On the East Coast, Giant Food (Stop & Shop) has been running a promotion with Shell gasoline. (Kroger, and its many affiliate names throughout the country, has a similar tie-in.)  Giant just upped the ante and tied specific purchases to higher gasoline discounts. The promotion was supposed to expire over the summer. Now that it’s October, the program seems to have moved into overdrive with numerous new promotions that come with high rewards: 200 points, for example, equals 20 cents off a gallon of gas. Simple math or a two-fer: grocery promos and gas savings! We may have to start watching Shell Oil to see if its sales climb, too, or see if Costco’s gas prices are impacted?

Not only businesses that call themselves grocers are in on the act. Look at Dollar General, Target, Costco, and Wal-Mart and you see an expansionary trend: Consumers buy what they can afford, and these companies want to be at the top of the list. Target plans to open stores with full-fledged food departments. If you think I’m making a small point, check out their 10/10/10 strategy; they’ll  open 10 new stores, all with a major emphasis on the grocery part of the business. That’ll be a date the company will remember!

Lest you forget, the big box guys as in Costco and Wal-Mart already realize the impact food purchases have on the bottom line. Neither is standing still and both plan major expansions and an increased emphasis on private labels and upscale goods. It’s tough out there as the consumer does the math and heads for the bottom line; no one wants the sidelines.

Even though the economy has not dealt us all a fair deck, grocers continue to fight with a vast array of new promotions.

Instead, we are looking at the latest reports that indicate consumers are not yet believing they are out of the woods on their finances. They exercise caution in their grocery shopping and their restaurant expenses.

Meal planning, according to the NPD Group study, will remain on the thrifty side. Consumers have learned how to make better meals with less and are not ready to jump from the calm ship and break out the foie gras. The study reports that consumers do not see their situation improving over the next 12 months and plan to continue strategies they employed during the earliest days of the Recession. This information is almost in direct contrast to several economic market indicators pointing in a more positive, upward trajectory.

Examples of thriftier behavior from the report include decreasing spending on groceries, using coupons for food and beverage items, and stocking up on foods when they are on sale. The list also includes shopping for less expensive brands and making use of online coupons.

These are all consumer behavioral strategies that grocers can address to make shopping a better, more positive experience. Matching coupons, doubling or tripling those from circulars, and offering good, solid sale prices on a large variety of products will keep customers loyal returnees. It sounds as if little has changed for the consumer no matter how hopeful everyone wants to remain.

Restaurants have a lot to learn from this report and from the Nielsen Company’s latest research. Some of these findings could spell doom for a number of restaurants that have been hanging on and waiting for customers to increase their dining out events and cash outlays. After surveying 7,500 alcohol beverage consumers, they found almost 60% reducing their trips to casual restaurants and a similar number reported they were going less frequently to more expensive restaurants (fine-dining). An additional find was that 47% said they frequent bars and clubs less often. This translates into changed behavior patterns across the age demographics. The report underlies the belief that consumers learned new ways of entertaining and continue to exhibit uncertainty about the extent of the recovery.

Another interesting tell-all concerns alcoholic beverage purchases. More than 75% of those interviewed said they have not changed their beverage purchases because of price, but 25% of those say they are making fewer purchases. So even in this category, consumers have adjusted their behavior, and they are more conscious of their decisions.

Yes, these reports do NOT put a smile on the face of anyone in the food and beverage universe. They give great pause and increase the likelihood of more promotions rather than assuming that the diner of yore, as in 2-3 years ago, is lining up to get in the door.

Free-wheeling dining and shopping has not returned, and it appears to be stuck in fear. Hopefully, someone is listening.

Here are a few:

–Bread and butter do not just magically appear when you are seated. You are often asked if you would like to have bread and butter. Smart, cost-saving approach to running a restaurant. Not like we need to have bread and butter! Nor do they need to put a basket on the table and waste its contents.

–Sauces. Rather than just put cocktail sauce or tartar sauce, for example, on every fish or seafood plate, servers are checking to see if the diner wants either or both. If not, hey, the kitchen saves the money on either or both of the sauces. Lemon falls into that category. It is no longer just a natural plate adornment. More often than not, guests make the inquiry. It’s not an automatic slice or 1/8th.

–Water. Of course, in higher-end restaurants, the water question comes with numerous choices and dollar signs: Flat, fizzy, or tap. At multiple price points, water does not even come to the table unless you ask for it. With a worldwide water shortage, this is a logical, natural omission. Why serve something that’s just going to get poured out and wasted?

As consumers watch their dining out dollars, restaurateurs play the same game. Economic uncertainty still drives many businesses to close their doors. Recuperation is a slow process and little glimmers of hope do not mean we are out of the woods.

Little changes make a significant difference. We can support each other.

A quick look at restaurant reservations shows that lots of diners are already well organized for the breakfast, brunch, or dinner outing they’ve planned. This is the time to get to Open Table and see what’s still available in your city. Many restaurants offer special menus that enable them to handle larger crowds but still manage to fill up quickly. Unless you’re planning on finding a spot that does not take reservations and you don’t mind waiting around for a table, this is the week to finalize your plans.

There are plenty of families that shy away from restaurant outings at typically crowded times such as Mother’s Day. They try the more storybook approach with breakfast in bed or a barbecue event–anything that keeps Mom out of the kitchen is the philosophy behind this strategy.

Whatever route you think is best, remember it’s MOM you’re talking about so a little bit of planning is in order. OK, a lot of planning. Now. Don’t forget the card–selection starts waning a few days before the 9th!

Go for it.

Most major cities have had a restaurant week promotion and a number of spots continued the concept well beyond a week. Yet before this time we have not had a two-month restaurant week promotion. The Palm announced a Restaurant Week menu (a starter and an entree that comes with at least one side for $39.95) until the end of May. That’s an impressive strategy that should heat up the restaurant wars a little.

So much attention of late has been focused on the mid-tier dining establishments, but now the big guys want to show their food stripes. This will be a major promotion that will prove inordinately successful or be a tell tale sign of limited strength in the industry. It will be worth watching to see how other competitors jump in for the challenge.

A little step forward and two back. We still need promotions and incentives.

The Feds seem to be stepping out of the equation with all the other topics floating around, but some of the states seem ready to take up the cause as a way to boost their declining revenues. The formula is a tax fitted to the number of ounces of the drink. Imagine the situation at any of the fast food outlets and then multiply the chaos by the outrage.

Whether you’re talking a penny an ounce tax or the very high 18% figure that is being mentioned the concern is the same. We are a country in the out-of-control department about weight gain, obesity, and increases in diabetes. Those being the primary reasons behind the reemergence of the beverage tax. Some in support of the concept talk about overall economic savings.

The real issue that cannot be lost in the steam roll is who makes the decision about what to eat and drink. The economy is still in bad shape with job losses and high overall unemployment. Inexpensive food and drink options help many people stave off hunger. This is the reality of the times. Fix one issue at a time. One more tax is not the way to go.

Pennies count no matter the size of the beverage.

Yes, something’s going on at the grocery store. Somebody very smart, somewhere, figured out that buying fruit by the pound could tip the scales over the budget limits, but buying affordable 3-lb bags seemed somehow logical. With the economy in its current circular cycle, shoppers needed products in more manageable sizes: They could no longer afford to fill their kitchens with 10 lb bags of an assortment of fruits. Welcome to the 3-pound bags.

Selection varies from store to store, but there are multiple varieties within a category such as apples: Saw 4-5 different types of apples (even found organic honey crisps) in this 3 lber easy-to-carry bag. Another positive besides price, storage, and variety, they were smaller apples: Perfect lunch box or brown bag size. Hey, someone has figured this out.

There are small bags of all types of oranges, too. Not seen much in the way of grapefruit, but figure this year with the various negative temperature cycles, small grapefruits will become popular, too.

We’re talking economy of scale.

OK, economy.

–The Palm has paired a 9 oz filet with a 1-1/4 lb crab stuffed lobster, accompanied by asparagus. Good until the end of March ($47.95)

–The Capital Grille has a 4-course menu (appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert). Good until the end of February ($49).

–P. F. Chang’s makes every afternoon (3-6 P) a happy time with reduced priced liquids and solids ($3-$6). That’s simple pricing easy to remember!

–Chili’s offers 3 courses (a starter, 2 entrees, and a dessert) for $20. The entree choice includes the new mini taco menu. Remember this is really a $20 deal for 2 people to share.

These are just a few of the national players getting in on enticing menus with early seasonal specials. The list can easily be updated regularly.

Don’t forget the smaller guys: The sandwich places, the local happy hours, and the numerous choices for lunch deals.

Time to take a break and dine out.

Plenty of restaurants and quick-service spots have obviously heard the rallying cry–it translates as Ka-Ching as dollars are going into the register with record speed as breakfast has become a bigger stop than just for the all-mighty cup of coffee. The examples speak volumes.

–Chick-Fil-A: They just introduced a new breakfast menu with with a low-calorie yogurt parfait (They quickly decided this item would be a popular all-day choice so its availability extends beyond 10:30AM) and mini nuggets–(Chick-n-Minis)–you know, a hand-held slider. Judging by the early morning drive-thru line, the concept must already be working.

–IHOP: Breakfast anytime is their concept as they move into the new year with the return of the All-You-Can Eat Buttermilk Pancakes starting at $4.99. It’s not just a plate of pancakes on this special as the combo accompaniments of eggs, hash browns, and meat are part of round one. Pancakes can keep on coming until it’s time to roll yourself out the door.

–McDonald’s: They  took on the breakfast brigade with the national rollout of the $1 menu (sausage biscuit, burrito, or McMuffin, and, of course, hashbrowns).

–Sonic Drive-In has several breakfast choices on the dollar menu including the Junior Breakfast Burrito with Sausage. They subscribe to the breakfast anytime motto.

All-Day Breakfast and price-competitive menus seem to be the theme starting the New Year. That, of course, and the big shout out about new, better grinds for truly enjoyable coffee!

With all the drive-n-go or eat ‘n run options, is anybody really focused on the Breakfast Metabolism starter or just finding filling food at affordable prices?

A little less food; a better cup of coffee.

Thank you.

In our saving mentality, we started to cook more, eat at home more, and dine out differently. No longer was every restaurant meal one that approached stratospheric prices. We welcomed new places that promised better buys, greater attention to our needs, not just THEIR bottom line. We patronized new burger spots and bistros, the types of restaurants that succeed during tough times.

Big-name chefs figured it out and rearranged menus and moved into this dining space. Why not? Customers were receptive. Tables were full. The price was right: A perfect solution to wanting to dine out but refusing to spend 4-star dollars.

If chefs like Daniel Boulud (Daniel and DBGB Kitchen & Bar), Laurent Tourondel (BLT Steak and BLT Burger), Danny Meyer (Union Square Hospitality and Shake Shack), and Michel Richard (Citronelle and Central Michel Richard) are flipping burgers; there’s a good reason for their aggressive moves: Dining Dollars talk. It’s not that their fancy restaurants sit empty; it’s just more likely that diners can opt for frequent burger or bistro stops several times a month!

So much of the year was spent saying, “Don’t worry, it’s almost over.” The elusive elephant has never really left the room. The economy has improved but more people are on the breadline. We want everything to be better; we want to return to the more carefree universe that gave us tacit permission to eat out and carry in without as much anxiety about our decisions.

We welcome the Burger and Bistro approach.

The lines are long.

We can work in soup kitchens and we can deliver food to shelters and support food banks, but the problem is so much more pervasive than an occasional boost from private citizens. In this vast country, the news that so many go hungry should ignite the discussions into actions to solve this growing problem.

There are a few glimmers from private corporations and foundations ready to step in and help work toward ending hunger in this country.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has taken a decisive approach, one that other companies and foundations might consider emulating. The beneficiaries from $32.5 million (“Food & Community”) will be used for food-related work in nine communities. The goals are  to help these communities transform school food systems, improve community food environments, promote active living and routine physical activity, and sustain and expand the movement for healthful food.

One of the recipients from such a far-reaching program is the local farmers in western Massachusetts. The schools will be purchasing foods directly from the farmers. Students will get fresh, local foods and, in turn, learn about where their food comes from.

Hopefully, the Foundation has set a standard that others can emulate. Share Our Strength has made the elimination of childhood hunger its most important mandate. The number of children (over 17% of all children last year) were without enough food. Staggering statistics.

The sheer numbers of those who go hungry are frightening. This dire need must be addressed at the government and corporate level. As individuals we can help, but the problem has escalated beyond a simple one-tier solution.

This is America, the land of opportunity. We cannot continue a negative slide backwards to the hunger lines from the 20′s. Food banks feel the pain.

What happened?

Some of the hot buttons are: Economic survival, artisan and hand-made, neighborhood and local, and authentic and real. These are the themes that run through the trends restaurants must focus on: The diner is a different customer than he was not so long ago and missing these concepts may mean missing the proverbial boat.

–Time for more appetizers and small plates that guests can share. Dining is more comarderie; the concept adds to the comfort level of dining out.

–Upscaling the Downscale. With gourmet hamburger sales and artisan hot dog sales increasing and steakhouses sliding, this is the time for chefs to be inventive with their burger options. Lamb burgers have become popular as have the list of homemade condiments and relishes to accompany the popular new foods.

–Get over the “organic”and “natural” labels which the company believes are overused and lost in translation. Instead opt for fresh, local, and hand-made, all terms that have an inherent level of trust. We can visualize the farmer, the farm market and the chef’s garden. It’s about trust.

–Fried chicken is the new pork belly. No more emphasis on getting the diner to crave new foods. Fried chicken has become the norm from all manner of chef including Thomas Keller’s new Ad Hoc Restaurant in Yountville, CA where Monday nights are chicken dinner nites. No one wants to miss this gravy boat.

I’m saving a few from the list for later in the week as they encompass the other type of diner or shopper we have become. Consider this a reflection of our dining habits and styles that are important for a comfortable restaurant experience. As the list focuses us on the new decade, so much of the theme sounds a lot like this year, doesn’t it!

Hope everyone’s listening.

What do you think it takes to get a restaurant to survive the economic elephant that is still in the room?

What’s the real deal? Why were prices so high in the first place? The honest answer is: Because they could be. People were more flush with money, they had jobs, bills were getting paid, and high grocery prices were an almost accepted fact of life. Now with all the additional coupons from grocers and manufacturers, we are in a different world. The worry is that economic signs are improving and grocers will return to their old ways.

First, you need to be a member. Membership loyalty cards, those pesky things that are all over your keychain, are often necessary to get the savings. Most chains let you type in your phone number rather than make you carry the 500-lb assortment of ways you are trying to save. Whether a club card, card saver, or whatever it’s called, it is the modus operandi of the shopping universe.

Wegmans came up with a response to consumer anxiety this past Sunday when their senior vice president of consumer affairs Mary Ellen Burris turned her weekly column into a road map of good economic strategies. She recognizes they have seen changed buying habits, house-brand shopping, and greater focus on less expensive prepared foods. They stress they are committed to maintaining their prices and remain focused on how many items are less expensive now than they were in ’08.

A new volley was tossed out today, food circular Wednesday, as Giant Food introduced its new point-based savings plan: Each dollar is a point, 250 points is 5 % off a future order (800 points earns a 20% off reward). They call it the Holiday Reward Coupon of Your Choice.

The gloves are off. May these strategies serve as the model for other grocers as we are far from being out of the woods. The holiday’s are coming, and we all appreciate that beef, pork, chicken, bread and dairy are less expensive than they were.

We are different diners, shoppers, and cooks. We will not go back to those spendthrift, carefree days of accepting high prices. We need the incentives to continue, and the grocers to recognize that the early part of the decade exhibited behavior we no longer can afford to stomach.

Price spikes need to stay off the shelves.

The food police are probably all smiles about the latest food trend: Smaller portion sizes of an app or an entree. More restaurants are moving into the smaller sizes but maintaining the same price point as a way to survive the economic gargoyles.

What this means for the consumer is quite simple: Relief that prices have not climbed up. Good news. Yet, the sense of not feeling as sated after the meal: Troubling. Do the math with me: A mere substitution of a 5 oz chicken breast for what had been a 6 oz portion means the plate gets filled with a lot of greens. Here’s another one making the rounds: two 3-oz filet mignons instead of one 10 oz portion. Cost-wise the restaurant is saving a significant amount, and you as the diner are pleased that the price has not gone up.

This explains the small-plate phenomena. Not just tapas and mezze platters, but smaller choices; even Cheesecake Factory has been promoting this popular strategy (don’t worry they still have plenty of desserts). The new Michelin guide designates top restaurants that offer small plate value. We are not out of the woods yet; this trend helps us indulge.

Desserts are a different story. Prices have risen while at the same time their portion size has not decreased. Desserts, sweets, are always popular during troubling times. We’re not just talking cupcakes! Paying an extra 50 cents or even a dollar for a dessert does not seem as cost prohibitive as paying several extra dollars for an entree. You want the reward at the end of the meal!

So who wins? In many respects, we all do as the overly large portion size just increases our potential obesity stats. The restaurant wins as it  saves a little money and still has loyal customers. The pastry chef, if there is one, becomes a truly busy, sought after commodity.

We can all survive together.

The ads show an upbeat flair matching the belief that there’s a lot of anticipation surrounding the intro. Besides seeing it already in full display at Costco, it’s receiving attention from end-of-season campers who feel they have solved one of their biggest fears–no hot coffee. Of course, they could just follow Billy Crystal (“City Slickers”), and grind their own tentside.

There’s also news that the early clock cleaning reports from both McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts may now be a piece of past history. The only negative news lately is that some songs have not been promoted as heavily as artists would like. Not everybody’s complaining.

As Starbucks sales continue to improve, we might be able to use that piece of news as an economic barometer: Is the economy back on track to support our caffeine habit?

Love it, as the ads say,”A product you can get through TSA.”

As long as airlines still offer hot water, we’ve got a match.