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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 10, 2002
Burger index
Hardee's touts its newest sandwich as the Six Dollar Burger. The gag (and gig) is the claim that sit-down spots charge $6 for a similar half-pounder in full dress; at Hardee's it's $3.95.
Prices of burgers broke the $3, $4 and $5 barriers long ago. Chili's Big Mouth Burger is around $6, and at Bennigan's the big one is $6.29. Note, they are served on a table, not your lap.
At local favorites, big burgers cost real money too:
El Cap (St. Petersburg): Half-pound cheeseburger all the way is $5.95.
O'Keefe's (Clearwater): 10-ounce Deluxe Supreme is $5.75.
Ted Peters (South Pasadena): 12-ounce burger $4.25.
But while Hardee's snickers at the big-bucks crowd, a sign of real inflation may be that many drive-through burgers are now nearly $4! At Wendy's you pay more than that for a triple-decker.
Can't be long before fast-food burgers hit $6 too.
Thinner wallets may force us to cut back on our burgers faster than the nutrition nags could. Best place to save anywhere: Skip the $2 soft drink and go for water.
Set of louvred doors. The slickest design trick in new restaurants has been an Old World one, the narrow doors that fill a wall but fold back to open the dining room to the street and a fresh breeze. Alberto's in downtown St. Petersburg, a Beef O'Brady's in Tampa and others have adopted this favorite from France and Italy. It's perfect for Floridians afraid of outdoor cafes -- and one part of the bistro menu we get right.