Woebegone Wednesday
Winners and losers. Recent earnings reports have been mixed for America's biggest restaurant companies. McDonald's reported that same store sales were down 1.4% in the last quarter. They said that customers were spending less per visit. Yet they also announced they will build 2,200 new restaurants this year, an increase over last year. Only 600 of those will be in the USA. With that much international sales dependence, Big Mac is vulnerable to a stronger dollar — something the smart money predicts. Starbuck's, Pizza Hut and KFC also reported sales were down. But Chili's, Chipotle and Taco Bell sales were up.
If you were thinking this year was a bad one for the crud, you were right. CDC reported 24 million cases of seasonal flu and 310,000 hospitalizations since Oct. 1. This is already the worst seasonal flu season in 15 years, and it's just peaking now. That is never good for the health of restaurants.
Leo Landis served his last day as State Curator and Curator for the State Historical Museum of Iowa yesterday. He is moving on to the Wisconsin Historical Society, which is opening a huge new building. His term in Iowa was brilliant, particularly for emphasizing the connections between food and Iowa history. For instance, Landis visited meat lockers in every Iowa county that had one. He was bestowed the title Professor of Bacon by the Blue Ribbon Iowa Bacon Festival for the effort. Landis previously worked for Iowa Living History Farms and Salisbury House. All are much better off for his savvy and enthusiasm. Fare thee well good sir.
Bargains today
• Heavenly Asian (225 Fifth Street, Valley Junction) has Wings Wednesday with three orders for $25, plus choice of side, egg fried rice or noodles.
• Wine bottles are half price on Wednesdays at Trostel's Greenbriar (5910 Merle Hay Road, Johnston).
• Barntown's (9500 S.E. University Ave., West Des Moines) Wednesday specials are a pound of chicken tenders with fries and two sauces for $11.99, plus $13 core pitchers of beer.
• Wednesday is Biryani Festival at Chowrastha (5910 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines). Buy two and a third is free.
• Wednesdays bring steak night to Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines). Steaks are cooked to order with salad, potato and bread, $14.99.
• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) offers hot beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy for $11.50 on Wednesday.
• Kids eat free with every paying adult on Wednesdays at Chuck’s (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines).
• Rangemasters Training Center (10520 Hickman Road, Clive) has a Wednesday ladies day special of $13 per person for live firing range and one target. $10 handgun rentals or BYOG.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a sale on whole cauliflower and heirloom navels at 99 cents/pound and boneless, skinless chicken breasts at $1.99/pound through Tuesday.
• Price Chopper stores have a sale now on Best Choice frozen steamable vegetables at 99 cents, strawberries at $2.50/pint and Sugardale bacon at $3.99/pound through Monday.
• Bordanaro's (6108 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a Wednesday-Thursday only special on carryout pizza. They start at $6.50 for a 10-inch cheese pie. Each ingredient added is an extra charge, but this pretty much adds up to half-price pies.
• It's lasagna day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines), breaded pork tenderloin day at Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St.), and barbecue ribs evening at G Migg's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction).
• Panka Peruvian (2708 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has live jazz Wednesday.
• Tonight Waterfront's Wednesday special is flounder.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com | 
