Woebegone Wednesday
Baseball attendance at the major league level has been down annually since 2007. Wall Street Journal reports that too many fans have been, or felt they have been, priced out by price gouging concession prices. MLB has finally taken notice. "After years in which concession prices rose to eye-popping levels in some instances — think $8 franks and $15 beers — more teams are offering wallet-friendly options in line with what you’ll see outside of ballparks."
WSJ suggested ballpark prices are echoing the value-priced approach that fast-food restaurants have taken, such as the McDonald’s Value menu. The Baltimore Orioles’ new value menu features 11 items priced at $5 or under, including an all-beef hot dog ($4), popcorn ($3.50), peanuts ($2.50) and a 12-ounce beer ($5). The Milwaukee Brewers’ value menu features four items for $4 each, including a junior-sized hot dog and junior-sized nachos.
The Iowa Cubs have Thursday deals on beer, with first beers free for Mug Club members. They also offer $1 hot dogs on Dog Day games.
Deals today
• Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a weekly special on grilled lamb with goat cheese mashed potatoes, shaved Brussels sprouts, mint, shallots and bacon jam. Lunch or dinner.
• 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 and gravy for $11.50 on Wednesday.
• Curbin' Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor Road, Ankeny) offers traditional gyros for $7 Wednesdays.
• 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.
• Village Inns offer free pie with entrees on Wednesdays.
• Kids eat free with every paying adult on Wednesdays at Chuck’s (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines).
• 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.
• Curbin Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor, Ankeny) has $7 gyros on Wednesdays.
• 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.
• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has fried chicken specials tonight.
• Kwik Stars' Wednesday special is eight pieces of fried chicken for $10. Their fried chicken is ridiculously good for a convenience store.
• On Wednesdays, you can get any burger, wrap or sandwich with fries for $9.99 at Tito's Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale).
• Jake Schrodt plays Stuffed Olive at 6 tonight and Andy Classen / Jack Curtis Duo is at Louie’s Wine Dive at the same time.
• Jethro's have $9.99 breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches, including side of choice, on Wednesdays.
• Price Choppers have sales on blueberries and strawberries at two for $5, on the vine tomatoes at 99 cents/pound, and russets for $1.99/5-pound bag, through Monday.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale on Bartlett pears at 99 cents/pound and sweet corn at $1/five ears (coupon).
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com | 
