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Banning happiness? Massachusetts has banned Happy Hour price changes commonwealth-wide for 40 years. Now a lot of urban bars are begging for a change. The state’s bars and restaurants are struggling to fill seats in the early evening, as more workers head home after clocking out. Led by Gen Z, the average American spends 24% less time socializing and communicating face to face on weekdays than a decade ago. That's from the Labor Department’s American Time Use Survey. Since 2021, the amount of time spent socializing on weekends has barely budged, rising by 2%. The Massachusetts Restaurant Association has opposed the measure, claiming that a race between restaurants to roll out happy-hour specials would cut into profits and burden the industry. Leaders who want the change think that Massachusetts is intent on "banning happiness" in general. They say that Happy Hour no longer creates more drunk drivers because of services like Uber and Lyft, which were not in existence 40 years ago. One Massachusetts senator told Wall Street Journal "The Puritans landed here in 1628 and never moved on, from anything." Utah and parts of Indiana and Alaska also have bans on booze prices that change by the hour. In Iowa, we lost "ladies' nights" to the fear of lawyers filing sexual discrimination suits that only big chains can afford to fight. So did most other states. Dick the Butcher has an infamous line on that subject in Henry IV, Part II. "The first thing we do is, let's kill all the lawyers.”
U.S. Department of Treasury released a full list of jobs eligible for "no tax on tips." One of them seems like it could be good for bars and restaurants that have musicians play without pay, just allowing them to collect money in a tip jar. Also, now that rickshaw wallahs pay no tax on tips, will their prices come down to encourage more tips?
Faustino's opened a new store in Clocktower Square, next door to Terra Grill and Churrascaria. We love their cabeza, lengua, tripas, birria (beef) and ahogadas. Plates often come with baby potatoes and limes rather than beans and rice.
Deals today
The Oak Park Farmers Market resumes today, bringing top vendors to Ingersoll.
• Bubba (200 10th St.) has a Monday night sirloin dinner special for $20.
• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers a "Monday grind" special grinder and fries basket for $9.50.
• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).
• Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) has a Monday special cheeseburger with fries, tots or salad and a drink for $10.
• Trostel's Greeenbriar (Merle Hay Road, Johnston) has a Monday burger with a side and beer deal for $14. Their chef's special through Wednesday is a 20-ounce ribeye with pepper sauce and asparagus $50.
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) has $8 omelets and $10 hot beef sandwiches or Mexican bowls on Mondays.
• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken de Burgo special on Mondays before 4 p.m., $14 including beverage.
• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) hosts Shelby Smokehouse Soul Food on Mondays, 5-9 p.m.
• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free egg drop soup and crab Rangoon with lunch entrees today.
• G Mig's (126 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has $11 smashburgers today with a side.
• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave.) has a Monday special Graziano grinder with a side for $12.
• The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) offers a Monday special double smash burger and shoestring fries, $12.
•Bad Dog Burgers include three 1/3-pound patties, six pieces of bacon, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion, for $10.95 on Mondays at Kathy’s East 14th Street Tavern (3418 E. 14th St., Des Moines).
• Jethro's have a Monday chicken tenders and fries special $9.95.
• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has specials on chicken Parmesan and lasagna today, $11.50 with garlic bread and salad.
• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are offering a Monday special meat loaf dinner with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy for $8.
• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95
• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays.
• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.
• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine.
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9.
• Red Lobster's Monday special is lobster and shrimp scampi with a side for $20.
• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) has a Monday special homemade tuna, chicken or egg salad sandwiches on croissants for $12.50.
• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a Monday steak night special, sirloins and truffle fries for $18.
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $14 calzone specials with up to three ingredients on Mondays.
• Price Chopper delis offer two-piece, bone-in fried chicken dinners, with two sides and a roll, for $6 on Mondays.
• Fareways have specials through Saturday on chicken hindquarters at 99 cents/pound, Iowa chops at $2.48/pound and $1 avocados.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com | 
