Frugal Luxuries

The next big storm is bearing down on California as I write. The clouds fronting the storm have cast a cold grey cover to the morning. We have decided to stay home and enjoy indoor activities this weekend. Breakfast is my favorite meal and a less expensive option when going out to dine. Today breakfast is homemade and the price is right.

I'm making fresh squeezed orange juice from sweet Cara Cara Oranges and French roast coffee from San Francisco Bay Coffee. A bagel with cream cheese and lox completes the menu. My cost is about a buck seventy-five. How can it be so cheap? Well I cheated a little. The bulk of the cost is the juice. The oranges were purchased at the big box store and squeezed on our over thirty year-old Mary Proctor electric juicer. A glass cost about eighty cents. The coffee was free because my wife won it at a company event. The bagel and accessories came from my daughter who works at the local bagel shop and gets a discount.

Even if you had to pay full retail price the cost of homemade is much cheaper. Restaurants normally mark up food at least four times their cost. They mark coffee even higher, that's why you see so many coffee shops because it is very profitable! Don't forget to include the tax and tip in the equation.

Will I go out and eat again? Of course I will but today I weather the storm and enjoy my frugal luxuries.

The last hotel I stayed in charged $14 for continental breakfast

Enjoy and stay dry.

Cafe Trieste Breakfast

It's Saturday at eight in the morning and I've just had blood drawn at Kaiser. It's a part of my annual physical which I've put off for about four years. I hate doctors and normally avoid them at all costs. After a while you got to do what you got to do. They make you fast for twelve hours before the test so I am leaving here in search of coffee and breakfast. I read that the venerable Cafe Trieste of San Francisco opened a branch just off fourth street in San Rafael. We arrived and scored a parking space just outside the front door. The street seemed vacant compared to the crazy traffic that is the norm later in the day. I was expecting an assortment of pastries to go with my house coffee but there is so much more. There is a large menu with too many choices to make this early on Saturday.

I chose a panini with fresh mozzarela and proscuitto on foccacia. My wife picked the Italiano Scramble with sun dried tomatoes, basil and parmesan cheese. Both were outstanding. The tab for two was under twenty including coffee. Portions are large and either plate would have have fed us both. Not to worry, we took home the leftovers and for lunch. The place is brand shiny new with a couple of huge flat sceens overhead. There is outdoor seating for warmer days.

I know that this location in San Rafael has turned over a few restaurants already but I think this one is going to be a keeper. It has potential to be a great hangout like the original in San Fran.

Italiano Scramble

Panini

Cafe Trieste

1002 Court Street(at corner of Fourth St)

San Rafael, CA 94960(415) 785-8661