Big news of the day from the Los Angeles Business Journal. Los Angeles County to escape recession in 2008 & 2009, according to a forecast from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. Well, it’s a relief to hear that, especially the bit about tourism doing ‘modestly’ better. However, economic soothsayers are a notoriously unreliable bunch of nitwits. If you look at the fine print, you’ll find a dozen qualifiers and ifs & buts which essentially means that there’s a 50-50 chance that the sky is about to fall.

So. Just in case…A few days back, I made a post about Tuesday specials and how to save on restaurant bills.  Let’s take a look at restauranting in a recession and 99c recession specials. The Jerusalem Post has an interesting article which details the trend of fast food companies adapting to consumers’ decreased spending power.

Perhaps the most noticeable example of the more-food-for-less strategy is the appearance on more dollar menus of the double cheeseburger, long a staple of the regular menu and combination meals. Wendy’s International Inc. introduced a 99-cent double cheeseburger last month called the Stack Attack. Yum Brands Inc.’s Mexican-style restaurant chain Taco Bell is promoting its Gordita Supreme product - one of the largest menu items - for 99 cents this month.

There you have it. If you’re not too nitpicky about your calorie intake, a visit to the nearest fast food joint would set you back a couple of dollars, even if you have a sumptous fast food meal.

If you’re on a budget in LA, here’s what I suggest. First, find a cheap B&B which not only takes care of your accomodation, but also reduces one meal from the tab. One such B&B which is quite up to the scratch while being reasonably priced is Elaine’s Bed & Breakfast, 1616 N. Sierra Bonita Avenue Hollywood, California 90046; (323) 850-0766.  

Next, have lunch at a place like the 99 cents Soul Food Express restaurant, intersection of Crenshaw and Adams Boulevards, located at 2638 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016; (323) 737-8101. For less than $6, anything on the menu, which includes smothered chicken, short ribs, ox tail, turkey enchiladas and meatloaf, will fill you up to the gills. Food’s delicious and filling, if you’re the kind of person who loves to wipe off a greasy plate and lick your fingers when you’re done with the plate. Eat your fill for lunch, and order a takeaway. That should keep your stomach happy until a late dinner at the hotel.

Another option is 99 cent dim sums and 25 cent tea. At places like the Yum Cha cafe in the San Gabriel Superstore, corner of San Gabriel Blvd. and Valley Blvd., you can get more dim sum for less. $3.99 for full meals with rice and chicken, or duck, pork and assorted BBQ selections.

To round up, lunch options include fast food (including a double cheeseburger and coffee) for about $1.25, or $4.25 for a full lunch and tea or coffee (either Chinese or at a soul food restaurant) and another $4 takeaway for dinner plus a 25 cent coffee . So, for about $6, you can have 2 good meals with drinks (and a bucketfull of calories) a day on a visit to Los Angeles. A 3 day stay in LA would cost you only about $18 for food.

Throw in the cost of the B&B ($200 for 3 days), transportation costs, a 3 day Go Los Angeles City card ($125) for visiting over 40 attractions, and you can wind up a a Los Angeles vacation for about $400. That’s including everything except flight tickets, which you can find for lowest rates at travel search websites like Farechase (http://farechase.yahoo.com). Maybe this recession thingy isn’t so bad after all….

Los Angeles web links: Bed & Breakfast, cheap eats, Go Los Angeles City card

Posted on February 21st, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: California, Travel Tips