How Low Can You Go?

I've been having a bit of trouble finding my muse - you know the fuel for my musings lately...I think I may have just had an overwhelming week + I've been sticking to salad lately - holiday season and all, which really is not so interesting to write about. Ugh, chick/[Insert Herbivorous Animal Here] food.

Which may also be the reason that random things are really starting to really piss me off. (More than usual, that is). No, I don't have my period.

I'd like to discuss the fabled "Israeli Breakfast", and then potentially get sidetracked to other, perhaps apparently unrelated subjects.

What is the deal with the price of the Israeli Breakfast lately? Is it just me or are establishments a little off their rocker?!

Once upon a time the Israeli Breakfast cost between 25 - 30 NIS. Inflation, shmita, [Insert Excuse Here] - and hopa prices go up. 30 - 35 NIS. Which is already an exorbitant amount to pay for a couple of eggs some salad, cheese, and jam. Sometimes coffee and juice, sometimes just one or the other.

Today finding an Israeli Breakfast priced between 35 - 40 NIS - you feel like you won the lottery, and even better if it comes with juice and coffee. But then LO AND BEHOLD and prices are scratching the 50 NIS!

Yeah, I get it rent in Tel Aviv, overhead etc. etc. Really - this entire breakfast is costing them at best 15 NIS. So really - get over the overhead. This is a daylight robbery.

It makes you think of If you Give a Mouse a Cookie. Or what they call in Israel - Shitat Matzliach שיטת מצליח. (A quick translation - The Success Method - you try, if you succeed, Great! If not, no harm in trying).

You feel like you really want to hug the owners of establishments like Bar Gurion who still only charge 30 NIS (should we let them in on the secret that it's gone up way more...?)

I actually get up and walk out of establishments that charge more than 40 NIS. I think that's the only thing left for me to do as a consumer, as the world goes nuts around me. (For the record, places like Duck's on Gordon and Dizengoff, and Cafeneto that charge nearly 50 NIS actually are the cheapest about breakfast too. They'll actually only serve as if you're one person, instead of a couple. And you'll ask them about it - and they'll say - "you can always ask for more". At Cafeneto - we actually had to beg for olives and more than three slices of cheese. For nearly 50 NIS! If you're charging me nearly 50 NIS for an Israeli Breakfast - it better be the best damn Israeli Breakfast I've ever had. Hell the friggin Hilton charges 70 NIS - and there it's an insane buffet - and the guy makes your egg right in front of you - and you can have 10 if you want.) Have people gone mad?!

It's the same story with rent prices in Tel Aviv, and Coke in restaurants these days. I've actually heard about people paying 2800 NIS for 25 meter apartments, and at Goocha they charge 11 NIS for a bottle (no not 500 ML) of Coke.

How much chutzpah can this city have?