A Little Something On The Side

Ever notice how weekend brunch places always load up your plate with cheap but filling grains? Even if all you're interested in eating is a hunk of steak with some eggs, or maybe a few slices of crisp bacon and plump sausages, the restaurant often insists on loading up its "specials" with a pound of hash-browned potatoes or a half-dozen slices of toast. If you're eating Paleo like me (or low-carb or Atkins or whatever), you don't touch the stuff, but you're charged for it.

Solution? Order a bunch of sides. You can pick exactly what you want. Plus, it's usually cheaper than ordering a pre-set breakfast combo (though not always -- make sure to check with the server if the prices of sides aren't printed on the menu.)

Example: I ate at a local brunch spot this morning with the kids, where an order of the restaurant's lamb sausage breakfast platter (lamb sausage, 2 eggs, hash browns and toast) will set you back $11. I chose instead to order a side of lamb sausage, a side of 2 eggs, and threw in a side of bacon to boot. Total cost of the three sides: $9.

Waste not, want not. And it was tasty -- especially with a generous drizzle of house-made hot sauce.