Last week was colder than a well digger's nether regions, and I was not at all inclined to leave the warmth under my stack of comforters. Still, I donned my thermal underwear and drove to the corner of Louisiana and Central, hoping like hell I’d find a good Vietnamese sandwich.

There are some people that are just a pain in the ass to shop for: Your boss who’s having a midlife crisis, the Stepford-like neighbor who just invited you to a politically correct “holiday” party, or a second cousin, twice removed, whose presence is gracing yours out of the blue. Some already have everything, some don’t like anything and some you really don’t know that well. Too bad. You still have to get them something. And the gift for casual acquaintances or for that special wino in your life is just a mouse click away.

Fresh truffles are ridiculously expensive. The ones you're looking at go for $2,000 per pound, approximately $350 each. Why in god’s name would anyone pay so much for something that looks like a blond dirt clod? What do they even taste like, anyway?

Nursing It Back

Little Sir Dan, sat with his hands, aloft over keyboard with a frown. Along came his boss, and with a crumpled note he did toss, asking “Hey, we doing a Chowtown?!”

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