I can make this at home for cheaper...

SFGate.com had an interesting article today about restaurant mark-ups on food - Restaurant markups deconstructed.

Whenever I go to a restaurant, I always look at the menu and base my choices on 3 questions:

1. Can I make it at home?
2. Can I make it at home, but never cook it?
3. What is the price of ingredients and cooking time in relation to the cost of menu price?

Basically, is it worth it to me?  I know that to base my choices on these types of questions makes me a horrible foodie, but I am also first & foremost a frugal Asian person.  For example, I hardly ever order pasta because it's so cheap to make it at home.  Unless it's gnocchi...I effing love freshly made gnocchi and making it at home just isn't the same.  I'm Asian, not Italian.

So now, after reading this article, I will have to make some adjustments to what's considered 'worth it.'  I never thought about the cost of insurance needing to be factored into my food.  From now on, I'll know that it costs $1 just to wash my cup of free water.