Banh Mi Che Cali and Van's

I treated myself to three Vietnamese sandwiches today. They're $2 each and buy two get one free! What was I supposed to do, get just one?

This was so much better than Mr. Baguette. The bread was crisper on the outside and more airy on the inside, there was more meat and pate, and a ton more vegetables. I think taking the meat out of one and splitting it between the other two would make two perfect sandwiches, so that's my game plan next time. But at $2 a sandwich instead of Mr. Baguette's $3, this is clearly the superior option.

I drove by Van's Bakery on the way there and stopped in. I didn't get anything because the people were surly and unhelpful (even for me, and I have a fairly high tolerance for grumpy service).

Their cakes are super cheap, though. They start at $1.50 a slice, about $400 for one of the four-tiered ones with all the bells and whistles, and $60 for delivery no matter what the size. Most American bakeries start at $4.50 a slice, and the bakery used by Casa Del Mar wants $8.50 a slice. Shudder. But in case you think it should be a no-brainer to just buy a cake at Van's and serve it at the hotel, nope. The hotel charges a $4/slice service fee to serve someone else's cake, which pretty much negates any savings by going elsewhere. The wedding industry is such a crock. It's like this slate.com article quotes: "You're selling dreams, and you can charge anything."