It’s the incredible growing prices

REGARDING “Incredible Shrinking Restaurant Scene” [Oct. 5], there’s only one reason all but 500 people have stopped going to fancy restaurants. It’s the prices, stupid! Whether it’s because of higher rents, labor and food costs, greed or whatever, the bottom line is it costs too darn much to go out to dinner these days.

For years, my wife and I were quintessential foodies, trying every new restaurant. But since restaurants have raised prices to obscene levels, we have decided to protest and simply eat at home or go to modest-priced neighborhood eateries instead.

As a cookbook author, I have no trouble making gourmet meals, but even the least experienced cook can make a salad or broil a steak or boil pasta.

We can afford to go out and pay the outlandish prices, but why should we when we can have the same thing at home for a fraction of the price?

JOEL RAPP

Los Angeles