At Costco, eat like a king on a budget...

Recently I was having a gourmet lunch of a kosher quarter-pound Polish frank with all the fixins and a refillable soft drink for only $1.50 at Costco.

I started thinking about all the people who say they are against the "big box" corporations coming to our island. The Costco outdoor cafe is always standing room only and for good reason, it's the best quality lunch for the price anywhere on Kauai.

When you are done at the cosmic gourmet $1.50 cafe, you can wander through the store and sample many different foods on any given day. The sample people are always friendly and do not mind if you go back for seconds and thirds.

Besides my Polish frank, I sampled wild Alaska salmon, beef Wellington, pizza bagels, teriyaki chicken balls, grapefruit slices and Japanese mochi ice cream, all for $1.50. That's not even a decent tip at most restaurants.

I usually don't like to give my secrets away; however, Costco without a doubt is your best bank for your luncheon dollar-fifty.

All I can say is, at least there's Costco.