[Goose]

I guess it's a rite of passage in getting old, but I just can't adjust to restaurant food prices these days.

I don't think it is limited to those who are getting/already are old. Restaurant food prices, at least in the Bay Area have increased greatly. Many internet menus that are only a month old show significantly lower prices than the printed menu at the restaurant. IMO quite a bit of this is due to price increases deterring patrons which reduces revenue which in turn leads to another price increase. That cycle may not reach a saddle point anywhere along the way unfortunately. It also doesn't help that pop culture doesn't seem to value the experience of restaurant  dining. Young people in general seemingly just don't enjoy going out to eat.

As a reference point I look at the prices of a single raised sugar donut at Chuck's Donuts in Redwood City. The price is now $3.25. Two years ago it was $2.00. This ain't exactly haute cuisine

All that said, look at grocery prices. I don't know about the rest of the country, but here on the peninsula they are still going up. This is even allowing for the seasonal nature of some items.

[Goose]

I guess it's a rite of passage in getting old, but I just can't adjust to restaurant food prices these days.

I don't think it is limited to those who are getting/already are old. Restaurant food prices, at least in the Bay Area have increased greatly. Many internet menus that are only a month old show significantly lower prices than the printed menu at the restaurant. IMO quite a bit of this is due to price increases deterring patrons which reduces revenue which in turn leads to another price increase. That cycle may not reach a saddle point anywhere along the way unfortunately. It also doesn't help that pop culture doesn't seem to value the experience of restaurant  dining. Young people in general seemingly just don't enjoy going out to eat.

As a reference point I look at the prices of a single raised sugar donut at Chuck's Donuts in Redwood City. The price is now $3.25. Two years ago it was $2.00. This ain't exactly haute cuisine

All that said, look at grocery prices. I don't know about the rest of the country, but here on the peninsula they are still going up. This is even allowing for the seasonal nature of some items.