THE SWEDISH FEEDING TROUGH
Spiegel Online: In Europe many pensioners have come to rely on inexpensive Ikea cafeteria food. And it is reported that in the Hamburg-Schnelsen Ikea, around 150 three- to 10-year-olds are left daily in the store's play area (a complimentary service to allow parents the freedom to shop in peace), with many of the parents then sneaking out of the store to run errands or even to play tennis. Others take unwelcome advantage of in-store freebies -- stockpiling the diapers and baby food.

On a more positive note, Ikeas have become the "third place" for many Europeans -- a place to meet for coffee and hang-out.

If we lived near Ikea you'd find me hanging out there -- drinking lignonberry juice in the cafeteria -- eating my $1.99 breakfast, which includes eggs, potatoes, a Swedish pancake, and bacon (you see why they're attractive to us cheap people -- and the food tastes pretty good, too).

Furthermore, I'd I go there every time I'm suffering from mental block. I always walk out of Ikea with the creative juices flowing.

The closest Ikea to us is about an hour-and-a-half away in Emeryville -- right on the edge of the San Francisco Bay. As a matter of fact, the cafeteria there is one of the best bayview restaurants around.