El Corte Ingles steamed my percebes (barnacles) while I did other shopping.
That sounds ribald in hindsight, but it really helped out this non-kitchen having tourist.
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Now there’s a nice perk and a generous friend!
(In younger days, one of our broader circle worked in event management and was constantly comped not only at new and trendy restaurants, abut also at hotels who were angling for conference e reservations. Her approach was quite a bit different — none of our common friends ever got asked to join her, and she was known to have remarked to some that she thought people wouldn’t be “grateful enough” or be able to “return the favor” — for what was a freebie to her 
)
I’m with your friend on the Ikea meatballs, also the broccoli potato cakes they seem to have stopped making but have not published a recipe for 
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Believe me, same friend had the same kind of outlook for thinking that her including me as a guest on a comp meant I owed her retail value.
Then, 4 years ago, I met up with my friend and her 2 daughters in Montreal. We were supposed to meet at her AirBnB around 8 pm. I almost ate dinner solo at a restaurant I had been hoping to try , but the service was pokey after I was seated, and I didn’t want to be late, so I excused myself and went with a quick just ok Mauritanian meal.
Turns out my friend was 3 hours late, arriving closer to 11 pm.
She didn’t have any food at the AirBnB they rented, and her tween daughters were hungry,. They had not had a proper dinner. I ran to the Depanneur, and spent $50 on bread, butter, cheese, yogurt, pasta, OJ, cereal, I think some Vachon cakes.
The next morning , we went to Beauty’s Luncheonette for brunch before heading to Le Ronde amusement park. One daughter had a hissy fit, the kids were slow, and to hurry things up, I paid for the brunch on my card as my friend took one daughter to the restroom. Then. No sunscreen. I bought that for the girls while the friend double parked outside the drug store.
I think my friend may have paid for the admission to the amusement park. But really - I went to the park so I could visit with her, not to go on rides or win prizes. This was a way to visit while keeping her girls happy. I bought some McDs at the amusement park.
My friend insisted she would buy dinner, since I had paid for pretty much everything up to this point, around $200. I had also taken the train from Ontario to meet them, and I was paying for a hotel.
I ordered Portuguese chicken in the Plateau, she gave me her credit card. Again she was double parked with the kids in the car . The restaurant didn’t accept credit cards LOL. I paid with cash. Another $75. Hahaha.
She sent me an email thanking me for coming to Montreal . I haven’t seen her since, although we occasionally communicate through FB.
I think we’re more than even now, for the Russian dinner at Firebird and some dinner theatre in 1998 . She also slept on my sofabed for a week or 2 between apartments in 1998, but I never thought to charge her rent .
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A new one just opened up on Market Street in downtown SF. It’s supposed to have a full Scandinavian food hall by early 2024.
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Sorry to veer off, but we have a local furniture store that has a pub and grub in it. Nice place to relax if my Mrs. gets too into the shopping experience. Kind of a WI Ikea.
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I ordered the meatball combo tonight at the newish downtown Toronto store. $8.99 Cdn before tax, $10.16 Cdn including tax. Not bad.
I got mine to go.
Frozen meatballs
Other frozen stuff
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My best friend got me an IKEA advent calendar with chocolates (like caramels, not like those tiny chocolate pieces). There are two gift cards inside as well. We just uncovered the first one, good for a free meatball plate now through next June.
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