Want a cheap night out? Lay off drinks and dessert

A recession can drive a man to drink, but a chap looking to achieve incandescence on the cheap would be well advised to stay at home - and it's also recommended that restaurant diners on a budget give the dessert trolley a good leaving-alone.

That's because many restaurants have been quietly raising their bar and dessert prices, and one result is that some unwary consumers could be paying more to dine out, according to a new snapshot of the industry by Intellaprice, a Boston-based pricing intelligence firm.

While consumers are bombarded with TV ads promoting a restaurant chain's discounts on selected entrees, some dining establishments have been quietly upping what they charge for drinks and an array of menu items not mentioned in the splashy ads, Intellaprice said. Desserts may be Exhibit A in this category.

According to the Intellaprice survey, bar beverage prices are up nearly 2 percent, and despite much ballyhooed deals on a few high-profile entrees, overall restaurant food prices are down a mere 0.6 percent. And what about desserts? In that category, prices are up 7 percent, Intellaprice said. For the hearty trencherman in search of good value, a shrewd strategy might be bulking up up on appetizers instead. Appetizer prices are down 2 percent, Intellaprice said.

The Intellaprice press release included some observations from firm president Leslie Kerr.

"We hear a lot about the deals out there because that’s what’s being advertised," Kerr said. "Two for $20 dinner deals and discount entrees are memorable, but the reality is there's a whole portfolio of menu items, and restaurants are strategic about managing prices in key categories."

Added Kerr, "Restaurants feel pressure to take price increases somewhere; it seems as though they're trying to ease sticker shock for more noticeable, popular items, and increasing prices in less noticeable places on the menu." (Globe Staff)