If you're anything like me, you get excited when you receive gift cards. I'm all, "Sweet, I get to ____ for free!" However, this excitement usually wavers by a lot when that gift card is to a big chain restaurant. With the exception of Panera Bread, Chipotle, and PF Chang's (whose food I enjoy, but want to croak on the food in my mouth when I check out their menu's nutrition content!), I just do not like chains. If they've got more than a handful of restaurants, chances are I don't care to eat there. I'm typically all about the local joints. That's some brutal honesty for my loved ones who keep giving me Applebee's gift cards. ;-) What tends to happen is that gift cards that I'm not crazy about will sit in my wallet for a couple of years before the right day comes around to use ... [Read More]