Best Free Meal & Grazing & Beer Sale

Saturdays at Central Market; Monthly Special

Don't go grocery shopping while hungry, says conventional wisdom. Conventional wisdom, though, must have never gone to CM's weekend (?) samplefests. If you can tough the rabid crowds clustering about the demonstration tables, you can fill your growling tummy with a virtual (and did we mention delicious?) seven-course meal as you fill your shopping basket.After a handful of raisins, six sips of fresh pineapple juice, 2 slices of dinosaur-egg plumcot, 3 white Washington cherries, one snippet of fresh sausage, a tiny plastic spoonful of swordfish, a slug of coffee, Sass on celery, a bite of brown-resistant guacamole, a hunk of Irish soda bread, and cheese cheese cheese, who needs groceries?Like some of the smartest rats, we've figured out the quickest route to reward: ignore the damn maze and enter the store through the Cafe--the special beer display is right next to the cash register. Six packs of Bass or Guinness for $4.99 and of Celis or Pyramid for $3.99 are some of the regular specials, and like some other great sales at Central Market, these last all month long.

Central Market North
4001 N. Lamar, 512/206-1000
centralmarket.com