Have you ever gone to a really great steak house anticipating finally having one of their perfectly cooked prime steaks only to be stunned into silence with sticker shock? You rationalize as you order their burger that you'll be happy when you can still pay your rent. You behave as if that burger is really what you wanted all along. But, you prepare yourself to be disappointed just the same.

The burger comes, along with your dinner mates' steaks. It's almost still sizzling, sitting on a beautiful toasted brioche bun. Crunchy greens, a beautiful slice of ripe tomato, and a thin round of sweet raw onion perch on the other half of the bun. Bonus! A sheaf of piping hot crispy golden frites wrapped in a cone of parchment paper is placed beside your plate. Several condiments also arrive, each in their own little ramekin.

So, while your friends have their steaks and a la carte sides of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes, you have your very own gustatory party happening! And, that perfectly cooked, juicy burger? Heaven! Maybe the best burger you've ever had.

The checks come...the reckoning. While your friends are trying to rationalize the bills for their steaks, you happily pay your bill. Instead of settling, you feel like a winner! You got a great deal, a great meal, and a far more satisfying experience than you expected and your friends are probably thinking that, too.

What's the moral of this culinary fable?

Experience trumps everything.

You thought that hamburger was just "good enough" when actually it was the best choice you could've made for yourself. It came with everything you could think you might want now or later and those "extras" were all included!