I'm always conflicted when I eat at Teddy's. On one hand, the prices are astronomical when compared to the value of the food (particularly when compared to the price of the same dishes in Trinidad). On the other hand, supply and demand sets the price, and when there are few Trinidadian restaurants in the D.C. area, you pay for those home-style dishes that hit the spot. Usually, the economic argument wins - I'll gladly pay for good food that I can't really get elsewhere.

Today, however, the scale tipped to the other end of the spectrum. I ordered "tomato choka" - a simple dish made of tomatoes, onions, and garlic. I was taken aback when I was told this simple dish would set me back $15. I was floored when I got home, and saw what I got for the money.

At home, I opened the bags concealing this $15 delight, and found to my surprise that only about one fifth of the container contained the tomato choka I had ordered. The other four-fifths of the container was filled with channa (chick peas), which I had neither wanted nor ordered.

I called Teddy's to complain. The woman answering the phone informed me that they make the tomato choka from a single can of tomato (CAN??? SACRILEGE!), and they used the channa to fill out the remaining empty space in the container. This infuriated me for two reasons: (1) The first time I ordered tomato choka from Teddy's, my wife commented that the dish tasted like they used canned tomatoes. Teddy overheard and informed us that not only did he not use canned products, but he only purchased organic tomatoes from the Union Market farmer's market. With that much detail, it must be the truth, right? (2) At $15 a pop, you can certainly afford to fill the container with canned tomatoes that cost pennies a pop.

I informed the woman on the phone that Teddy had previously told me he used real tomatoes in the dish, and she informed me that they have always used canned tomatoes. I asked for a refund, and she informed me that if I wanted my money back, I'd have to "deal with Teddy." I asked her if Teddy was there for me to "deal" with, and was informed that he was not even there. (Was I supposed to sit there until he came in tomorrow?) I asked her to call Teddy, and told her I was going to call back in 15 minutes. 15 minutes later, my call went to voicemail, and I went to Yelp.

In the two years I've been coming here, I've gladly spent too much money to eat food that made me feel like I was back in Trinidad. As other reviewers have mentioned, they tend to use channa as filler in their rotis as well, making their high prices seem that much more unreasonable. However, their roti portions are large, so I kept on coming.

After today, I don't think I'll return, and a 30 cent can of tomatoes will ultimately cost them hundreds of dollars worth of business. From now on, Crown Bakery about a mile and a half south of Teddy's on the same avenue (Georgia Ave.) will get all my business. Goodbye to Teddy's $4.00 alou pies, $4.00 doubles, and $15 rotis. Hello Crown Bakery's $22 buffet breakfasts on Sunday.