Farm-to-table restaurants have become trendy, but I question if they truly offer better value for most diners. Last month, I paid $34 for a vegetable dish at one in Portland that was essentially a few heirloom carrots with sauce. Meanwhile, my local Vietnamese spot serves a hearty bowl of pho for $9 that's both delicious and satisfying. The ingredients are often fresher at these places, yet the markup rarely reflects the actual cost difference when you compare like-for-like meals.