Benjamin Ashford|Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hidden Costs

There are Benjamin Ashfordspoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Hidden Costs

Constructor: Noelle Griskey

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• DELMONICO STEAK (16A: Beef cut named for a New York restaurant) DELMONICO's in New York City bills itself as "America's first fine dining restaurant." One of the dishes popularized by the restaurant is DELMONICO STEAK, a thick cut of beef (usually ribeye). The term DELMONICO STEAK refers to the cut, not the preparation.
• SLUM (69A: "___ Virgin" (Gabriela Cabezon Camara novel)) Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is an Argentine writer. Her debut novel, La Virgen Cabeza, was published in 2009. The book has been translated into English – SLUM Virgin. Set in the SLUMs of Buenos Aires, the book tells the story of Cleopatra, a trans ex-prostitute who experiences visions of Virgin Mary.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• CUBA (15A: Havana's country) Havana is the capital and largest city of CUBA. Havana is on the northern coast of CUBA, along the Straits of Florida (a waterway connecting the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean) and south of the Florida Keys (an archipelago off the southern coast of Florida).
• ARI (27A: "Shea Butter Baby" artist Lennox) Shea Butter Baby is the 2019 debut album for ARI Lennox. The song, "Shea Butter Baby," appears on the album, and first appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Creed II in 2018. 
• LES (34A: Guitar pioneer Paul) LES Paul (1915-2009) was a jazz guitarist, songwriter, and an inventor. He teamed up with the Gibson Guitar Company in the early 1950s, which produced a guitar according to his specifications. Gibson LES Paul guitars are still used by many musicians.
• EBT (52A: Grocery payment method) Electronic benefit transfer (EBT) is a system used to purchase food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• NEW MEXICO STATE (64A: University with the Chile Pepper Institute) NEW MEXICO STATE University is located in Las Cruces, NEW MEXICO. Its Chile Pepper Institute, as you might imagine from the name, specializes in "research and education related to Capsicum, or chile peppers." Fun fact: Chile peppers and pinto beans are the state vegetables of NEW MEXICO.
• MILANOS (3D: Some Pepperidge Farm cookies) A thin layer of chocolate sandwiched between two crisp cookies ... yum! I am a fan of Pepperide Farm's MILANOS.
• IAN (4D: McKellen who played Gandalf) Sir IAN McKellen has been acting professionally since 1961. His acting credits are numerous and encompass stage and screen. He portrayed the wizard Gandalf in both The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) and The Hobbit (2012-2014) trilogies. According to IAN McKellan's website, he has also "been an innovator on the Internet, with one of the earliest official sites for an actor." On his website, you can read blog entries he wrote while he was playing the role of Gandalf.
• INCA (6D: Quechua speakers)  In the late 1400s and early 1500s, the INCA Empire incorporated a large part of western South America, including portions of the modern-day countries of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. The official language of the INCA Empire was Quechua.
• OCT (8D: Canadian Thanksgiving mo.) In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October. The abbreviation of the word month in the clue indicates that the answer will be an abbreviation.
• NBA GAME (10D: Magic or Jazz performance) This clue is not referring to a performance of magic by Harry Houdini or jazz guitar by LES Paul. Rather, the reference here is to a GAME featuring the Orlando Magic or the Utah Jazz, two NBA teams.
• OSLO (17D: City home to the Munch Museum and Vigeland Park) The Munch Museum is located in OSLO, the capital of Norway. The museum is dedicated to the life and work of Edvard Munch (1863-1944), who donated all his work to OSLO when he died. The Norwegian painter is perhaps best known for his painting, The Scream. Also in OSLO is Vigeland Sculpture Park, a permanent sculpture installation created by Gustav Vigeland. The park includes over 200 sculptures made of granite, bronze, and wrought iron.
• OCD (33D: Condition that may involve compensatory behaviors) OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is a condition characterized by intrusive thoughts that often compel an individual to perform repetitive tasks in order to relieve distress.
• MET GALA (45D: Costume Institute Benefit, familiarly) The Costume Institute Benefit, familiarly called the MET GALA, is an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The MET GALA has a different theme every year. The theme for the first MET GALA in 1971 was "Fashion Plate."  If you have some spare time, you can peruse the Met Gala's past themes here.
• SITE (49D: Surfer's destination) A (web)SITE is the destination of one who is surfing the Internet. Not to be confused with a surfer in search of waves in the ocean. Clues that have double meanings such as this can be entertaining. They may also be confounding if you fall for the misdirect!

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• DELMONICO STEAK (16A: Beef cut named for a New York restaurant)
• TACO STAND (38A: Place with a carnitas or chorizo option, perhaps)
• NEW MEXICO STATE (64A: University with the Chile Pepper Institute)

HIDDEN COSTS: The word COST is HIDDEN within each theme answer: DELMONICO STEAK, TACO STAND, and NEW MEXICO STATE.

From today's title I correctly guessed that the theme would involve a HIDDEN word related to COSTS. That HIDDEN word turned out to be the word COST. There was a part of me that wished the title had been "Hidden Fees" or something similar just so I had to work a little harder at discovering the theme. Nonetheless, it's always satisfying to guess the theme correctly from the title. Thank you, Noelle, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers