Treat yourself to cheap lobster tonight at Meritage

For the past few months, we've been hearing about one of the few bright spots among soaring food prices--the falling cost of lobster. Right now, one of the best places to take advantage of lower lobster prices would be Meritage, with chef Russell Klein's New Year's Eve menu.
When I talked to Klein on the phone, he told me he'll be cooking the lobster sous vide in butter, which sounded fantastic. (What could be better than lobster dipped in butter? Lobster cooked sous vide in butter, that's what. Might the pressurized, slow-cooking process merge the butter directly with the flesh, transforming it into something we might call lobsterbutter?) In any case, Klein will be serving it with a smoked mushroom pain perdu (French toast, essentially), glazed pearl onions and carrots, and a red wine sauce--a flavor combination which should prove an exciting challenge for wine pairing.

Klein said he likes serving lobster but knows that its high price is a tough sell for most customers. This year, though, he's excited to be able to offer a pound and a half of lobster for under $40 bucks--in the past, he would have had to price it closer to $50. "It's so cheap right now," he says.

*Also, if you're looking for a place that's open on New Year's Day, Meritage will be serving dinner.