Are your diners cutting back on “luxury” foods?  That would be a shame, especially with dining out itself becoming more of a luxury for some Americans.  But there is one traditionally higher-end food item that has managed to avoid skyrocketing prices: lobster.

Newsweek reports that the price of Maine lobster has effectively withstood the tougher economy.  If you’ve been reluctant to increase your menu prices, this could mean a better margin with lobster than some other dishes.  For ideas to add lobster to your menu, try searching the food blogs in our blogroll.  (If nothing else, you’ll get caught up on food gossip and get creative ideas for other dishes!)

If lobster just won’t do, there’s another simple way to save money on food: grow your own.  Of course, there’s only so much you can do, but as a restaurant blog on Allbusiness.com points out, “A simple task- harvesting our [own] tomatoes, cutting basil from a garden, snipping mint from a window box, or plucking squash flowers from those zucchini vines can often add more joy to the day- both for yourself, and your customer- than you would imagine.”

If not for profit, then why not start a little herb garden for “joy?”  The author also rightly points out that many budding chefs are starting to use home-grown ingredients in their restaurants, a sign that this trend may be here to stay.