seasonal

Dairy prices seem to be going up faster than cream rises to the top of a vat of milk. While relative bargains were available when cheese prices crashed in January 2009, there's been a surge upward since then. To ease the pain, some operators can cut down on the number of cheesy appetizers and entrees they serve, but concepts that focus on pizza, cheeseburgers, enchiladas and quesadillas simply can't do without it.

During Lent, crowds of diners stay away from red meat on Fridays, while others give it up for a full 40 days until April 7—the Saturday before Easter Sunday. To cater to the observant, many eateries are swapping out meat for fish and adding specific Lenten menu items.