Sel de la Terre’s Lunch Prix Fixe

Best of Boston 2006 Restaurant, Value

It’s easy to get a great meal in Boston if you’ve got money to burn. But frugal gourmets need an assist from benevolent restaurateurs. At bustling Sel de la Terre, the three-course lunch menu changes daily but always costs just $19 and includes expensive-tasting dishes like asparagus-lemon soup with crab dumpling; a grilled sausage, prune, and pine nut tajine; and strawberry cream cheese chocolate torte. 225 State St., Boston, 617-720-1300, www.seldelaterre.com.