In a post, The Stalwart: Peter Luger — Latest ethanol victim we learn about how the ethanol industry, which is being touted in the political realm as a solution to the energy problems the US faces, is having an effect on other stuff as well.
Of particular concern is the wholesale price of beef.
[due to] demand for ethanol and a harsh winter … the price of corn … rise about 60 percent over the past few months [...] After slaughtering, transporting and butchering, a restaurant’s cost for a well-trimmed steak may be 30 percent higher” (unsourced by The Stalwart)
Read the un-cited-by-TheStalwart NYT article to find out how it’s affecting Peter Luger’s.