I can't stop dreaming about a perfect late-summer lobster dinner. It began with a picture of lobster and avocado salad in the latest Saveur—the sight of a whole orange-and-pink-speckled lobster tail mingling with buttery avocado stirred something deep inside me. But, as is often the case with dreams, fulfillment eludes me.

I went to Sea Garden (509 Seventh Ave S, 623-2100) hoping to have fresh lobster with Supreme Soup Sauce, but budget constraints prohibited spending the $80 the market demands. Then my friend alerted me to Red Lobster's new marketing campaign and, vulnerable, I find myself inappropriately moved by Red Lobster president Edna K. Morris's explanation of the new slogan "Share the Love": "It's about an emotional connection, with each other and about a connection to seafood." Amen. Perhaps when I'm feeling especially daring, I will hit the nearest Red Lobster (4231 196th St SW, Lynnwood, 425-672-1137) for some Love.

But here's what will actually happen: Monday night I'll splurge on a fresh lobster from Mutual Fish (2335 Rainier Ave S, 322-4368), which I will steam and eat sloppily while watching Two and a Half Men and drinking cans of Olympia. My lobster dinner reality will be way better than my fantasy.