Bud Lite makers sue Ontario craft brewer, the anatomy of a restaurant closure, rice-pairing guide
• The Star reports that Ontario beer maker Brick Brewing Co. is being sued for copyright infringement by the makers of Bud Light Lime. Heavyweights Anheuser-Busch and Labatt, makers of the crazy-popular citrus brew, say that Brick’s Red Baron Lime beer violates their trademark agreements. [Toronto Star]
• In an emotional article, a sous-chef at the recently shuttered Eccolo in San Francisco dissects the anatomy of a restaurant closure. Dining rooms fail with such frequency that it’s easy for patrons to forget what’s at stake behind the kitchen doors; in this case, it was a battle between quality local ingredients and rising costs. Jamie Kennedy knows a thing or two about that. [San Francisco Chronicle]
• Can’t tell basmati from texmati? Jasmine from arborio? With the proliferation of rice varieties at the grocery store in the past decade, the grain aisle has become difficult to navigate. Enter the Chicago Tribune with a guide to all things rice, including what to cook with each kind. [Chicago Tribune]
• With the recent ascension of Sam Sifton to the food critic throne at the New York Times, and the consequent mass e-mailing of his photo to every restaurant in the tristate region, food writers say the end of anonymous criticism is nigh. But is this really a problem? Many waiters, chefs and writers think the critic-in-disguise trope was a sham to begin with. Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl, famous for her multiple disguises, disagrees. [Maclean’s]
• The brain can tell the difference between real and artificial sweeteners even when the tongue can’t, a new study reports. Scientists say that even when test subjects couldn’t distinguish an aspartame-sweetened drink from one sweetened with real sugar, the two activated different parts of the brain. [L.A. Times]
