Balking in Memphis: Business owners in Tennessee are scoffing at a law that allows guns in restaurants (Photo by Mykl Roventine)
• After years of mushy bean burgers and what she calls the “tyrannical rise of mushroom risotto,” a London veggie says she finally found decent vegetarian right here in Toronto. She was so impressed with Fresh’s sunflower rice bowl that she lugged their cookbook back across the sea. Start marinating the tofu, Toronto—our food culture is getting props in Europe. [Guardian]
• Tennessee’s gun owners now have the right to bear arms in bars and restaurants, as long as they carry a permit and the establishment allows it. Angry business owners in Memphis have reacted by posting no-gun signs, which show a picture of a pistol in a red circle with a slash through it. [Biz Journals]
• The food critic for the Baltimore Sun says her reviews just aren’t as influential as they used to be, and she’s blaming it on the proliferation of Web sites like Urbanspoon. Elizabeth Large wants to remind the amateurs that she’s never enjoyed eating bad meals or hurting feelings. When will people learn that reviewers like HungryDood69 just aren’t as good as the pros? [Baltimore Sun]
• Speaking of amateur reviews: The School Bakery and Café offered a response to a recent comment on Martini Boys. After anonymous reader “Chris” chastised the restaurant for slow brunch service, School posted an apology that would make a New York publicist proud. While we applaud SBC for its honesty, we’re a bit worried about the precedent. There’s no way to tell if the comment was posted by a maligned customer or just malicious competition. [Martini Boys]
• USDA prime steak is showing up at Costco for $10 per pound, all thanks to shrinking demand. Just two years ago, the entire supply of prime beef would have been snatched up by high-end restaurants, leaving none for the shelves of the local megastore. The article says even Wagyu has come down in price. Combine that with barbecue season and the lousy economy, and steak houses certainly do have a reason to worry. [Wall Street Journal]
This week’s pick is a $25 prix fixe deal that’s quite possibly the closest thing downtowners can get to a midday trip to southern France.
