Good (Food) News and Bad (Food) News

Well, it's another Wednesday morning, and the nation's newsmakers have been busy in their little hives exuding food news for us to digest. First, sorry about the cranky tone. I have a sinus infection that just won't die:

Coast to Coast, Restaurants That Count by Frank Bruni (NY Times): Apologies to all my coworkers, but I've come to loathe our tendency in Seattle to jump up and wave our hands around every time the NYT mentions our fair city. Yet here I am, pointing you to its restaurant critic's new feature on 10 restaurants outside Metropolis that "matter," because his first installment includes Tilth. (Congratulations, Maria!)

Chef Scott Simpson Returns to His First Love—Comfort Food by Nancy Leson (Seattle Times): So for some local news, a profile of the chef behind Ballard's upcoming Lunchbox Laboratory.

Big Foot by Michael Specter (New Yorker): Speaking of local, this week's New Yorker has a long piece questioning the whole "food miles" rationale for buying local. Two notes: A) I'm posting this because it's free online right now and you'll be hearing about it for the next few weeks, but I haven't read it -- that's my bus activity today. B) I wonder if this isn't just a longer, better written recap of a piece the Financial Times ran 18 months ago.

Harkin: 2002 Farm Bill Extension Most Likely Outcome by Peter Shinn (Brownfield, thanks to Ethicurian): One of the sticking points to passing the 2007 Farm Bill is that George "I'm no lame duck" Bush is threatening a veto.

I Really Hope You Said Fork by Alexandra Gill (Globe & Mail, thanks to Chow): No, you're not just getting older. Restaurants are getting louder.

Last, I leave you with a mention of new heights in food processing. On Oscar night a friend and I were agog at an ad for Freschetta PizzAmore, a frozen pizza that comes presliced, because frozen pizza isn't enough of a convenience food. Then I find a post on Serious Eats reportin that Kraft is coming up with a bagel already spread with cream cheese.

UPDATE: Just finished the New Yorker piece, and the food miles discussion was only a small part of it. And man, have reforestation projects moved to the top of my charitable giving list.