An Insider's guide to restaurants, wine, spirits and culinary travel

glass half full: 11/2/2017

A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all)

“I was only trying to feed my pet crow.”

Thieves steal 700 kilograms of Pinot Noir and Chasselas grapes from Swiss vineyard:

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/10/thieves-steal-grapes-from-swiss-vineyard/

The dark side of the no-tipping policy:

Danny Meyer’s restaurants are losing key staff, and the ones that remain are unhappy.

http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/10/danny-meyer-no-tips-staff-expectations.html

Sacre bleu: Will there be margarine in your croissant?

French bakers are suddenly plagued by a severe butter shortage.

http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/10/france-croissant-prices-rising.html

Apparently, it’s not enough to ban drinking: you have to forbid people from even thinking about it.

By next year, alcohol ads will be forbidden on the New York City subway system.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/10/alcohol-adverts-banned-on-new-york-subway/

The next step: bury the winemaker for 18 months, and see if that improves the wine.

Three barrels of Beaujolais are unearthed after 18 months underground, and the producers pronounce them to be “magnificent.”

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/10/magnificent-buried-beaujolais-tasted/

I’ll take that can of Spam directly to the right of the diamond necklace:

Theft of Spam has become so commonplace in Hawaii that stores are locking up the product in glass cases:

http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/10/hawaii-spam-robberies.html