• The boom in the New York cocktail scene has coincided with a boom in naming cocktails, including such gems as “Penelope Cruiser” and “From Beirut With Passion.” [NYT]
• When Danish restaurant Noma was named the best in the world earlier this year, they saw a 2,000 percent increase in reservation requests. [WSJ]
• Cookbook author Katie Lee is working on a novel that “has a surfing theme to it and is set in Mexico.” [HuffPo]
• A California rice farmer is trying to apply the commercial elements of locavorism and provenance to the product he sells to sushi restaurants, a first for small-farmed grains. [AP]
• Sears is considering expanding its inventory to include groceries. [Chicago Tribune]
• Many smaller European airlines still serve in-flight meals for even short-haul flights. [Bucks/NYT]
• The Food Network has teamed up with Celebrity Cruises to launch “Food Network at Sea,” a seven-night Caribbean vacation featuring cameos from chefs Cat Cora and Aaron Sanchez. [USAT]
