• Gitane, The Tipsy Pig, Lime and Mamacita were all included in Open Table’s list of the Top 50 Vibrant Bar Scenes in the country. [Open Table]
• Kitchen Gagdet Girl arrives at Day Five of her “12 Days of Local Christmas”: Five Wheels of Cheese. [Kitchen Gadget Girl]
• Champagne cocktail how-to for holiday parties (which basically consists of pouring champagne and topping with a little something else). [Bay Area Bites]
• The White House vegetable garden was planted with spinach, lettuce, carrots, mustard greens, chard, and cabbage for the winter. [AP via Google]
• Vegetarian dining in Paris? It’s not as hard to find as you’d think. [Gridskipper]
A pictorial guide to the sauce-drenched tortas ahogadas of Los Angeles. [LA Weekly]