• Ian Cauble, lead sommelier and wine director at the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay, just won a national prize in the TOP | Somm competition, besting 200 other competitors. [Examiner]
• Thomas Keller just opened his fifth Bouchon Bakery, this time on the ground floor of Bouchon in Beverly Hills. [Eater LA]
• An excellent essay on what makes a good critic, be it of food, movies, or art. [The Awl]
• To the surprise of no one, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond has landed herself a Food Network show. For a so-called pioneer, she’s awfully tech-savvy. [Knox News]
• “Extreme couponing” is now a thing, thanks to a TLC show by the same name. Enthusiasts are stealing newspapers to get more vouchers and wiping out entire shelves of grocery items. [USAT]
• D.C. chef RJ Cooper had an extensive “contract” diners had to agree to before dining at his new restaurant, Rogue 24, but after much outcry, he’s scaled back the rules. [Eater DC]
• A couple of adolescents in Hazelwood, Missouri, were banned by the city from selling Girl Scout Cookies out of their driveway; they fought back by suing. Only in Hazelwood, kids. [HuffPo]
