san francisco chronicle

Last week the San Francisco Chronicle ran an interesting article that discusses the role of music in the commercial kitchen and features the favored playlists of several Bay Area chefs. With so much time spent prepping, it's no surprise that "music cuts through the monotony of the day," according to one chef. Although cooking at home is very different from being in a restaurant kitchen, I too enjoy listening to some groovy tunes. My favorite cooking music is Chambao, a Spanish group whose flamenco fusion is fabulously chill. How about you? What tunes do you listen to while cooking?
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Earlier this year, we broached the question of whether it was fair for establishments to impose a built-in surcharge for large dinner parties — and many of you were strongly opposed. But how would you feel if taxes and gratuities were eliminated altogether?

Frank Klein, owner of San Francisco's Fish & Farm, thinks the idea has potential to succeed in times like these. According to San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer, Klein will remodel Fish & Farm, reopening with a new menu that has all-inclusive prices.

The restaurant's new tabs will have "no surcharges, no extras, no nothing above what it says on the menu. We are going to become the anti-surcharge restaurant." The waitstaff will still be adequately compensated because the computer will automatically deduct sales tax and 18.5 percent gratuity for every check.

Although this isn't a new concept — it's standard in many countries like France — it's uncommon to see in America. At a time when many Americans feel nickel-and-dimed, does this strategy have the potential to succeed — and catch on in other restaurants?

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Bill Niman created the Niman Ranch meat empire with his progressive farming techniques. Today, he won't even eat the company's products. The sustainable agriculture pioneer, who spearheaded the food movement to raise livestock sustainably, humanely, and naturally, is speaking out against the new owners of Niman Ranch, the brand he founded more than 30 years ago. Last month, the company was bought out by Natural Food Holdings, its chief investor since 2006 — and, according to The San Francisco Chronicle, its founder believes that its meat program has already changed in fundamental ways.When he first founded Niman Ranch in 1977, Niman set the bar for ethical ranching standards by raising cattle on grass in a free-range setting, forbidding growth hormones, and using antibiotics only if animals grew sick. He now opposes many of the company's modifications, including use of antimicrobials, the closing of company-owned cattle feedlots, and the treatment of cattle in their journey to slaughter. In response, Niman Ranch's current CEO Jeff Swain defended his company's integrity:

I think idealism . . . has to be couched with practicality . . . The company-owned feedlot was sold in 2008 because it was not financially viable . . . We believe that our protocols are stronger, the auditing of the protocols more rigorous, and the current business model is more financially viable.

He also claims the company has turned its profitability around: the company is now making $7,000 a week, rather than losing $10,000. The article raises an even bigger question: whether sustainable agriculture — and brands founded on idealism in general — can sustain a profit themselves.

What do you think? Do you stand with Bill Niman, or Niman Ranch?

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