The right to sell rice: white vs. basmati, and more

The right to sell rice: white vs. basmati

Two restaurants in a Rhode Island mall food court are in the fifth year of a legal battle over the right to sell rice. David Chu, owner of Cathay Cathay, says he pays extra rent to be the mall’s sole provider of white rice, which he calls “the backbone” of Chinese food. But Yogi Sood of Gourmet India says his lease allows him to sell basmati rice—a long-grained strain of white rice—which he calls the “must ingredient” of Indian cuisine. Legal fees so far have totaled $250,000.

Utah's strange new liquor law

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The state legislature in alcohol-unfriendly Utah is considering a bill that would require bars and restaurants to prepare all alcoholic beverages behind a 10-foot wall. A Senate committee approved the measure, designed to protect children from the tempting sight of drinks being mixed. Liquor commissioner Gordon Strachan voiced his opposition. “Not only is the cost significant,” said Strachan, “it makes Utah look even stranger.”