• 2009’s spate of high-profile restaurant closings in Boston can be primarily traced back to the economy. [Globe]
• J.J. Foley’s Bar & Grille is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year. [Herald]
• Cafe Stella manager Harry Blum passed away last week. [Grub Street]
• Dunkin’ Donuts is currently embroiled in more than 350 lawsuits with franchisees, who charge that the company is trying to terminate their contracts. [Globe]
• Tom Cruise spent yesterday filming Wichita at Gaslight. [Loaded Gun]
• With the openings of chain Sugar Daddy’s in Amman, Beirut, and Dubai, the cupcake craze has hit the Middle East. [NYT]
• Even airlines are hopping on the mixology bandwagon, with both Mexicana Airlines and US Airways instituting cocktail programs. [Fork in the Road/VV]
• A judge has ruled that the USDA didn’t adequately access the environmental impact of genetically modified sugar beets before approving them for commercialization. [NYT]
• Crowd-sourced recipe wikis are on the rise, but some experts feel they’re a classic case of too many cooks in the kitchen. [NYT]
• One of the founders of egalitarian French food organization Le Fooding says the group has lost its way and “fallen into the spiral that is money.” [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
