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Bachelor Ben Brings His Wine to the Marina; ‘Pine Nut Mouth’ Re-Examined

• Tomorrow night, Bachelor Ben Flajnik will be hosting a walk-around winemaker dinner/tasting at Marengo on Union with his Envolve Winery. We can’t confirm there are still tickets but you can email here to find out or they’re $75 at the door. [Eater]

• Here are some really bleak and depressing photos of almost-empty refrigerator cases and shelves at a Berkeley Safeway that is about to close for renovations. [Berkeleyside]

• There’s been an accounting scandal involving California-based Diamond Foods, the walnut processor that also makes Emerald Nuts, that has sent their stock price plummeting. [Reuters/HuffPo]

• Sales at sit-down restaurants were up almost 9% in 2011 over the previous year, which is a big indicator of a rebounding economy. [NYT]

• Sorry, everyone, scientists are just as mystified as you about that strange metallic taste you sometimes get after eating pine nuts, either the ones you get from Trader Joe’s or elsewhere. [Salt/NPR, Earlier]

• Among the baby names that Jessica Simpson and fiancé Eric Johnson had considered was Zinfandel. Because the kid wouldn’t grow up to be a raging alcoholic or anything. [In Touch]

• Turns out millions of urinary-tract infections in the U.S. might be caused by bacteria found in chicken; and they’re increasingly drug-resistant. [Atlantic]

• Both McDonald’s and the French supermarket chain Carrefour have been accused of selling expired food in Beijing. [CBS News]

• Don’t kid yourself: Chances are grocery-store ground beef contains some pink slime. Will this news finally squelch the raging burger trend? [Salt/NPR]

Bachelor Ben Brings His Wine to the Marina; ‘Pine Nut