Welcome to Food Week December 6. A lot here after the holiday. Some of it good news, some bad, a fair amount of uncertainty and a lot to be skeptical about. Enjoy!

MACRO

• Labor market bounces back in November after weak October.

• Conservative investors wondering how long alternative investment boom will last. Some of it is surely bolstered by discussions of a strategic crypto reserve in case of…?

• Retail winners and losers from Black Friday.

RETAIL AND CONSUMER

• The FTC decides to give up challenge to Kroger Albertson’s merger, in what is probably an attempt to avoid conflict with the incoming administration. Which greatly increases the odds of it happening. But Kroger’s CEO is being coy.

• Here are some Costco duplicate products that are better than the originals. Caveat – they name egg bites, knocked off from Starbuck’s, whereas I hapen to know the same manufacturer makes both.

• CPG brands up for the first time in 3 years.

• Dollar General testing same day delivery.

• Foxtrot/ Dom’s Market re-opens rather quickly after bankruptcy.

RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE

• El Toro, a steakhouse in Morocco, said to have the best steak in the world.

• Chi Chi’s rises from the dead. Went out of business after 2003 outbreak killed 4 and made 650 sick.

• Worst to best Chinese restaurant chains. TL;DR Worst: Asian Chao. Best: Lao Sze Chuan. Also, healthiest fast food restaurants.

• Fort Carson base doesn’t have enough food for soldiers.

FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

• USDA announces a rule that all US milk is to be tested for bird flu. Surely there will be push back from the industry, not to mention the raw milk folks. Oh, by the way, a raw milk farmer who has had his products recalled 13 times has been asked by RFK Jr. to be an adviser to the FDA. We’re so screwed.

• Speaking of which, you would think plans to reduce cow burps – thereby slowing climate change – would be a pretty easy fix. But there are people out there spreading false rumors that it will ruin the flavor.

• The Oklahoma secretary of energy and environment and director of the department of energy was fired by the Governor after he appeared at a court hearing for a state lawsuit against poultry processors for polluting. Meantime the fertilizer companies looking to legislators to protect them against lawsuits over toxic pollution.

• Sad story about a turkey farmer dealing with Avian Influenza on Thanksgiving.

• US growing less food. It’s always about incentives.

DRINKS

• Jacques Pepin, a lovely man, shares his mulled cider recipe

• An Ohio legislator introduced a bill to require high end bottles of liquor to be opened at time of purchase to prevent a secondary market and counterfeits. Apparently they don’t have many problems in Ohio.

• Holiday cocktails. And 5 obscure gin cocktails including the Obituary.

• Michter’s just goes on about its business, making some of the finest whiskeys in the world.

• The whiskey Advent calendar.

FOOD WEEK December 6 LAGNIAPPE

• Holiday peanut M&Ms sound pretty good.

• Tillamook named best cheddar in the world.

• Coffee is good for the gut. Sugar is terrible generally.

• The FDA is weighing a ban on Red Dye 3, even though the science is now suggesting it is not harmful to humans.

• Centro Abastur, the food market in Mexico City and a great visit, will install over 32k phot-voltaic modules to its roof. This will help convert buses to electricity.

• The difference between Rump Roast and Chuck Roast.