Calling it quits Confluence, chef/owner Mark McGraw's charming restaurant in Prescott, Wis., has closed, as has Otho Restaurant & Street Lounge, the year-old Asian fusion shop in downtown Minneapolis.
Cooking at the James Beard House FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar's chef, Paul Lynch, will be running the show in the kitchen at the James Beard House in New York City on Tuesday, preparing a late-autumn meal showcasing Midwestern ingredients. Reservations are $165 per person; call 1-212-627-2308.
Give the James Beard Foundation your online input for its 2009 chef and restaurant awards. Go to www.jamesbeard.org and suggest nominees in 19 categories, including Best Chef: Midwest.
Golden times for the Golden Arches Is McDonald's an economic bellwether? According to the New York Times, the company posted an 8.2 percent rise in sales during October for stores open a year or more, as diners migrated to cheaper fast-food options. Meanwhile, Starbucks reported that 4 percent fewer customers walked into the company's coffeehouses for the three-month period ending Sept. 28, and customers spent 3 percent less than they did during the same period a year ago.
Around town Next Thursday is a date to note at Spill the Wine (1101 Washington Av. S., Minneapolis, spillthewine restaurant.com), when former Pazzaluna chef Rino Baglio will join Spill the Wine chef Randy Gallegos and produce a five-course dinner with matching Italian wine pairings. Reservations are $69 per person; call 612-339-3388.
RICK NELSON
