Organic Beer, New and Exciting Additives, Great Fried Chicken

Deege@fermentarium/Flickr

​​Today's notes on national stories, local trends, random tastes, and other bycatch dredged up from the food media.

1. In the East Bay Express, Alastair Bland (occasional SFoodie contributor) describes the conundrum Berkeley's Bison Brewing is facing. Until now, organic beers could be made with 5 percent nonorganic ingredients (measured by weight); the wiggle room allowed Bison to brew with organic grains and conventional hops. Stricter organic regulations go into effect in 2013, which means there's soon going to be stiff competition for high-quality organic hops. Will ThirstyBear be affected, too?

2. Melamine? Who does that anymore? Today's hot additive is clenbuterol, aka "lean meat powder": Makes Chinese pork pink, gives diners headaches, stomach cramps, and death.

3. Earlier this week, I finally got to try the Maverick fried chicken. My word, it really is everything it's reported to be: craggy, tawny, crunchy, infallibly tender to the tip of the boneless breast. Leftovers weren't bad the next morning, either.