Subway plans beer and wine in Colorado airport

GRAND JUNCTION, CO -- Burger King, which recently opened in Miami the chain's first burger-and-beer bar, has nothing on Subway.

The sandwich shop chain will be offering both beer and wine at a new Subway sandwich shop under construction at the Grand Junction Regional Airport.

The Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority this week approved the franchise store's plans to serve alcohol when it opens on the airport terminal's second floor in May or April.

Kevin Kane, spokesman for Subway in its Milford, CT, headquarters, said alcohol is not served at stores that have street access, but there are exceptions when it's part of the lease agreement with the landlord. The airport will hold the liquor license.

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Mass. tightens food allergen notifications

BOSTON, MA -- In the Bay State, tourists and residents alike will be given more information at restaurants on potential food allergens beginning this summer.

The state Department of Public Health unveiled new requirements this week that will require restaurants to be more proactive in addressing potential allergic reactions.

Restaurant employees will be required to undergo training and education on preventing foods from becoming contaminated by allergy-inducing items. Restaurants also will be required to post allergy alert stickers on all menus to notify staff and customers before orders are placed.

"This law isn’t perfect, but it’s a meaningful first step towards raising awareness," said Janine Harrod, director of government affairs for the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. "It emphasizes the responsibility of the food-allergic customer to remain vigilant about everything they put into their bodies."

The new regulations have been in the works for several years, with the industry being largely cooperative.

Harrod said that, while the law does not now require operators to post allergy alerts on menu boards and drive-thrus, the Public Health Council can expand the scope of requirements before the requirements are formally adopted into law in April.

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'30 Most Important Restaurants' rated

Interested in eating at the best -- or at least top-rated -- places in town, depending on which town you plan to visit?

The annual "30 Most Important Restaurants in the United States," compiled by the online guide Opinionated About Dining, lists Thomas Keller's French Laundry in the Napa Valley, CA, and Per Se in New York as the tops this year.

The annual survey was conducted between September 1, 2009, and January 8 of this year. It is based on more than 29,000 rankings from about 1,900 respondents.

The list is composed of restaurants that earn a rating of at least 95 points in the Opinionated About Dining guide.

This was the second straight top finish for the French Laundry with a perfect score of 100. Per Se scored 99.73 to rank second.

The full survey, which examines 1,000 restaurants throughout the United States, will be released March 1. Here, however, is the Top 30 list:

1. The French Laundry, Yountville, CA, 100
2. Per Se, New York, 99.73
3. Masa, New York, 99.00
4. Manresa, Los Gatos, Calif., 98.53
5. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY, 98.50
6. Mini-Bar, Washington, DC, 98.48
7. Urasawa, Beverly Hills, CA, 98.43
8. Jean Georges, New York, 98.30
9. Alinea, Chicago, 97.78
10. Corton, New York, 97.53
11. McCrady's, Charleston, SC, 97.50
12. Le Bernardin, New York, 97.17
13. Sushi Yasuda, New York, 97.08
14. Guy Savoy, Las Vegas, 97.00
15. Schwa, Chicago, 96.71
16. Kuruma Sushi, New York, 96.43
17. Eleven Madison Park, New York, 96.27
18. Momofuku Ko, New York, 96.26
19. Komi, Washington, DC, 96.11
20. (tie) Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA, 95.93
20 (tie) Providence, Los Angeles, 95.93
22. Marinus, Carmel, CA, 95.81
23. Town House, Chilhowie, VA, 95.73
24. Coi, San Francisco, 95.72
25. Hugo's, Portland, ME., 95.66
26. Bouley, New York, 95.45
27. Aubergine, Carmel-By-the-Sea, CA, 95.39
28. L' Atelier de Joel Robuchon, New York, 95.28
29. O Ya, Boston, 95.16
30. Elements, Princeton, NJ, 95.04.

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DC prepping for International Wine & Food Fest

WASHINGTON, DC -- Finishing touches are being put on the 11th annual DC International Wine & Food Festival, set for February 11-14.

The four-day event will feature more than 600 wines, along with a variety of events at various venues.

The major event is the Grand Tasting & Street-Fare Food Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Saturday and Sunday, February 13-14, from 2 to 6 p.m.

The festival will conclude with a screening of the film "Bottle Shock," a movie about how Napa Valley’s Montelena Winery challenged France’s position as the world’s top wine producer in 1976, putting California wines on the map.

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