Thanks to increases in the prices of commodities like beef, many food chains are adjusting their menus to reflect higher prices across the board. Many food suppliers are renegotiating long-term contracts with purveyors, and with beef and veal costing almost 20% more, places like McDonald's, Chili's, and Carl's Jr. will have to adapt to these culinary hard times. From the HuffPo: Even fast-food leader McDonald's Corp. is considering making some changes to its popular......

An opinion piece in today's LA Times raises the issue of what seems to be the rampant Pinkberry-fication of many of our local neighborhoods, using recent food and retail closings and openings in the popular Larchmont Village as an example of how major-chain development affects the unique vibe of a given area. Larchmont Village, which is the bustling strip of shops located on Larchmont Boulevard between Beverly Boulevard and 1st Street, is starting to......