Eat Sizzling Loco Moco Today (and More Updates)

Welcome back to Morning Briefing, an almost-daily round-up of mini news bites to kick off the day.

Free Lobster Roll for, Like, One of You

If your name happens to be Luke, and you like lobster, you may be in luck today, December 15. (If your name is not Luke, you can skip down to the next section.) Luke’s Lobster is “celebrati[ing] Luke’s namesake kin on the silver screen” — aka Luke Skywalker — with a promotion in honor of the new Star Wars release. Those with a first or last name of Luke or Lucas can present an ID at any Luke’s Lobster location today for a free lobster roll. This is limited to the first 20 eligible Lukes at each location of Luke’s, so get there early in case Boston is full of lobster-loving Lukes. The promotion runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., or until all the free lobster rolls have been claimed. Boston’s Luke’s locations are at 53 Northern Ave. in the Seaport District, 290 Washington St. in Downtown Crossing, and 75 Exeter St. in Back Bay.

Should Critics Review Work by Accused Harassers and Abusers?

It’s a question that is coming up more and more these days, in the restaurant industry and beyond. How does a critic — restaurant, film, music, or otherwise — balance a responsibility to tell readers about, for example, the hot new restaurant opening or giant film release, with the news that someone involved in its creation has been accused of, and has perhaps admitted to, terrible behavior? Should they review it at all? Is it fair to readers, and to others who worked on the project, to ignore it? To complicate things, what if the critic has heard lots of off-the-record allegations, but nothing has ever been published — should they quietly ignore that restaurant, film, etc.? Or review it as if they heard nothing? Many are digging into this question. Boston Globe critics from several disciplines — including food critic Devra First — came together to discuss this; their conversation is worth a read.

Sexual Harassment in Boston’s Restaurant Industry

In related news, if you are in the local restaurant industry and want to come together to talk about sexual harassment, get in touch with Matt Jennings at Townsman; he is planning an industry-only discussion this winter. “We need to heal and we need to stay positive,” he wrote on Twitter.

Booze News

Edible Boston published a feature on Everett’s Short Path Distillery (71 Kelvin St.), describing the distillery’s origins in the three founders’ obsession with scotch. As it turns out, they’re only just now getting into whiskey-making, several years after opening their distillery. The first batch of single-malt could be available around February if all goes as planned. Short Path’s existing product line includes a number of gins, rums, and more.

Non-Booze News

Remember Polar’s “Impossibly Good” line of seltzers that featured whimsical labels full of yetis, mermaids, and such? They were hard to find, and then they were a little easier to find, and then they disappeared into the mist. Anyway, they’re back — and in vending machines this time — but only for a couple weeks, and in only a small number of locations. All proceeds will be donated to local schools to supports arts programs. Keep an eye on the Instagram hashtag #SeltzerJR to find the vending machines.

One Thing You Should Eat Today

Sizzling fajitas may be a ‘90s relic, but there’s still something so satisfying about a dish that hits the table sizzling. Head to Momi Nonmi in Cambridge’s Inman Square (1128 Cambridge St.) to try chef-owner Chris Chung’s take on a Hawaiian classic, loco moco: rice topped with a beef patty and sunny side up egg — and then sizzlingly topped with gravy tableside. It’s available on all of the restaurant’s menus: weekday lunch, weekend brunch, dinner, and late-night. Nothing better than late-night loco moco and a sake flight.

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