By John Keefe, CBS MoneyWatch.com

ShareEmailDiggFacebookTwitterGoogleDeliciousStumbleUponNewsvineLinkedInMy YahooTechnoratiRedditPrintRecommend0I’m trying to be ironic, of course; I would never suggest anyone take up crime. But an association of Italian businesses, SOS Impresa, has released its latest annual commentary, and finds that the mob, at least the Italian arm, has fared pretty well in the downturn, making up about seven percent of GDP, and probably creating a lot of new jobs. Continue Reading »Job Creation? How About The Mafia?

By Amanda Gold, San Francisco Chronicle

Look back at what Americans were eating in the 1960s, and granola will undoubtedly be on the list. With an interest in “healthy” eating, hippies and their brethren were driven toward this whole-grain cereal – then a pretty bland mixture of oats and other grains.

Today, decades after its initial popularity, granola has moved far beyond the association with Birkenstock clogs and dreadlocks to get a major face-lift. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Bay Area. Continue Reading »Granola Sheds Its Hippie Air For Modern Flair

By Adrianne Pasquarelli, Crains

Girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives beware. Your sweetie may be skimping on your Valentine’s Day gift this year. Couples plan to spend almost 6% less on gifts for their significant others this year, according to an annual spending survey conducted by the National Retail Federation. The average person is expected to spend about $63.34 on his or her partner, down from $67.22 last year, as consumers tighten their wallets and cut back on spending. Continue Reading »Cupid To Miss Retailers, Hit Restaurants

By Patrick Comiskey, Los Angeles Times

Is the Cult Cab dead? The current economy has created ominous rumblings in the market for Napa Valley wine. Demand for high-end super-premium Cabs, even so called “cult” wines, has weakened considerably with the recession. Sales are stagnant, inventories are high and direct-mail customers — a vital piece of the high-end model — are abandoning once-coveted positions on mailing lists, while those who have waited years for the opportunity to buy in are overwhelmed with offers. Continue Reading »Days For High-end Napa Wines May Be Numbered

By ExpressNightOut.com

There’s a new food trend that’s way hotter right now — as long as it’s prepared correctly. Oatmeal, the glue-hued classic breakfast dish, is an unlikely craze, but suddenly it’s everywhere. Starbucks has hawked its “Perfect Oatmeal” for a year and a half, and now McDonald’s and Caribou Coffee are going with the grain, too, so all three chains are hoping Washingtonians warm up to the idea. Continue Reading »New Obsession With Oatmeal

By David Goll, Business Journal

The sector, sandwiched between fast-food giants and fancy restaurants, has been dominated for years by Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger — with 10 of its 240 locations in Santa Clara County. New challengers are now salivating over the San Jose area’s stable, affluent consumer market, despite the recession and current high rate of unemployment. Continue Reading »Premium Burgers Are Sizzling