Lunch Room Chatter: Food-for-dope program

The latest in food news, ideas and philosophy, just in time for your lunch break.

• More robots! A Japanese sushi chain avoids the country's restaurant death spiral through sheer automation. (New York Times)

• The French would never eat at Minibar: "Unlike Americans, French people don’t make long-term dining reservations. The feeling is “How do I know where I want to eat two months from now?” And I tend to agree." (David Lebovitz)

• Trust me, you don't want to know their methods. (Twitter)

• "Hey, man, we heard, like, if you bring in four cans of pork and beans, you get a free spliff." (NPR)

• GMO vs. organic: Can't we all just get along? (Food Safety News)

• Know your cuts of meat, USDA-style. (USA Today)

• Street food advice for the utterly clueless. (Midtown Lunch)

• Prediction for 2011 that may actually come true: "Food writer’s right ring finger falls off after typing 'local' one time too many." (Eater)

• 2010: The year we cared about the health of what we ate. (SlashFood)

• Thomas Keller's latest creation: a magazine. (Inside Scoop SF)