A batch of morning linkage before you head out for the long weekend, including the strangest Nicolas Cage story you’ll hear ALL MORNING, Patricia Unterman’s top dishes of the year, some evolution at HB&G, and more reading from around the web:

From the local scene:

• Patricia Unterman picks her 10 favorite bites of the year, including some from Mr. Pollo (pictured), Broken Record and Tuba.. [SF Examiner]
• Healdsburg Bar & Grill is getting a little smokier in the new year. [BiteClub]
• Q&A with Nova bartender Lorelei Ryan, who shares a funny/weird Nicolas Cage story:”Nic Cage came into the Matrix. He wore a long trench coat and kinda looked like a vagabond. He drank mojitos straight up; I was so star-struck I had to get somebody else to make it. He started checking IDs at the door because he thought it was funny.” So, yeah. [SF Examiner]

From the national scene:

• The return of rye, and Anchor’s role in the revival. [New York Times]
• The owner and the manager of a San Diego restaurant were sentenced in federal court Thursday to serve probation and pay nearly $400,000 in fines after pleading guilty to knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants. [Los Angeles Times]
• This week, Epicurious.com began selling 75 Random House e-cookbooks by chefs like Bobby Flay and Alice Waters. [Publishers Weekly]

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2011/12/23/eye-openers-wherein-a-mojito-swilling-nicolas-cage-pretended-to-be-a-bouncer-at-the-matrix/