The Daily Dish: December 30, 2015

Today's first course?

Whole Foods Must Pay $500,000 for Overcharging Customers in Legal Settlement

Officials of Whole Foods have agreed to pay a half million dollars to settle allegations the grocery chain overcharged customers who live in New York City.The settlement comes after a lengthy investigation by the Department of Consumer Affairs, which tested 80 different types of packaged food at location across the city and found mislabeled weights on many items. The grocery store chain paid less than half of the city's original settlement offer of $1.5 million, agreeing instead to the $500,000 settlement to "put this issue behind us."

Town in Italy Bans Pizza-Making to Combat Smog Problem

As air pollution problems in Italy begin to grow, one town outside Naples has turned off its pizza ovens one by one. The mayor of San Vitaliano has temporarily banned most forms of pizza-making in an effort to fight the serious air pollution in the area. In fact, the town has some of the worst air quality in Italy, with locals describing the situation as "worse than Beijing." The mayor, in what some are calling a misguided act of desperation, has outlawed the use of wood-fired stoves in bakeries and pizzerias unless the owners install special air filters that will lessen the ovens' impact on the environment. Any restaurant, bakery, or pizzeria found violating the new measure faces fines of up to 1,032 euros.

Chicago Bulls' Pau Gasol Calls Deep Dish Pizza 'Just a Cake of Melted Cheese'

Well, speaking of Pizza, lovers of pizza, especially if you love Chicago deep-dish, you may want to cover your ears. During a recent interview with GQ Magazine, Chicago Bulls center and power forward Pau Gasol had some critical and potentially incendiary words for deep dish pizza, one of Chicago's most prized culinary inventions. He said quote "I've tried it. I'm not a fan of this deep dish pizza. To me, it's just a cake of melted cheese. I like the thin-crusted pizzas better." Although he has played for the Bulls since 2014 and has been in NBA since 2001, the Barcelona-born player has no particular ties to Chicago or its food history, which is perhaps why he lacks the deep connection those who live in Chicagoland typically feel for deep dish.

Well that's today's Daily Dish, thanks for watching. Stop by tomorrow for another helping.