Your Daily Dose of Food News, Events and Must-Read Miscellany

1. Tom Douglas’s Scandinavian-themed bar Andra Loft opens today in the Hotel Andra. Seattle Met has the details on the “badass Swedish food” like meatballs, gravlax, and venison; cocktails with Scandinavian spirits; Ballard-brewed beer; and appropriately minimalist decor.

2. Salish Lodge’s Music on The Green summer concert series starts up again Thursday and runs through August 14. Tickets are $125 per pair and come with a gourmet picnic basket filled with treats from Salish Lodge & Spa’s Chef Steven Snook, including fresh local cherries; orzo salad with Camp Korey herb pesto, charred corn, and wilted arugula; roasted Marcona almonds; house-marinated pickles; and a Grand Central baguette with Salumi meats and a selection of cheeses.

3. Yesterday was the last day in business for Louie’s Cuisine of China, which had been open in Ballard for 37 years.

4. NBC News is running a series of articles detailing the crisis facing America’s Breadbasket due to the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. The effects are staggering, and will impact food production in a region that has historically fed much of the country – and the world.