Expansions to Los Angeles and South Korea, the launch of a coffee roasting business, the closure of three high-profile restaurants, a unionization effort, and the divorce of its founders are just part of what's covered in a new piece in The New Yorker about Tartine Bakery.

The staff at Tartine's four main Bay Area locations are taking a vote this week on whether to join the ILWU, and both some local restaurateurs and some on the staff are wondering aloud whether the operation can survive unionization.