|
What: OPENING NIGHT AT THE HOUSE OF PERONI
When: 02.07.13 7PM Where: 41 PORTLAND PLACE, LONDON. W1B 1QH We had a ball at the opening of The House of Peroni. The music was great, the people were stylish, and the cocktails were different and stunning. They had Peroni beer in them and looked great too. The food was cooked by the Michelin-Starred Costardi Brothers, Christian and Manuel. There risotto was superb (and served in a can, a great touch) and I also loved their pea soup with mozzarella and croutons. The brothers are head chefs at the family-run Michelin-starred Hotel Cinzia in Vercelli. Their grandparents opened the hotel in 1967. Their food went down a treat and everyone was tucking in without any self consciousness as the food was so great. We even bumped into Antonio Carluccio. If he liked the food, it must be pretty good!
There was also great art, a favourite of mine was by Milan based visual artist Carlo Bernardini. The light artist works with optic fibre. His art is below. His use of light and space was amazing and you could not tell where the walls in the room were. Bernardini is an artist of exceptional talent.
We had an amazing night. Visit the The House of Peroni.soon for a great dose of Italian style.
      |
Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage
Julien Macdonald, Tamara Ecclestone and Melissa Odabash celebrating original movie poster launch
British fashion designer, Julien Macdonald and billionaire model Tamara Ecclestone were among the famous faces who turned up to celebrate the official launch of an original movie poster gallery in the city.
Thanks to there incredible success online At The Movies have officially opened their new gallery/shop in London’s Marylebone district. Specialising in original and vintage movie posters (not the kind of posters you can just pick up at your local shop) these posters are the cinemas-used original posters that have been sourced direct from the cinemas and movie distributors.
The launch party, which was held at their new location – 18 Thayer Street – was an enormous success with Tamara, Julien and swim wear designer Melissa Odabash amongst those who were treated to an evening of mini bottles of Moet, Persian canapés and a goodybag to take home.
Liza Tesei, At The Movies owner says all enjoyed the evening:
“It was a superb event and I’d like to personally extend my thanks to all those who turned up to help celebrate with me. I’ve been successfully trading online for a number of years and had previous gallery locations, but I’ve never more ecstatic by what we’re achieving now.”
Toulouse in Instagram Pictures Part 3: Food | Travel.
Following on from Part 1 and Part 2 here is the part people have really been asking for: food! French food really is amazing and I had some amazing meals. As you can see from the pictures. Our Toulouse Travel Guide is here.
Breakfast at the Citiz Hotel. They had a great buffet spread.
Dinner at J’GO Toulouse. The best pork and chips I have ever had in my life. While we were having dinner a brass band started up outside and played ‘Funky Town’ and other classic songs.
Pate, bread and salad.
Pork and chips. This was the best pork and chips I have ever had in my life.
Chocolate fondant.
We had an amazing Lunch at La Chai Saint-Sauveur. Their veal was superb, followed by strawberry pie and a cute strawberry macaroon. The second picture is Esme’s vegetarian meal.
Salmon with pate and beetroot sauce. The salmon was marinated and divine. 
Esme’s vegetarian dish. Asparagus and onion on pastry. 
Veal and Asparagus with onion and pastry. 
Strawberry Pie with a cute strawberry macaroon.
Py-R Restaurant, Toulouse. The food was absolutely divine.
Bread and bread stick. I love the dish.
The starters. Yummy. 
Poached egg, pork knuckle baked broth, cantal paste, peas just creamed, vegetable tray: red shell onions, sprouts, broken hazelnut shortbread.
Peas just creamed.
Hake, Avocado guacamole, celery paste cooked in a sugar, fennel, cherries, Pedro Ximenez, Jerez Almonds, leeks vinaigrette, beans, chorizo bellota, crunchy noughat nuts.
Chouchou, red fruits, Vanilla cream, Air Pepper.
All of the restaurants were amazing. The food was out of this world. I highly recommend a visit to all if possible, at least one if not.
Have you ever been to Toulouse? Make recommendations below.
BMI regional operates over 450 flights a week throughout the UK and Europe with one way prices starting from £59. bmi regional flies from Aberdeen, Antwerp, Bristol, Bremen, Billund, Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Gothenburg, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Esbjerg, Frankfurt, Hannover, Hamburg, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Norwich, Manchester, Toulouse and Zurich. All flights include complimentary food & drink on-board, free 20kg hold baggage allowance and 30 minute check-in. bmi regional is the world’s most punctual airline having recently been crowned the title for the 8th consecutive year. For more information, visit www.bmiregional.com.
The Socrates Project Book Launch
More than 90 influential members of the media, outdoor sports, environmental agencies and the publishing world joined explorers, adventurers, politicians and senior business men and women at the launch of The Socrates Project.
We drank amazing Blue Cocktails (Blue Gold Cocktail Recipe: Equal measures of blue curacao and vodka poured over plenty of ice, top up with lemonade and stir.) mingled and talked with the author, Daron Sheehan and Mark Beaumont amongst others. All in all, it was an amazing night and we are looking forward to reviewing the book.
The event, held between 6pm and 9pm on June 25th 2013 at Artemis, St. James Street, London, was described by guests as a “massive success” and “an important starting point to spread the word about The Socrates Project and its optimistic, thrilling and at times terrifying vision of our future”.
The event attracted a wide range of guests from different backgrounds including the leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett and journalists from The Guardian, Frost Magazine, Daily Mail, Sunday Mirror and Friends of the Earth. Guests heard from the author, Daron Sheehan, about the inspiration behind the creation of the sicads, “the robotic creatures created by humans to save us who are the main characters in this story” (more info about the sicads – http://the-socrates-project.
Influenced by his vast experiences while travelling the world (during a three-year sabbatical from his successful investment career spanning 16 years), the author, Daron Sheehan, was encouraged to create the story with a view to turning it into a film, something the Nautilus Media team (responsible for publishing the book) is currently working on.
Blue Gold cocktails were served and guests were given a goody bag complete with a copy of The Socrates Project, nibbles for the train journey home, a recycled paper notepad and pen set and a TSP-themed Oyster card wallet. Following a Twitter competition, run by Literally PR (@literallypr), David Fuentes (@theperformer) won two free VIP tickets to attend the launch. Fuentes said: “It is great to be able to come along to an event such as this, particularly one that is so busy and full of interesting people”.
Music was provided by the incredibly talented Fergal O’Connor and Catriona Lightfoot, who performed the first live version of a song created in honour of The Socrates Project.
This book is for anyone who loves outdoor sports, adventure and travel, who wants to preserve our environment, conserve nature, and reduce the threat of pollution on our wildlife, for those of us who are prepared to put our heads above the parapet and discuss what could happen when civil unrest hits our streets even more regularly and more violently than it already is, when water is known as ‘blue gold’ and becomes more valuable to millions of us, including in the West, than ‘yellow gold’. The Socrates Project is fictional, but it presents a shocking account of what could be…
Synopsis
The Socrates Project is a secret attempt by the United Nations to avert the predicted collapse of our civilisations. Simon Oceandis heads up the sicads, who must blend modern science and ancient wisdom to find the solutions before time runs out.
Not everybody welcomes the Project. An influential secret society plots to discredit and destroy the sicads. Torn between the love of a beautiful scientist and a fiery tribeswoman, Simon discovers an exotic world of adventure and wonder. To find the answers to save humanity, he must undergo a deep inner journey, yet his life becomes a frantic race for survival…
Is it happening? Could it happen? Should it happen? Decide for yourself! Live the story…
“Michael Crichton meets George Orwell” – Ross Leckie
“A masterpiece of storytelling…a gripping tale of adventure…” – Mark Beaumont
Iberica La Terraza | Restaurant Review
When Samuel Johnson made his often quoted remark about those who tire of London being tired of life he could have been talking about the restaurants in London. There is every nationality and cuisines in this great city. All of the different boroughs, offer unique and different experiences.
Iberica La Terraza has its own unique experience. A Spanish Tapas bar on a terrace in Cabot Square, in the heart of Canary Wharf. It is near a fountain and is just so beautiful. You almost feel like you are on holiday.
The menu has a great selection of food. Both hot and cold. If you are not in the mood for tapas you can have breakfast, or a salad. The menu offers something for everyone. Here is what we had. Which was a lot.
Half & Half, a selection of cured meat and cheeses: chorizo de pueblo, cecina de leon, Spanish cheese taster,
This was an amazing selection of meat and cheese. Very generous portions. Delicious. Some of the meat was even cured with Rosemary.
Smoked Cod with Roasted Red Peppers Salad.
This salty and smoky salad tasted great. Quite different.
Aubergine, Honey and Pinenuts.
I loved this dish. The aubergine was perfectly cooked with honey and pinenuts on top. The texture and taste was just perfect.
Meatballs with chilindron sauce.
These meatballs are ‘like grandma used to make’. Family food in Spain. The meatballs are pork and beef, with tomatoe, garlic and a hint of chilli. Great, honest food.
Baby squid sandwich.
Delicious for those who love seafood. Also a very generous portion. The bread was great too. The squid was fried and delicious.
Topside veal with roasted vegetable puree.
This was perfectly cooked with a yummy puree.
Tapas
Snow Crab Meat with mayonnaise and trout roe.
Baby Squid with Alioli.
Ensaladilla with tuna, egg, green olives and Piquillo.
Creamed cheese, sun blushed tomatoes, rocket and basil.
Green Asparagus, smoked salmon, quails egg and avruga.
The tapas were AMAZING. Just really good. It is hard to choose a favourite so I won’t. I loved them all. Definitely try a few.
Dessert.
Cream Catalana.
Double cream, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon.
Great puffy dessert. A bit like foam but with more consistency. Is light and tastes amazing.
La Tarta de la abuela. Chocolate, vanilla and biscuit.
Good chocolate tart. The crunch biscuit on top was a great touch. I, of course, also loved the chocolate. The entire mix of this dessert works well together.
To Drink
La Terraza Cocktail
Gin, cranberries and lime.
All of the cocktails are made in house and a lot of thought is put into them.
Agua de Valencia
Cava, vodka, gin and orange juice.
Another classic. The oranges are imported from Valencia to make the cocktail perfect. No shortcuts are taken. The original 1950s recipe was also sourced by Pedro Carvalho. You can taste the attention to detail and love that goes into the cocktails.
Sangria Cava
This amazing drink was packed with delicious juicy fresh fruit and was very refreshing. You could really taste all the different fruit flavours (Orange, strawberry, blackberry and mint) as they marinated into the cool cava. A truly special drink. The only way I can describe is that it was like sipping the sun. I can really do with another one of these right now!
Sangria White
Ditto. Both Sangria drinks were tasty and perfectly suited the mood. They also came in great jug glasses.
Berry Cavarinha
Blackberries, raspberries, lime sugar, chambord, cava.
La Terraza Cocktail
I loved this cocktail. What a great combination.
We were impressed by Iberica La Terraza. The food was great as was the atmosphere and the cocktails. Prices range from low to high so you can go and have some cocktails and food no matter what your budget is. In fact, the only problem I have with Iberica La terraza is the smoking. There were a few people smoking around us and as a non-smoker I don’t want to breathe in other peoples smoke. Only a few people were smoking though so I do recommend that you head down to Canary Wharf for an excellent Spanish experience. If the weather is ropey then don’t worry, the restaurant has heaters, blankets and a big umbrella.
Cabot Square London Borough of Tower Hamlets, E14 4QQ. Nearest Tube: Canary Wharf.
| 020 7636 8650 |
The Widow’s Guide To Sex & Dating Carole Radziwill | Book Review
The Widow’s Guide to Sex & Dating is not a guide. But if you thought it was then don’t be bothered, because, actually, it is a rather brilliant novel. Full of funny moments, great characters and wisdom filled ‘rules’ dotted throughout. Rule #29 says: A boy says, Have a good trip. A man says, Call me when you land. Wise words indeed.
Carole Radziwill has herself been widowed. She was married to ABC News producer Anthony Radziwill. He died of cancer after a five year battle at the obscenely young age of 40. Her book on the death of her husband, What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship and Love, became a New York Times bestseller.
Which leads us on to The Widow’s Guide to Sex & Dating. The novel follows Claire, wife and then widow of sex writer Charlie. When Charlie was alive Claire lived in his shadow, now he is dead and through the shock and grief she has to find herself again, and, possibly, love.
Claire is a brilliant character. Widowed at only 32, she is talented in her own right but sometimes finds it hard to blossom. Her group of friends are funny and have her best interests at heart. Claire struggles, she even has a second opinion therapist, but will she find her way and true love?
Finding out is fun. I loved this novel and found it hard to put it down. It is a must read. I cannot wait for the TV series that Radziwill has in development. TV is something that she should know about as she is also a cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City.
Cara Delevingne Gets On Stage With Rita Ora at The Belvedere Vodka DKNY Art Works Party
Last night saw celebs turn out for the Belvedere Vodka DKNY Art Works party hosted by Cara Delevingne and saw performances by Rita Ora, Iggy Azalea and a surprise appearance by Wretch 32.
Cara Delevingne joined Rita Ora on stage during her performance and showed off some dance moves as well as her rapping skills as she rapped along to Notorious BIG’s ‘Juicy’.
The party was sponsored by Belvedere Vodka and held at the Old Firestation on Lambeth High Street.
Famous People Who Didn’t Go To University
I have a confession to make. I find the whole snobbish going to university thing stupid. If you want to actually study something or be a doctor, then obviously go and reach your potential, but one of the things I find most stupid about social pressure is that everyone should go to university. At least if they want to be middle class.
Tuition fees are now appallingly expensive, and the most annoying thing I found about the recent BBC class calculator is that they still put going to university and owning a home as an indicator of class. Even though people buying homes they could not afford was one of the factors in the recession, and a recent study said that most students would never be able to pay of the debts they had incurred.
I recently saw an interesting meme on Facebook. It said, “Modern education: creating people who are smart enough to accurately repeat what they are told and follow orders.”
You don’t have to agree with me. I know it is a controversial thing to think. However, have a look at just a few of the famous people who did not go to university.
Apple founder Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College.
TV host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres dropped out of the University of New Orleans after one semester.
The creator of Tumblr David Karp never even graduated from high school.
Walt Disney left school at 16 to join the Army. He couldn’t get in because of his age so he joined the Red Cross and left for Europe.
Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard but later got an honorary degree.
Paul Thomas Anderson dropped out of NYU film school.
Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston did not go to university, instead deciding to travel the world. He told the Financial Times: “I think university is hugely overrated for most people,” he says, insisting that a wide range of good apprenticeships is more useful than three years of light work and heavy drinking. “I would not encourage my children to go to university.”
Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to work full time on Facebook.
Yoko Ono dropped out of Sarah Lawrence College
Woody Allen was thrown out of New York University after one semester and later dropped out of the City College of New York.
James Cameron studied physics at Fullerton College. He dropped out to become a truck driver.
Thomas Edison left school to work on the railroad at the age of 12.
F. Scott Fitzgerald dropped out of Princeton.
Coco Chanel dropped out of school to become a cabaret singer when she was 18.
Whole Foods founder John Mackey dropped out of the University of Texas.
Pablo Picasso dropped out of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
The founder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg dropped out of the University of Houston in 2004.
What do you think? Is going to university important?