FOOD & BOOZE NEWS
A TASTE OF ITALY IN LONDON
Lovers of all things Italian will be able to indulge their passion next month with La Dolce Vita 2011, an event aimed at celebrating Italian culture – and that means, particularly, its food and wine. Taking place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, the four-day event includes an Italian food producers’ market, gastro wine walks (every hour experts give guided walks visiting the stalls of hand-picked suppliers), a drinks academy showcasing everything from wines to aperol and grappa, and the “Teatro del Gusto cooking theatre” – chefs including Giorgio Locatelli, Theo Randall and Ristorante Semplice’s Marco Torri showing how it’s done. There are also style, travel and property-hunting sections of the exhibition. 10-13 March, the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper St, N1 0QH. Tickets £5 in advance or £7 on door. www.ladolcevitaevent.co.uk
CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF CINNAMON CLUB
Westminster’s famous high-end Indian restaurant, the Cinnamon Club, is celebrating its tenth birthday in March, and is giving away 50 pairs of tickets for a rather spectacular free meal. The dinner will feature a 10-course tasting menu of signature dishes from the past decade, each paired with special wine. Think tandoori breast of squab pigeon with cloves, poached egg and spiced beet; or spice-crusted halibut, masala Jerusalem artichoke and Keralan lobster bisque. Tickets are being allocated at random – just register your name at www.cinnamonclub.com.
JUDY JOO TO APPEAR IN PLAYBOY (CLUB)
We’re beginning to get rather excited about the forthcoming Playboy Club casino, and not just for bunny girls and gambling. As well as cocktail legend Salvatore Calabrese, the club will be employing glamorous chef and Iron Chef UK star Judy Joo. Joo – a former Morgan Stanley banker – has previously worked at restaurants including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and French Laundry, and will be producing a broadly international menu. www.playboyclublondon.com