Milan meets Manhattan in fabulously retro surroundings....
Food & Drink
March 9th, 2010
Built in the early 50s as a headquarters for British soap company Lever Brothers, Park Avenue’s Lever House is a New York landmark of considerable history… recently restored to its former glory, the building is now home to the ‘Lever House Art Collection’ – Damien Hirst’s imposing ‘Virgin Mother’ stands provocatively in the courtyard – and, as of late last year, the popular Sant Ambroeus family’s latest Milanese outpost, Casa Lever. Enjoying a fabulously retro interior that, in itself, tells the tale of former glory restored, this chic and sophisticated restaurant is already feeling the buzz of ‘A-List hangout’ – Mick Jagger is said to have dined here recently, awkwardly sitting opposite Andy Warhol’s portrait of Jerry Hall, his ex-wife. It’s the Warhol’s in fact that truly lift this intriguing space, with Hall accompanied by Hitchcock, Stallone, Dennis Hopper and Aretha Franklin throughout the venue, offering the diner a unique aura of New York eras gone by… and with the sensational Milanese fare delivered by the kitchen, there’s no doubting this venues potential as a hot-spot for years to come…..
London's purveyors of traditional British food release debut book....
Food & Drink
March 5th, 2010
Having taken the London restaurant scene by storm in 2005 with their unique blend of traditional, honest ‘home-cooked British grub’ and a strong, contemporary design, Canteen are upping the ante with the launch of their first cookbook. Following their philosophy of great design and honest food, the lovingly produced 224-page hardback is jam packed with beautiful photography, clean, sophisticated design… and of course, ‘proper’ British recipes, that include steak and kidney pie, Arbroath smokies and blackcurrant jelly with ice cream and shortbread. Published by Ebury Press – priced at £16.99 – ‘Canteen: Great British Food‘, with its innovative use of photography and simple, classic recipes, looks set to be one of the ‘must-have’ books of the year, and with the continued growth of the Canteen brand, the resurgence of brilliant, local British cooking looks set to be the foodie success story of the year….
Newsletter Giveaway
We’re pleased to announce that today’s weekly newsletter giveaway is a copy of Canteen’s sensational and lovingly produced cookbook and that this weeks exclusive recipe is ‘Spicy Mutton Pie’ straight out of the book… don’t receive our bi-weekly newsletter? Register Now….
deliciously refined sophistication in former palace's cellar....
Food & Drink
March 4th, 2010
If you’re looking for a dose of sophisticated evening elegance when in the old town of Spain’s beautiful capital, you could do worse than a top-end restaurant located in a cellar within the old ‘Palace of the Prince of Anglona’. Brought to you by brothers ‘Juan & Borja Infante’, big names on the local hospitality scene, the chic Negro de Anglona, with a reasonably priced mediterranean-market menu – courtesy of twenty-five year old rising star, Aitor García – simply oozes an understated glamour, thanks to it’s sublimely atmospheric interiors, courtesy of Luis Galliusi – an architect and interior designer who boasts the likes of Manolo Blahnik, Chanel and Phillippe Starck as clients. Don’t miss the ‘hidden’ champagne lounge for after dinner drinks….
Asian street food meets Melbourne designer chic....
Food & Drink
February 26th, 2010
A big name on the Melbourne restaurant scene, Teage Ezard has chosen to indulge in his love of Asian hawker style street food with Gingerboy, a wonderfully brash dose of bright colour, bamboo, mirrors and iconic furnishings in the shape of Philippe Starck’s famous Louis Ghost chairs. The lavish interior, and gold metallic tiled façade, courtesy of architects, Elenberg Fraser – also responsible for our recently featured, Café Vue at 401 St Kilda Road – sets the tone for the glamorous presentation of food, bustling bar and feisty dishes such as deep-fried oysters served in their shells, deep-fried whole eggs and mussaman curry of duck legs. If you’re looking for a long, sophisticated evening meal then this might not be your thing…. stylish, modern, bustling and decidedly cool? Welcome along for the ride…..
strong branding for Spanish chocolatiers....
Food & Drink
February 24th, 2010
There’s certainly no mistaking the distinct branding of Spain’s ‘Chocolat Factory‘, courtesy of award winning, Barcelona based design agency, ruiz+company. Bold, vibrant, and graced with an endearing human touch, the strong typography and intelligent packaging – take the calorie chart chocolate tablet for example – engage the customer and simply ‘do what they say on the tin’…. a welcome blessing given some of today’s overcomplicated food labels. As for the products themselves, the highest quality cocoa has magic weaved upon it by master chocolatiers, and with brave lines such as their chocolate pastas, if you happen upon one of their many Spanish outlets, we can see you being forcibly removed for persistent loitering….
exclusive pancake recipe from top celebrity chef....
Food & Drink
February 16th, 2010
It’s Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as ‘Pancake Day’ here in the UK and to celebrate we’ve got an exclusive ‘Apple and Walnut Crepes with Clotted Cream’ recipe from celebrity chef Jun Tanaka, executive chef at London’s swanky Pearl Restaurant & Bar.
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Anyway, without further ado, read on for Jun’s exclusive recipe….
Versailles inspired café in central Melbourne....
Food & Drink
February 8th, 2010
With the likes of ‘Slowed cooked wagyu beef, oxtail sauce & root vegetables’ and ‘Red mullet with drunken prawns & Shoi Xing sauce’ on the menu, you know that the small chain of cafés from Shannon Bennett’s Vue brand – famous for the award winning Melbourne restaurant, Vue de monde – are a cut above your traditional lunchtime venue, and witnessing the fabulous decor of their new 401 St Kilda Road outpost only confirms that. Situated on Melbourne’s most prestigious boulevard as part of a swanky new development, Café Vue at 401 St Kilda Road, designed by Elenberg Fraser, is a bold, contemporary French café, inspired by Paris’ iconic royal château, Versailles, Marie Antoinette and clothing of the period… Offering a contemporary twist on this classical period are the café’s distinct centrepiece, a unique wooden, chandelier-like, crinoline structure, surrounding one of the rear tables and the portrayal of Antoinette’s death by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution through the stylish blood-red bathrooms.
spirit of Jura captured in ultra-limited book....
Food & Drink
January 21st, 2010
We like nothing more than a ‘wee dram’ over here at We Heart HQ and as such it was an privilege when the legendary Isle of Jura distillery offered to give our readers the chance to win a new highly limited ’spirit of Jura’ book and a bottle of a bottle of their classic 10 year old island malt…. An artistic collaboration inspired by the beauty and myths of the island of Jura, “DIH-RAH” is a beautiful book produced by celebrated writer John Burnside and artist David Faithful and being limited to only 300, is sure to be a serious collectors item. A medieval method for producing ink from Jura oak galls was emplyed by Faithful for the illustration and the story was the product of Burnside’s month spent at the luxury distillery lodge after being invited to take part in their writers retreat programme, inspired by George Orwell having penned ‘1984′ during his stay on Jura.
Want to ensure you’re in with a chance of winning one of these lovingly produced books and a bottle of the good stuff? Make sure you’re signed up to receive our bi-weekly email newsletter ‘list_’ and wait for tomorrow’s issue…..