OUT OF OFFICE September 14, 2009 KURT & SIDWhat would have happened if Kurt Cobain and Sid Vicious had ever met? Probably the mother of all hard drugs blow-outs, but writer Roy Smiles looks for something more meaningful in this look at fame, addiction and rock music. On the cusp of his famous shotgun suicide at his home in Seattle, Nirvana-frontman [...]
In Paris, foie gras has been replaced by spelt September 14, 2009 Coeur de JardinPlaza Athenee25 Avenue Montaigne75008Tel: (33) 15367 6665FOOD SERVICEATMOSPHERECost per person without wine: €95 FRENCH food is all about fat: fatty saucisson, foie gras, Roquefort and creme brulee. At least that’s what I thought, until I had lunch at Coeur de Jardin, the outdoor restaurant at the opulent Plaza Athenee hotel, located in the [...]
THREE OTHER HEALTHY RESTAURANTS September 14, 2009 SAF152-154 Curtain Rd, EC2A 3AT. Tel: 020 7613 0007London’s chicest vegan restaurant (it calls itself a “botanical” for crying out loud) is for hipsters, not hippies. A rainbow of juices, cocktails and organic and biodynamic wine accompany food like courgette pad thai, nut cheeses, mushroom stews, parsnip sushi and beetroot ravioli. Cleansing options include kale [...]
Cadbury boss blasts Kraft’s sour proposal September 13, 2009 CADBURY ramped up its defence at the weekend against a takeover from Kraft after its chairman Roger Carr blasted the bid as “unattractive.” In an open letter to Kraft’s chief executive Irene Rosenfeld, Carr reaffirmed the Dairy Milk maker’s rejection of the £10.2bn bid, which he believed “fundamentally undervalues Cadbury.” And in a further slight, [...]
Strap on your walking boots and head to the Dolomites September 13, 2009 FOR walkers, September means one thing: the last chance of the year to pull on those boots and get up into the mountains. “It’s not Switzerland,” sniffed my wife, when I suggested that we take a break form our usual stomping ground and head to the Dolomites in north Italy. Well, you can’t argue with [...]
BOLZANO: GATEWAY TO THE DOLOMITES September 13, 2009 BOLZANO was the subject of sniggering in Italy last month when it was rumoured that prime minister Silvio Berlusconi might be taking a trip there. The capital of the South Tyrol region, you see, is the site of the only sex addiction clinic in Italy. Whatever his reason for going there, Berlusconi could hardly pick [...]
Taking the gay out of Dorian Gray September 10, 2009 FilmDORIAN GRAYCert: 12 THE Portrait of Dorian Gray is a story about a man with a terrible secret about the state of his soul, something that Oscar Wilde was no doubt very familiar with. While Dorian has his painting in his attic, Oscar was firmly in his closet. Like Jekyll and Hyde, Dorian Gray is [...]
NOW SHOWING FIVE OF THE BEST September 10, 2009 THEATRE: Arcadia A sell-out production of TomStoppard’s (right) classic drama stars Dan Stevens as the tutor Septimus and Neil Pearson as pushy modern don Bernard Nightingale. Until 12 Sep, Duke of York’s Theatre, WC2N 4BG. Box office: 020 7432 4220. ART: FuturismThis elegant show celebrates a century since the founding of Futurism, with work by [...]
At auction, there are bargains for cash-rich buyers September 10, 2009 PROPERTY prices might well be looking up at the moment, but the market is still gridlocked. Buyers struggling to get mortgages and others worried that they might lose their jobs. It’s no fun being in a chain right now. Which is why auctions are becoming more popular. Gary Murphy, partner and auctioneer at Allsop, which [...]
FOCUS ON: BOW, E3 September 10, 2009 CHISENHALE ROAD, E3Price: £799,950This large three-bedroom house is located in a quiet residential street but within walking distance of the amenities of Victoria Park and Mile End Tube station. Set over three floors, the property has a spacious open-plan living room, family bathroom, separate shower room and a large kitchen. The rear garden backs onto [...]