We let the truffle dogs loose in rolling fields of southern France January 20, 2014 Frederika Whitehead goes in search of pungent fungus that drives foodies crazy SERGE, our guide on the truffle hunt, is twinkle-eyed as he tells us about the aphrodisiac properties of truffles. “Truffles,” he says, “are like women: round, firm and very sensuous. I am passionate about truffles because they are the food of love.” We [...]
A gourmet Tuscan break with a splash of luxury January 19, 2014 From fine olive oil and rolling vineyards to hunting for truffles in the forests surrounding San Gimignano, the heart of Italy is the perfect place for a foodie winter getaway ON MY second day at Castello di Casole, the concierge told me that an American tech supremo recently booked out the entire villa complex for [...]
The Wolf of Wall Street is a joyous tale of decadence January 16, 2014 FILMTHE WOLF OF WALL STREETCert 18 | By Steve DinneenFour Stars THE WOLF of Wall Street is a film about awful people doing awful things in a company where being awful paid unbelievable dividends, for a while at least. Thankfully, in the hands of septuagenarian director Martin Scorsese, this doesn’t translate into an awful film; [...]
The ultimate post-Christmas regime January 15, 2014 City A.M. journalist Alex Dymoke tries out a ten week body transformation regime WHEN I was 16, I swapped tennis and football for something altogether less taxing – drinking. Since then, the closest I’ve got to doing any kind of sport was a game of pub golf during freshers’ week. Occasionally I was enlisted as [...]
Review: Foxlow, Clerkenwell January 14, 2014 RESTAURANT WHERE 67-79 St John Street, EC1M 4AN Tel: 020 7014 8070 FOOD Three Stars VALUE Three Stars ATMOSPHERE Four Stars Cost for two with wine: £100 HERE at City A.M. we are big fans of private equity buyouts – largely because they give us something to write about. They’re also a cracking excuse to [...]
Mix it up: Drop the Jägerbombs for the sophisticate’s explosive drink January 14, 2014 There are two competing theories of the human condition. The first suggests we are rational beings acting on free will, while the second assumes the environment determines our actions. I tended to err on the side of free will – that was, until the invention of the Jägerbomb. You don’t like Jägerbombs, do you? What [...]
A3 Cabriolet: the everyman Audi January 13, 2014 This new, unassuming motor is a Jack of all trades, and there is nothing terribly wrong with that Audi likes to maximise the pizazz for the press launch of a new model. For the A3 Cabriolet it was a private jet to Nice and on to the Hotel Hermitage just off Casino Square in Monaco. [...]
Not convinced? January 13, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… BMW 12Oi M SPORT AUTO CONVERTIBLE PRICE: £30,9850-62MPH: 9.0 secsTOP SPEED: 135mphCO2 G/KM: 163g/kmMPG COMBINED: 9.0mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN One StarPERFORMANCE Three StarsPRACTICALITY Two StarsVALUE FOR MONEY Two Stars VAUXHALL CASCADA ELITE 1.6i TURBO AUTO PRICE: £29,1900-62MPH: 9.2 secsTOP SPEED: 135mphCO2 G/KM: 168g/kmMPG COMBINED: 39.2mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three StarsPERFORMANCE Two StarsPRACTICALITY Four StarsVALUE FOR [...]
11 things to know about Val d’Isere January 12, 2014 It’s the ski destination to the great and good. Slopes veteran Cally Squires gives the lowdown on how to get the most out of this stunning downhill paradise 1. Ski with the crème de la crèmeThe resort hosted the Alpine Skiing World Cup last year, which saw golfer Tiger Woods turn out to support girlfriend [...]
Brutal slavery epic is destined for awards January 9, 2014 FILM 12 YEARS A SLAVE Cert 15 | By Simon Thomson Five Stars STEVE McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave is a brilliant film, but its brutality makes for difficult viewing. That might be the point. Based on a memoir of the same name, the book’s subtitle offers a succinct, albeit bloodless, summary of the film: [...]