Latest news with #Calabrian
Forbes
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A New And Celebrated Chef Makes The Very Good Basso 56 Even Better As Basso By PXK In Chappaqua, New York
The dining rooms at Basso by PXK are spacious and well lighted in modern decor. When Basso 56 debuted last year in the New York suburb of Chappaqua, I wrote that it was 'a classic Italian ristorante finely appointed, impeccably served and outstanding for its largess, and as far as one can get from the cramped, raucous, very expensive Manhattan and Brooklyn faux-trattorias that pop up and flare brightly until the crowds move on.' Sammy Ukaj and Sherif Nezaj with chef Peter X. Jelly Basso 56 was doing well enough, but partners Sherif Nezaj Sammy Ukaj saw an opportunity to bring the level of its cuisine higher and to get some publicity this spring by making chef Peter X. Kelly part of the team, changing the name to Basso by PXK. Now the place is packed every night by those well familiar with Kelly's reputation as one of the area's finest chefs. Born in Yonkers and raised in Croton-on-Hudson, Kelly went off to France to stage at various restaurants there. He returned to the U.S. at a time when New American Cuisine was in ascendance and young chefs were getting the spotlight. He opened the highly creative Xaviar's in Piermont, New York, and a few other more casual places in the region, including X20, a two-story restaurant in 2008 that was part of Yonkers's downtown development project on the city's Hudson River waterfront. Business slowed after Covid and Kelly closed the restaurant, which Nezaj and Ukaj saw as a golden opportunity to enhance Basso 56. And the transformation in the kitchen has put the restaurant at the top of those in Westchester and would handily compete with the best Italian restaurants in Manhattan. Summer's soft-shell crabs are served with guanciale and chives. The airy, high-ceilinged white dining rooms are largely intact, the wooden floors polished, the tables set with good linens, the lighting excellent. There is a fine bar in one room and a wall of wine bottles that stock a first-rate list. The regular menu contains a lot of the favorite dishes from the Basso 56 days, but Kelly puts his soul and his four decades of experience into the specials, which our party of four allowed him to choose, beginning with a satiny carpaccio of sea bream with chile pepper yuzu kosho, smoked trout roe a and a touch of mint––not very Italian but very, very good and delectabile on a hot July evening. Another carpaccio, this one of very flavorful octopus, was treated to a Calabrian chile oil. Sea urchin butter tops fresh pasta. The summer's first sweet white corn and fregola grains were the base for crackling crisp soft shell crabs served with thin slices of guanciale and chopped chives. Refreshing and creamy was a roasted golden beet salad and ricotta whipped with honey and pistachio. Saline Prosciutto di Parma was a fine foil to warm burrata with a yellow beefsteak tomato and a drizzle of balsamico. From the set menu were deftly fried calamari with zucchini lashed with lemon and served with a spicy tomato and garlic aïoli. Keeping to the seasonal tenor, there was warm shrimp salad with slices of black truffle and an unusual dressing of Prosececo wine with avocado and tomato. Lentils and asparagus with lemon crumbs and mustard were the ballast for salmon, which that night was somewhat bitter. Jumbo sea scallops quickly and impeccably cooked, took on sweetness from golden raisins, saltiness from capers, texture from pignoli and vegetal flavors for a roasted cauliflower puree. Pappardelle noodles with braised lamb sauce. We sampled three pastas: black and white housemade spaghetti with shrimp, calamari and clams with sweet cherry tomatoes and garlic; wide pappardelle noodles lavished with a rich ragù of braised lamb topped with pecorino and rosemary crumbs; and spaghetti alla chitarra with pleasingly mild sea urchin butter, shrimp and citrus crumbs. Superb red snapper with herb butter, mushroom ravioli, peas and steamed asparagus was a little overloaded, but a branzino fillet dusted with summer's fragrant herbs came with roasted delicata squash and potatoes moistened with olive oil. When Kelly stays simple he still delivers big flavors, as with a grilled veal chop with mushrooms and a Georgia pork chop with Calabrian chilies and a lovely apricot glaze. Chocolate "salami" with zabaglione Duckling two ways is hefty enough to serve at least two or more people. You get leg confit and breast cooked rare and served with a well-rendered sabayon flavored with Marsala and sided with mushrooms and polenta blended with mascarpone. Desserts are also well crafted, from chocolate 'salami' studded with pistachio nuggets and a creamy zabaglione; a delicately flakey millefoglie with vanilla and lemon curd; warm bread pudding with a limoncello cream and hazelnut gelato; and one of the best renditions of tiramsùs I've had in a while. I would have been happy going to Basso before Kelly arrived, but now that he has I applaud his addition and the commitment Nezaj and Ukaj have made to create something special out of what was always very BY PXK 11 King Street Chappaqua NY 914 861 2322 Open nightly for dinner.
15 hours ago
- Politics
Canada's deportation of alleged Mafia boss hinges on foreign eavesdropping
A federal deportation appeal on Monday that will decide whether an alleged Mafia boss must return to his native Italy is raising questions about foreign interference and constitutional rights in Canada. At stake is the question of whether a foreign government should be able to arrange warrantless surveillance of a person on Canadian soil, and then use evidence obtained in a Canadian legal proceeding. Vincenzo Jimmy DeMaria was born in Siderno, Italy, but has resided in Canada for most of his life. Siderno is in the poor, southern region of Calabria — the toe on the boot of the Italian peninsula. The seaside town was home to a group of family clans of the Calabrian Mafia known as 'Ndrangheta that began to migrate to the Toronto area in the 1950s. The DeMaria family arrived in Canada in 1955 when Vincenzo DeMaria was just nine months old. Despite living in the country for all of his 71 years, he would never become a Canadian citizen. Both the Italian and Canadian governments declined to speak directly about the case. However, court filings provide a clearer picture of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)'s allegations against the alleged mob boss. 'Ndrangheta, a powerful Mafia in Canada The 'Ndrangheta surpassed the Sicilian Mafia to become Italy's most powerful organized crime group many years ago, and it has spread its operations across Europe and the world, most notably Canada (new window) . In Toronto the 'Ndrangheta has been targeted in some of the biggest police operations of recent years, such as Project Sindacato (new window) in 2019, which focused on its illegal gambling operations. Canadian police have identified the most prominent branch of the 'Ndrangheta operating in Canada as the Siderno Group, sometimes referred to in Italy as the Society of Siderno, because of its origins in DeMaria's hometown. A joint police operation in the Toronto area in 2019 targeted an illegal gambling ring connected to the 'Ndrangheta Mafia. Photo: York Regional Police/Twitter Members of the group have allegedly accumulated considerable wealth through drug-smuggling, loan-sharking and other illegal activities, and were even able to infiltrate Canadian banks (new window) . The Government of Canada has argued that DeMaria is a senior figure in that criminal underworld, which he denies. His lawyer Jessica Zita told CBC News that DeMaria is a property manager. He owns a number of properties and he manages all of them. Previously he was in the financial services business, she said. Italian police, however, have described him as one of the most senior leaders of the 'Ndrangheta in Canada, and a member of the group's Camera di Controllo, the equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia's Commission. DeMaria has denied those allegations. A murder in Little Italy In 1981, DeMaria shot a fellow Italian immigrant seven times in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood, and received a second-degree murder conviction for which he served eight years in prison. Because of that conviction he was never able to obtain Canadian citizenship and, like all convicted murderers, DeMaria is on parole for life, making him subject to re-arrest at any time. DeMaria has spent much of his life fighting to remain in Canada. His original deportation order, resulting from his murder conviction, was quashed in 1996. He was arrested again in 2009 and 2013 for associating with organized crime figures in violation of his parole conditions, which bar him from contact with even his own brother. In April 2018, he was ordered deported again on grounds of organized criminality, and placed in detention in the Collins Bay Institution in Ontario, pending appeal, only to be released into house arrest in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit and he had his own health complications. A visit from the old country While he was in prison in 2019, a murder in Siderno triggered a string of events that would become central to his case. A high-ranking mafioso called Carmelo Mino Muià was ambushed (new window) , and his brother Vincenzo Muià set off on a quest to find out who did it. Police have suggested he may also have been seeking the permission of the 'Ndrangheta's governing body to take revenge. His journey brought him to Canada, where he visited his second cousin DeMaria in prison at Collins Bay. What Muià didn't know was that the Italian Carabinieri — equivalent to Canada's RCMP — had installed spyware that effectively turned his phone into a microphone that was always on. In order to record his conversations on Canadian soil, however, they needed the co-operation of Canadian police. The Italians asked York Regional Police (YRP) for assistance both in intercepting communications and in maintaining surveillance on Muià while he was in Canada. But a Canadian Crown lawyer who was asked to review the request argued it should not be granted. Jeffery Pearson sent a letter to police in March 2019 stating that that he had found an insufficient basis to authorize surveillance under Part VI of the Criminal Code. He said there were no reasonable and probable grounds to believe that either Mr. Muià or [travelling companion] Mr. Gregoarci have committed, or are committing, an offence in Canada. 'Illegal' surveillance, lawyers argue DeMaria's lawyers argue in their petition that things should have stopped right there. Despite Pearson's clear denunciation and without the required judicial authorization, YRP moved ahead with the investigation and Mr. Muià's conversations during that time were illegally intercepted. They say the Muià was not only bugged but also placed under physical surveillance, without seeking judicial authorization and ignoring the legal advice given by Pearson. Enlarge image (new window) The joint investigation Project Sindacato resulted in major busts but the case later fell apart due to alleged illegal activity by police. Photo: CBC / Martin Trainor If they are successful, it would not be the first time that over-aggressive surveillance by York Regional Police may have sabotaged a case against alleged 'Ndrangheta members. Prosecutions arising from the Project Sindacato investigation, announced with great fanfare in 2019, ultimately fell apart (new window) in 2021 because YRP investigators were accused of eavesdropping on privileged conversations between the accused and their attorneys. Precedent for more snooping? DeMaria's lawyers dispute CBSA's arguments that the recordings made on Muià's phone support its contention that DeMaria is involved in organized crime. Only transcripts have been provided to Canadian courts and those appear to include lengthy sections that are paraphrased rather than verbatim. They also dispute whether references to a Jimmy in the recordings are really even about their client. And DeMaria's defence has poured scorn on the use of a police informant, Carmine Guido, who at times professed ignorance about the inner workings of the 'Ndrangheta, and who also made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling drugs while working with police. But their main argument against the CBSA's effort to remove DeMaria is that it relies on illegal recordings made at the instigation of a foreign government without regard for Canadian laws and civil liberties. If the precedent is allowed to stand, Zita says, what that's saying is any foreign government can listen to us. She argued that the admission of paraphrased discussions that aren't authenticated, that aren't tested, would also set a dangerous precedent. CBSA says all laws followed While declining to discuss DeMaria's case specifically, CBSA spokesperson Rebecca Purdy told CBC News that officials follow the law. "CBSA has a legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals found to be inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (new window) ," she said. There are multiple steps built into the process to ensure procedural fairness and the CBSA only actions a removal order once all legal avenues of recourse have been exhausted. Zita says it's not that CBSA broke the law, but rather that it's relying partly on evidence collected illegally by York Regional Police. That, she said, must not be allowed to stand. [Officials could] find ways through other countries outside of our borders with lower standards for evidentiary rules, take whatever evidence they're able to get using our technology, without having to report to anyone about it, bring that evidence back into our country and rely on it without any sort of testing whatsoever, she said. That's as good as having no evidence at all. And it is demonstrably unfair for there's no way to reply to that. That's teetering very close to being an authoritarian regime. The virtual hearing begins on Monday at the Immigration Appeal Division in Toronto. The first witness is expected to be an investigator of the Carabinieri unit that made the original request for surveillance of Muià in Canada. Evan Dyer (new window) · CBC · Senior Reporter Evan Dyer has been a journalist with CBC for 25 years, after an early career as a freelancer in Argentina. He works in the Parliamentary Bureau and can be reached at
Hype Malaysia
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Scha Al-Yahya, Marion Caunter & Elvina Mohamad Plunge Into Armani's New IRIS BLEU
It's scent-sational! Introducing IRIS BLEU, the latest addition to the Les Eaux collection, unveiled with the luminous presence of Scha Al-Yahya, Marion Caunter, and Elvina Mohamad – each embodying the calm elegance of the fragrance. Crisp, subtle, and sophisticated, IRIS BLEU captures the serene beauty of the Mediterranean, where the blue of the sea and sky merge in a tranquil embrace. Since 2004, Giorgio Armani has distilled the spirit of his Haute Couture into exceptional fragrances, with IRIS BLEU as the newest expression of this vision. A harmonious blend of powdery iris, delicate jasmine, and soft white musks, the fragrance evokes a sense of purity and poise. With its refined composition and delicate blue hue, IRIS BLEU transports the wearer to the boundless calm of the Mediterranean. Crafted by perfumer Dora Baghriche (FIRMENICH), IRIS BLEU opens with a burst of green freshness, capturing the light and energy of the Mediterranean before dusk. Crisp galbanum brings a leafy sharpness that contrasts beautifully with the sun-drenched zest of Calabrian bergamot and lemon, creating a vibrant yet serene botanical blend. At its heart, the fragrance mirrors the meeting of sea and sky through a dreamy blend of powdery iris butter and a modern jasmine grandiflorum superinfusion. The iris lends a soft, woody floral tone that's both intense and understated, while the jasmine adds a petal-like brightness that feels both natural and luminous. The scent settles into a clean, comforting embrace of white musk, grounded by dry Virginia cedarwood and a whisper of smoky guaiac wood. This lingering base gives IRIS BLEU its sensual depth, leaving behind a trail that's soft, airy, and effortlessly elegant. All The Nuances Of Blue Finely hued in subtle, fresh blue, IRIS BLEU's coloured juice echoes its personality, inspiration, and key ingredients, brought to the fore thanks to the transparency of its iconic square bottle. The fragrance's name is engraved in black lettering on the flacon's shiny gold plate. From Haute Couture To Haute Fragrances For twenty years, Giorgio Armani has captured the essence of Armani/Privé Haute Couture collections and translated it into bold fragrances. An expression of Giorgio Armani's own personal experiences and influences leading to the creation of unique fragrances. An exploration of nature and culture, unveiling an invitation to unexpected olfactory journeys through the finest ingredients.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Scotland's 'best local restaurants' crowned by Good Food Guide as wine bar tops list
13 eateries across the country were singled out. Scotland's "best local restaurants" for 2025 have been named. A wine bar and restaurant in a small town was crowned the best in the country. On Tuesday, July 15, The Good Food Guide shared its list of the top local eateries across the UK. The list celebrates the nation's best independently-run restaurants and is decided upon by a team of judges. Topping the list as the best local restaurant in Scotland is Redwood Wines in the Perthshire town of Dunkeld. The wine shop and restaurant offers seasonal small plates, with everything made in-house by hand. Redwood Wines has a weekly changing menu influenced by classic wine bar dishes. Among the food on offer is aged Aberdeen Angus roast beef sandwich, handkerchief pasta, and a charcuterie and cheese board. Owners Roseanna and Morgwn Preston-Jones commented: "We are truly honoured to be recognised by The Good Food Guide. "We pour our heart and soul into every aspect of Redwood and sharing that passion for food and wine fills us with great joy. We love Dunkeld, our loyal customers and visitors alike." Elsewhere, five Edinburgh restaurants are featured in The Good Food Guide's list of the top local restaurants in Scotland. Barry Fish in Leith, Fin and Grape on Colinton Road, Leftfield on Barclay Terrace, Pomelo on Sciennes Road, and The Palmerston on Palmerston Place are all included on the roundup. Barry Fish is a recently opened independent fish restaurant that serves up everything from small plates to larger mains. Options include whole lemon sole, barbecued monkfish brochettes, and shrimp and sea trout sausage rolls. Like Barry Fish, Fin and Grape specialises in fish and sharing plates. Customers can enjoy salt cod mousse, pickled mussels, Calabrian anchovies, and more. Leftfield is a neighbourhood bistro with a particular focus on seafood. Dishes on the restaurant's sample menu include sea trout, Gigha oysters, and hand dived scallop. Pomelo is a Chinese-focused Asian fusion restaurant that offers brunch, lunch, and dinner. Its menus change regularly, but among the dishes on offer are fried chicken sandwich, scallop carpaccio, and roasted duck. Finally, The Palmerston is a traditional restaurant and bakery with a varied daily-changing menu. Customers can order dishes such as baked Berkshire pork shoulder, slow roast Shetland lamb, and fish stew. Additionally, The Free Company in the village of Balerno on the outskirts of Edinburgh is named on the roundup. The Free Company is a farm-to-restaurant venue, with a seasonal à la carte menu based on what is available on the farm. Elsewhere, Gloriosa in Glasgow is also featured on The Good Food Guide's list. Gloriosa serves up Mediterranean-style food, as well as a wide selection of wines. The only other city restaurant included on the roundup is Mara in Aberdeen. It is a wine bar and bottle shop with Italian-influenced small plates. Other local restaurants to be named as the best in Scotland include The Dory Bistro in Pittenweem and The Gordon Arms in Selkirk. Rounding out the The Good Food Guide's list are The Whitehouse in Lochaline and Tide and Thyme in Tighnabruaich. See below for the full list of the best local restaurants in Scotland. More information can be found on The Good Food Guide website. Scotland's best local restaurants 2025 Redwood Wines, Dunkeld (Scotland winner) Barry Fish, Edinburgh Fin & Grape, Edinburgh Gloriosa, Glasgow Leftfield, Edinburgh Mara, Aberdeen Pomelo, Edinburgh The Dory Bistro, Pittenweem The Free Company, Balerno The Gordon Arms, Selkirk The Palmerston, Edinburgh The Whitehouse, Lochaline Tide & Thyme, Tighnabruaich
Eater
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Spiegelworld Launches a New Circus-Style Dinner Show in Las Vegas
The creators of Absinthe and Diner Ross are back with a new experience that blends an Italian prix fixe menu with jaw-dropping circus acts, all wrapped up in the context of an over-the-top dinner party. The Party debuts at the Cosmopolitan on Thursday, July 10 with dinner from neighboring Superfrico and performances by Spiegelworld's acrobats and artists. With space for just 50 guests a night, it's designed to celebrate birthdays, weddings, divorces, or anything that calls for a party. In late 2023, Spiegelworld closed the OPM (formerly Opium) variety show in the theater next to Superfrico at the Cosmopolitan. 'OPM never really matched,' says Ross Mollison, the founder of Spiegelworld. 'There was this restaurant that was Italian American, and then there was this crazy outer space show.' When Superfrico took over the Rose Rabbit Lie space in 2021, it brought in chicken Parmesan, tableside hand-pulled mozzarella, and roving circus performers. It's a take on the dinner theater — with hosts escorting guests to their tables, sidestepping interstitials of sparring ballerinas and teams of jugglers. 'I've always had the feeling that Vegas didn't want dinner theater,' says Mollison, recalling the five-hour dinner-and-a-show marathons he experienced in Germany. But when a space near Superfrico became available, he reconsidered. 'Maybe I was wrong and Vegas is actually the perfect market to put entertainment together with dining.' Louiie Victa The Party serves a three-course menu from chef Mitch Emge, who preps the food in the Superfrico kitchen. It comes with appetizers like tuna tartare or salad with Calabrian ranch dressing, mains like seared mushroom gnocchi with black truffle or six-ounce prime filet with roasted bone marrow sauce, and dessert of tiramisu or rice pudding with blueberry compote and lemon curd. As guests dine, the show unfolds: classic circus acts — like one acrobat balancing impossibly atop another — share the spotlight with more unexpected moments, including a soap bubble performance by Denis Lock. In OPM, he turned bubble-blowing into a hypnotic spectacle using smoke and straws to create bubble cubes and shimmering orbs. Lock's act 'is my favorite in the world,' says Mollison. 'It's a 10-minute act. It was just too long for the pace of that show. But in this environment, it's just glorious.' Another highlight is the return of the Circus Automaton, a custom-built tableau mécanique featuring two-dimensional circus scenes that glide and rotate across a tabletop stage in precise, whimsical choreography. The supper club format isn't exactly new in Vegas. Delilah and Mayfair Supper Club have long blended dinner service with musical performances in lavish, scene-stealing dining rooms. Superfrico brought a circus twist to the same idea. Even Tournament of Kings with its jousting knights and roast chicken, and the Marriage Can Be Murder comedy-mystery mainstay have delivered their own takes on dinner theater for years. But the Party pushes the concept one step further — adding a defined call time, high-caliber talent, and a kitchen that can turn out a proper gnocchi. A reason to party, indeed. The Party starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. The two-hour experience is $150 per person and tickets are available online.
