Latest news with #Pranzo
What's On
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
6 of the best restaurants in Dubai this weekend: July 4 to 6
Summer is doing its thing, and so is the city. Indoors is where it's at, and these spots are keeping things cool with new menus, drops, and weekend energy that's worth the reservation. Here's where to eat at some of the best restaurants in Dubai this weekend. L'Amo Images: Supplied One of the city's most refined Italian restaurants, L'Amo Bistro del Mare has introduced two seasonal menus that keep things simple and summery. The Menu di Stagione runs all day and features dishes like ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers, crab salad with gazpacho, and pasta with langoustine and yellow datterino tomatoes. For weekday lunch, Pranzo a L'Amo is back – a two-course menu with starters like golden calamari and octopus salad, and mains including Milanese chicken and Ligurian-style fish. The setting is relaxed but elegant, with sweeping views of Dubai Harbour and a curated wine list to match. Location: L'Amo Bistro del Mare, Dubai Harbour Times: Pranzo a L'Amo available Mon–Fri, 12pm–3pm Cost: Pranzo a L'Amo Dhs135 (two courses), Dhs155 with dessert & coffee Contact: (0)4 278 4800. @ lamobistrodelmare Buddha-Bar Images: Supplied Buddha-Bar's popular brunch is back, running every Saturday through July with a new mix of Pan-Asian sharing plates, live entertainment, and signature cocktails. Expect crowd-favourites like seafood ceviche, wagyu kushiyaki, teriyaki salmon, grilled beef striploin, and the Seventh Heaven dessert platter – all served in the signature moody-glam Buddha-Bar setting. Location: Buddha-Bar Dubai, Grosvenor House, Dubai Times: Saturdays in July, 1pm–4pm Cost: Dhs450 per person (soft), Dhs550 (hops and grape), Dhs650 (premium), Dhs750 (Champagne) Contact: (0)4 317 3000. @buddhabardubai Forma Images: Supplied Recently opened, and tucked inside the Al Safa Art & Design Library, Forma is the go-to spot for a casual pizza night this summer. The vibe is artsy yet laid-back – perfect for hanging out with friends and sharing something a little different. Their standout pizzas include a spicy Pepperoni with hot honey drizzle and the Bacon Pistachio, topped with nduja and pistachios. Feeling adventurous? Try the Miso Corn with flamed corn and crispy onion. Classics like the six cheese and margherita are also on the menu. Pair your pizza with one of their signature mocktails like lychee and peach or coffee & popcorn, and don't miss dessert – cookies & pistachio cream or their pretzel softie. For a morning fix, drop by for a croissant, specialty coffee, or their own 'formatcha'. Location: Al Safa Art & Design Library, Jumeirah Times: Weekdays 8am–11:30pm, weekends 8am–12:30am Contact: (0)4 329 2813. @formauae Fish Taverna Images: Supplied This July, Fish Taverna at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi brings Aegean flavours to Dubai's Summer Restaurant Week. Over 10 days, enjoy two special set menus designed for summer dining by the sea: a 2-course lunch and a 3-course dinner. Think grilled sea bass with fennel and red cabbage salad, creamy yoghurt meze, and classic pistachio baklava. The relaxed beachfront vibe makes it the perfect spot for a laid-back meal with fresh seafood and vegetarian options. Location: Fish Beach Taverna, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark Times: Lunch 12pm–4pm, dinner 6pm–11pm Cost: 2-course lunch Dhs95, 3-course dinner Dhs150 Contact: (0)4 511 7373. @fishdubai Studio Frantzén Studio Frantzén at Atlantis The Palm brings something lighter to the table this summer with a new two-course dinner menu curated by celebrated Swedish chef Björn Frantzén. The space is modern and lively, with an open kitchen and low-lit interiors perfect for long dinners and late-night conversation. The menu lets you build your own two-course meal from a refined lineup. Think veal steak tartare, seabass ceviche, and tiger prawns to start. Mains range from grilled salmon and lamb rack to a Wagyu burger or even a BBQ celeriac for something plant-based but flavour-packed. A line-up of sides like crispy Brussels sprouts and hasselback potatoes round it all off. Location: Studio Frantzén, Atlantis The Palm Times: Daily, 6pm to 11.30pm (available until 30 September) Cost: Dhs275 per person for a two-course dinner menu Contact: (0)4 426 2626. @studiofrantzendubai Bussola, Jumeirah Golf Estates Images: Supplied Bussola at Jumeirah Golf Estates has launched a new two-course Summer Business Lunch menu, perfect for a midday reset. Choose from light starters like Insalata Caprese or Tartar di Tonno, followed by mains including Gnocchi Sorrentino, Tagliata di Manzo, or Tagliolini ai Gamberi. Dessert upgrades include Tiramisu, Profiterole, and fruit sorbets. Location: Bussola, Jumeirah Golf Estates Times: Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2pm Cost: Dhs125 for a two-course lunch including bottled water Contact: (0)4 586 7760. @
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 things to know about former Baltimore restaurateur Gregory Pranzo: ‘rats in the dining room,' unpaid bills
In December 2024, staff at Baltimore's Docks on the Harbor restaurant woke up to find the eatery had closed overnight. The owner, New York-native Gregory Pranzo, would later be accused of emptying the restaurant of furniture, fixtures and decor, in a lawsuit filed by Baltimore-based developer Cordish Cos. Over several weeks of investigation, The Baltimore Sun found Pranzo launched multiple restaurants across six states and then abruptly closed them, leaving staff, business partners or landlords behind, along with millions of dollars in unpaid bills. The full story ran in print Sunday (and is online here: but here's a quick take on what you should know about Pranzo's business practices. Celebrity partner: Pranzo has opened and closed restaurants in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, New York and Connecticut over the last decade. He routinely partners with celebrities — including Guy Fieri, Mario Lopez and *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick — and he has opened multiple franchises of Wahlburgers' restaurants, the Wahlberg-brother-owned burger chain (Donnie, Mark and their celebrity chef brother Paul). All save two of Pranzo's restaurants have closed, many racking up debt and health code violations along the way. Pests in food storage areas: In Baltimore, Docks on the Harbor also earned a closure order from the city's health department after an August 2024 inspection, that followed a customer's complaint about 'rats in the dining room.' Inspectors found 31 health code violations, including clouds of gnats, evidence of rodents and other pests in food storage areas, and a lack of water that prevented staff from washing their hands. The restaurant re-opened two days later, having satisfied most of the city's requirements. Health-related restaurant closure: Pranzo's Raleigh, North Carolina, Wahlburgers franchise was shut down after the department found his restaurant had lacked hot water for more than three months. The restaurant chose to close instead of immediately fixing the problem, and was evicted for nonpayment of rent before it could reopen. Multiple lawsuits: In Connecticut, Pranzo was sued by food vendor Sysco Connecticut LLC for an unpaid bill topping $30,000. Records show Pranzo has never responded to the suit and made no payments. In Georgia, Pranzo was sued by his former business partners, Finer Food Services, for more than $2 million. According to the agreement, signed by Pranzo, he admitted 'that he withdrew this sum over time from [Finer Food Services] and/or the [Finer Food Services subsidiaries] without the knowledge and/or consent of … majority member and manager, Barry Bierenbaum.' Unpaid judgments: The court ordered Pranzo to repay his partners, however, their lawyer said he has been unable to enforce the judgments. And in Florida, Pranzo is named in a lawsuit in district court, which alleges that he violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a federal law that bans businesses from using phones or fax machines for unsolicited advertisements. In that 2019 suit, Pranzo was accused of spamming fax machines with more than 125,000 unsolicited faxes over two years to advertise the opening of an Atlanta Wahlburgers. The case is ongoing. Docks on the Harbor property: In Baltimore, a civil suit against Pranzo by Cordish Cos. alleges Pranzo 'plundered' hundreds of thousands of dollars in fixtures from his Baltimore restaurant early one morning, walking away with tables and chairs, signage, stoves, refrigerators, decor and more. The lawsuit alleges that Pranzo was caught on security camera footage between the hours of 1 and 7 a.m. on Dec. 9 emptying out the restaurant space he rented from Cordish. $3.2 million lease allegedly unfulfilled: Pranzo also skipped out on a lease valued at about $3.2 million through 2032, a court document filed by Cordish's legal team alleges. Past-due charges between October and early December totaled more than $130,000 for rent and trash, water/sewer and HVAC service, per an account statement. Cordish's lawsuit argues Pranzo emptied out the restaurant with the intent to defraud. 'Pranzo's bad intent is readily evidenced by the midnight timing,' the suit reads. 'Why hide under the cover of night, unless he was following the playbook of Bob Irsay stealing the Colts in a Mayflower truck?' Lorraine Mirabella contributed reporting to this story. Have a news tip? Contact Kate Cimini at The Baltimore Sun, at (443) 842-2621 or kcimini@
Sydney Morning Herald
23-04-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
They may not be ‘true blue' but these Anzac biscuits are truly delicious
300g (2 cups) plain flour 135g (1½ cups) desiccated coconut 200g (2 cups) rolled oats 80g (½ cup) sesame seeds 2 tsp ground ginger 95g (½ cup) soft brown sugar 95g (½ cup) dark muscovado sugar 250g salted butter, chopped 2 tbsp date syrup ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 80ml (⅓ cup) boiling water METHOD Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the flour, coconut, oats, sesame seeds, ginger and both sugars in a large bowl and mix with your hands to combine. Heat the butter and date syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat until melted and stir to combine. Put the bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl, add the boiling water and mix well. Add this to the melted butter mixture in the pan, it will fizz up a little, then pour it over the dry ingredients and stir to combine well. Roll the mixture into balls about the size of an egg, then place them on the prepared baking tray. Use the palm of your hand to gently press down on the biscuits to flatten them. Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Allow them to cool on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. I like a crisp Anzac, but if you prefer a chewy Anzac do not flatten them as much and cook for 12-15 minutes. Makes 20 This is an edited extract from Pranzo by Guy Mirabella (Hardie Grant Books), RRP $60. Available in stores nationally. Photography by Guy Mirabella.
The Age
23-04-2025
- General
- The Age
They may not be ‘true blue' but these Anzac biscuits are truly delicious
300g (2 cups) plain flour 135g (1½ cups) desiccated coconut 200g (2 cups) rolled oats 80g (½ cup) sesame seeds 2 tsp ground ginger 95g (½ cup) soft brown sugar 95g (½ cup) dark muscovado sugar 250g salted butter, chopped 2 tbsp date syrup ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 80ml (⅓ cup) boiling water METHOD Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the flour, coconut, oats, sesame seeds, ginger and both sugars in a large bowl and mix with your hands to combine. Heat the butter and date syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat until melted and stir to combine. Put the bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl, add the boiling water and mix well. Add this to the melted butter mixture in the pan, it will fizz up a little, then pour it over the dry ingredients and stir to combine well. Roll the mixture into balls about the size of an egg, then place them on the prepared baking tray. Use the palm of your hand to gently press down on the biscuits to flatten them. Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Allow them to cool on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. I like a crisp Anzac, but if you prefer a chewy Anzac do not flatten them as much and cook for 12-15 minutes. Makes 20 This is an edited extract from Pranzo by Guy Mirabella (Hardie Grant Books), RRP $60. Available in stores nationally. Photography by Guy Mirabella.
