Instacart Files for IPO on Heels of Arm’s Plans for Mega Listing
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2023-08-26 04:19
Italian woman explains why you should never drink a cappuccino after lunch
Need a pick-me-up after lunch? An Italian woman has argued that there’s one coffee choice you should avoid. Italian social media entertainer, The Pasta Queen, has advised her followers to stop ordering a cappuccino in the middle of the day. The popular foodie, whose real name is Nadia Caterina Munno, took to social media to explain why most Italians don’t drink the hot beverage past noon. In her video, an individual behind the camera asked Munno if she would like a cappuccino, to which she firmly replied: “No.” “Why do Italians not drink cappuccinos past 12?” she rhetorically asked. Then, she slammed her hand down on the counter before answering: “Because it’s a breakfast drink.” But that’s not the only reason why. Munno explained how coffee has the ability to “awaken your senses”, which is why cappucinos should only be consumed before 10 in the morning. “If you really want to push it till 11, but not 12,” she added. Munno also said that consuming a copious amount of food in the middle of the day shouldn’t be washed down with a cappuccino, because there’s already “enough going on”. While after lunch may not be the proper time to drink a cappuccino, other coffee options are not off the table. Munno suggested an espresso for the perfect energy boost, but regular drip coffee works fine, too. “When you’re eating a meal, you have enough going on with all those calories and cheeses,” she remarked. “All you need is a quick espresso.” The passionate pasta lover pointed out how drinking a cappucino would elicit the same reaction from Italians that Americans would display if someone chose to eat a hot dog for breakfast. Thousands of her 2.2m followers flooded the comments with their food etiquette suggestions. Some admitted they had tried to order a cappuccino in Italy, but their server refused to give them one. Other individuals refuted Munno’s message, adding that they also ate hot dogs for breakfast. “The delicious thing to do in Italy is let them believe they can control your food. Then drink and eat what you want, where you want, and when you want,” one critic commented, while another added: “I’ll drink my cappuccino when I want. To me, it’s like a dessert.” “Filipino here with our hot dogs with garlic rice and egg,” a viewer wrote. Meanwhile, another skeptic said: “If it is in my cup, I can drink at 8 pm too. 3 am too. My cup, my rules.” One experienced asserted: “I can vouch for this... I am Italian and know of this ‘rule’ yet it did not phase me… I still ordered my cappuccinos in the afternoon and watched several natives enjoying one as well.” “It’s just steamed milk with espresso? Not sure what the big deal is? I say drink what you want, when you want. Respectfully,” she continued, while another Instagram user agreed: “I’m Italian and I love drinking cappuccino in the afternoon.” The Independent has reached out to Munno for a comment. Read More Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte turns 20, beloved by millions and despised by some Starbucks releases new fall menu with two brand-new drinks: ‘Pure joy’ Should I give up Diet Coke? With aspartame under suspicion, an addict speaks Dorshi, Dorset, restaurant review: Funky dumplings are a hit on the south coast National Burger Day 2023: Where to eat the best burgers in London In-N-Out owner reveals where ‘animal style’ name comes from
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Heineken sells off Russian beer business for €1
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This baby gorilla almost died before a zookeeper held him close. Now he has a new adoptive mom
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2023-08-25 18:49
Best boutique hotels in The Cotswolds 2023: Where to stay for style and charm
What is it that makes the Cotswolds quite so enchanting? Spanning five counties in the heart of England, the 800 square miles that make up this region of rolling hills and gentle valleys are heart-tugglingly lovely and have timeless appeal. But it’s the stone that makes the Cotswolds truly special; honey-coloured building material used for centuries in country mansions, taverns, churches, cottages, barns and more (some say the only thing you can’t do with Cotswold limestone is eat it, which might be a just a tad over the top). The sheep trade made the area rich back in the Middle Ages and, in due course, the region’s wealth was expressed in some of the country’s finest stone buildings. Gracious honey-stone manor houses liberally grace the landscape and, today, many of these are top-notch hotels that exude leisured wellbeing. Meanwhile, a number of old stone coaching inns have evolved into luxury boltholes glorying in a patina of history. Our selection of these havens ranges from landmark Lygon Arms in the north of the region to gorgeous, foodie Whatley Manor in the south east – they all encapsulate style and intrinsic elements of Cotswold beauty. The best boutique Cotswolds hotels 2023 are: Best hotel for romantics: Barnsley House Best hotel for walkers: Lygon Arms Best hotel for party spirit: No.131 The Promenade Best hotel for families: Calcot & Spa Best hotel for rural bliss: Buckland Manor Best hotel for foodies: Whatley Manor Best hotel for views: Foxhill Manor Best hotel for spa experiences: Thyme Best hotel for romantics: Barnsley House Location: Barnsley, Cirencester This mellow, 17th-century manor house is now an adults-only hotel. Complete with a spectacular garden, it is the ideal romantic retreat. There are quiet corners in which to hide away, both inside the property and in the wonderful grounds; there are old stone fireplaces to snuggle beside in winter and stylish terraces and outdoor recliners to enjoy in summer. The décor is immensely soothing and the facilities first class, from fine food to a flamboyant little cinema and a chic spa with views onto a meadow. The 18 gracious bedrooms include the sublime Secret Garden suite with a four-poster and a private courtyard. Best hotel for walkers: Lygon Arms Location: Broadway The Lygon Arms exudes a sense of history and luxury – it’s a landmark coaching inn complete with old stone fireplaces, ancient beams and stellar service. It sits centre-stage in beautiful Broadway, which makes an enchanting starting point for a number of glorious walks in the northern Cotswolds. Stroll out on a four-mile circular route to 18th-century Broadway Tower standing tall over the village, or meet more challenges on an 11-mile loop taking in handsome Chipping Campden and panoramic Dover’s Hill. Then enjoy afternoon tea or a well-earned cocktail in the picturesque courtyard terrace of the hotel. Best hotel for party spirit: No.131 The Promenade Location: Cheltenham Cheltenham’s most vibrant venue, No.131 is spread over three magnificent Regency mansions in the elegant centre of town. Inside, it offers a wonderful sense of flamboyance in its public areas, and cool stylishness in its 36 bedrooms. A maze of sassy bars extends over the lower ground floor and part of the terrace – at weekends, DJs add to the party mood here as crowds descend. On the ground floor there’s a kick-back marquee restaurant and a spectacular, gilded Japanese restaurant and red bar. Most of the bedrooms beyond offer the last word in opulence and glamour, some with gorgeous chinoiserie décor, some with appealing wood panelling, most with expansive bathrooms. Best hotel for families: Calcot & Spa Location: Calcot, Tetbury It would be a tall call to find a hotel more adept at delivering luxury and family-friendly services. Four miles west of Tetbury, this deeply relaxing country house venue is set in rolling 220-acre grounds. From the staff to the spa (the indoor pool is open to children at limited times) there’s a deep commitment to kick-back, upscale comfort. The 34 bedrooms range from cosy boltholes to sumptuous family suites. Facilities for children are superb – outdoors, there are play areas, tennis courts, bikes to borrow, a mini football field and more; indoors there’s a wonderfully devised, Ofsted-registered creche and a sophisticated zone for over-eights. The Brasserie serves modern British cuisine with aplomb. Offering light meals and aperitives, the soothing Hive is a chill-out lounge with books and board games. Book now Best hotel for rural bliss: Buckland Manor Location: Buckland, Broadway To reach this idyllic manor house hotel, you pass through serene landscape west of Broadway. Tucked into a valley beneath the spectacular Cotswold escarpment, the village of Buckland lies at the end of a country lane that goes no further – this is the ultimate peaceful destination. Located next to a 15th-century church, Buckland Manor is a historic property backed by 10 acres of beautifully kept gardens. Step through the front door, and you’re in a quintessential country retreat with flagstone floors, old stone fireplaces and oil paintings on the wall. The food is excellent; the outlook wonderful; and the 15 bedrooms full of old-school charm. Best hotel for foodies: Whatley Manor Location: Easton Grey, Malmesbury Built as a farmhouse in the 18th century, Whatley Manor has evolved into one of the Cotswolds’ top country house hotels, complete with fabulous facilities. The spa (with thermal cabins, hydrotherapy pool and more) is first class; the 26 formal gardens are dreamy; and there’s even a private cinema. But upstaging these is the Michelin-starred dining. Head chef Ricki Weston offers guests a gourmet journey that starts with wondrous nibbles in the kitchen (where you watch the chefs at work) and proceeds to the restaurant, where seven exquisite courses are served – dishes might include delicate lamb tartare and scallops with trout roe. Best hotel for views: Foxhill Manor Location: Broadway Glamorous and spectacularly luxurious, Foxhill Manor is a wonderfully secluded Arts and Crafts mansion in the rolling Farncombe Estate above Broadway. With just eight bedrooms (all fabulously stylish), immaculate concierge service and meals cooked to (your) order, it has raised the bar for boutique hotels. The setting is superb, too: from the sitting room, terraced garden and many of the bedrooms, there’s a jaw-dropping panoramic outlook over the beautiful Vale of Evesham. Book a stay in the Oak suite and you and your partner can take in this view from side-by-side, perfectly positioned slipper baths. Book now Best hotel for spa experiences: Thyme Location: Southrop, Lechlade In the picturesque village of Southrop, around 8 miles from Burford, this epicurean haven is spread over a cluster of honey-stone properties. It’s a sublime retreat for adults, comprising cottages, two ancient barns, the Swan pub, a 17th-century farmhouse and the village’s former (very handsome) rectory – all linked by paths through beautifully landscaped grounds. There are 31 gorgeous bedrooms and a spectacular restaurant, the Ox Barn, serving modern British dishes largely based on what’s growing in the veg garden. Perhaps best of all is the extensive spa with a natural spring water swimming pool, treatments based on sibling brand Bertioli and a separate, serene hideaway, the Botanical Bothy, offering herbal soaks and regenerative rituals. Read more of our UK hotel reviews: Best dog-friendly Cotswolds hotels Best boutique Cotswolds hotels The best cosy hotels in the UK Read more about England travel: The ultimate Lake District guide How to spend a day in King’s Cross The best things to do on the Isles of Scilly Read More Norfolk guide: Where to eat, drink and stay in a county of birds, boats and endless skies Best UK aparthotels 2023: Where to stay for gyms, waterfront views and home cooking Best Margate hotels 2023: Where to stay for luxury, romance and a good night out Best cheap hotels in Liverpool to see the city on a budget Beeswax and breakfast in bed: What’s abuzz at this London hotel’s rooftop hives Paris 2024 Summer Olympics: How to plan the perfect trip, from best hotels to how to get tickets
2023-08-25 17:54
Dorshi, Dorset: Funky Malaysian dumplings are a hit on the south coast
By the time I sit down at my table in Dorshi, a charming southeast Asian restaurant in the town of Bridport, Dorset, I’m exhausted but excited. The dumpling-forward eatery, tucked inside an alleyway, takes its inspiration from the streets of Penang, Malaysia. It has a hole-in-the-wall feel that many restaurants on the food-obsessed island have, as though you’ve squeezed yourself between two buildings only to find food heaven awaiting you. Opened by friends and owners Jollyon Carter and Radhika Mohendas in 2016, the pair had first spend time travelling around the UK to bring their delicious morsels to festivals, outdoor events and supper clubs. The Malaysian connection is made even clearer after I discover that Mohendas hails from the Southeast Asian country. Although she is absent from Dorshi on the night, I can see the cultural influence in everything – from the menu design, to the white sheets of paper clipped onto the tables, to the short, breezy curtains that hang down to give some semblance of separation between spaces. The presence of paper “tablecloths” suggest your meal might get a little messy, but it’s all part of the fun. The menu is also exciting, divided into dumpling and non-dumpling dishes, with unexpected combinations like pork and Bury black pudding, hot smoked fish, beancurd, and capers, and field mushroom and Dorset red cheddar. I want to order as many things as possible. But getting to this point of my evening has taken almost eight hours, when it should have taken no longer than four. My journey to Bridport began promisingly: there were no train strikes and my guest and I were well prepared with snacks and tinnies for the two-and-a-half-hour journey from London Waterloo. But no sooner had I stepped onto the train things began to go south – both literally and figuratively. The air conditioning was bust and the carriage got muggier and muggier as it crawled along the tracks. The train got stuck mid-way through the journey, leaving us wondering if we would be stranded at Brockenhurst for hours. By the time we actually arrived in Bridport, the journey had stretched to more than five hours. And really, I should’ve known this would happen considering the state of Britain’s railways. But this wasn’t even the end of our travel woes – later, we would discover that getting a taxi to pick you up on time in rural Dorset is something of a rarity, and trying to flag a taxi back to the hotel after 9pm was nearly impossible. Never mind though – here we finally are at Dorshi, stomachs rumbling and hopes high. We order all the aforementioned dumplings, with the addition of the white fish and sorrel number. For the non-dumpling dishes, one of the friendly waitresses recommends a celery, cucumber, strawberries and lovage salad coated in a kind of sauce made from cashews and nori seaweed, which was crunchy, fresh and delicious. We also indulge in fried shimeji mushrooms flavoured with togarashi, a Japanese spice blend of chilli flakes, seaweed and sesame seeds, and served with a seaweed mayo, as well as Hakata noodles (a type of ramen noodle) with the house broth and smoked garlic oil. Each dish is carefully crafted and balanced, making for perfect bites every time. The pork and black pudding steamed dumplings are succulent, while the hot smoked fish and beancurd fillings encased in crispy fried dumpling dough are a crispy, salty revelation. Mushroom and cheese in a dumpling? Yes please, I’d have 10 more of those if I could. I even go out on a limb and try a “kimchi pickleback” – a shot of tequila chased by a shot of kimchi juice. It’s a strange but wonderfully funky combination. Dorshi doesn’t fail to disappoint on any count, and it’s easy to see why everyone I had spoken to that day had raved about it. When we finally return to the family-run Outbuildings, where we were staying the night, I rave about the dumplings we had just devoured to Ed Whitehead and his husband Dom, who had welcomed us with warm smiles to what they describe as a “mini Soho Farmhouse”. The luxurious farm stay (three words that sound strange strung together, but somehow work) was a huge treat that we enjoyed immensely, even going so far as to run the outdoor bath at The Coop the morning after and soak in the calmness of the countryside. Naturally, our taxi back to the station was late and we had just three minutes to spare before jumping onto our train back to London – which was also delayed. But despite all the travel woes, I’d love to go back to Bridport, stay at Outbuildings and dine at the lovely Dorshi again. If only the country’s public transport systems would get its act together, then everyone else can do the same, too. Dorshi, 6 Chancery Ln, Bridport, DT6 3PX | dorshi.co.uk | 01308 423221 Read More The best outdoor restaurants, terraces and rooftop bars in London to book now In Horto: Hearty, outdoorsy fare in a secret London Bridge garden The Union Rye, review: Finally, a decent restaurant in this charming East Sussex town 30-minute summer recipes for all the family to enjoy What to cook this week: Tomato tart, sweetcorn pasta and other summery suppers Tofu chicken to chickpea bacon – how and why you should make plant-based meat at home
2023-08-25 13:52
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A 'forgotten' Winnie the Pooh sketch sat in a drawer for years. Now it could be worth thousands
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