An almost-30-year-old city power-lunch hub finally gets its second hat
Since Caterina's opened in 1995, chefs have somehow turned into celebrities. Not here. Marcello Mariani has been cooking here for eight years in a kitchen that's invisible to the dining room. A northerner inspired by all parts of Italy, he's a wonderful first violin for conductor Caterina, crafting everything from scratch, finding the balance between technique and touch.
Salt cod is softened with milk, infused with bay leaves and then whipped with olive oil for piling onto bread: start there. His vitello tonnato pulls an Italian staple from the sea of ubiquity and reminds you why the combination of veal, tuna and capers actually works. There's always raw, sliced, dressed fish, maybe goldband snapper with a trifecta of citruses, tempered by persimmon sauce. Slow-cooked, tender duck leg is torn through a rich spinach and herb sauce that clings to short, twirled pasta.
There's always rabbit. This time, it's on the bone in a light, white-wine braise rounded out with onion, green olives, garlic and butter. You might have it layered with chestnuts between crepes or rolled with prosciutto. What tasty, versatile meat, and how good to see it honoured.
When hazelnuts come in, straight from the farmer, the dessert specials tend to star gianduja, a blend of chocolate and hazelnut butter. I had it piped into a delicate, chocolate-tart shell lidded with a pretty lattice of shaved rhubarb.
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Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Shocking detail revealed about the lavish Venice wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez
Billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding will not be legal under Italian law, with officials confirming no-one has filed paperwork to formalise the lavish nuptials. The Amazon founder, who is worth about $US226 billion ($345 billion), is expected to tie-the-knot in San Giorgio on Friday, Italy time, in a star-studded ceremony that will include guests Kim Kardashian and Ivanka Trump. The series of events is expected to cost some 40 million ($A71 million) to 48 million euros, or $US46.5 to $US55.6 million. On Friday, journalist Nick Pisa spoke about the wedding on Sunrise. 'I spoke to Venice Town Hall earlier this week and asked them 'how does an expat couple get married in Italy? How do they go about it? Is the mayor going to do the ceremony?',' Pisa said. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez will not be legally married under Italian law at their lavish ceremony, according to Vencie officials. Credit: Stefano Mazzola / GC Images 'They said, 'actually, Nick, no-one from here is going to do the ceremony. No-one from here has been asked to carry out a civil service, so any wedding event that takes place there, will have no legal bearing or legitimacy. 'No religious minister is doing it. No Justice of the Peace is doing it, and no-one from Town Hall is doing it. 'Basically, it looks like an excuse for a three-day mega-party.' Pisa went on to explain a massive thunderstorm bearing down on Venice has affected the couple's welcome party, which was packed full of celebrity guests, including Oprah Winfrey and Orlando Bloom. 'The thunder is rolling and lightning flashing across the sky,' Pisa explained. 'We had hail and a huge amount of rain which I would imagine has curtailed the celebrations earlier than originally planned. 'The party kicked off 7pm local time with a flotilla of water taxis arriving outside the Madonna dell'Orto, a beautiful church in the north of Venice where the artist Tintoretto is buried. 'To the right-hand side of it, a beautiful open area space which is used for parties and exhibitions in Venice. '(It was) beautifully laid-out with tables and candles and even the pontoons where stars like Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey (all came together). 'Also, the key players Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez got off the boat, which was beautifully illuminated with old-fashioned antique 18th century streetlights. 'The party went inside after that. 'I could hear music, both Italian and English, I understand on the menu, it was mainly Italian food. 'I saw pizza ovens brought in, pizza dough, a lot of prosciutto.' During the festivities, Sanchez is expected to turn an array of luxury looks. Spotted leaving the five-star Aman hotel on Wednesday by luxury water taxi, Sanchez opted for a vintage Alexander McQueen one-shoulder gown for one of her first appearances in the city. On Thursday, local time, she wore a shimmering brocade corset dress from Schiaparelli's most recent couture collection. Details of Sanchez's wedding gown will no doubt be one of the event's most closely guarded secrets. Luxury Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana is the strongest contender — with Domenico Dolce photographed at Venice's outdoor Riva Lounge on Thursday — though Oscar de la Renta also being floated as a brand she may turn to for one of her many looks this week. Last year, Sanchez sat front row for Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Sartoria show in Sardinia as her son, Nikko Gonzalez, walked the runway, making it a family affair. She was also photographed for Bezos's 60th birthday in a sheer gown by the Italian label, though she opted for Oscar de la Renta for her 2024 Met Gala debut and for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March. Venice's famed waterways and winding streets have hosted an array of high-profile weddings including François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek-Pinault in 2009, George and Amal Clooney in 2014, and Alexandre Arnault and Géraldine Guyot in 2021. But protesters associated with the group No Space for Bezos have already shifted the impending wedding plans, with their threat of canal blockades moving one of the weekend's events from a grand, centrally located space, to a former shipyard on Venice's perimeter, according to the group. The complex wedding is being orchestrated by Lanza and Baucina — the planners who similarly oversaw the Clooneys' star-studded Venetian union. They told CNN that their clients' instructions have been to minimize 'any disruption to the city,' while insisting they use an overwhelming number of local suppliers to help craft the event. The couple is sourcing some 80 per cent of wedding provisions from local vendors, including pastries from the Rosa Salva pastry shop, the oldest in Venice, and gifts from Murano glassware designer Laguna B. Around 30 of the city's elite water taxis, out of 280 total, are also thought to be reserved. One taxi driver told CNN he has been booked from June 25 through June 30 for 'a big wedding,' but declined to say more on the subject. Gondolas have also been put on hold, with the city's gondola association confirming they are ready for the event. - with CNN
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Carn, slab, cask and spew': Australian slang added to dictionary
Carn, spew, and goon are some of the colloquialisms added to the Australian edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Eleven words and phrases debuted this month. Carn, a typically Australian sporting expression meaning 'come on', is famously ingrained in Aussie culture. "Carn is one of the words in this batch of [the dictionary] additions that shows Australians' enthusiasm for sports," an accompanying explanation says. The slang term 'spew' is described as "idiosyncratically Australian" and applies to someone who is "bitterly disappointed". READ MORE: Revealed: the safest airlines in the world for 2025 and the surprising debuts "An Australian who says they are 'absolutely spewing' means they are devastated or angry," according to the dictionary. 'Regional' is also perceived as distinctly Aussie and has made its debut. It is applied to anything relating to a region or regions away from major cities, typically characterised by medium to small cities and towns. "According to the Regional Australia Institute, this includes everything outside of the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra - from remote communities to inland and coastal towns and busy regional hubs," the dictionary says. READ MORE: 'You say tomato': Italian chef corrects Australia's common mispronunciations Carn, spew, and goon are some of the colloquialisms added to the Australian edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Eleven words and phrases debuted this month. Carn, a typically Australian sporting expression meaning 'come on', is famously ingrained in Aussie culture. "Carn is one of the words in this batch of [the dictionary] additions that shows Australians' enthusiasm for sports," an accompanying explanation says. The slang term 'spew' is described as "idiosyncratically Australian" and applies to someone who is "bitterly disappointed". READ MORE: Revealed: the safest airlines in the world for 2025 and the surprising debuts "An Australian who says they are 'absolutely spewing' means they are devastated or angry," according to the dictionary. 'Regional' is also perceived as distinctly Aussie and has made its debut. It is applied to anything relating to a region or regions away from major cities, typically characterised by medium to small cities and towns. "According to the Regional Australia Institute, this includes everything outside of the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra - from remote communities to inland and coastal towns and busy regional hubs," the dictionary says. READ MORE: 'You say tomato': Italian chef corrects Australia's common mispronunciations Carn, spew, and goon are some of the colloquialisms added to the Australian edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Eleven words and phrases debuted this month. Carn, a typically Australian sporting expression meaning 'come on', is famously ingrained in Aussie culture. "Carn is one of the words in this batch of [the dictionary] additions that shows Australians' enthusiasm for sports," an accompanying explanation says. The slang term 'spew' is described as "idiosyncratically Australian" and applies to someone who is "bitterly disappointed". READ MORE: Revealed: the safest airlines in the world for 2025 and the surprising debuts "An Australian who says they are 'absolutely spewing' means they are devastated or angry," according to the dictionary. 'Regional' is also perceived as distinctly Aussie and has made its debut. It is applied to anything relating to a region or regions away from major cities, typically characterised by medium to small cities and towns. "According to the Regional Australia Institute, this includes everything outside of the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra - from remote communities to inland and coastal towns and busy regional hubs," the dictionary says. READ MORE: 'You say tomato': Italian chef corrects Australia's common mispronunciations Carn, spew, and goon are some of the colloquialisms added to the Australian edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Eleven words and phrases debuted this month. Carn, a typically Australian sporting expression meaning 'come on', is famously ingrained in Aussie culture. "Carn is one of the words in this batch of [the dictionary] additions that shows Australians' enthusiasm for sports," an accompanying explanation says. The slang term 'spew' is described as "idiosyncratically Australian" and applies to someone who is "bitterly disappointed". READ MORE: Revealed: the safest airlines in the world for 2025 and the surprising debuts "An Australian who says they are 'absolutely spewing' means they are devastated or angry," according to the dictionary. 'Regional' is also perceived as distinctly Aussie and has made its debut. It is applied to anything relating to a region or regions away from major cities, typically characterised by medium to small cities and towns. "According to the Regional Australia Institute, this includes everything outside of the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra - from remote communities to inland and coastal towns and busy regional hubs," the dictionary says. READ MORE: 'You say tomato': Italian chef corrects Australia's common mispronunciations
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
Incredible scenes as Bezos' ‘wedding of century' kicks off
The spectacular festivities are in full swing as hundreds of A-List celebrities and business leaders descend on Venice for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former Fox News anchor Lauren Sanchez's wedding. Much of the 'floating city' has been cordoned off to accommodate the three-day extravaganza that is reportedly set to cost the billionaire around $86 million. Kim and Khloe Kardashian have been spotted numerous times moving from venue to venue, newly single Orlando Bloom has been doing the rounds and Oprah Winfrey has touched down after making the trip to Italy. Security around the hotels and wedding venue has been tight as local residents and tourists voice their disapproval over travel and venue restrictions, as more and more high profile visitors pour into the city. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez leave the Aman Hotel to go to dinner with guests ahead of their wedding. Credit: GC Images. Mr Bezos and Ms Sanchez landed in Venice via helicopter on Wednesday and took up residence in the luxury Aman hotel, where rooms with a view of the Grand Canal go for at least $7155 per night. The couple was spotted around dinner time as they left the hotel in a water taxi, waving at photographers and crowds, with Ms Sanchez blowing air kisses in a vintage Alexander McQueen dress. Oprah Winfrey is one of the latest stars to arrive in Venice for the Bezos/Sanchez wedding. Credit: GC Images. US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner have also been spotted shopping in Venice after arriving earlier in the week, American sporting superstar and NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady is also in town and Hollywood megastar Leonardo Di Caprio has been trying to keep a low profile ahead of the big day. Numbers for the nuptials are expected to be around 200-250 in what has been dubbed the 'wedding of the century', with guests set to gather on Thursday evening in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in the central area of Cannaregio that hosts masterpieces by 16th century painter Tintoretto. The city council has banned pedestrians and water traffic from the area from 4.30pm local time until midnight, blocking out protesters who have pledged to spoil the party. Mr Bezos and Ms Sanchez are set to exchange vows on Friday on the small island of San Giorgio, opposite the main St Mark's Square, in a ceremony which, according to a senior City Hall official, will have no legal status under Italian law. Kim and Khloe Kardashian is Venice for the wedding extravaganza. Credit: SGP/Sipa USA. Some have speculated that the couple have already legally wed in the United States, sparing them from the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage, such as it having to take place in an approved venue and the local town hall needing to be notified in advance. US television personality Kris Jenner takes pictures of Khloe and Kim Kardashian. Credit: AFP. Celebrations will conclude on Saturday with the main wedding bash to be held at one of the halls of the Arsenale, a vast former medieval shipyard turned into an art space in the eastern Castello district. The 'No Space for Bezos' movement is planning demonstrations against an event they see as a sell-off of Venice to the uber-wealthy while the needs of ordinary citizens are ignored — but not all the locals are hostile. Politicians, hoteliers and other residents say high-end events, rather than multitudes of low-spending daytrippers, are a better way to support the local economy, and dismiss the protesters as a fringe minority. Leonardo Di Caprio was keeping a low profile in Venice. Credit: GC Images. 'We're not talking about hundreds or thousands of people, we're talking about a few dozen,' said Daniele Minotto, vice president of the Venetian Hoteliers Association. Davide Busato, an archaeologist behind the 'Yes Venice Can' pro-Bezos group, said billionaire tourism gives the city a chance to show off its specialities. 'The idea that a 'morality office' should decide who gets to marry in Venice is a disturbing concept, unworthy of a free city,' he wrote on Facebook. Venice has hosted scores of VIP weddings. US actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin tied the knot there in 2014, and Indian billionaires Vinita Agarwal and Muqit Teja did so in 2011, without significant disruptions. Mr Bezos, executive chair of e-commerce giant Amazon and No.4 on Forbes' billionaires list, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. with AAP.
