FROM GRAHAM NORTON TO GLASGLOW WITH TOM HUNTER AND ICE CREAM CHEESE...

Graham Norton was resplendent  in a tartan suit as he stepped out to talk about his new book in Glasgow. 
Graham was staying at the Blythswood hotel before heading through to Edinburgh where   he admitted one if his favourite authors was Scots born Denise Mina. 
Graham got the crowd laughing at the bash particularly when one fan asked him to listen to their radio show droptheboom.com. Despite Irish born Graham being a Celt there were language barriers as he misheard the title and asked if it was spelled bomb.
The radio person replied in ernest, ‘No drop as in D.R.O.P’
Graham should have had his big red chair with him. 


Billionaire Tom Hunter was looking pretty cool in a tracksuit when I bumped into him in town. 
Sir Tom told me he wasn’t on a keep fit regime. 
Instead the 56 year old who was with wife Marion and friends including former Clyde 1 boss Paul Cooney been at a gig in town and told me he wanted to fit in with the rest of the cool crowd. 
Tom has always been a very down to earth man and I remember visiting some of Glasgow’s favourite chippies with him and his posse in the past. 
He’s been busy of late working on the kiltwalk and he asked me to ask you if you can take part in the next one. 
I might well be doing it too now. 
You can choose a charity of your choice and Sir Tom will top up by forty percent whatever money you raise. 
He said: “We has over 20,000 walkers this year and are very chuffed with that.”


I indulged in what must be one of the most unusual desserts of this year at Oro Italian in Glasgow. 
Their ice cream cheeseboard sees Melt in the mouth versions of Mozarella, Marscapone and Ricotta all appearing on one plate. 
It was really odd when the Buffalo Mozarella flavour was served up with olive oil, salt and balsamic glaze, but it all worked beautifully!! 
What an amazing concoction by chef and restauranteur Domenico Crolla who tells me is now off to Roma to pick up yet another food award. 
Xxx
Kilts were very much in vogue on Tuesday night as both Enrique Iglesias and Eric Cantona wore one to mark their visits here. 
Enrique’s kilt was presented to him by radio presenter Adele Cunningham who managed to get him a special pink Heart radio kilt made to order by Slanj. 
Robin Galloway, who was also backstage, advised Enrique to wear nothing underneath but only those in the front row can tell whether he did - or not. 

I’ve triple booked myself this Friday night so if I see you please give me a drink of water to rehydrate me. 
Firstly I’ll be saying a very quick hello at The Dockyard Social where they have a special evening with some bloggers ahead of their Halloween market this weekend.
Then I’ll be heading westwards to Clinica Medica to go live on Facebook around six thirty pm and talk about some fat removing treatments with Dr Awfa Paulina (I should take the hint after all my weeks of gorging) 
And lastly I’ll be freaking myself out at the launch of GlasGLOW at Botanic Gardens - with a Halloween themed magical sound and light show.
I’ll let you know if I survive...

SCOTS ITALIAN RESTAURANTS BEAT ENGLISH FOR TOP HONOURS

Two Scots Italian Restaurants have beaten their English counterparts by being nominated for the Italian food Oscars. 
Glasgow’s own Oro restaurant in Kilmarnock Road joins Edinburgh’s Locanda De Gusti in being nominated for a trophy at the Melius Ristorante awards -rewarding the top 100 restaurants outside of Italy. 
And while Scotland has two nominations, England only has one - in the form of restaurant Beck at Brown’s in London. 
Scots chef Domenico Crolla said: “Every time I’ve competed in the U.K. for the past ten years Scotland has always done better than England whether it’s a pizza or restaurant contest. Scotland has always beaten England.”
Domenico reckons Scots restaurants are better rated because they are owner run.  
He said: “We have a culture of owner run restaurants here including Indian, Chinese and Italian which are all operated by the owners who offer an authentic experience. 
Other restaurants from Dubai and China are one the list so to be on the same list as them is quite an honour.”
Domenico can’t wait to represent Scotland when he visits Rome on October 29 for the awards ceremony. 
He said: “I don’t have the legs for a kilt but I’m looking forward to it. All the restaurants are of a high standard and it’s going to be close competition.”

GLASGOW PIZZA RESTAURANT WINS AWARD FROM ITALIAN GOVERNMENT

Scots Italian restaurant ORO has been named as one of the top seventy restaurants with pizzeria in the world by the Italian Government.
The stylish South side restaurant at 85 Kilmarnock Road is owned by Glasgow restaurateur Domenico Crolla. 

The name means Gold in Italian and it’s particularly fitting now that Domenico and his wife have been awarded a gold True Italian Taste award by the authorities in Rome. 

Domenico who has hit the headlines around the globe with his pizza portraits and use of gold leaf in his cooking, always planned to set the gold standard in Scots Italian food and he’s thrilled to make the list alongside some of the world’s top Michelin starred restaurants. 

Domenico who has just returned to Scotland after picking up his award at a prestigious ceremony in Rome’s three Star Michelin restaurant Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria over the weekend said: “We are now officially recognised by the authority and ministers of economic development in Italy and are in the top seventy pizzeria restaurants in the world out of an incredible 32 countries.  I’d like to thank all our customers, staff and chefs. Without them we wouldn’t have made it.”

Restauranteurs from as far afield as New York to Tokyo, from Dubai to Oslo were presented with their prize by Italian TV presenter Fabrizio Nonis while Michelin  Three-Star Chef Heinz Beck prepared the winners meal.

Domenico said: "Gold plays a large part in our interior design and of course we use some gold leaf in pizza toppings and other dishes but the name choice is more because our food is to a gold standard.”

The difference is our ingredients. Our chefs are brilliant but I do the buying of ingredients like the chicken and veal so I can guarantee the quality of our meat and that it's additive free.
ORO is my baby and I eat here, and my children and family eat here. If it's good for my family it's good for your family.  That's the definition of a family restaurant."