Miscellaneous

📰 Joanna Fantozzi, with over 7 years in the restaurant industry, is the Senior Editor at Informa's Restaurant & Food Group since August 2021. From 2018-2021, she progressed from Assistant to Associate Editor. Her education includes a BA from The College of New Jersey and an MA from CUNY. Joanna has written for The New York Times, Forbes, and more, and moderates industry events like MUFSO. Her expertise covers restaurant news and cultural issues.

🍴 Chef Evgeny Vikentev, from June 26-29, 2025, at ZIMA Notting Hill, London, will present a six-course tasting menu, available throughout July. Notable dishes include mackerel with pistachio and sturgeon with caviar, paired with fine wines and Nastoyka. The menu is priced at £125. Vikentev, a celebrated chef from St. Petersburg, has earned accolades including a Michelin star in 2021 and "Chef of the Year" at Russia’s national Palm Awards.

🍳 Il Visibilio in Chianti Classico is hosting exclusive Four-Hands Dinners starting June 18, 2025, at 7 PM. The first dinner features Chef Daniele Canella and two-Michelin-starred Chef Giuseppe Iannotti, limited to 16 guests at €190 per person, plus €110 for wine pairing. Upcoming events on August 12 and October 7 feature chefs Davide Canella and Federico Zanasi. Located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, this series showcases culinary innovation and expertise.

📚 In this episode, Hospitality Daily hosts and Hertelier founders Emily Goldfischer and Nancy Mendelson discuss ambition with Jennifer Fox, former President of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, and Nicki Dehler, SVP of Product at Stayntouch. They explore women’s challenges in balancing ambition, redefining success beyond burnout, and integrating purpose and well-being. Consider sharing this insightful episode with your team to inspire action and growth. 🎧 Produced by Clay Bassford at Bespoke Sound.

🍽 Bret Thorn has been the senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and joined Restaurant Hospitality in 2016. He won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and served as president of IFEC in 2005. Thorn studied at Tufts University, Le Cordon Bleu, and universities in China. He worked for ABC News during the Tiananmen Square events in 1989. Thorn is known for expertise in restaurant trends and French and Asian cuisines.

🍴 Michelin-starred Chef Lieven Demeestere will host a one-night-only six-course dinner at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu in London on June 20, 2025. This marks his first public dining appearance in the UK. The menu features dishes like Braised Pig Neck and North Sea Ray Wing. The event celebrates his career as he prepares to pass his restaurant, Arenberg, to his family. The dinner costs £110 per person with an optional wine pairing at £55. Booking is recommended.

📱 Zara's new Travel Mode feature on their app is available in the UK, Italy, and Japan, allowing hotel delivery and local shopping. Users can shop for items near their travel destination with geolocation, and prices are in local currency. The app includes travel guides, recommendations for museums, restaurants, and hotels, and a postcard sharing tool. This feature is designed to enhance travelers' shopping experiences by offering localized options and convenient delivery.

🐟 Celebrated chefs Mitch and Ben Tonks will host a residency at Brown's Hotel, London, from June 16 to September 14, 2025. The Donovan Bar will serve sustainable seafood from The Seahorse in Dartmouth, paired with bespoke cocktails by Salvatore Calabrese and Federico Pavan. Highlight dishes include sea bass crudo and spider crab. Joe's Bar at The Seahorse will feature signature cocktails. Since 2021, Ben Tonks has led The Seahorse, championing sustainability and traceable seafood.

🍳 Mark Abbott, Executive Chef at Aqua Shard, began his culinary journey in Northern Ireland, working with renowned chefs like Michael Dean, Andrew Fairlie, and Paul Kitching. In 2010, he joined Midsummer House in Cambridge, becoming head chef by 2014. Abbott emphasizes British cuisine, seasonality, and refined techniques. He collaborates with top suppliers, such as The Wild Room, Aubrey Allen, and Neal’s Yard Dairy, to highlight the UK’s culinary heritage at Aqua Shard in London.

💻 Summer travel season heightens cybersecurity challenges for the hospitality industry due to increased guest traffic and digital activity. Temporary staff and third-party platforms expose vulnerabilities. To combat cyber threats, hospitality leaders should join intelligence-sharing groups, tighten access controls, enforce multi-factor authentication, and offer targeted training. Real-time monitoring and shared threat intelligence can aid faster responses. Collaborative defenses help reduce risks and protect operations during this peak period.