With Burns night just a few days away and the Celtic Connections festival well under way, we thought it was about time we highlighted the best of what's on up north in Scotland's biggest city.

This years Celtic Connections festival features some of Scotland and Irelands biggest names in the folk community as well as acts from across the globe whose music has been influenced by Celtic music. Below are the Pesto Italian Restaurants Glasgow top acts not to be missed at this year's Celtic Connections.

Thursday 2nd February sees Belfast native Andy White take to the stage at Glasgow Art Club on Bath Street, just a few minutes walk from Pesto Italian Restaurants Glasgow. Andy garnered a worldwide following for combining folk and pop stylings with a poet’s sensibility. Working with the heavyweights of Irish music including Van Morrison and Sinead O’Connor in addition to writing with Peter Gabriel and Neil and Tim Finn, Andy has scooped Ireland’s top songwriting awards and completed several world tours.

Thursday 2nd February 8pm, The Glasgow Art Club
http://www.celticconnections.com/whatson/event/119679-Andy-White

After a lengthy break from performing, Isle-of-Skye born Anne Martin will be bringing her brand of traditional Gaelic song to Glasgow University, where Glasgow-based band Askolenn will collaborate with students and staff at the Gaelic and Celtic departments of the University.

Thursday 26th January 8pm, Glasgow University
http://www.celticconnections.com/whatson/event/119691-Ce%C3%B2l%27s-Craic-Anne-Martin-&-Friends-and-Askolenn-&-Glasgow-University


Born of a 2010 Dublin Fringe Fest commission, This Is How We Fly consists of Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (fiddle/hardanger fiddle), Seán Mac Erlaine (bass clarinet/saxophones/electronics), Nic Gareiss (percussive dance), and Petter Berndalen (drums/percussion). Their sound melds Irish and Swedish traditional sounds with American freestyle footwork, live electronica and the occasional jazz improv. A truly unique quartet with a stage show not to be missed.

Also performing are Italian outfit Liguriani who blend fiddles with flute, bagpipes, guitars and accordions.

Saturday 21st January 7:30pm, St Andrews in the Square
http://www.celticconnections.com/whatson/event/118714-This-is-How-we-Fly-and-Liguriani

And for those of you who don't want the party to end why not stop by Pesto Italian Restaurants Glasgow for some last minute food to refuel before a night at the Celtic Connections after show club night. The after-show nights are hosted at Apollo 23, just a five minute walk from Pesto Italian Restaurants Sin Vincent Street. The late night club ensures that there is even more music to enjoy after all the gigs are over, with line-ups never divulged before the night – the Festival Club is said to be the late-night jam session to end all jam sessions!

10pm till late, Friday 20th Jan - Sunday 5th Feb
http://www.apollo23.com/

http://www.celticconnections.com

Pesto’s Picks January 2012

The New Year is almost upon us, and with 2011 having been the second warmest year on UK records hopefully our New Year celebrations won’t be blighted by freezing temperatures and relentless rain. Or perhaps that’s just wishful thinking…

With many of us about to embark upon the mission of sticking it to a long-standing vice, enter into battle with excess Christmas weight or seek out a new career as part of our New Year’s resolutions, what better time to take your mind off all that stress-inducing good behaviour and enjoy watching someone else sweat it out for a few hours, bringing us to the first pick of the year; TNA Maximum Impact Wrestling IV at the Manchester Evening News Arena. (Friday 27th January)

According to the MEN “Wrestling legends Sting and Kurt Angle head up the roster of stars from TNA’s flagship television programme Impact Wrestling.



“TNA World Heavyweight Champion Sting will be making his first wrestling appearance in the UK for almost a decade alongside Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle.

“Also starring at the Manchester event will be Gail Kim, Rob Van Dam, Beer Money, Crimson, Mickie James, Gunner, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, “Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe, TNA Knockout Velvet Sky, Mr. Anderson, Matt Morgan, Bully Ray, Mexican American and many more.

“Speaking ahead of his Manchester visit, Sting says: “It has been too long since I’ve been back to the UK. I promise you there will be Maximum Impact in January 2012. It’s going to be Showtime!

“Fans will see lots of bodies flying through the air, broken tables, chairs everywhere. We call it professional wrestling. We call it IMPACT WRESTLING”.

Ooh er.

Next up from the North West we have something altogether more relaxing and a little more high-brow from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Beethoven’s Pastoral (Wednesday 11th January).

Conducted by Vasily Petrenko with Nikolai Lugansky performing Beethoven’s Overture, Prometheus, Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastoral’ the evening is set to by truly magical, ideal for anyone wishing to wind down following the excesses of the festive season.

“One great composer: three incredible worlds. From blazing joy to blinding rage, no composer captured human emotion with more passion – or poetry – than Ludwig van Beethoven.”

Tickets range from £13 to £36, but there aren’t too many left!

Yooooooou’re gooooooorgeous! Probably words you’ve heard exchanged many times over the Christmas period if you’ve visited at least one bar with at least one over-zelous festive reveller. Well, if you’re in Glasgow this January 31st and would like to hear the song as it should be sung, britpop one-hit-wonder Babybird, or Stephen Jones as he’s less-commonly known will be performing at Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.

Jones’s brand of off-beat pop will be sure to brighten up your post-christmas midweek blues, and at only £12.50 a ticket it won’t break the bank either. Support comes from the Sneaky Russians, who appear not to be Russian, but must have sneaky tendencies to have wormed their way onto the bill with their dire brand of long-deceased garage band indie-pop.

Well that’s it folks, our picks of the month for January. Next month, what with it being February and all, we’ll be doing a Valentine’s special – watch this space!

www.men-arena.com/?page_id=1867
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080355/Feeling-hot-2011-second-warmest-year-record-hottest-spring.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Angle
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Petrenko
lugansky.homestead.com/
www.babybirdmusic.me

Pesto’s Perfect Trees!

Carrie and Big. Bert and Ernie. Cookies and milk. Some things just work better together, and without a tree Christmas just doesn’t work. The festive aroma, the decorating ritual and above all, presents underneath are part of what make Christmas, er, Christmassy!

Now, with there only being one days left till the big day itself, we’d hedge our bets that some of you are still scrambling to find the time to even choose a tree, never mind get it dressed up in time for Christmas morning. This is where we’re on hand to help! Here are Pesto’s top five tips for choosing the perfect tree!

1. Size does matter. If, like most of us, every inch of living space matters the last thing you want is a monster Redwood Christmas tree eating up your lounge. If you’re struggling to squeeze in a Tesco pot-plant, steer clear of lavish big trees, however tempting! Pick the perfect space for your tree and measure it before going shopping to save yourself a world of hassle later in the day.

2. Age also matters. A recent Facebook post from a most unlucky festive relative served as an excellent reminder that choosing where you buy your tree is every bit, if not more important than the tree. The relative in question splashed out a rather decadent £75 at her local farm shop only for the tree to wilt and die within ten days. Finding out whether your local tree stockist buys in their stock weekly or if it’s one big delivery will allow you to gauge how ago the tree was cut and judge whether it’s likely to be a duffer by Christmas morning.

3. Hate hoovering? The Norway Spruce might not be the tree for you…Some trees emit that gorgeous festive aroma, others retain their needles long after they’ve adopted that delightful shade of brown. For best needle retention the Noble Fir might be best for your household, while the Norway Fir really captures that festive scent.

4. Shape matters. As most Christmas trees in commercial shops have already been stuffed into nets, it makes it nigh on impossible to guess whether the tree in question has a classic Christmas tree shape, or is in fact a Side-Show Bob bonsai nightmare. Short of ripping the net off in-store (and possibly being removed from said shop) all you can do is try to find a small platform from which to gaze down the top of the tree to assess how even the branches are. Or you could try grabbing a tree from a local seller, who tend not to net their stock.

5. Fake it. If all of the above just seems too strenuous for arguably the most time-consuming month of the year, pop into John Lewis and buy a fake. Buying a fake does have its upsides; no messy pine needles, no faffing with nets, no watering around hundreds of potential fire hazards and best of all you can shove it in the attic and drag it out next year saving you time and money in the long run. All that aside, fake trees are rather naff, and it might just take you all year to find one that looks anywhere near as pretty as a genuine festive fir.

Struggling for a last minute stocking filler? Pop into Pesto today and pick up a gift voucher!

Keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter for more frequent updates.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Bradshaw

http://goo.gl/xu0Cp

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_Spruce

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_and_Ernie

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai

Pesto Italian Restaurants Glasgow has only been open for a little over a month, but in that time assistant manager Hanna Kerr has managed to familiarize herself with a number of Pesto cocktails! We caught up with Hanna to chat Glasgow at Christmas, Ryan Gosling, the Lion King and, of course, cocktails!

How long have you been part of the Pesto team?

Two and a half months

What is the best thing about working for Pesto?

It’s a small company with interaction with the owners which makes you feel you are part of something. The team we have here are all very friendly and good at their jobs, both of which make Pesto a good place to work.

What is your favourite Pesto dish and drink?

Pizzette Capra is my favourite dish and my favourite drink is a Mojito limonata, any mojito in my book is good but with limoncello in it makes it a bit different than the usual.

What's the funniest thing to have happened to you in the restaurant?

Coming to work on a daily basis and working with Francis, John and Hugh is pretty funny in itself as they all have great senses of humour and enjoy taking the mickey out of me too much!

Which three celebrities (dead or alive) would you invite to dinner at Pesto?

Ryan Gosling, if anyone has seen Crazy, Stupid Love they will understand why I chose him. Beyonce because I think she is amazing and I know Francis would be beside himself if she came to Pesto for dinner! Lastly, Heath Ledger as I would love to find out how he went about playing the joker and talk to him about The Dark Knight.

What inspired you to become a manager?

Restaurant work is something that I have been doing since I was 14 and it is something I am passionate about as someday in the future I hope to have my own restaurant. I was given the chance to become a manager at a very young age which I was very grateful for. Being able to teach people new things and skills and learn from managers that I work with is an inspiring thing. When the restaurant is full and has a great atmosphere, you can think to yourself I’m running this shift and it’s a great feeling.

After a meal at Pesto, what's the best thing to do in Glasgow?

Princes Square is great at night, especially at Christmas when its all lit up, and there are nights where you can learn to dance salsa. At Christmas, round the corner in George Square there is an ice skating rink which is great fun to go to with a group of friends, maybe before a few drinks though!

What was the last show you went to and how was it?

Yesterday I went to see the Lion King 3d, the stampede was brilliant in 3d but Mufasa dying really upset me! It was fun to see how much I could embarrass my friend by singing along to the songs only to turn and see she was singing along too!

What does the next year at Pesto Italian Restaurants Glasgow hold for you?

I am looking forward to growing the business and making people in Glasgow aware of how good the food and service is here.

There it is peeps; head to Pesto for mojitos before an ice-skating sesh, or is that the other way round...? You can check out the rest of our interviews with the Pesto team on our blog and meet the team page.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Gosling

http://www.lionking.com

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570728/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9_Knowles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger

http://www.princessquare.co.uk/

Pesto's Picks for September

Well, the month of August has been and gone, and what an ass-kicker of a month it was! The tail end of the month saw Formula 1 legend and all-round handsome devil Jenson Button doughnut his F1 car up and down Deansgate – right outside Pesto! We were all just a tad excited, so excited in fact that we put up balloons...and flags...and took pictures....and may have made a Jenson montage video! You can view it right here or in its full glory on the Pesto Italian Restaurants YouTube page. Pics are also available on our Facebook page - http://facebook.com/pestorestaurants

Now, on with September - though after the August we've had, it's going to take some beating! First up, a bit of trumpet blowing on our part; as the long-awaited (and somewhat overdue) Pesto Glasgow opening draws ever closer....

Originally set to open in August, the grand unveiling of the biggest Pesto Italian Restaurant yet, has been nudged back a few weeks to Monday the 12th of September at 12pm. While we couldn't blame you for thinking we've been so distracted by our tasty food that we've frittered away the summer dining al fresco on our Deansgate and Liverpool terraces and kicking back at the Trafford Centre – we can assure you that hasn't been the case...well, not entirely.

In short, we wanted to make sure that all three glorious floors on our new St Vincent Street site were every bit as stunning as the food and fine wines on our menu, and to do this takes time and patience, lots and lots of patience! Remember folks, patience is a virtue, and in just ten days time Pesto Glasgow will at last be open – we reckon it'll be well worth the wait!

In Manchester this September we have Tottenham jazz, blues and all round good-egg Adele bringing her latest bag of hits to the Manchester Apollo on the 16th and 17th.

If jazz and blues isn't really your cup of tea Tennessee's greatest export after Jack Daniels, Dolly Parton rolls into town on the 11th at the MEN Arena. Tickets have been sold out for some time, so you might need to employ a little creativity to blag your way into this southern spectacular. 

In Liverpool this month we've got a world premiere of the exhibition Wallace and Grommit at Spaceport. The exhibition has been specifically designed for Spaceport and features a collection of crazy inventions and fascinating facts about the moon, the history of space and our solar system. This is one for the whole family and is definitely not to be missed! 

Finally we head north to Glasgow, where at last the foray of Brad Pitt's upcoming zombie epic World War Z has just drawn to a close after a fortnight of A-list chaos!

The tragically short life of Celtic goal-keeping legend Johnny Thomson runs for five days this month at the city's Kings Theatre, a brilliant show for football fans and for anyone who enjoys an emotive tale steeped in melancholy. The Johnny Thomson story kicks off on Monday September 5th at the Kings Theatre and runs until Thursday the 10th September.

Our personal highlight for September in Glasgow is the Midweek Magic show at the Corinthian. Two of Scotland's most respected magicians Liam McLaughlin and Douglas Cameron present an evening of illusions, mind reading and, er, magic. Hosted in an intimate venue tickets will surely be snapped up fast at only £10 per person. There's said to be strange happenings at this event, so perhaps head to Pesto for some cocktails first to settle your nerves!

http://www.formula1.com

http://www.jensonbutton.com

http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/location/deansgate/

http://facebook.com/pestorestaurants

http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/location/glasgow/

http://www.adele.tv/home

http://www.o2apollomanchester.co.uk

http://www.jackdaniels.com/

http://www.men-arena.com/

http://www.dollyparton.com/

http://www.spaceport.org.uk/content/Exhibitions.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Thomson_(footballer)

http://www.atgtickets.com/King's-Theatre

http://www.midweekmagic.co.uk/

http://www.lmlmagic.com/

http://www.douglascameron.com/

Pesto Italian Restaurant Glasgow Manager John

There's been much ado in Glasgow this month with the filming of Brad Pitt's latest action movie World War Z and of course final preparations for the grand opening of Pesto Italian Restaurants Glasgow! 

We thought it might be wise, before all the action really kicks off, to chat to our brand new Glasgow manager John McGhie - rugby enthusiast and whisky fan!

How long have you been part of the Pesto team?

Nearly two months, just started in July.

What is the best thing about working for Pesto?

The opportunity to be part of an ambitious small company that will thrive in Glasgow’s busy city centre.

What is your favourite Pesto dish and drink?

My favourite dish is the Salsiccia Peperonata, love the Italian sausage, so spicy. I enjoy my red wine and favourite one is Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo.

What's the funniest thing to have happened to you in the restaurant?

Unfortunately nothing funny to report in Glasgow yet, but hopefully that will change as soon as we open.

Which three celebrities (dead or alive) would you invite to dinner at Pesto?

Michel Roux Jnr, really admire the passion and dedication into everything that he produces. For comedic value Ed Byrne, think he is one of the best stand ups around. Finally Gary Armstrong the former Scotland scrum half to hear the stories of Scottish rugby and meet the man I tried to model myself on when I played in the same position.

What inspired you to become a manager?

I started as a waiter to get through University but was caught up with the buzz that working in a restaurant brings and knew that this was the career for me. What happens each day cannot be predicted and I love the challenges that brings and overcoming them. Being able to interact with people from every walk of life and provide them with fantastic service and pushing to maintain those standards though developing and working with great teams keeps me wanting more as a manager.

After a meal at Pesto, what's the best thing to do in Glasgow?

Glasgow has such a varied culture that there is something for everyone to do, be it go out for a cocktail in a stylish bar or enjoy a whisky in a small pub somewhere with a live band play, or maybe go look at the fantastic buildings that make Glasgow what it is. I could keep going but there is too much to say. 

The Gallaghers. No, wait, it's just some apes.

What was the last show you went to and how was it?

Last thing i went to see was Rise of the Planet of the Apes which i really enjoyed, Going to see Jimmy Eat World at the end of the month which will be amazing.

What does the next year at Pesto hold for you?

The next year will hold a lot of hard work and dedication from the entire Pesto team at Glasgow to ensure that we strive to provide the best quality of food, service and experience that there can be. It is a challenge that myself and the team cannot wait to begin and enjoy everything that is thrown at us.

Pesto Italian Restaurant Glasgow opens September 5th at 6pm on the absolutely stunning St Vincent Street - see if you can spot it from the fan footage of World War Z!

http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/world-war-z/

http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/location/glasgow/

http://www.jimmyeatworld.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1318514/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Armstrong

http://www.edbyrne.com/

http://www.michelroux.co.uk/

World War Z, Or World War P?

OK, so we're just a little excited; Brad Pitt's upcoming zombie flick is set for action right outside Pesto Glasgow!

Alongside Pitt, one half of Hollywood's most powerful super-couple, Mireille Enos of The Killing and veteran actor Bryan Cranston will star in the Max Brooks adaptation World War Z.

World War Z author Max Brooks has penned a number of zombie books, including the bestseller The Zombie Survival Guide and graphic novel Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, World War Z has been praised by fellow zombie writer and acclaimed comedy actor Simon Pegg.

Now, we hate to brag (well, hate is a strong word), but at Pesto we've had a slew of celebrity diners in our Manchester and Liverpool restaurants recently, from Heather Morris and the Glee crew to 70's pop icon Debbie Harry - we reckon our unique piattini menu might well be delicious enough to draw in the Worlds Sexiest Man.

If you fancy your chances at star-spotting, or just want to check out a great place to dine out any night of the week, why not peruse our menu?

Naturally we got our knickers in something of a knot when we spotted the Hollywood crew assembling some very flash props on Pesto's beautiful St Vincent Street – just check out this brilliant fan vid!

We'll be updating the blog regularly with news and pics of all the excitement, but if you're in Glasgow and you spot a some Hollywood hoo-ha why not post it on our Facebook or Twitter pages?

http://maxbrooks.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/zombiesurvivalguide/index2.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Recorded-Attacks/dp/0715638157/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313596796&sr=1-1 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Pegg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mireille_Enos

http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-killing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Cranston

http://www.facebook.com/PestoRestaurants

http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/location/glasgow/

https://twitter.com/pestorestaurant