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

Castles and the Cabbage Hall

Pesto at the Cabbage Hall, aside from having two roaring fireplaces and a fine selection of traditional beers, boasts something the other Pesto sites do not – complete rural tranquility.

Stunning scenery, ideal for epic walking expeditions, surround Pesto at the Cabbage Hall making it the perfect location for a relaxing meal by the fire after a day out in Tarporley. But what exactly is there to do in Tarporley?

First off there's Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, located just a few miles from Pesto at the Cabbage Hall in neighbouring Malpas. A product of the early 19th Century, Chlomondeley Castle stands above a lake and is surrounded by a variety of trees including oak, chestnut and lebannon. The gardens are of rare aesthetic beauty, offering a stunning blend of colour and height bordering romantic walks around the lake. The castle also has a children's play area and farm animals including African pygmy goats and aviary with countless varieties of birds. Get your Attenborough on!

The castle is the perfect day out for anyone wishing to grab a slice of history, scenery and farmlife all in one day. http://www.cholmondeleycastle.com/Index.asp

Next up we have another historic castle in Tarporley; known as the the formidable ‘Castle of the Rock’, Beeston Castle is an impressive crag boasting stunning views over eight counties, from the Pennines to the Welsh mountains from its lookout point.

Perfect for inquisitive children, the castle is surrounded by beautiful woodlands with wildlife trails and even the chance to find the long-lost treasure of Richard II.

Where's me treasure?!

Beeston Castle is just a few miles from Pesto at the Cabbage Hall where children are more than welcome. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/beeston-castle-and-woodland-park/

Now, if castles aren't floating your moat perhaps a safari adventure will! Reaseheath Zoo is based just a few short miles from Pesto at the Cabbage Hall and is home to an exquisite range of wildlife, from meerkats to bat-eared foxes.

If you're planning a day out why not book your table for Pesto at the Cabbage Hall online? You can also ask us anything about our food, see pictures of the restaurant and tell us about your visit to Pesto at the Cabbage Hall on our Facebook page http://facebook.com/pestorestaurants

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

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/beeston-castle-and-woodland-park/

http://www.cholmondeleycastle.com/Index.asp

http://www.visitchester.com/things-to-do/reaseheath-zoo-p115841

http://facebook.com/pestorestaurants

http://twitter.com/pestorestaurant

Cocktail Time!

It's already 2012 in Christmas Island, New Zealand and Fiji, but here in the UK our celebrations won't be getting under way for a few more hours - leaving just enough time to grab ingredients for making your own Pesto cocktails to see in the New Year with!

Our first masterclass, as effortlessly demonstrated by our very own Deansgate cocktail king Marcus, will take you through how to create the Maple Leaf.

The Maple Leaf is the creation of Marcus and Christian of Pesto Italian Restaurants Deansgate. The special recipe was laboriously tested by Marcus, Christian and the video team - we are pleased to confirm this delicious treat is easy to make and suitably potent for any New Year's celebrations!

So, without further ado, we introduce Pesto Italian Restaurant's the Maple Leaf.



Ingredients

Maple Syrup
Monin Syrup (liquid sugar)
Mount Gay Rum
Basil
Lots of ice!

Equipment

Cocktail shaker
Cocktail glasses
Straws (optional)
Strainer

Method

Chill your cocktail glass with ice and soda
Add a shot of maple syrup
Add a generous shot of Mount Gay rum
Monin syrup
A smack of basil
Shake it all up with the ice
Strain and pour
Enjoy!

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

Cinepanettone & Cocktails

Think Christmas movies, think It’s a Wonderful Life, Scrooged, Nightmare Before Christmas, the Snowman and countless other festive feelgood classics. On the other hand, think Italian Christmas movies, and imagine Carry on Camping with a festive bent.

Cine-panettone are Italian comedy movies released over the Christmas period often based in, or featuring characters from the salubrious city of Milan. They also happen to feature quite a lot of nudity and some exceptionally bad acting.

Despite poor artistic merit, garbled plot-lines, gratuitous nudity and lowest-common-denominator, fore-head walloping humour, the cine-panettone offerings continue to drive festive film lovers to the big-screen in their droves.

While seasonal blockbusters Hugo, Arthur Christmas and Puss in Boots dominate the box office in the UK and America, Vacanze di Natale a Cortina is set to take the Italian box office by storm following the official theatre release today. You can check out the clip below, but it probably won’t make too much sense unless you speak Italian.



Now, Italian festive cinema aside, the team at Pesto Deansgate have a Christmas cocktail treat in store for all the party-lovers out there! This week we’ve been filming the making of some of the brand new cocktails as concocted by our very own Bartenders Extraordinaire Marcus and Christian! The guys talked us through how to make a couple of their own creations as well as their twists on cocktail classics. We’ll be sharing our secrets on YouTube in the coming days, so watch this space!

What are you up to over the festive season? Have you got a cocktail recipe you’d like to suggest? Let us know on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pestorestaurants) or Tweet us @pestorestaurant

Cabbage Hall Open Now!

Since opening in 2006 the Pesto family has been steadily growing, with four restaurants situated in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Today we are proud to announce the addition of Pesto at the Cabbage Hall to the family!

Located in stunning rural Cheshire, Pesto at the Cabbage Hall will offer Pesto’s delicious Italian piattini menu, alongside real ales in a cosy pub environment.

Pesto at the Cabbage Hall can be easily located from the main scenic routes through Cheshire, namely the A49 and A54 . Tarpoley is a hub of activity in otherwise sleepy Cheshire, with frequent dressage and cycling events taking place in and around the Cabbage Hall. Nearby attractions include historic Beeston Castle and Cheshire Pony Centre.

With its traditional pub atmosphere, Pesto at the Cabbage Hall is the ideal location for a family Christmas meal, why not check out our Christmas menu and reserve a table today? To make a bespoke reservation please call us on 01829 760292 where one of the Pesto team will be happy to discuss your requirements.

If you would like to make a Christmas booking for any of our other restaurants please call us on the numbers provided on the contact page, and for non-Christmas bookings you can use our simple reservations form here.

Have you got photos from your latest Pesto outing you’d like to share? Why not post them to Facebook or Tweet us?

http://www.facebook.com/pestorestaurants
http://www.twitter.com/pestorestaurant

Interview: Victoria Jones

This week we’re catching up with Pesto’s Vicky Jones, who along with a passion for cocktails (a common theme among the Pesto team…) enjoys a bit of Ryan Giggs, Keith Lemon and, er the Royal Family!

How long have you been part of the Pesto team?

Altogether – nearly three years. I was based at Pesto Trafford Centre for two years and I’ve been at Pesto Deansgate for almost a year now.

What is the best thing about working for Pesto?

The team! I have so much fun at work every day because of the people I work with. Everybody knows each other by name and face; instead of being just an employee you’re a person.

What is your favourite Pesto dish and drink?

My favourite Pesto dish changes depending on my cravings! I’m pregnant so it really affects what I eat. When I recommend a dish I always suggest the king prawns in white wine. Its great! My drink choice would have to be a Cosmopolitan, though I must confess all the cocktails here at Deansgate are to die for!

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

I didn’t find it very amusing but the rest of the staff did; I was walking up to a table to take an order, but tripped up on my way. I tried to pretend nothing had happened and the customers were lovely and didn’t say anything but I turned around and the staff were in hysterics. Later the customers were talking to one of the team and it turned out they found it funny too. Rather embarrassing!

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


The Queen – I love the Royal Family and I hear she’s quite funny! Ryan Giggs, just because I love him and finally Keith Lemon (Leigh Francis) from Celebrity Juice as he is hilarious.

What inspired you to become a manager?

I kind of fell into it really. After moving back from Australia I started working in a pub and I continued to move up from there. It’s the perfect job for me as its very flexible and I get to talk a lot – one of my favourite past-times.

After a meal at Pesto, what’s the best thing to do in Manchester?

I would suggest the theatre as there are always great shows on, then a couple of cocktails at Pesto!

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

I saw Sister Act at the theatre recently; the show itself was great, really funny, but it was nothing like the film, which was a little unexpected.

What does the next year at Pesto hold for you?

Hopefully a really busy year; I want to learn all aspects of the business, that’s my aim!

Lattè Art at Pesto

Our restaurant managers have been busy this week with the lovely folks from Limini Coffee, who popped down to Pesto Italian Restaurants Trafford Centre to share their coffee art skills with the team.

Limini lattè artist Youri taught assistant manager Lito and the Trafford bar team how to create flowers, love hearts and teddy bears, though they might be a few more sessions away from perfecting the teddy bear!

Our coffee and machines are all provided by Limini, who we reckon provide the tastiest coffees and hot chocolates out there! So the next time you pop in on a cold winter day, treat yourself or someone else to a delicious hot drink, topped off with an adorable love heart, flower or teddy bear!

And while we're on the subject of treats, Christmas is less than seven weeks away, why not treat the office, family or someone special to a festive meal at Pesto? Check out our Christmas menu here or arrange a table here.

http://www.liminicoffee.co.uk/

http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/location/trafford-centre/

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/