The image above shows a quartet at HOTEL SACHER WIEN – from left, Co-Owner Georg Gürtler, Andrea Salzmann (BONSurprise), artist Sarah Morris and Co-Owner Alexandra Winkler. The reason for the photoshoot? A 1,000-strong limited edition of boxes for sachertorte features a specially commissioned Sarah Morris painting. The boxes will be dispatched worldwide and profits will benefit the BONSurprise charity, providing necessary housing near Vienna General Hospital so that parents can be on hand to support kids having cancer treatment in the hospital. Sarah Morris is based in New York but she was born in Kent, England, and she graduated from Cambridge.
There’s lots happening on the food scene right now. Tonight is first birthday of Shirvan at MANDARIN ORIENTAL MARRAKECH, and you can be sure that foodie and Perfect Mine Host, hotel boss Marcel Thoma, will be hosting a table. Shirvan, which is open seven days a week from 7pm to 11pm, is a culinary journey of the Silk Road, orchestrated by Akrame Benallal, whose mighty restaurants in Paris include Michelin starred Restaurant Akrame in the 8ème district (he also has a home delivery service). Benallal is obviously versatile as well as movie-star looking: Shirvan’s specials, according to his website, extend the Silk Road brief to include three tacos, filled variously with honey-caramelised lamb, hommus, tomatoes, confit of lemon and fresh herbs. Every dish he composes has an art feel. Put a shape of meat on a big royal blue ceramic plate, with a simple squiggle of green mousse.
On Wednesday (16th November) eatertainment and art combines with fashion at JUMEIRAH ZABEEL in Dubai. Recently-arrived GM Mark Hehir hosts a launch cocktail for a month-long photo pop-up, Karl Lagerfeld Chanel Shows by Simon Procter (this is an English photographer who lives between New York and France and who also works with such other fashion icons as John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood).
And then there’s the art that goes with breakfast buffets. Here, one winner is undoubtedly SIX SENSES SHAHARUT….See the next few Girlaheads. But, for now, listen to one of the great names in food, Elizabeth Blau:
