23 June,2024 06:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Anurag Ahire
A stray naps in a narrow cove below the parapet on Marine Drive's promenade.
The college canteen can be more than just a place to chill, it can be the origin of inspiration. For students of Bandra's St Paul's Institute of Communication Education, their new canteen space by the venture Bombay to Barcelona might prove to be just that. "We are fortunate that founder Amin Sheikh thought of us for their second outlet. We still don't know if it will be a permanent venue. We certainly hope it will be so," shared Carol Andrade, dean of the institute. The venue opened earlier this month after Sheikh offered to set up a canteen for its students. "The concept is well-known to everyone. It is a trendy little eatery that is manned by former street children taken in by the NGO Snehasadan; the staff are so committed and impressive in the art of service," Andrade shared. The Bandra café doffs a hat to one of Sheikh's - he is currently in Spain - loves - books. "The library has popular books from Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens, to Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall and the Game of Thrones. It is very charming," Andrade told this diarist.
The art of penmanship has become more exclusive than ever. The new Pen Lounge in Pokharan 2, Thane looks to change that. "It is a high-end boutique for luxury pens, not a walk-in store that opened last week," founder Vikrant Mahadane told us. "We [Mahadane and co-founder Deepak Mejari] are trying to give people a feel of high-end fine writing instruments," Mahadane added. For chief guest Yashwant Pitkar, the space was about the joy of meeting new pens. The architect has been a serious collector of fountain pens since his youth. "It is a different experience to take out a fountain pen, fill ink, and write. It is almost a meditative action. Even the ink bottles that people often think are just bottles; there is an art to their shape," he elaborated. Remarking that his Pelican Sailor Mont Blancs still hold a place of pride in his library, Pitkar shared, "If there is an event for pens in India, I will be there. I love talking about pens."
The BRICS Games 2024 saw three Mumbai-based artistes take centrestage last weekend. Arif Chowdhary, Ramesh Yadav, and Siddhi Tambe put their best foot forward in the breakdance category at the games in Kazan, Russia. "Being part of the BRICS Games is an honour and a testament to the growing recognition of b-boying as a sport. It's about coming together and celebrating our shared passion for dance and athleticism," shared Tambe AKA Bgirl BarB. Over a call, Yadav AKA Bboy Tornado revealed that he is in no mood for a break any time soon. "I will be at the national finals of the Red Bull BC One competition in Bengaluru next month. I hope to win, and make my way to the world finals in Brazil in December," he told us.
If you thought you had struggles with overheads, talk to restaurateurs in Mumbai. The latest one to fall victim to rising operational costs is Bandra's The Gelato Bar. The outlet opened a year ago with its offering of a wide variety of Italian-style gelatos in the heart of Pali Hill. Now, founder Rachi Gupta confirmed that the outlet will function as a cloud kitchen-only space from July. "The operation costs i.e. rent, electricity, maintenance added to the cost of ingredients made it difficult. While we had a steady stream of customers, our location in Pali Hill made it difficult for us to find our voice and reach out to new customers," she added. The Bandra outlet will join the brand's Chembur and Marine Lines spaces as a cloud kitchen.
