(From top) Chef Davide Cananzi at work in La Cucina in Hyatt; bartender Irfan in action at Stadel; actress Deboleena Dutta sports sunshades from Himalaya Opticals. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Want to grab a bite while on the run? Think Italian. Introducing the concept of early dinners and convenient combo packs, La Cucina at Hyatt Regency has hit upon a new way to promote its pastas and pizzas.

As per the scheme, on from June, one can opt for a combo meal of a pizza or a pasta along with a glass of house wine (Barbera D’Alba Doc, Casetta or Villalta Soave DOC) for Rs 575 plus taxes per person from 6 pm to 8 pm. Should be a neat deal for Italian food lovers and La Cucina patrons considering normally a pasta or pizza on the a la cart menu costs Rs 340 plus taxes onwards and a glass of house wine starts from Rs 435 plus taxes.

If the scheme sounds pocket friendly, first timers can enjoy their meal in the Italian speciality restaurant amid subtle lighting and candles of various sizes casting interesting patterns on the wood, fire clay tiles, stones, fabric and copper d?cor. The romance of the ambience is highlighted by Italian lounge music hovering discreetly in the background.

All this while your pastas are pampered with freshly crushed pepper and freshly grated cheese, on the table. As if it wasn’t enough, watching chef Davide Cananzi and his men at work in the show kitchen further whets your appetite.

Glare glam

How do you look hot and stay cool at the same time? By availing of the bargains at the sunglass festival by Himalaya Opticals it seems. And if your mama’s shades fit you, you needn’t bother with the trek after all, for retro is in. “Big shades that cover more than just your eyes are the latest trend this season,” said a spokesperson of Himalaya Opticals.

Spread across 12 stores in eastern India ? Calcutta, Siliguri, Cuttack, Bhubaneshwar and Raipur ? the festival is offering UV-shield and regular sunglasses from in-house brands as also the latest international brands like Calvin Klein, Vogue, Hugo Boss, Versace and Gucci.

While the Himalaya brands are priced at Rs 350 onwards, the international stuff starts at Rs 2,500. The festival is on till June 15.

Mocktail mix

The cool confines of Stadel, the boutique hotel set in the lush green surroundings of the Salt Lake stadium, was host to a mocktail workshop recently. A motley gathering was taken through the paces of concocting some quick fix recipes to beat the heat.

Under the supervision of expert beverage maker Irfan, the afternoon class was given a demonstration of how to go about making Chocolate Soldier, Icy Spice and a host of other smoothies and milk shakes as well.

Held under the aegis of Baker Boy, the cake shop and bakery of the hotel, this was the third workshop in the line of many more to come.

Festive spree

The festive spirit is back on the racks once more with Westside offering Jamai Sashthi special gear. Ranging from stylish shirts and trousers to shoes, perfumes and much more, the options are endless.

For a casual look, sporty tees with funky prints, cotton canvas shirts, short-sleeved shirts with detailing, washed denims, cargo pants and shorts form the wide variety at the Camac Street store. In keeping with the summer palette, these can be found in soothing blues, bright oranges and whites. The range starts at Rs 199.

If your son-in-law has more formal taste, there’s a new range of pure cotton stripe shirts, twill check shirts and flat front trousers that are priced at Rs 799 onwards. And for those preferring ethnic gear, hand-embroidered kurta-pyjamas, linen kurtas and peppy short kurtas can be found as well.

Stylish ties, belts and shoes complete the collection.

Bag it

After clothes, shoes and even home d?cor items having their share of spring-summer collection launches, it’s now the turn of ladies hand bags. Hidesign, the brand that opened shop in Calcutta a year ago, has stocked its racks with the latest offerings for summer.

Among the range on display, Tara, the suede bag from the Eden collection, deserves special mention. Crafted from vegetable tanned leather, the bag comes in colours ranging from the classic black to loud reds and maroons.

Also up for grabs is another new design called Audrey, meant mainly for the woman who likes to carry more than just a cell phone in her handbag. With spacious interiors and a soft feel, the bag priced at Rs 2,295 could well be the most trendy addition to your wardrobe.