Roses are Red, Ferraris are too!

This week's blog post comes again from Nina Heck.



What is the color Red to you? Red in colorology is a very expressively intense color. It grabs attention to the eye and is passion, life, energy, and power. It signifies richness and luxury, and beauty. Italian designers like Valentino and Pininfarina love the color Red and use it to define their brand.

When you think of Valentino, almost immediately the signature crimson red color comes to mind. His legendary crimson gowns are the brand's trademark and his collections are worn by the world's wealthiest and most glamorous women including stars like Gisele Bundchen, Anne Hathaway, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

(Valentino crimson collection image courtesy of RedHotBrides.com)


To Italian engineer, designer and businessman, Paolo Pininfarina, red is what defines power, luxury, and an experience of a lifetime. What color comes to mind when you picture a Pininfarina-designed Ferrari? Most likely the famed Ferrari red which has become the signature of the brand. Did you know there is even a “Red-Travel” site which is an exclusive Ferrari tour trip journey of Italy? With Pininfarina behind the scenes, the color red is symbolic to his work.

(Pininfarina Ferrari image courtesy of Pininfarina Ferrari P4-5 Wallpapers)

The characteristic red theme even extends to The Keating Hotel, the only hotel in the world to be designed by Pininfarina.. Stop in and see if it grabs your attention.

Mambo Italiano!

This week's blog post comes from The Keating's newest addition to the marketing department, Nina Heck!


Two words: Swing and Italian, it’s music to my ears. Hearing the melody of any jazz or standard can make you want to burst out in song or maybe even get up and start dancing.. Just putting on a familiar jazz or swing album of the 1930’s and 40’s can take you back to a childhood memory or maybe a romantic evening with a significant other. This historical era of popular music and style is still prominent today and has influenced artists like Michael Bublé with his music and even Gwen Stefani with her iconic style.


Considering my Italian-American heritage, I remember family gatherings playing any song sung by the great Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or Dean Martin paired with lots of Italian food and my relatives shouting, “Mangia! Mangia!.”



Just hearing the opening bars of a great song puts you in a better mood and sets the tone for a great evening after work. With that being said, how does real Italian food paired with famous jazz music sound now? You don't have to time travel or go very far to enjoy a tribute and get a little culture. If you want to check out some real jazzy swing, stop by The MerK tonight! We will be featuring live Swingin' Standards by Lady Luck. And to get you in the mood, check out my favorite song, Sway, by Dean Martin.

Ciao!

Aperitivo Time!

Who doesn’t love a great happy hour? Everywhere you go in San Diego has something to offer for these couple of golden hours when people can go to a restaurant and socialize without maxing out their credit cards. And it isn’t just an American past-time.

In Italy, in almost every public square you will find a café that has an Aperitivo time, or what we would hall happy hour. It's the time when Italians meet before dinner for drinks. But rather than it being held early in the evening like at 5:00, the usual American time, it’s held around 7pm and the drinks aren't discounted. As most people are leaving work, they will stop by one of these cafés, suits still on with briefcases and Blackberries in hand, just to be part of the scene.

The most common drink to order at an Italian happy hour is a Spritz, a wine based cocktail prepared with sparkling white wine, here a Prosecco, and a base of one of two famous bitter liqueurs, Aperol or Campari. The rule for the Spritz is that it has to be red. Aperol cocktails are refreshing, palate pleasing light drinks, while the Campari cocktails are a little bitterer for those who want a slightly stronger tasting drink. And now for the best part, to sit back, relax and enjoy the cocktail as you unwind from a stressful day at work.

As summer is right around the corner, and patios fill up, why not try something a little different for happy hour? Order a Spritz and feel like you’re in an Italian piazza enjoying the good life.