BPBWeekend - Brown Paper Bag - Pune Weekend Guide, Food & Drink, Shop, Events, Services, Feel Good, Travel, Freebies

Browsing through Ediots.in (Urban Dictionary definition unpublishable on bpb - find it here) reminded us of the stand-up comedy show we attended at Cafe Goa earlier this evening – only some of the jokes are funny, both sex and Anna Hazare are brought up, and there’s a faint sense of misogyny running through the material: merely one of the models on the Ediots website is a female, and none of its online retail partners offered shirts for women.

The Dark Knight Returns

Chocolatier Twinkle Bhattacharya’s no-milk  policy (she uses only dark Malaysian cocoa) and unusual flavours has won her a unique set of loyals - sommeliers,  Bombay gourmands who order via Blue Dart, lactose intolerant children and even a dark chocolate-loving  parrot. Peck the heck out of these!

Under the label Amoretto, this Bhosale Nagar resident whips up batches of hand-crafted chocolate (semi-sweet, dark, pure dark, white) that are filled with everything from marshmallows and Himalayan flora to wine and even cheese! But the hottest bonbons on her plate right now are the sexy dark chocolate spice bars – originally developed for a wine pairing event - where every bite reveals a new surprise. “Have the rose-clove chocolate with white wine, the nutmeg-cinnamon versions with red and honey-cardamom-orange with a glass of rose,” says Twinkle.  The buzz from the last one probably comes from the organic honey she sources from Under The Mango Tree.

August 4: Retro Night at Stone Water Grill, Pyramid Complex, 81/82 North Main Road, Mundhwa, call 41030333.

August 4: Contraband at Shisha Jazz Cafe, ABC Farms, Survey No. 35 & 36, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, call 65200390.

August 4 – 5: Lavender Festival at Sanskriti Lifestyle, 390, Lane No. 7, Koregaon Park.

August 5: DJ Aaron James NYC at High Spirits, 35A1 North Main Road, Koregaon Park, 65250559.

August 5: Fiddler on the Roof at Nehru Memorial Hall, Camp Cantonment, 8 pm.

August 6: The Man Who Died Laughing at Nehru Memorial Hall, Camp Cantonment, 9 pm.

August 11: The Beatroute Live at Hard Rock Cafe, 81/82, Pyramid Complex, Koregaon Park Extension, East Main Road, Koregaon Park, 67258888, 9 pm.

August 16: Tulli Tuesdays at Hidden Place, 2 & 3 Gera Legend, Near German Bakery, Koregaon Park, 66215922.

What: Trips Gone Crazy, call 42666651 / 9870000653 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , approximately Rs 1 lakh including airfare, accommodation, VIP club entry, airport transfers, visa, travel insurance.

Why: If you have to let someone bash you up, it should be these guys: Trips Gone Crazy is a new party tourism company whose travel agendas includes pub crawls, VIP clubs, carnivals, full moon parties, beach blowouts and beer fests around the world. And if you manage to wake up in the morning, there’ll be sightseeing too. Bookings now open for Ibiza trip and Spanish tomatino festival.

When: The time is ripe from August 31 to September 7. Bookings open now.  

We get you this brand new recipe from Cuban hotspot at The Westin even before the bar opens. Test at home, try at the restaurant, and remember to send us leftovers!

Ingredients:

400 gms prawns
600 gms tacos
300 ml beer
10 gms salt
10 gms crushed black pepper
80 gms lettuce
20 gms chopped garlic
80 ml olive oil

What: King Kong stationery from Pondicherry by Flints, call 09345209989, email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or view their Facebook page here, start at Rs 65 + shipping.

Why: Mumbai skyscrapers beware - King Kong is coming. Produced by design collective Flints in Pondicherry, a cool version of the ape monster now lives on all kinds of stationery – boxes, penholders and our favourite, door tags – and can be shipped to our fair city. They also customise - mail them your T-shirt, shoes, laptop (an airplane would be nice too, they say)  and they’ll print and paint it with cows, crazy elephants and anything else your heart desires.

When: You want to indulge in gorilla marketing.

What: Newsdrink.com, invite code: brownpaperbag, free membership.

Why: Newsdrink.com is the new Marie biscuit. A fresh aggregator site for newspapers, magazines and blogs from around the world, it’s the perfect accompaniment to your morning cup of tea. We love: Foreign Policy, Reuters’ Oddly Enough Blog and Two Guys Around TheWorld Photo Blog. What would be really fun, however, is if Newsdrink gives us access to paid subscriptions. Just a suggestion. Indian publications will be out next week, and a mobile app, next month.

When: You need a free press journal.