THE NEW L?incontro Ristorante Italiano, beautifully designed by Migs Rosales, opened its doors with cocktails hosted by its new owner and superb chef, young mover and achiever Tina Pamintuan, dahlings.

The heavy downpour didn?t stop the chosen invitees from starting off with chilled superb aperitifs and chilled bubbly. Check this out?a grand display of cheese and antipasti including black tartufo paté and 24-month-old parmigiano cheese wheel. Hot Italian bites such as scallopine marsala en ravioli, dolce gorgonzola pizzetas, spicy lamb meatballs, roasted grape and tomato kebabs plus other divine dishes made us forget our calorie-counting.

A close pal of mine, Tina Pamintuan had the full support of her constant escort, articulate visionary Brady Wheeler, and friends from the food and beverage community: Tita Trillo of Titania Wines; Elbert and Liza Cuenca of Steakroom; suave Goran Aleks, GM of Sofitel; well-respected Fahrid Schoucher, GM of New World Renaissance; and industry legend, Nuvo?s Louie Ysmael, dahlings.

An evening of quality food like no other, guests encouraged L?incontro to serve a free flow of wine. And never far from my side, in a most-talked-about Christian Lacroix outfit, was stunning Vicky Zubiri who loved the freshness of the newly renovated space at L?incontro. ?The food was excellent. I couldn?t get enough of it and how proud I was that Tina opened a world-class Italian restaurant, which I can say can stand side by side with some of the upscale restaurants I?ve eaten in during my travels abroad.? Need I say more, dahlings? Check it out at 207 Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo), Makati, where Tina?s new menu will superbly delight your taste buds, palanggas.

For more info, call 8990635/8-9 or e-mail lincontromanila@gmail.com.

Best dining deals in the Citi

Imagine these tempting entrées, palanggas: baked salmon or baby back ribs with a siding of crispy calamari soba noodles; heavenly dessert of mangoes and cream torte with special iced tea drink to refresh your palate. Is this culinary nirvana? No, dahlings, it?s just the icing on the cake as you can have this delicious meal at 30-percent off with your Citi card.

Citi cardholders can enjoy such perks when they dine at the in-demand Felix Restaurant during weekends as part of Citi?s new Dining Privileges, dahlings, at over 1,000 dining establishments in the country and over 5,000 dining locations in the Asia-Pacific region, palanggas.

Citi?s brilliant country business head Sanjiv Vohra said: ?With Citi Dining Privileges, we make sure our cardholders indulge in exciting dining offers, satisfying their passion for food and giving them the most rewarding dining experiences when they use their Citi cards.?

Cyber smart Bea Teh-Tan explained, ?We?ve partnered with more restaurants in over five Asian countries and the Philippines, where they will enjoy preferential treatment and dine-for-free specials, complimentary treats and discounts.?

Check this out, all you lovers of excellent dining and Citi cardholders.

Weekend Special Offer at Felix, 30-percent off on these entrées and free appetizer for a minimum receipt of P2,000.

This Citi Dining Privileges Program will be offered until June 30, 2011. For the complete list of restos, call the 24-hour CitiPhone at 9959999 or visit www.citibank.com.ph.

Bench Uncut: The Afterparty

How do you top the biggest show in town? That was the question after last month?s much-talked about Bench Uncut fashion show. As we expected, all sorts of spectacles took place, dahlings, including hot hunks.

Then it was time to throw a belated chill-out bash hosted by the gentleman of all seasons and world-class retail genius Ben Chan who gathered the namedroppables and pals who performed during that hot, hot show held at The Fort Strip?s chi-chi Establishment, dahlings. The who?s who of fashion retail and show biz clinked their glasses and had a blast: visiting from New York, Rafe Totengco; world-class show director Robby Carmona; and Bench?s adorable hardworking Suyen family, with the main man himself, Ben Chan, no less, dahlings. With Ben?s vision of global expansion in Asia, plus, take note, Latin America and Europe, palanggas, this was his party, his bold look into the future?a true elevation of the retail and lifestyle benchmark only from the pillar of the Bench label, palanggas.

GE celebrates 75th year

It was one of those days that I wished I had three bodies to go to happenings all at the same time, dahlings. But I chose General Electric?s affair, marking its 75th year as a corporation in the country, palanggas. The Peninsula?s Ballroom was crowded for this gala anniversary.

Present were Stuart Dean, charming GE president for Asean, and jetting in was Colin Low, GE president for the Philippines, Singapore and Cambodia/regional executive for growth initiatives, Asean, dahlings.

Valued partners, brilliant new guard Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific Air mega-smart president and CEO, and Andrew Huang, special consultant, office of the president San Miguel Corp., said ?GE had become an integral part of their companies? operations.?

For extras, palanggas, the UP Voice & Music Theater Guild, GE?s pal and partner, vivacious Leah Navarro, and The Company entertained us.

In 1890, GE?S predecessor, Thomas Houston Electric Company, installed the first electric street lights on Real Street in Manila. Then in 1935, incorporated GE Philippines Inc., an owned subsidiary which engaged in manufacturing, said the brilliant gentleman Colin Low, to the applause of the power-packed namedroppables from the different sectors of society, dahlings.