Cheers Chico caters to local tastes | It’s Your Business

Business News

At Cheers Chico, everybody might not know your name, but they will greet and serve you as if you are an old friend.“The name was inspired by the u-shape of the bar, which is the same shape as the bar in the 1980s sitcom ‘Cheers,’” said David Halimi, the establishment’s owner. “Not only that, but it had a nice ring to it. So I named it Cheers Chico, ‘where we say cheers to good times in Chico.’”The new restaurant, bar and live music venue, which opened in September on Main Street in downtown Chico, is the latest venture of Halimi, a local businessman, event producer and Chico State College of Business instructor.Makena Prouty, left, accepts a drink from bartender Colin Jones at the end of her shift at Cheers Chico while owner David Halimi, in the background, walks into the kitchen on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 in Chico, California. (Kyra Gottesman/Mercury-Register)“My vision was to create a fine dining space with an element of live entertainment,” said Halimi. “I’ve always believed that what makes Chico different than other small towns is how much arts and music it offers. I’ve always been very supportive of that and wanted to contribute.”From its entrance — which features an inlaid mosaic dollar sign installed in 1948 when JC Penny built its store there — to the interior’s warm lighting and custom African mahogany hostess station, tables and bar, Cheers Chico provides a welcoming and comfortable space for drinking, eating and hanging out.“I’m a great believer that everything should be nice and go together,” said Halimi. “There should be a flow, a symmetry so that there’s a balance. People are telling me the space has a great ‘vibe.’”That attentiveness harmony and elegance is also evidenced in the presentation of the restaurant’s drinks and food. Cocktails and mocktails are served in pre-chilled glasses and delicately garnished. And, each dish on the menu from starters to desserts is presented like a work of art.“You eat with your eyes first, so the food should be presented beautifully,” said Halimi. “The dishes, the napkins, the silverware, the food, all of it should be appealing. It should invite you to eat.”Foodie rootsHalimi’s interest in both eating and cooking fine food started when worked at Bull Valley Roadhouse in Port Costa, California, while he was in high school and an undergraduate at East Bay College. There, Halimi became a “foodie” and found he enjoyed expressing his creativity through culinary inventiveness.“Fine food became a hobby,” Halimi said. “Creating things is easy to do with food.”After nearly five decades, Halimi – who holds undergraduate degrees in mathematics and economics and a master’s degree from UC Davis in ecometrics – took his hobby and turned it into a business. He opened his first restaurant, Meze Moon Mediterranean Cuisine, in Chico in 2023.Cheers Pickled Deviled Eggs — prepared using beet-juice pickled egg whites and a filling of whipped sundried tomato and egg yolk with spices — stands ready for a Cheers Chico customer on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 in Chico, California. (Kyra Gottesman/Mercury-Register)When the restaurant that had occupied the lower floor of the building he owned at 135 Main Street closed in 2022, Halimi decided to open another restaurant in its place because “no one else was stepping forward” to reopen it. That decision was made in December 2023, and after a nine-month remodel, Cheers Chico opened fulfilling Halimi’s “dream of creating a fine dining space.”“I  spent a long time creating the menu. My goal was to offer a menu unique to Chico, to offer dishes no others offered,” he said. “Like architects design buildings that builders build, I did the same with the dishes, creating dishes for the chefs to cook.”The foundation for Cheers Chico fare is fresh and, when possible, locally sourced ingredients and to making everything from scratch.“My philosophy is, if you want to end with a great product you have to start with the best ingredients,” Halimi said. “We make everything in house. There are no cans, jars or microwaves. It takes five people in the kitchen to create the dishes we make.”A Cheers Chico Mini Eggplant Parmigiana appetizer featuring a fresh tomato marinara sauce is ready to serve on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 in Chico, California. (Kyra Gottesman/Mercury-Register)Cheers Chico offers dinner, lunch, happy hour and late night menus. A weekend brunch menu is in the works and Halimi hopes to open for that meal in the near future.Among the appetizers offered is a variation on deviled eggs. This dish is prepared using  beet-juice pickled egg whites with a whipped sundried tomato and egg yolk with spices filling. There’s also a fresh-baked, five-seed flatbread served with melted cheese and a light marinara sauce made from fresh tomatoes.Perhaps the most unusual starter dish is the Polenta Nigiri, an original Halimi creation. This starter is made from cold-pressed, crispy polenta bites topped with a warm meatball slice, the house marinara, melted cheese and topped with fresh basil leaves.Halimi enjoys the Cheers Chico menu so much he said “every dish is my favorite” but, the entrée he’s most proud of include the charbroiled, grass-fed leg of lamb served with a pomegranate reduction sauce, saffron rice and herbed root vegetables. The oven roasted duck breast with  an orange demi-glace served with a flambe peach half, French lentils and snap peas is also high on Halimi’s list, as are the veal marsala, lobster lasagna, prime rib and porterhouse steak which, the restaurateur says is “the best steak in town.”There are also seafood selections — halibut and black cod — as well as a vegetarian lasagna on the dinner menu.Prepared for a customer on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 in Chico, California, this charbroiled, grass-fed leg of lamb with a pomegranate reduction sauce, saffron rice and herbed root vegetables entrée is a favorite of Cheers Chico owner David Halimi. (Kyra Gottesman/Mercury-Register)“Everything on the menu has been really well received. People love the food,” said Halimi. “I had couple who have dined all over the world come in for dinner and tell me afterwards that they never expected to find food like this in Chico.”Lunches include a prime rib French dip sandwich; a house-ground beef cheeseburger, pappardelle pasta served with a garlic cream sauce, smoked mushroom, spinach and a choice of chicken, beef, salmon or vegetables; as well as a classic Caesar salad with chicken, among other dishes.Among the five dessert offerings is the Cheers Cassata Slice, a rum infused vanilla-bean ice cream with chopped candied fruit, nuts and chocolate chips.“I used to make this dessert 50 years ago at Bull Valley,” said Halimi. “It’s been a hit.”Drinks and dancingThe bar serves more than 30 beers on tap including those from local brewery’s such as Ramble West, Feather Falls Brewery and Sierra Nevada. There is also a wide selection of affordable wines and specialty craft mocktails and cocktails.“The Cheers Cherry Times house cocktail is quite unusual,” said Halimi. “It’s made with Pierre Ferrand cognac, orange juice, a persimmon puree, pomegranate and champagne. That’s a hard one to stop drinking.”Live music, usually classic rock, is offered on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., with electronic music filling the venue afterwards until closing.“We try to cater to Chico’s different demographics,” explained Halimi about the music. “The live classic for the dining crowd and dance music for the younger crowd. We basically follow the tastes of the locals.”For further information on Cheers Chico, visit cheerschico.com.Reach Kyra Gottesman at [email protected]

Security guard sues Science Museum for allegedly denying suitable chair

Science and Health

A cancer survivor with chronic health problems is suing one of the UK’s most prestigious museums for discrimination for allegedly denying her a suitable chair to sit on when she is at work.Malina Nowicka, 34, works as a security guard at the Science Museum in South Kensington, London, and has assisted thousands of visitors in the five years she has worked there.She is a survivor of kidney cancer and requires regular monitoring, has chronic lower back pain and struggles to stand for long periods. She also suffers from vasovagal syncope, a fainting condition.Although the museum provides stools in the rooms where exhibits are displayed, where staff can perch for short periods, Nowicka claims she needs access to a proper chair during her shifts, especially if she starts to feel faint.An occupational health assessment concluded that Nowicka was fit to work but it found that she required a more comfortable chair with arm and back rests, rather than making do with the stools provided. She claims her employers have not provided this for her.She says she decided to take legal action after her request for a chair went unanswered for more than three years. She had asked Wilson James, the company that employs security guards that work at the Science Museum, and the museum itself for a chair but was allegedly rejected.“I have never brought a legal action before. I’m not just doing this for myself but for all people with disabilities,” said Nowicka. “I’ve decided to go public to encourage others with disabilities to fight for their rights. I love my job but I don’t want others to go through what I’ve been through in the last few years.“I’ve really struggled and my treatment by the employers has made me badly depressed and has affected my mental health. Whatever race or religion you are or whatever disability you have, nobody should be discriminated against at work.”Nowicka is taking both to the London Central employment tribunal and is suing them for disability discrimination under the 2010 Equality Act.The preliminary hearing has taken place and the full case is due to be heard in June 2025. She is being supported by her union, United Voices of the World, which represents security guards at the museum and in other workplaces. The security guards are staging strikes over pay and working conditions with the next strike scheduled for 15 days over the next month.Petros Elia, the general secretary of the UVW, said: “Malina’s case highlights the injustice and harm caused when employers ignore the wellbeing of disabled workers. UVW remains committed to supporting her and ensuring that no disabled worker has to endure the same mistreatment in the future.”A Wilson James spokesperson said: “We are aware of the circumstances related to this individual, and remain committed to working with all parties to achieve a positive resolution.”

TSA highlights essential travel prep to avoid delays and security issues

Travel

“Passengers forget that knives and other weapons are not allowed through our checkpoints. It’s shocking to see so many people with knives,” a TSA officer says.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — With a busy holiday travel season ahead, the Transportation Security Administration is urging people to be prepared when they leave home. There’s more to that than you might initially imagine.

In fact, TSA officials took the time to create a list of things that passengers forget, but need to remember, from what they see every day. Quite often, it’s the simple things.

“People seem to forget some of the more common and routine steps that they need to take when packing for a flight or when they are going through a checkpoint, perhaps because they’re focused on being at their destination and not focusing on what needs to happen before getting there,” TSA officer Christopher Kirchein said in a statement.

RELATED: TSA to travelers: Don’t attempt to bring ‘cat eyes’ through airport security

So, what does the TSA recommend you not forget next time you travel?

You cannot bring bottles of liquid through a security checkpoint, and that applies to insulated reusable containers as well. Finish your drink in line, grab your empty reusable bottle on the other side.Bring your ID. Always bring your ID.Remove everything from your pockets, from keys and mobile phones to tissues, lip balm, breath mints, cat eyes, and more.Do not bring a firearm to a checkpoint. Pack it, unloaded, in a locked hard-sided case and then declare it at your airline check-in. Failing to do so can result in charges.Remove your shoes when getting screened, so yes, you might want to wear socks and not go barefoot.Children 12 and under can pass through a TSA PreCheck screening lane with a parent who does have TSA PreCheck on their boarding pass. Kids up to 18 years old can also go through TSA PreCheck with their parent if they’re on the same airline reservation.If you’re either 12 or younger or 75 and over, you don’t need to remove shoes and light jackets. Use TSA-compatible locks on luggage. If an officer need to open your luggage, that will help. If it’s not TSA-compatible, they would need to cut the lock, and you’ll ultimately need to buy a new lock.Medications, even if it’s a liquid, can pass through a security checkpoint. Just let TSA officers know so it can be screened separately.Get a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license before the federal deadline arrives on May 7, 2025.

“Passengers forget that knives and other weapons are not allowed through our checkpoints. It’s shocking to see so many people with knives,” TSA officer Aisha Hicks said in a statement. “Weapons of any kind are prohibited through a TSA checkpoint.”

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News24 Business | Nintendo courts non-gamers in ‘about-turn’ strategy

Business News

Nintendos Super Mario figurine at a toy store entrance in Yokohama. (Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Once confined to rectangular screens, chirpy plumber Mario and pointy-eared Princess Zelda are popping up in theme parks and toy stores as Nintendo goes all out to win non-gamer fans.It wasn’t always this way: for many years, the Japanese company shied away from promoting products or creating media other than video games.But its push for broader brand recognition over the past decade has reached the point where even Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto describes Nintendo as something of a “talent agency” for its colourful characters.A new area based on the “Donkey Kong” games was unveiled at the Universal Studios Japan amusement park on Tuesday, expanding Nintendo’s zone there – already a major tourist draw.Its doors open on December 11, following last month’s launch of the first ever Nintendo museum in a renovated factory in Kyoto.At the box office, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was 2023’s second-highest grossing title, with a sequel due in 2026 and a film based on Nintendo’s “The Legend of Zelda” also on the way.”Over the past decade, there has really been an about-turn” in Nintendo’s strategy, said Florent Gorges, an expert on the company’s history.’Reclusive’The gaming giant started life in Japan’s traditional former capital of Kyoto in 1889, producing playing cards.For a long time, it took a “conservative” and “somewhat reclusive” approach to cashing in on its intellectual property, said Gorges.”There was a certain culture of secrecy, taken to extremes within Nintendo, that made it very squeamish about trying new things,” he told AFP.Hiroshi Yamauchi, company president for over half a century between 1949 and 2002, “hated” the idea of any kind of company mascot, Gorges added.An early foray outside of the gaming world also proved tricky.In the 1990s, Nintendo entrusted its Mario IP to a Hollywood production team who made a live-action movie that was roundly panned.The flop may have contributed to its cautious approach, until disappointing sales of the Nintendo 64 and GameCube consoles in the following decade forced a re-think.Wii successThe two next consoles — the portable DS with two screens, and the remote-controlled Wii — were designed to attract non-gamers.Each sold more than 100 million units and remain among Nintendo’s biggest commercial hits.But when updated versions of these two consoles did not perform so well, the company decided to again venture beyond video games.Fast-forward to today, and Nintendo is “selling soft toys and sweets, allowing its characters into consumers’ everyday lives”, said Hideki Yasuda of Toyo Securities.Nintendo is sometimes compared to Disney, but its business model differs from that of the US giant, which acquires and develops existing franchises, such as Star Wars, said Kensaku Namera of Nomura Securities.Instead the Japanese company “is focused on what it can do on its own”, and so collaborates with external studios and creators for its films and other projects.Going forward the firm may draw inspiration from the success of Pokemon, which began as a Nintendo game but now spans movies, playing cards, and a merchandise empire controlled by several entities.That has “really pushed Nintendo to further exploit its franchises”, Namera told AFP.”Many children love Pikachu, and buy soft toys even if they have never played the game,” he said, referring to Pokemon’s famous electric mouse.Game and console sales account for over 90 percent of Nintendo’s revenues, so exposure to characters such as Mario or friendly dinosaur Yoshi could be “a trigger” to attract more people to consoles, Namera said.

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Jaisalmer’s Sam Sand Dunes Scam: 73 Fake Resorts Exposed As Tourists Face Online Booking Frauds

Travel

Jaipur: Planning to go to Jaisalmer this winter? Be cautious before making an online booking of tent resorts as tourists are being cheated by online booking of resorts in Jaisalmer’s famous tourist destination Sam Sand Dunes. Such fake tent resorts are being shown on travel websites that do not exist there. Police have registered a case against 73 such fake resorts. Along with this, the police have also written to the companies listing resorts on various online platforms to remove such fake resorts from the website. Sam Sand Dunes is the most famous tourist destination in Jaisalmer where there are around 150 tent resorts that offer camel safari, cultural events, and adventure sports to the tourists. There were some complaints of online cheating where the tourists who made online bookings found nothing when they reached on the location mentioned in the booking, or they were accommodated at some other place.  Demand For Strict Action Against Online Fake Resorts Made

Sam Camp and Resort Welfare Society, the body of resort operators had given a memorandum to Collector Pratap Singh demanding strict action against online fake resorts in Sam. The society said in the memorandum that the resorts visible online do not exist on the ground. In such a situation, tourists reach Sam by booking online but do not find any resort there.
The patron of the Sam Camp and Resort Welfare Society Ummed Singh Rathore said’ we demanded strict action against such fake resorts as such fraud was affecting the image of Jaisalmer. The police have registered an FIR against 73 such resorts and have directed the tour operators and online websites to remove the names of fake resorts from their websites.’Notably, the tourist season has started in Rajasthan and Jaisalmer is one of the hottest tourist destination in the state where thousands of tourists reach every year and Sam sand dunes is a major tourist attraction where one can enjoy the desert with full color Rajasthani culture. 

Brits given major Government ‘security’ warning about travel to Italy

Travel

Brits have been given a major Government “security” warning about travel to Italy.The number of Brits visiting Italy has steadily increased over the years, with roughly 6.2 million UK travellers visiting in 2024. As the Christmas period is about to hit full swing, many will be opting a festive getaway to Italy.But the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have issued a warning to any Brits who may be visiting the country.The FCDO provides advice to travellers about the risks of travel, in order for them to make informed decisions with warnings in place for Rome and the Vatican City.According to FCDO, the region of Rome is expected to have a high number of visitors throughout the Holy Year of 2025, particularly during large events.It read: “The Jubilee, known as the Holy Year, will take place in Rome from 24 December 2024 to 6 January 2026.“The city is expected to be very busy, particularly when the bigger events take place.”Inadequate management of queues or delays may cause a surge of people during this event and its important to take note of the exits. People are often at the mercy of the movement of the crowd and could lead to being trampled if not careful.The FCDO also warned of security issues for travellers to Italy with an “increased risk of petty crime” during this holy event.It added: “Crime levels are generally low but there are higher levels of petty crime, particularly bag-snatching and pickpocketing, in city centres and at major tourist attractions.”Brits visiting these regions will experience Italy in its most beautiful form as preparation for the Holy Year includes a number of infrastructure projects and public works in place to ensure the region is presentable providing a unique opportunity to experience Italy’s vibrant history and culture. However, the momentous event will also see record-breaking crowds as many spots will be packed beyond capacity with prices for flights and accommodation set to hit sky-high rates.Alongside soaring prices for hotels and flights, food is expected to be significantly more expensive with limited availability for many things including tours. It’s highly recommended if visiting Rome during this time for travellers to book ahead and plan their holiday meticulously.The Holy Year occurs every 25 years with the year 2025 being the Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church and is a significant event.The Jubilee 2025 theme is Pilgrims of Hope and will attract around 35 million pilgrims to Rome and is expected to be a major media event.The Italian Jubilee Year will last from Christmas Eve, 2024, until the Epiphany festival in January 2026 and takes place in Rome and the Vatican City.This momentous occasion holds deep spiritual meaning and is an opportunity for pilgrimage, celebration, reconciliation and spiritual growth. The event kicks off with the opening of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica and marks the official beginning of the Jubilee. This is then followed by the opening of other Holy Doors at three other papal basilicas in Rome including St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul Outside the Wall with the walking through these doors being considered a symbolic transition from sin to grace.

I flew in the ‘world’s best’ business class where the luxury is next level. See inside Qatar Airways’ Airbus A350 QSuite.

Business News

Travel

I flew in the ‘world’s best’ business class where the luxury is next level. See inside Qatar Airways’ Airbus A350 QSuite.

Pete Syme

2024-11-17T11:08:01Z

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BI’s Pete Syme with a glass of Champagne on his Qatar Airways flight.

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N.T. Wright On One of the Most Subversive Books in the Bible: Acts

Arts & Culture, Books

The book of Acts seems to sit benignly in the Bible, following the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It’s presented almost as a travelogue of what happens to the apostles and the growing community devoted to a man named Jesus who was crucified. But Acts, if read properly, is quite subversive, and a potential source of great fear for the kings and rulers of the world because it directly challenges their authority, says Dr. N.T. Wright. Acts, written by the Apostle Luke, announces that the Kingdom of God has been launched, and that Jesus is its head. Why is this a problem for us today? Because the Western world’s ‘Separation of Church and State’ is a wobbly philosophy if in fact Jesus is King, and really can’t be lived out to its most extreme manifestations, that they are on a collision course we can in fact see today in politics and the culture. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Dr. Wright, author, theologian, scholar, and Anglican priest, explains his new book, “The Challenge of Acts: Rediscovering What the Church Was and Is”. Wright says, “Acts is a dangerous book; and if people take it seriously, it’s still dangerous today because the powerbrokers don’t like the idea that actually there is this thing called the Kingdom of God.” Luke also wrote one of the two Gospels that includes the narratives of Jesus’s birth. Luke describes it as the Royal Birth, of a King that will be at odds with all  the Kings of the earth.

Tourism leaders commit to climate action

Travel

The Conference of the Parties for the first time has introduced a dedicated Thematic Day on Tourism, highlighting the sector’s critical role in combating climate change.

The event in Baku, Azerbaijan, highlights tourism’s potential to drive emissions reductions, promote eco-friendly practices and enhance climate resilience across the globe.
Pacific Tourism Organization Chief Executive Officer Christopher Crocker emphasized that the inclusion of tourism in global climate talks is significant.Article continues after advertisement

He said this change provides a platform for governments, businesses and communities to collaborate on strategies to align with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“The endorsement of a Pacific tourism commitment to climate action in this case. So we’re going into COP29 with a message from our Pacific tourism leaders on their support to address climate action in the Pacific.”
Crocker said that while this marks an important step forward, key challenges remain.
For small island developing states (SIDS), he stated that accessing climate financing is a significant barrier and there is an urgent need for capacity building and training to implement effective climate action.
SPTO Chairperson Adela Aru highlighted the adoption of resolutions promoting projects aimed at protecting natural resources and mitigating the effects of climate change.
“We acknowledge the partnership we have with SPREF and other partners, crop agencies in the region who have been supporting the SPTO in launching and developing specific guidelines in the better management of our environmental and marine resources for the betterment of tourism.”
Aru added that Pacific island countries, among the most vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events, are looking to COP29 for tangible outcomes.