\nWith the PR machine still in overdrive, our critic waited for the \u2018hard\u2019 opening to check out the brand new 180-seater Gloria Osteria on Westmoreland Street\n<\/p>\n
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Lobster and caviar spaghettoni. Photo: Lucinda O\u2019Sullivan<\/p>\n
Every so often a new restaurant lands in our fair city (generally a branch of an international group) and it\u2019s treated like the arrival of the messiah, with a pre-opening flurry of \u2018influencers\u2019, \u2018first look\u2019 features and all the rest of the hoopla that comes out of powerful PR companies. Of course I get the invitations to participate, but do I really want a \u2018hard hat\u2019 tour of the fit-out with a meet and greet of the builders and designers or, in the case of the new Gloria Osteria, a jaunt to Italy to meet the food producers, a party for 600 eager beavers queuing to get in, and a \u201cbehind-the-scenes sneak peek at Gloria, a few pints and a toastie with some of the Big Mamma team\u201d? Like hell I do. The only thing that matters is how they perform when they open their doors to Joe Public.<\/p>\n