Around town

Former House speaker and prospective Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is the latest big name to speak at Salem State. Gingrich, who has been coy about his presidential ambitions, will hold forth on the North Shore campus March 30. Also taking part in the celebrated Salem State Series is author John Irving, whose books include “The Cider House Rules’’ and “The World According to Garp.’’ Irving speaks Sept. 13. . . . Celtics center Kendrick Perkins celebrated the team’s win over LeBron James and the Heat with a dinner at Davio’s. He had the bolognese and others in his party had pasta dishes with shrimp, lobster, and alfredo sauce. Across town, super sub Glen “Big Baby’’ Davis dug into a plate of lobster manicotti at Nick Varano’s North End eatery Nico. . . . Before departing Boston yesterday, actress Jennifer Coolidge lunched at Legal C Bar at Logan.