This Kate Hudson and A-Rod Thing Is Still HappeningIt’s been months! What is this, a relationship? Also, long-term bromances between Tom Cruise and David Beckham and Leonardo DiCaprio and Lukas Hass continue in today’s gossip roundup.
Hilary Swank Put Her Boob on Someone’s HeadKelly Ripa said she’s going to check out occasional Live With Regis and Kelly co-host Damien Fahey’s band tonight at the Cutting Room. Hilary Swank accidentally put her boob on P.S. I Love You co-star Bob Balaban’s head when she hugged him as he was having lunch. Robin
Quivers’s boyfriend, comic Jim Florentine, joked at Caroline’s that he’s not sure why she’s dating him because he’s “a loser.” The Olsen twins, Bob Saget, and John Stamos had a Full House reunion at the Bowery Hotel bar on Wednesday. Michael Jordan, ex-Knick Charles Oakley, and Ahmad Rashad hung out at Buddakan and then Socialista. Black Crowe Chris Robinson got six figures to play a half-hour set for a Wall Street firm at Arena.
gossipmonger
Roddick Calls Federer a ‘Robot’Nicole Kidman may be playing Vanity Fair–style arbiter Amy Fine Collins in the film adaptation of her memoir. Rupert Murdoch may be trying to lure CNBC “Money Honey” Maria Bartiromo to his new Fox Business Channel, though the Post isn’t making matters easy by writing negative items about her. The Suffolk County D.A. has seized over 45,000 pages of legal papers in its investigation of the Fire Island double voting scandal. Mischa Barton may or may not have had a wardrobe malfunction at a Save the Children event at Lincoln Center. Andy Roddick referred to Roger Federer as a “robot.” Authors of a book about Doris Duke are claiming that Bob Balaban, director of an upcoming movie about the tobacco heiress, may have committed copyright infringement. Rudy Giuliani played golf — though presumably not well — sans Secret Service at the Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor.
gossipmonger
Closing the BoxSome Lower East Siders are trying to get the Box closed because it’s more a nightclub and less the “cultural institution” its owners promised it would be. (And also, we presume, because it’s utterly insufferable.) At the age of 50, Kelly Klein, ex of Calvin, is finally having a baby. Hillary Clinton raised $500,000 at a fund-raiser at Ted Danson’s house on Martha’s Vineyard. The beach is eroding in front of Tina Brown and Harry Evans’s place in Quogue. John McEnroe is in talks with Larry Ellison to establish a tennis training center in Flushing Meadows. Andy Roddick had stage fright when asked to say a few words at a party in his honor at Tenjune. A bunch of guests got lost en route to Donna Karan’s house in East Hampton. Tom Petty played two gigs in the Hamptons for $1.7 million. (Paul McCartney and Renée Zellweger were there.) Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning looked for the entrance to La Esquina.
party lines
Serena Williams Likes Nadal, Russians Not as MuchOn Friday night, the Garden of Ono was overrun by tennis balls and Heineken kegs to celebrate the U.S. Open kickoff. Like fillies just learning to walk, young lady tennis stars tottered around hesitantly, their knotty calves unaccustomed to stiletto heels. Men sporting blazers and bronzer gleefully spectated. “I really like [Rafael] Nadal,” said Serena Williams, who was avoiding alcohol and snacks for the night. We tried to get her to dish on what happens in the stadium locker room, but she upheld an Open oath of omerta. “What happens there stays there,” she said. “It’s kind of like Vegas.” Her sister Venus, who sneaked in the back, kept incognito under a tennis cap (except to say hi to Kevin Connelly and Andy Roddick). We asked Serena what new girls we should look out for on the court. “You know everyone now is so young and so good,” she said, shrugging. “And so Russian.“—Amy Odell
Foodievents
Roddick Can Play Tennis, But Can He Cook?Daily Intel attended the Dacor Taste of Tennis event last night and got to see Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal in chef’s whites instead of tennis whites. Roddick cooked with Aquavit’s Marcus Samuelsson, and 2001 U.S. Open champ Lleyton Hewitt served braised beef short ribs. See who else whipped up what over at Daily Intel.
Andy Roddick Cooks Dinner (With Help From Marcus Samuelsson) [Daily Intel]
party lines
Andy Roddick Cooks Dinner (With Help From Marcus Samuelsson)
The Dacor Taste of Tennis is an annual charity event that pairs tennis stars in town for the U.S. Open with famous chefs while they prepare dinner — nowhere else can you see, for example, 2001 Open champion Lleyton Hewitt, aproned, serving braised beef short ribs — and, conveniently, presents a chance to see players like Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal up close without having to schlep to Queens. Roddick, in fact, figured in the main event last night: He cooked up a mango delicacy with Aquavit chef Marcus Samuelsson while the cameras captured his innocent look and eternal stubble. We asked German Nicolas Kiefer what his favorite pre-match meal is and reflected on his native cuisine. “If I have a Wienerschnitzel, I think I would score pretty low,” he said. Beyond that, and partly because only CBS was allowed to question Messrs. Roddick and Nadal, we turned to an unlikely source for insight on the impending contest: the D.J., one Mad Linx, who hosts BET’s Rap City and is, apparently, a tennis fanatic. Linxx predicted a victory for favorite Roger Federer. “Federer will go down as the best ever,” he said. “He will probably win twenty Grand Slam tournaments before he retires.” Not the evening’s star, Roddick? “Roddick has nightmares about Federer,” the D.J. insisted. “Nightmares.” —Marc Tracy
gossipmonger
It’s Not Easy Playing Graydon CarterJeff Bridges has to wear a coiffed wig to play Graydon Carter in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, but he didn’t wear a fat suit. Roger Federer told Anna Wintour that he will be wearing blue and white during the day and black at night for the U.S. Open, and Andy Roddick says that Elton John actually has a good backhand. Vivica Fox was allegedly drinking at their birthday party Tuesday night despite a court mandate forbidding her to on account of her March DUI. “Obama Girl” Amber Lee Ettinger is actually more enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton. Christiane Amanpour and other CNN staffers often saw Ted Turner in a bathrobe when he lived above CNN Center in Atlanta. Elizabeth Taylor will star in a play with James Earl Jones in December to raise $1 million to fight AIDS. Bill Clinton ate at Serendipity. Justin Timberlake’s manager got him a round of golf at Glen Oaks Country Club on Long Island.
Neighborhood Watch
Tony ‘No Reservations’ Bourdain Hearts Ali’s Offal in AstoriaAstoria: Anthony Bourdain featured Ali’s Kebab Cafe on No Reservations, and here’s the video of him downing offal. [Joey in Astoria]
Boerum Hill: Workers are renovating the old Independence Bank for Trader Joe’s. The space may even retain its character! [Lost City]
East Village: AvroKO and Public boys Brad and Adam Farmerie hope to score a liquor license for their new place, Superior. B Flat applied for a license at the same Bond Street space a few months back and was denied. [Eater] E.U. will accept euros as payment from August 24 through Labor Day. You can eat 34 cents more on the dollar! [Grub Street]
Financial District: Stonehouse California Olive Oil has moved to the South Street Seaport and refills bottles at $2 off the regular price. [NYT]
Hell’s Kitchen: No free Cuban for you today; unfinished construction indicates the new Sophie’s on 40th between Seventh and Eighth is in no way ready for a grand opening. [Midtown Lunch]
