Michael’s Leads Farmers Market Tours in Santa Monica“Market Meetups” will find the California cuisine pioneer preparing dishes with a specific seasonal ingredient before exec chef Mike Stern showcases his favorite vendors and market tips.
Kidney Stones Won’t Come Between Lydia Hearst and Fashion WeekRead about the inner strength the socialite summoned to go on in the face of abdominal adversity. Plus, humiliating moments for Damon Dash and Mario Lopez, in this morning’s gossip roundup.
ByTim Murphy
A Little Bitter
Oh, Snapper!Following Frank Bruni’s lead, ‘Vanity Fair’’s Michael Wolff disses his former lunch spot.
ByDaniel Maurer
Bruni’s World
Bruni SpeaksThe ‘Times’ milks him for a podcast-like “audio slide show” in which he tells Dining editor Pete Wells why Michael’s is empty at night: “Part of the reason could be the food.”
A-Poe Is a Smash in HarlemPlus, Bill Clinton and Rachael Ray, together again? And Helen Hunt is reacquainted with Matthew Broderick’s goods!
gossipmonger
Graydon Goes on the Model DietAlso, Julia Roberts makes out at the Waverly Inn, Chuck from the Greatest Show of Our Time gets crunk, and Katie Couric is a plagiarist — all in today’s roundup of the dish from the city’s gossip columns.
Mediavore
Patsy’s Sues Patsy’s; Bones Found Beneath Tribeca EateryTwo Italian restaurants sue each other over Frank Sinatra, Tokyo Bar finds something scary in the basement, and the economic forecast for food prices does not look good.
Celebrity Settings
Ethan Hawke Hits Qdoba; ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ Reunion at D’OrLast week Todd Barry told us he was a Chipotle man and we noted that a couple of respected chefs were too — but it seems Ethan Hawke, for one, prefers naked burritos to burrito bols, if a recent sighting at Qdoba Mexican Grill is any indicator. Are notable New Yorkers embracing casual dining chains? Lizzie Grubman did take her client Tailor Made to, um, the Olive Garden…
Celebrity Settings
Jennifer Garner Likes the Food at Fiamma More than Padma Did
The week’s most exciting celebrity sighting was that of beer-sippin’ McLovin at Diner. No other celebs were busted getting their underage drink on, but there were other surprises: Rachael Ray rolled into the Orchard with a posse bigger than Diddy’s, and Jennifer Garner liked the food at Fiamma so much she slipped into the kitchen to beg Fabio Trabocchi for recipes. We figure that makes up for supposedly getting dissed by Padma Lakshmi a couple weeks ago. (And yes, there a Padma sighting this week, too…)
gossipmonger
Regan Outfoxes News Corp.?Judith Regan has secret tapes that may help her $20 million lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch. The Land Rovers and helicopters used to launch a new Ralph Lauren cologne may have disturbed a community of East Hampton piping plovers. Cindy Adams, who has a vendetta against Larry David because he dissed her once, claims that Laurie had been stepping out on him for quite some time (and that he’s being set up with Ellen Barkin). Olivia Newton-John really liked Xanadu. OK! dropped $400,000 on sex pics of Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo, but the mag won’t publish them. Claire Danes may have landed the lead in the Pygmalion revival because the director directed her boyfriend in Journey’s End. Annie Leibowitz angered the Queen of England by asking her to remove her crown during a photo shoot.
gossipmonger
Nobody Knows in America, Puerto Rico’s in AmericaJohn McCain has RSVP’d for the Puerto Rican Day Parade, but Rudy Giuliani has not. Lorraine Bracco will be a onetime co-host of The View. Baird Jones will celebrate Dr. Kevorkian’s release from prison tonight by exhibiting his paintings at Webster Hall. Kevin Costner ate at Michael’s. John Travolta may be in denial about his son’s autism because of Scientology. Paris Hilton plans to keep a diary when she’s in prison, which she can later sell. Sharon Stone is set to star in mock political ads to be unveiled at the upcoming Venice Biennale. Charlie Palmer’s Kitchen 22, on West 22nd Street, closed.
gossipmonger
Al for Hill?Al Sharpton claims he is not backing Hillary Clinton for president, despite a rumor that he and Bill smoked cigars in Harlem two weeks ago. Rupert Murdoch would back Michael Bloomberg for president, if Bloomberg were to run. A $1.5 million lawsuit against Beyoncé, regarding her House of Dereon clothing line, was thrown out. Michael Jackson was reported to have been hospitalized for pneumonia, but his flack says he’s just fine. Bravo is shooting a reality show about photog Patrick McMullan. Jenna Jameson hasn’t been attending meetings with mainstream producers regarding the film adaptation of her book How to Make Love Like a Porn Star because she’s allegedly unhappy with her vaginoplasty.
gossipmonger
One of These Days, Sandra Day, Pow, Right in the KisserMembers of the ten-person Iraq Study Group, which included Sandra Day O’Connor and Vernon Jordan, almost came to blows over a disagreement. Both Paris Hilton and Britney Spears were no-shows at the Heatherette show. Sienna Miller’s secret to having a nice rump in Factory Girl? Spray-on makeup. Park Chinois, the haute Chinese restaurant that was to open in the Gramercy Park Hotel, is no more. Owen Wilson ate with the boldfaced names but hung out with the nobodies at the Waverly Inn. After getting dumped by boyfriend Isaac Cohen via phone, Britney Spears went out “partying like a college girl looking to get laid.” (And how, we must ask, is that different from all other nights?)
gossipmonger
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Ron Perelman’s YearOft-divorced billionaire Ron Perelman had lunch on Tuesday with former Law & Order star Elisabeth Röhm, but he’s spending the holidays on a yacht in St. Barts with psychologist Anna Chapman. Mickey Rooney’s “manager” son, Chris Aber, is a control freak. The Catholic League is giving the Weinstein brothers flak for releasing a slasher flick on Christmas Day. (In other Catholic League–related news, president William Donohue claims that Pope Benedict is not, in fact, gay.) Some Dems are annoyed that President Bush has turned the board of the supposedly nonpartisan Kennedy Center into a GOP stronghold. (Also, Jessica Simpson does not want her botched singing performance there two weeks ago to air). A lot of media bigwigs and politicos, including Hillary Clinton, Tom Brokaw, and Arianna Huffington, ate at Michael’s. Gay activist Allen Roskoff made fun of gay, unsuccessful attorney-general candidate Sean Patrick Maloney in his Christmas-party invitation. Paris Hilton has been attending acting classes to prepare for her next movie. D.J. AM doesn’t miss dating Nicole Richie, but his wallet does. Elisha Cuthbert and Jesse Bradford are hosting a New Year’s Eve party together. Liz Smith anoints the gift card the hot Christmas present of the year.
gossipmonger
Rodentia? We Hardly Even Know Ya!Sources claim Judith Regan often compared Jews to “rats” and “rodentia,” but Regan (and her lawyer) deny it. Anybody who is anybody (Harold Ford! Harvey Weinstein! Taki Theodoracopolous!) has been spotted eating at Graydon Carter’s friendly neighborhood joint, the Waverly Inn. Madonna is keen on adopting another child from Malawi, though her husband, Guy Ritchie, is not. Josh Hartnett is in an open relationship with Scarlett Johannson, which is why it’s okay he was making out with Gisele Saturday night. PayPal dumped Vincent Gallo after he tried to sell more than, uh, T-shirts on his Website. John Mara, son of late, great Giants owner Wellington, got fired from a broadcast-booth job in 1978 for slamming his fist and knocking over equipment. Adam Levine allegedly got drunk and brought three girls back to his room at the Mercer, though his rep denies it. Republican fund-raiser Georgette Mosbacher had both Dems and GOPers over for dinner at her swank Fifth Avenue digs Tuesday. Ludacris ate with Cosmo’s Kate White at Michael’s. Hugh Jackman once gave his sister a stick of deodorant for Christmas. Liz Smith claims she’s responsible for the new Rocky getting made.
Ask a Waiter
Liz Esqueda of Michael’s Is Not Impressed by Laura BushFoodies may not be familiar with Michael’s, but for Manhattan media movers, it’s the center of the culinary universe — from noon to 2 p.m., anyway. (Check out Fishbowl’s weekly rundown of boldfaced lunchers.) We asked server Liz Esqueda to take us into the belly of the beast.
gossipmonger
Amelia Earhart, Kim Jong-Il, and Paris HiltonEleanor Roosevelt had the hots for Amelia Earhart, according to Gore Vidal. Capitol Records CEO Andy Slater is running the company into the ground, according to an anonymous letter from underlings. Shanna Moakler says she didn’t punch Paris Hilton but hates her anyway. Martin Bashir’s daughter threw up, then he anchored Nightline. Roger Ailes thinks Kim Jong-Il’s pants don’t fit. Kathie Lee Gifford will star in Annie, wear orthopedic shoes. Palm Beach thinks Donald Trump’s American flag is too big. Carly Fiorina shares an agent with Cathie Black, does her own hair. The mother of Michael Jackson’s kids got her alimony reinstated. In 1912, Picasso, Chagall, Rivera, Soutine, and Modigliani shared a Paris apartment, which someone wants to make a movie about. Sienna Miller didn’t have her I.D. at a Pittsburgh bar, so she didn’t get served. Greg Kinnear, Jimmy Fallon, or Ed Cavanaugh might star in Young Frankenstein on Broadway. Bill Clinton said he liked Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech that Made Abraham Lincoln President, so Simon & Schuster is printing more. People ate lunch at Michael’s on Tuesday. One of Ted Turner’s bison burgers food-poisoned top Iraq soldier General John Abizaid. Nick Lachey couldn’t wear his hat in Houston’s.
