The Power Lunch List - The Grill on the Alley

The salt-baked beetroot
and goat cheese
salad at Soho House.
N ews f l a sh: T h e POWER LU NCH
Steve Mosko and
Joel McHale
at The Grill on
the Alley
Photographed by
Noah Webb on Jan. 16
“If I’m not eating on the lot, I come here,”
says Mosko (right), president of Sony
Pictures TV. “They take care of me.”
Indeed, Mosko — whose favorite dish
is the tomato and mozzarella salad —
has been a regular at the power-lunch
hotspot since late Sony Pictures chief
John Calley first took him there. “John
Calley introduced me to the woman at
the front desk and said, ‘OK, when he
comes in, I don’t want him sitting with
the hard hats.’ The hard hats are the
other side where all the agents sit. ‘You
should sit on this side, where all the
studio people sit.’ ” About McHale, star of
Community (produced by Sony) and
The Soup, Mosko jokes: “This is
the busiest man in the business. In
between E! and doing Community, who
has time to eat?” — rebecca ford
More than 100 senior industry players were invited to vote as THR editors rank Hollywood’s
most important restaurants in which to get the reservation, break bread and be seen
The Power Lunch List:
hollywood’s 25 top spots
46 | The Hollywood Reporter | 02.01.13
Edited by
Gary Baum and
Degen Pener
Grooming by su han
— where deals are made, influence is
peddled and relationships are forged
— is alive and swell. That may be
surprising, given a decade that saw
the midday meal leveled by corporate
downsizing, rocked by the recession
and undermined by an increasingly
digital mindset that often regards a
constant e-mail rapport as equivalent to getting to know one another in person. “There’s something about
being in person that makes all the difference,” says Millennium Films
president Mark Gill. “In-person alleviates a lot of fears, especially when
you are talking someone into doing a movie.”
Back in the day, lunch meant Ma Maison, Orso and Morton’s as well
as still-kicking heavyweights the Polo Lounge, Spago and the Grill on
the Alley. The business was different then. People needed to see one
another because players drove decisions by passion and instinct in a
way that now, in an age of cold bean-counting, seems by turns heroic
and quaint. As one senior TV exec observes: “Business used to be done
by force of personality. And force of personality isn’t enough anymore.”
Adds producer Lynda Obst: “The song-and-dance is dead. These days, it’s
all quantifiers — attachments and numbers.”
Indeed, for many in this town, lunch is now often something you want
to do rather than something you feel beholden to do. “It’s a more ceremonial meal,” says Electus chairman Ben Silverman. “You tend to be having it with somebody you are already in business with or truly do want
to know better.” Sundance Channel GM and exec vp Sarah Barnett notes
there’s something “sentimentally appealing” to lunching these days, with
so much interaction taking place virtually. “I think it may not be that the
deals are done at lunch, but it sure helps get them done,” she says.
To inaugurate its first-ever Power Lunch Issue, THR editors surveyed
more than 100 of the most influential names in the entertainment business. An elite list of CEOs, A-list producers and top agents, managers
and lawyers gave their candid takes on where power congregates today
and why the midday meal remains important, with its victory laps
around the dining room after a big box-office weekend and constant
jockeying for status-conferring tables. If Hollywood is, indeed, much
like high school, these restaurants constitute its collective cafeteria —
anxiety ever-present, the threat of breaching innumerable unspoken
rules of etiquette perpetually looming.
One thing is clear: The once narrow hierarchy of lunch meccas has
become more diffuse, with younger players muscling into the top tier,
challenging the established bastions. This new guard includes Craft
(CAA’s unofficial commissary, until client Tom Colicchio, the chef/owner,
left for WME last year) and Bouchon (which is owned by CAA client
Thomas Keller and now lures agency big shots like Kevin Huvane). Among
the surprises: Once-powerful meeting spot Chaya Brasserie didn’t make
the top 25 while unassuming South Beverly Grill did.
Lunch has lost many of its indulgences. Iced tea is the new martini.
Just about everyone’s on a special diet, regardless of whether the intent
is to lose weight. It’s rare to find people tarrying at their tables beyond
an hour and a half. And folks are generally more conscious of cost.
Notes producer Keri Selig: “It used to be, ‘Oh, I’ll take it!’ ‘No, I’ll take it!’
Now a lot of people put their credit cards down and share. And people
seem to be a little more open to meeting at a different grade of place.
You can be more neighborhoody. You can do M Cafe or Cafe Gratitude.”
Many of those who’ve been in the game the longest believe that breaking bread might just be its most benevolent ritual. Explains producer
Steve Tisch: “It’s fun! This business used to be a lot more fun, and part
of that was enjoying each other’s company.” Phil Rosenthal, who named
his production company Where’s Lunch and has invested in Bouchon,
agrees: “It’s a bright spot in your day. Have some pleasure. Otherwise,
why are we here?”
1
Soho House
9200 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
In an L.A. restaurant landscape filled
with old faithfuls, this private club has
quickly ascended to the top of the food
chain — mostly for its exclusivity. Sure,
its location at the nexus of Beverly Hills,
West Hollywood and the Hollywood
Hills is key, and some laud the decadent
14th-story views (“The most beautiful in
West Hollywood,” says Cinedigm CEO
Chris McGurk), but it’s the “members
only” atmosphere that especially draws
industry elite. Like at an A-list commissary of Hollywood where table-hopping is
the main course, everyone who is anyone
is here — from Jim Gianopoulos to Julie
Bowen, Dana Walden to David Stapf,
Leonardo DiCaprio to Lea Michele —
plus, nobody present ever need wonder
if the next table holds a somebody or an
out-of-town nobody (the answer always
is: a somebody). The club bowed in spring
2010 with a following of heavyweights
such as Harvey Weinstein (who routinely
rents out the venue for private parties
during awards weekends), writer-director
Paul Haggis (who makes one of the bar’s
four highly coveted, velvet booths his
office when in town) and producer Avi
Lerner (who much prefers the garden restaurant). While it’s true no one goes there
just for the food, notables like Jennifer
Meyer (daughter of Universal Studios
president and COO Ron and wife of Tobey
Maguire) and Nicole Kidman can be
spotted munching on popular offerings
from executive chef Matthew Armistead,
like guacamole and taro chips, kale salad
and, of course, that warm chocolate-chip
cookie. “You always run into someone —
always,” says producer Jane Cha Cutler
of the lunch rush. But remember, the
admission process is notoriously strict,
opaque and pricey (membership begins
at $1,800). Rubbernecks need not apply.
2
The Polo Lounge
9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills
With its unique ability to blend
Hollywood’s old and new guard, this
Beverly Hills Hotel eatery remains a
unique mecca that caters equally to
celebrities and executives, from Jeffrey
Katzenberg and Mark Wahlberg to Mary
J. Blige, Brett Ratner and Stacey Snider.
They’re drawn to the restaurant’s most
popular dishes — the McCarthy salad,
above all — though insiders also request
off-the-menu items such as pancakes and
waffles. Booths Nos. 1 and 2 remain the
most coveted (Charlie Chaplin kept a
daily reservation at No. 1, which remained
empty whenever he didn’t show), and
www.thr.com | The Hollywood Reporter
| 47
Gayle King and
JOanna Coles at
Jean-Georges
Photographed by
Wesley Mann on Jan. 17
you’ll frequently spot former Paramount
Pictures chairman Sherry Lansing sitting in a quiet corner. “The booths are so
private, you can actually hear each other
talk, and they’re always full of interesting people,” she notes. Not least among
them in the 72 years since the restaurant
opened: Marlene Dietrich was a regular
and refused to wear the obligatory skirt,
leading management to change the “no
slacks” rule. The Lounge is going through a
subtle revamp to be unveiled in March, but
its appeal to tradition remains unchanged.
The Grill Room at the
Four Seasons in New York.
POWER
LUNCH
1 Michael’s
e. baldi
4
The Grill on the Alley
9560 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills
David Geffen prefers the second booth
from the left. When Clint Eastwood pops
in with his lawyer Bruce Ramer, he orders
the Dover sole ($44.75). Sony TV’s Steve
Mosko meets every six weeks with Seinfeld
producers Howard West and George
Shapiro. “We will only have lunch in the
same booth and sit in the same seats and
order the same thing,” he says. “It’s been
that way for 15 years.” Indeed, almost
2 Four Seasons
99 E. 52nd St.
The Grill Room (not the Pool Room) of the Four Seasons is where moguls,
financiers and media all meet. The stately, wood-toned dining room is filled
with the likes of The Office scriptwriter Lee Eisenberg, Salman Rushdie,
Anne Hathaway, Barry Diller, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather and Michael Ovitz, all dining on
everything from fussy bison steaks to dependable sirloin burgers.
3 Fred’s New York
660 Madison Ave.
Though located in upscale department store Barneys, the restaurant is
not about “ladies who lunch” — instead, you might find yourself next to
Alec Baldwin, Bruce Springsteen, Sofia Coppola or Barbara Walters. Larry David is
lured by the quiet ambiance and the best chopped chicken salad in New York,
while ad exec/author Donny Deutsch simply testifies that for him, Fred’s is all
about: “Good food. Great energy. Beautiful women.”
4 Jean-Georges
1 Central Park West
This elegant room has actual space between tables — “you can have a
conversation here,” says CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King, “and the food is
always good, no matter what.” Magic Johnson, Emma Watson and Quincy Jones are
among those who come for the Michelin-star-rated cuisine and VIP service.
5 The Lamb’s Club
132 W. 44th St.
In the culinary backwater of Times Square stands a clubby room with steak
salads and lobster rolls by renowned chef Geoffrey Zakarian. “It’s just formal
enough, there’s not a bad table, and you can be in and out in 45 minutes,” says
Zakarian on why names like Viacom’s Thomas Dooley and HBO’s Richard Plepler
eat at the two-year-old spot. Says USA Network co-president Chris McCumber: “I
love the creative vibe, plus the owner, David Rabin, is a big Suits fan!” — Suzan colon
since it opened in 1984, the Grill has
served as Beverly Hills’ unofficial executive commissary, a daily check-in on who’s
commanding one of the L-shaped collection of 14 moguls-only booths perched
slightly above the mid-level agents and
finance types dining below. Gawking at
boldface names is frowned upon, but
when a true double-A-lister walks in —
Muhammad Ali, Bruce Springsteen — a
5-to-10-second silence falls over the dining
room. Staffers call it “The Hush.”
5
Ammo
1155 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles
About the list These rankings are not informed by quality of food,
service or atmosphere, and may incorporate editorial discretion.
48 | The Hollywood Reporter | 02.01.13
Todd Lieberman, Jennifer Coolidge and
When production gourmet caterer Amy
Bret Easton Ellis. A convenient place for
Sweeney opened Ammo in 1997, it was
anyone in the Valley — from Warner Bros.
a to-go window on Highland off Santa
to Universal to Disney — to meet anyone
Monica Boulevard, a no-man’s-land
in the city, the restaurant
for restaurants. A year
acts as an industry canlater, she was joined by
tina; the two semi-private
Benny Bohm, now her
booths in the back are
business partner. Spike
ideal for deals. The most
Jonze dropped in, and
popular dish is a brown
Cameron Diaz would
Youngest restaurant:
CAFE
rice stir-fry with tofu
lunch late with paramour
GRATITUDE
or chicken and pico de
Jared Leto. In 2000,
gallo. “It’s the mishmash
Sweeney and Bohm added
of cultures that makes
a dining room, and in
it so SoCal,” says Bohm. Adds TV direc2004, they took over the space next door,
creating the Ammo that’s been known ever tor Daniel Minahan: “Always get the rice,
vegetable and tofu bowl.”
since by regulars including Shine America
CEO Rich Ross, Disney/ABC TV exec vp
Kevin Brockman, director Bill Condon,
Bouchon
screenwriter David Goyer, producer
235 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills
21
months
6
four seasons: courtesy of subject.
375 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills
By the time Edoardo Baldi opened
e. baldi in 2006, he’d learned traditional Tuscan cooking inside out from
his famous father, namesake founder
of Santa Monica’s Giorgio Baldi. While
people come to see and be seen among
regulars Brad Grey, Ridley Scott,
Bob Daly, Jerry Bruckheimer and
Jerry Weintraub, there’s no doubt this
is one of L.A.’s foodiest restaurants.
Dieting ladies munch on the seafood carpaccio and grilled langoustines, heartier
eaters go for corn agnolotti and fresh
pastas, and everybody loves the Dover
sole. Chef Baldi has received standing
ovations at private dinners he’s made for
former Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel and wife
Jane and cooks for Tom Cruise (Katie
Holmes adored his food). While there
are no off-the-menu items, he caters
to requests by regulars: Peter Morton
likes to have his sauces modified. Just
don’t ask Edoardo for table No. 1 (next to
the window) when it’s booked by Brian
Grazer, Denzel Washington, Woody
Allen, Arnold Kopelson or the like: “That
table causes World War III,” Baldi says.
Turns out, the chef-owner himself does
the seating just before the slew of agents,
art dealers and socialites arrive for lunch.
While Big Apple scribes Mark Twain and Charles
Dickens invented the power lunch at Delmonico’s,
today’s media and entertainment elite are seen —
and ‘overheard’ in a gossip column — here:
24 W. 55th St.
It’s the location for anyone who wants Californian cuisine with a New
York side of boldface-names (reported instantly on Media Bistro’s Fishbowl
page). When PR power Peggy Siegal isn’t hosting media meet-and-greets,
Harvey Weinstein works the room among Today host Matt Lauer, Eliot Spitzer
and former Sony exec Tommy Mottola. Owner Michael McCarty and manager
Steve Millington “have for the past five years seated me at table 27, with a view
of the entire restaurant,” says Jay Kernis, Rock Center With Brian Williams
producer. “I conduct all my lunch meetings there.”
soho house: courtesy of subject.
3
“I’m finding that time is really more valuable to me than anything,” says King (left). “I don’t have a wasted
lunch ever.” On this day, the CBS This Morning co-host and editor-at-large at O, The Oprah Magazine chose
to have a social lunch with friend and Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Coles at Central Park West flagship
Jean-Georges. King’s schedule is such that some days it’s late afternoon before she realizes she hasn’t
eaten anything since breakfast — which, because she rises at 3:30 a.m. for This Morning, is a long stretch
of deprivation. King admits she occasionally “pops something in the microwave,” but never anything
fattening. “I’m a slave to the number on that scale,” she confesses. “I’m still that girl.” — Marisa Guthrie
Linda Lopez, guest-relations director of
this Thomas Keller resto, knows exactly
what Simon Fuller, Susan and Robert
Downey Jr., Reese Witherspoon and
Jim Toth and James L. Brooks want.
“Most people don’t even open the
menu,” she says. All they do is tell her if
they’re vegetarian, pescatarian or vegan,
and chef David Hands whips up an
impeccable meal. Popular items include
the trout, salmon salad and a new
toasted farro salad (Antonio Banderas
wants it named after him). There’s no
one table that’s desirable: Jimmy Iovine
lunches on the patio, but Brian Grazer
likes the tables by the outdoor wall. For
execs from CAA, MGM, UTA, Gersh and
Ryan Seacrest’s company, it’s a canteen, albeit a Parisian-style, marbledfloor one. Says Seacrest, a Bouchon
Hudson, Elton John and Billy Crystal.
“Come for the whitefish, stay for the view,”
says one insider. Adds a former film-fest
exec: “People only lunch at BG when trying
to make a public display
of poaching or remindBarney
ing people they’re still in
Greengrass
the mix. It’s a fishbowl in
9570 Wilshire Blvd.,
there. Also, surprisingly
Beverly Hills
good matzoball soup.” But
The famous smoked
Oldest restaurant:
Polo
beware of hidden charges
sturgeon and bagels are
Lounge
— hitting the department
flown in twice weekly from
store below can seriously
the celebrated original
affect the tab.
Barney Greengrass on New
York’s Upper West Side, but the real draw
at the L.A. restaurant is the rooftop deck
Chateau Marmont
where the power scene includes agents8221 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
on-a-diet tucking into the cranberry salad
With a preposterously rich Hollywood
with chicken, designers like Christian
legacy — Billy Wilder slept there! John
Louboutin and celebrities like Kate
Belushi died there! Lindsay Lohan got
investor: “I have shared many meals there
with my family, friends from American
Idol, network executives, my team, and
we had our holiday party there, too.”
7
72
years
8
banned for skipping a $46,000 bill! —
eating in the faux-Norman castle splendor
of this snug dining room or serene
outdoor terrace can impart a sense of the
iconic to lunch. Agents, managers and
boldfaces (including Lohan, her ban lifted
for now) bask in its simulacrum of classic
Hollywood, as meticulously rendered as
chef Carolynn Spence’s bourguignonne
adorning her aged strip steak and fries.
The menu tends toward friendly — the
crispy bass sandwich, hangar steak salad
or charred branzino with sweet corn
relish — and the overscheduled tend
to linger over an espresso under white
umbrellas. “The go-to spot for clients who
avoid paparazzi,” says Brad Schenck,
a Paradigm agent. Regulars include
Jennifer Aniston, Alexander Skarsgard
and Carey Mulligan.
www.thr.com | The Hollywood Reporter
| 49
From left: Katsu-ya in Studio City;
Culina’s ravioli with sweet
corn, brown butter and sage; Craft.
11
Katsu-ya
11680 Ventura Blvd., Los Angeles
“Honestly, there is no better place for
sushi on the globe than Katsuya,”
Ellen DeGeneres has tweeted. “Nothing
even compares! Thanks Katsuya for what
you do!” Yes, it can get loud, and the
tables are close — but that’s exactly what
one Emmy-nominated rising-star actor
likes about the place: “Sitting that close
to someone while pitching something
generates a certain level of intimacy.”
Founding chef Katsuya Uechi has spun
off Katsu-yas, many created by ubiquitous
designer Philippe Starck, from Laguna
Beach to Houston. The Brentwood location is more high-wattage, where
Patrick Dempsey won’t touch his rice
and Joss Whedon has dined solo. At the
original Studio City Katsu-ya, you’re more
apt to see lots of low-key Warner Bros.
execs. Says one insider, “Everyone
orders the same three things: tuna on
crispy rice, albacore sashimi with crispy
onions and manna-from-heaven baked
crab rolls.”
13
Culina
Clockwise from left: The Wolseley; Dean Street Townhouse’s dining room; the private dining room at The Ivy.
300 S. Doheny Drive, Los Angeles
Thanks to its relaxed-modern vibe and
Four Seasons locale, Culina (Latin for
“kitchen”) has become a go-to spot
for out-of-town players and Angeleno
execs alike. Everyone from NBCUniversal
cable chairman Bonnie Hammer to A+E
Networks’ Nancy Dubuc frequents the
Italian hotspot, which counts a rigatoni
with fennel sausage, spaghetti alla chitarra and chopped salad among its most
popular dishes. The central three booths
are most coveted, though the upper patio
buzzes on warm days. “Culina is a bright,
sophisticated space with good food in a
location that’s easy for nearly everyone,”
notes E! president Suzanne Kolb of the
restaurant, which opened just in time for
the Academy Awards three years ago. “It
works well for a meeting, plus you get the
bonus of some fun people-watching.”
14
South Beverly Grill
122 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills
Although its corporate-chain identity
is a turnoff for some — “It’s like a Mall
of America restaurant,” sniffs Electus
La Scala
chairman Ben Silverman — this 3-year434 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills
old entry from the massive Hillstone
The grande dame of lunch spots has
Restaurant Group (the people behind
been serving Hollywood notables from
Houston’s) presents a well-edited
Paul Newman to the Kardashians
menu, from the grilled artichoke appefor 57 years. The restaurant has seen
tizer to the French dip. Fans include
more than its share of history, from
Django Unchained executive producer
Robert Wagner proposing to
Michael Shamberg and
Natalie Wood to JFK
UTA’s David Park and Eric
sneaking into a specially
Kuhn, as well as Kitchen
designed private room (the
$
Nightmares producer
Secret Service mandated
Most
Arthur Smith: “It’s one
two exits) to get his fix
expensive valet:
of my favorite places.
of fettuccine alfredo.
e. baldi
The service is among the
But La Scala’s signature
fastest, and the Thai Steak
dish — and still its most
Salad is really good.”
popular — is the chopped
(Another insider says it’s “the best place
salad, which owner Gigi Leon (daughter
for a 45-minute lunch — sometimes you
of founder Jean Leon) calls a “designer
are back at your desk by 1:35.”) Industry
salad” for the endless ways the letplayers can survey the scene from spatuce, salami, mozzarella and garbanzo
cious crescent-shaped booths, and
bean combination can be customized.
those looking to conduct business more
“Although by the time you add two
informally can go around the corner
ingredients to it, you need to take a
for the pared-down selection of sandsecond mortgage,” jokes The Ricky Lake
wiches, sushi and sides at the restaurant’s
Show producer Josh Sabarra. (Regulars
Honor Bar.
often order the off-the-menu unchopped
version.) Music dealmakers and directors favor the 14 booths that wrap around
Craft
the walls, though one insider advises to
10100 Constellation Blvd., L.A.
“belly up to the bar in the back for more
Revenge is a dish best served cold … or
privacy and better service.” Leon says
hot: When owner and celebrity chef
whispering and handshaking peak during
Tom Colicchio left CAA for rival WME,
the week before the Oscars, but it’s a deal CAA’s agents stopped going to his restauthat never happened that she remembers rant even though it’s mere footsteps
most: a young John Travolta huddling
from their headquarters, taking their
with Orson Welles about a project.
expense accounts with them. But Craft
POWER
LUNCH
Brits prefer evening eating and
nighttime shop talk to power lunching, but
when they do ‘do lunch,’ they do it here
12
9
Kate Mantilini
9101 Wilshire Blvd.,
Beverly Hills
The industry diner counts director
Steven Soderbergh, producer
Mel Brooks, producer Mark Canton,
ICM’s Scott Wexler, Matthew Weiner
and the Wayans brothers among its
longtime regulars. Opened 26 years
ago by siblings Adam and David Lewis,
whose parents founded Hamburger
Hamlet in 1950 as a safe haven
for blacklisted contract players like
themselves (dad played alongside
Humphrey Bogart in Key Largo; mom
was Marlo Thomas’ dresser on That
Girl), Kate Mantilini’s comfort-foodfriendly menu and convenient location
(just down the road from Management
360, across from BWR Public Relations
and The Weinstein Co. and two blocks
from Brillstein Entertainment Partners
and the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences) make it a heavily
trafficked eatery for walk-ins. Even with
ample seating, true power-lunchers
lunge for one of 12 booths along the wall
of windows. While Kate’s new online
reservations system accepts requests
for the coveted nooks, be forewarned if
you plan on talking business. “There’s an
echo effect,” says one industry insider. As
for tourists, they, too, have a favorite fourtop. Says Adam Lewis, whose brother is
head chef, “It’s where Pacino and
De Niro sat when they filmed Heat” —
and now Table 24 is the name of a cocktail
on Kate’s new mixology menu.
50 | The Hollywood Reporter | 02.01.13
10
Cecconi’s
8764 Melrose Ave.,
West Hollywood
Housed in the former Morton’s, Cecconi’s
continues the industry association with
a clientele heavy on CAA agents from
Century City, salted with celebrities and
West Hollywood townies. “Our clientele
is really mixed,” says GM Marino
Monferrato. The restaurant traces its
lineage to London’s storied Cecconi’s
and is owned by Soho House, which
shares chef Andrea Cavaliere; insiders
say a lunch of Cavaliere’s comfort ItalCalifornian at Cecconi’s is the next best
thing to joining the private club. Suits
in a hurry order the off-the-menu daily
piato unico, a single course of protein,
carb and salad — say, herb-crusted
chicken, cannelloni and baby greens.
Aside from grilled octopus and halfportions of pastas like farro orecchiette,
the big hit with the lunch crowd is the
pizzas, a traditional margherita-style
and one topped with black truffles. “If
the first pizza that goes out is the truffle,
everybody gets it,” says Monferrato.
When the weather is nice, regulars
request the patio; inside, “the beauty of
the layout is, you can see everybody and
be seen,” says Monferrato. In the house:
Amanda Seyfried, Simon Cowell, Emily
Blunt, January Jones, Halle Berry and
Food Network producer David Hoffman,
who cites another reason to love
Cecconi’s: “It still amazes me — the food
is good, and the prices are as cheap as
[local diner] Norm’s, half a mile away.”
restaurants: courtesy of subject (6)
Photographed by
Noah Webb on Jan. 17
20
“Bad news is for meetings, not lunches,” says film and television producer Hoberman (left). So it can be reported that things were all good when
Hoberman sat down for some grub at L.A.’s Son of a Gun with Aloni, a WME agent whose clients include Christopher Nolan and Jim Carrey as well as
Hoberman’s production company, Mandeville Films and Television. For nearly 20 years, Son of a Gun owners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo have done
catering work for Hoberman, whose credits include The Muppets and the upcoming zombie love story Warm Bodies. As big a Gun fan as Hoberman
is, the producer does have lunch rules. “Anything I eat with my fingers, I wouldn’t order,” he says. “Like barbecued ribs.” Aloni has a few rules of his
own: “Dessert? Never at lunch. Same as alcohol — never.” — Borys Kit
grooming by su han
David Hoberman
and Dan Aloni
at son of a gun
15
1 Shoreditch House
Ebor Street, Shoreditch. The renovated warehouse in London’s East End is a fave with younger power-lunchers.
Opened in 2007 by Soho House Group, the members-only club has hosted
Rihanna, Archie Panjabi, Russell Brand, Andrew Garfield and Jennifer Aniston,
along with music, film and TV execs keen to mingle and sample the steak
and frites. “You are bound to bump into someone you know on one of the
many floors and areas,” says TBWA broadcast head Jason Ayers.
2 Dean Street Townhouse
69-71 Dean St., Soho. Also part of
the Soho House empire (but open to the public), this townhouse
conversion was an instant hit with the neighboring TV and film industries
upon opening in 2009. Chef Stephen Tonkin mixes twice-baked smoked
haddock souffle with British signature dishes like mince and potatoes for
directors, producers and actors such as Sean Bean, Gwyneth Paltrow and
Ralph Fiennes. Window seats are great for people-watching.
3 Scott’s
20 Mount St. In a discreet corner of upscale Mayfair, this
pricey eatery draws CEOs and such actors as Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
and Guy Pearce. Acquired by Caprice Holdings in 2005, the fish-oriented
restaurant is famed for its Dover sole and the chef ’s favorite: roasted cod
with mixed beans, chorizo and padron peppers.
4 The Wolseley
160 Piccadilly. Chris Corbin and Jeremy King’s grand
restaurant attracts an industry crowd: Stephen Fry, Roger Moore, Joan
Collins, Bob Geldof. TV execs table-hop over chef Lawrence Keogh’s steak
and frites or chopped chicken salad. A newly opened room allows 14
power-lunchers to plot in private.
5 The Ivy
1-5 West St. After 96 years and many owners (now Caprice
Holdings), The Ivy is still known among power players for discretion,
classy service and its classic menu (try the shepherd’s pie). “The Ivy is my
first choice for an important lunch,” says Will Waters, managing director
at Tantrum Productions. Recent visitors: Clint Eastwood, James Murdoch
and Ricky Gervais, seen parking his Bentley outside. — Anna Smith
www.thr.com | The Hollywood Reporter
| 51
Rich Ross and
Nigel Lythgoe
at Ammo
From left: the dining room at Mr Chow; pizza alla benno
from Pizzeria Mozza; Hamasaku’s bone marrow with
bacon onion marmalade, shiso gremolata and crostini.
A qua rt et of ol d -school op t ions m issed t h e l ist
by just a few votes. The Ivy, with its famously atmospheric
patio, perhaps was dragged down by its paparazzi and tourist factor, though TV writer-producer Maria Bell notes that
the grilled vegetable salad and corn chowder remain “legendary.” The Palm, another classic, is beloved for the privacy
of its booths as well as its New York steak. You “have to be
careful not to go too heavy,” says Paradigm talent agent
Brad Schenck. Madeo, a powerhouse at dinner, is slow at
lunch, and Chaya Brasserie, while still “a great place to chat
due to the airy floor plan,” according to one insider, hasn’t
exerted as much pull since the New Line offices scaled down
and ICM moved farther west. … On the other end of the dining spectrum, a slew of Young Turk restaurants are gunning
for position, including Mediterranean spot Fig & Olive and fellow midcity restaurant Cooks County, where, explains awards
consultant Michelle Robertson, “The menu is low-key and
creative, just like the clientele they attract.” The Brentwood
Country Mart’s Farmshop, meanwhile, is “fast becoming the
best option on the far Westside,” says TV producer
David Hoffman. “It’s not near a studio or an office, but it’s spitting distance from a lot of people’s homes.” And just west of
Century City, Westside Tavern has become a scene, despite its
location inside a mall. “You’ll see Peter Guber, Rachel Zoe
and Chuck Lorre all in the same room,” says one visitor. …
Barney Greengrass made the list, but Mariposa at Neiman
Marcus is also “popular, especially with the power CAA lady
agents, as well as lots of moguls’ wives,” says a regular.
They are drawn by the “excellent service — and one can
shop, too,” adds Jackie Collins, who would know. Farther east,
Mauro’s Cafe at Fred Segal serves a younger crowd, who
enjoy the patio. “My female clients love it,” says manager
Marilyn Black. Another fan notes why their male counterparts
are lured, too: “The waitresses are models, not actresses.
Big difference.” — G.B.
Mr Chow
344 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills’ version of the storied
London brand still does big business
nearly 40 years after its debut. Agents
from the neighboring WME office,
including Ari Emanuel, do many a deal
at the Chinese bistro with food by chefs
Pui Lam Tsang and Yi Jia Qian. Assistant
maitre d’ Tamiko Whitsett handles
the lunch service, where squab lettuce
wraps are top sellers. Those hoping to be
seen request one of the first five tables,
including perennial favorite table 1.
Chow’s Fish Joanna — with a patented
sauce so beloved, it provoked a lawsuit
against a copycat restaurant that Mr
Chow won last year — can be made
special, though it’s not on the menu. Liz &
Dick executive producer Larry Thompson
calls the spot “simply the coolest and
best place to eat in the world.” For those
looking for lunch on the Westside,
Chow’s world now includes a Malibu
branch that opened New Year’s Eve in the
Country Mart spot vacated by industry
fave Nobu.
17
A handful of tried-and-true standbys and new cult
favorites fell just short of the Top 25 mark
Toscana
11633 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles
The scene can get loud, with boldface
names from Bob Iger to Robert Downey
Jr. to Arnold Schwar­zenegger routinely
spotted in one of the 50 seats at the
cozy trattoria. A Brentwood mainstay
since opening in 1989, the hotspot is
family-friendly, with pizza served from its
wood-burning oven a favorite among kids
and their A-list parents. Kelly Meyer proclaims Toscana her “favorite lunch spot,”
and Jack Nicholson deemed it “best in
L.A.” in 2007’s The Bucket List (director
Rob Reiner is a fan). Its Northern Italian
fare hasn’t deviated much in 24 years —
even the lobster spaghetti “special” is
available most of the time, and regulars
can expect to be greeted by name and
have their orders on the table without
cracking a menu.
18
Spago
176 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills
Wofgang Puck’s 31-year-old institution
closed its doors for three months last
year to renovate the always-packed
patio, granting it year-round accessibility
(thanks to a new retractable roof).
Inside, there’s now a casual fireside
area designated first-come, first-served.
Like the dinner menu, Spago’s lunch
offerings are new, with such popular
52 | The Hollywood Reporter | 02.01.13
and healthy additions as a falafel
sandwich and a watercress and lentil
salad topped with tandoori-spiced
Scottish salmon. Feeling less chaste?
Puck’s Austrian signature, wiener
schnitzel, can still be found —
with a side of potato and cucumber
salads. Loyalists include DreamWorks
Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg,
Rob Reiner and Brett Ratner. Pitch
Perfect producer Paul Brooks also is
a fan but prefers the less businessminded Saturday service.
19
Pizzeria Mozza
641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles
Emilio Baglioni — drafted by Jack
Warner to relocate to Los Angeles from
New York and run his Warner Bros.
20
1 Berlin: Borchardt
Franzosische Str. 47. Since excommunist Roland Mary reopened
this 19th century brasserie in newly
unified Berlin in 1992, Borchardt
has been the spot for industry
meets and star spotting, including
President Barack Obama.
14/F, Old Bank of China
Bldg., 1 Bank St., Central. Founded
by tycoon David Tang — known
for his British knighthood and
Shanghai Tang boutiques — this
spot boasts a bird’s-eye view of the
business district, attracting major
players in the local film industry.
But it’s members-only — and memberships begin at $18,000 a year.
Hamasaku
11043 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.
Its industry bona fides are obvious,
from the sight of owner Michael Ovitz
at his favorite table to the menu,
which features more than 60 creations
named in honor of such loyal patrons as
Christina Applegate (baked salmon,
crab, avocado and sweet soy nigiri) and
Robert Pattinson (whose “Twilight” roll
features spicy tuna, crab, avocado and
seared albacore). “The food is delicious, but the sense of belonging when
you walk in is the real draw,” says Bones
executive producer Stephen Nathan
(a popular Hamasaku spider roll is the
namesake of Nathan’s turntablist son,
DJ Spider). Executive chef Wonny Lee
and head sushi chef Yoya Takahashi
accommodate customization and are
prepping a robata (grill) menu for those
with limited expense accounts. There’s
something new for top power players,
too: a still-unnamed $100 roll packed with
langoustine, toro, uni, truffle and caviar
and dusted with 24-karat gold flakes and
an expanded sake program that includes
Flying Pegasus, a $500 bottle rarely found
in the U.S.
21
POWER
LUNCH
Kong: China
2 Hong
Club
3 Paris: L’Avenue
41 Ave.
Montaigne. Situated steps
away from Dior and Chanel, this
industry eatery is the chicest link
in the Costes chain. While French
reserve normally extends celebrities
privacy from paparazzi, the patio
is the spot to be snapped. Harvey
Weinstein stops by when in town,
and the place is packed during
Fashion Week.
Le Jardin de
4 Rome:
Russie
regulars as film producers Todd Black
and Samuel Dickerman, The Schiff Co.’s
David Schiff, Roland Emmerich,
Darren Star, TV director Jack Bender,
David Spade and Courteney Cox.
Richmond says she’s even affected by the
studios’ no-work holidays: “I sometimes
feel I should close with them!” When
open, the best seat in the house for
talking business is in the restaurant’s
attached cafe, which offers more privacy.
Akasha
9543 Culver Blvd., Culver City
The healthy-comfort-food spot is
practically an adjunct dining room for
Sony executives. Thanks to its studiofriendly proximity, execs bring their Fox
and Sony clientele for the ever-popular
turkey burger (for the men) and quinoa
with veggies, chicken or tofu (for the
women). Chef-owner Akasha Richmond,
who previously served as Michael
Jackson’s and Barbra Streisand’s
personal chef, opened the restaurant’s
doors in February 2008 with her husband,
Alan Schulman, who glad-hands such
grooming by su han
16
Who didn’t make the list?
commissary before opening his own eatery — would be proud. Nancy Silverton
and Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza,
occupying the former site of Baglioni’s
Emilio’s, is one of the most sought-after
stops on the Hollywood lunch train.
Jeffrey Katzenberg recently brought
Steven Spielberg; celebrities and top
studio executives from nearby Paramount
clamor for the fried squash blossoms and
tomato and burrata pizza. The most desirable seats are the round tables in front,
though a top publicist likes to sit against
the back wall so she can survey the
warm, bustling scene. Says USA Network
co-president Jeff Wachtel, “If I were an
agent and all my clients were kids, I’d eat
here every day.”
restaurants: courtesy of subject (3)
isn’t suffering as WME agents, whose
offices are located in Beverly Hills, are
making it a point to pick up the slack.
Century City law firms, of course, are
frequent denizens of the spacious
restaurant, along with executives from
nearby 20th Century Fox, including chairman-CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment
Jim Gianopulos. Also spotted: Warren
Beatty, Emma Stone. By far, its most
coveted tables are the six booths. Favorite
items on the daily-changing menu by
current chef Ray England include salmon
salad with carrots, oranges and tangerine
vinaigrette, beef short ribs and diver scallops that are hand-harvested. “Love the
prix fixe menu and the location near our
new Fox family,” says Anne Globe, head
of worldwide marketing at DreamWorks
Animation, which has a new distribution
deal with Fox.
Photographed by
Noah Webb on Jan. 18
“You sit anywhere in this town, and you’ll hear about the deals
being made at the table next to you,” says Lythgoe (right)
between bites of tomato and potato soup. The super-producer
behind American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance could
have been talking about his own multiyear development deal he
signed with Ross, Shine America’s CEO, in December. But they
both would rather rhapsodize over Ammo’s food and convenient
location. “This is my favorite chopped salad in L.A.,” says Ross,
a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios. “And it’s easy for so
much of the entertainment community to literally meet halfway.”
But because even meeting halfway in Los Angeles can require
a couple of hours away from the office, it’s difficult for these
high-powered execs to unplug completely. “I never worry about
telephones on the table during lunch. We all have business to
take care of,” says Lythgoe. “I’m the one that will actually place
mine on the table and not give a damn.” — Leslie Bruce
22
BLD
7450 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
Emphasis should be put on the middle
letter of chef Neal Fraser’s BLD because
the midcity eatery has been a popular
power-lunch spot since opening in 2006.
(The B and D stand for “breakfast” and
“dinner,” in case the acronym still proves
mysterious.) The unpretentious restaurant attracts clientele from the neighboring CBS Television City, along with
Connie Britton, Shameless exec producer John Wells and Randy Jackson.
Regular Cuba Gooding Jr., whose
boxing gym is nearby, praises BLD as
“a great place to have meetings and
49
$
Most expensive
entree: Toscana’s
bistecca con fagioli,
Spago’s prime rib-eye
steak, Bouchon’s
8 oz. filet mignon
not be interrupted.” The tomato soup
has always been coveted, but the spicy
Cuban-style pork sandwich has become a
dish not to miss (Fraser won his 2006 Iron
Chef America title using pork). Table 52,
a large, round table that can fit four while
leaving room for laptops and scripts, is
the most popular, but many also love
table 43, with its view of the kitchen. In
late 2012, sous-chef Lewis Chan became
chef de cuisine, the catalyst for a menu
overhaul that is in the works.
23
Ago
8478 Melrose Ave., W. Hollywood
Chef Agostino Sciandri’s Tuscan-style
trattoria has long been a favorite of East
Coasters with a yen for good Italian food:
Via del Babuino.
If there’s a go-to power place in
Rome, it’s this restaurant at the
luxurious Hotel de Russie, just off
the famous Piazza del Popolo. Since
the hotel opened a dozen years ago,
it has been a touchpad for the biggest Hollywood names when they
pass through town (George Clooney,
Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino, et al.).
Daeseong
5 Seoul:
Dakhanmari
158-5,
Cho-dong, Jung-gu. Hollywood
execs hoping to do business should
check out this quaint, rustic spot
in the Chungmuro neighborhood.
Its famous chicken broth has
served generations within
the Korean film industry. The
restaurant’s old neighborhood,
formerly South Korea’s equivalent
of Hollywood, is frequented by
local elder statesmen.
www.thr.com | The Hollywood Reporter
| 53
From left: Menus
from Bouchon, e. baldi
and Polo Lounge.
signature might be the fried chicken
sandwich, which took Shook and Dotolo
eight tries to achieve the right combo
of brioche bun, chicken breading and
slaw. Fans include WME’s Dan Aloni, who
calls the cuisine “original,” and producer
David Hoberman, who adds: “Who in
L.A. serves unbelievable lobster rolls and
fried chicken with homemade coleslaw?
And it’s really varied: You can eat healthy;
you can eat rich.”
25
9
54 | The Hollywood Reporter | 02.01.13
Phil Rosenthal, Ben Silverman, Gigi Levangie Grazer
and more weigh in on the culture (she canceled
how many times?) and rules (no dessert!
no drinks!) of Hollywood’s ultimate power meal
By Merle Ginsberg, Tamara Rawitt and Rebecca Sun
Illustrations By Peter Arkle
Cafe Gratitude
639 N. Larchmont Blvd., L.A.
With a list of menu items such as “I Am
Fabulous” (raw lasagna with cashew
ricotta) and “I Am Awesome” (eggplant
parmesan on grilled panini bread),
just placing an order here can make a
person feel good. Stepbrothers Ryland
Engelhart and Cary Mosier opened their
organic-vegan-raw specialty restaurant
in the Bay Area in 2004 then expanded
Son of a Gun
to L.A., first in Larchmont in March 2011
8370 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles
then in Venice in July 2012. Colin Farrell
It looks like a jumped-up New England
and Anne Hathaway are
crab shack, but make no
among those taking
mistake: Son of a Gun
in the communal and
knows how to lure the
sustainable vibe at
Angeleno. Owner-chefs
Number of times
chopped salad
Larchmont, and “all the
Jon Shook (recently
appears on the
Arquettes come in,” says
engaged to Chicago Fire’s
Top 25’s menus
Mosier. Insiders consider
Shiri Appleby) and Vinny
it a hotspot for courting
Dotolo spent years runindie and new talent,
ning one of L.A.’s premier
and it’s an especially popular pick when
catering companies, which paved the
power-lunching with actor clients on rigid
way for their own Food Network show,
diets. The zmost popular dishes are the
2 Dudes Catering, before they opened
“I Am Whole” macrobiotic sea-vegetable
their first restaurant, Animal. Son of a
rice or quinoa bowl and (ironically for
Gun, reminiscent of their L.A.-beachHollywood) a curried-lentil dish called
community roots, bowed in 2011 and,
“I Am Humble.”
after celebrity chefs Thomas Keller and
Anthony Bourdain made appearances,
Written by Tim Appelo, Matthew Belloni,
quickly landed on Hollywood’s radar.
Rebecca Ford, Merle Ginsberg,
“Where the chefs eat, the entertainment
Stephen Galloway, Shirley Halperin,
industry follows,” says Daniel Warrilow,
Brandon Kirby, Borys Kit, Andy Lewis,
who manages the restaurant with
Pamela McClintock, Michael O’ Connell,
Dan Scott. Fish and chips and a lobster
Rebecca Sun and Michael Walker.
BLT are popular lunch items, but the
24
To keep it on the table or not to keep it on
the table: That is the question. “It’s terrible
manners; I really think it’s appalling,”
says Horovitz of having phones in view.
Adds ICM Partners’ Toni Howard: “My
BlackBerry stays in my purse. I don’t take
it out — unless we want to look up how
old someone is or what their credits are.”
But others say that in the entertainment
biz, where things can change minute to
minute, it’s acceptable to put it on the
table, face up. “We’re all busy. Just make
sure it’s on vibrate,” says Jumping the
Broom producer Tracey Edmonds. “If you
are expecting something, start the lunch
by saying, ‘Please excuse me but I am
expecting some news, so I might have to
check my phone during the lunch.’ ”
How many cancellations do you tolerate?
“People understand there are emergencies, but
once it’s the third time, change it to a drink,”
advises Matthew Hiltzik. Chris McCumber, USA
Network co-president, agrees: “Just like in
comedy, the ‘rule of threes’ applies.” Some,
however, don’t mind at all when people flake, even
if it’s late morning the same day. “Heaven to me is
when someone cancels lunch. I have an agreement
with friends in the business that we can always
cancel,” says Moneyball producer Rachael Horovitz.
Adds Electus chairman Ben Silverman: “You get an
extra hour-and-a-half of straight work time in and
reclaim part of your schedule. You have to sigh
a little bit of relief.” Many people, though, shrug
and see multiple cancellations as a fact of life in
the business, including Telepictures executive
vp creative affairs Stuart Krasnow: “I am always
surprised when you sit down to lunch and the other
person apologizes that it has been rescheduled
five times. This is Hollywood, after all. I am sure
that there are shows that have been piloted, gone
to series and been canceled in the same amount of
time that a single lunch has been planned.”
Menus: Mike lorrig
Michael Mann, Harvey Weinstein,
Robert De Niro and Paul Herman, De
Niro’s co-star in Silver Linings Playbook
(the latter three are original investors).
Weinstein is such a fan that he has been
known to dine there three times a day,
spacing the sittings a couple of hours
apart. Regulars don’t bother to look
at the menu, says Sciandri: “They know
what they want.” The lunch menu
recently was revamped for the first time
since Ago opened in 1997 to emphasize
lighter midday offerings, but any dinner
item, including the sea bass and salmon,
can be ordered off-menu. Herman says
the patio is “the best in Los Angeles,”
but for really discreet dealmaking,
there’s the private Rotunda Room in
back (which also houses the wine collection), where Sean Penn celebrated his
50th birthday.
The A-List
Guide to
Lunch
etiquette
Where do the phones go?
When do you deliver
bad news?
Can you knock
a few back?
Speak up early, even if it
risks sitting through an
uncomfortable meal. “I like to
be really upfront, within the first
10 to 15 minutes, just because I
think if there’s bad news, it’d be
naive to think both parties don’t
know there is,” says Jarrod
Moses, CEO of marketing
agency United Entertainment
Group, who adds that
delivering the news in person
means that “you want to leave
on good terms.” Delivery is
paramount, too. Says manager
Dolores Robinson, “Sherry
Lansing and Ron Meyer can
let you down in the nicest way.
They can totally stomp on your
idea, and you’ll walk away
smiling. It’s a lesson I learned.
Don’t break people’s hearts.”
“No drinking. Those days are over,”
says Everybody Loves Raymond
creator Phil Rosenthal. Adds manager
Michael Black, “This isn’t Europe,
where you can have long lunches over
pinot grigio.” But if you feel you need
to follow the lead of your lunching
partner, “never have more than one,”
says Big Sur producer Orian Williams.
How many special food requests can you make?
It’s a cliche of the town that self-centered Angelenos
go on and on about what they eat and don’t eat —
and it’s not off the mark. But some people plea for
restraint. “Keep your eating habits to yourself. For 40
of my 100 years — joking — I
was a vegetarian, and no one
really knew,” says Robinson.
Plus, wholly remaking a
dish to your tastes may
make the wrong impression.
“You always have to think of
how people will perceive you
are going to work with them.
If you’re super-finicky, I
say to myself, ‘Oh, you’re
going to be difficult,’ ” says
Wolfgang Puck Catering
vp Barbara Brass.
What shouldn’t you order?
Take a pass on lobster
(“I don’t want to fight
with my food,” says power
publicist Peggy Siegal);
chili (“You want to make
sure what you’re eating is
also something that can’t
easily be worn on your
tie or the tablecloth,”
says Moses); and tacos,
meatballs and burgers
(“Sloppy,” says Mosaic
manager Dave Fleming).
Who travels farthest?
“You just try to be fair and reasonable
and meet in the middle, wherever the
middle is,” says Brillstein Entertainment
Partners manager Lee Kernis. But few
people in midcity like to travel west of the
405. “Um, Santa Monica is not a preferred
spot,” sniffs an anonymous assistant,
who says that generally “you work a
compromise between the two assistants.”
And then there are those who believe
the situation dictates the geography: If
you’re doing the asking, keep your target’s
commute time to a minimum.
www.thr.com | The Hollywood Reporter
| 55
From left: Bender,
the Medavoys, Horowitz.
Many overly scheduled industry players have perfected the art
of the one-hour lunch. Here’s the action plan: Steer clear of
restaurants with slow service. Have your assistant call ahead to
let a trusted manager know to keep things moving. Order food at
the same time as drinks. Avoid appetizers, dessert and coffee at
all costs. And hand back a credit card right as the check is being
delivered. Says one anonymous personal assistant, “If my boss has
an official hard out or something, I’ll let the other assistant know
— and you just have to hope they reiterate that to them.”
How do you avoid a lunch
you don’t want to have?
Some industry players, if they’re in
the power position, downgrade the
meeting to a coffee, and right near
their office at that. To completely
avoid a meeting, Moses errs on
the side of bluntness. “I’m pretty
transparent on this. I’ll say, ‘I don’t
think lunch is necessary. I think
we can do this over a phone call.’ ”
Polite evasion can work as well:
“Always be just too busy. Say, ‘I
would love to, but I so rarely leave
my desk during lunchtime. Why
don’t we set up a conference call?’ ”
says Brass. Then there’s the tactic of
rescheduling in order to put people
off. “To me, postponing is the new
passing,” says Rosenthal. “They
figure they’ll postpone you until
you go away. This way, they are not
saying no. If that happens more than
twice — obviously emergencies come
up — you’ve got to get the hint.”
Do you order dessert?
“It’s OK to order dessert if you’re just
going to throw it up before your next
meeting,” jokes The Starter Wife and The
After Wife novelist Gigi Levangie Grazer
of diet-conscious Hollywood. Indeed,
ordering dessert isn’t common in L.A.;
when it is, it’s usually one dish, multiple
spoons — no one wants to be seen as
a glutton. Says novelist Carol Wolper
(Anne of Hollywood): “I come from the
kind of Scarlett O’Hara school of dining
out, which is you eat at home first and
then you’re just like this delicate little
person who sips on an iced tea and has a
bit of lettuce.”
How late can you be?
The L.A. rule has always been 10 minutes, but perhaps the
needle is being moved even on that. “twelve minutes,” says
Moses. “After that, it’s rude.” Texting or calling en route can
provide a little more leeway, making 15 minutes sometimes
acceptable — “If they are aware,” says Fleming. Rosenthal,
however, is a stickler for being on time: “I’m always early. I
hate the idea that someone’s waiting and I’m the reason.”
56 | The Hollywood Reporter | 02.01.13
It Happened
at Lunch
Are you an actor?
You’re
paying.
YES!
NO.
Are you a director?
NO.
YES!
Are you a lawyer?
YES!
Are you a
manager?
UNLESS YOU
ARE WITH ...
Are you a
producer
or an
executive?
YES!
A lawyer or an agent.
You’re
paying.
Are you a
personal
publicist?
Being
WOoed
YES!
By talent or
by their
representative?
TALENT
REP
How to Be Powerful
at a Power Lunch
By Joel McHale
YES!
FREE
LUNCH!
Then why
are you worrying
about this?
Are you pitching?
NO.
AGENT
The
agent is
paying.
YES!
You’re
paying.
An agent.
One of
them is
paying.
NO.
Are you
pitching or
being wooed?
Pitching
Your
client is
being
wooed.
Are you a writer?
Are you
wooing
talent?
NO.
UNLESS ...
UNLESS YOU
ARE WITH ...
NO.
“When I was a model, Mike and I were introduced at Ma Maison during
the lunch hour. He gave me his business card regarding a Bond movie, for
a Russian Bond girl. I never called, but when we were set up years later,
I walked in and he said, ‘It’s you.’ ” — Irena Medavoy, wife of Phoenix
Pictures chairman and CEO Michael Medavoy
You’re
paying.
You’re
paying.
YES!
NO.
YES!
NO.
“When I first took this job, I had lunch at The Grill with someone who was the
head of another studio. We were eating and he said, ‘I’ll be right back.’ He got
up and sat with somebody else. And I kept eating. And then I looked around,
and he said, ‘It was great seeing you.’ And I said, ‘Good seeing you,’ and I left.
He wanted something, and he didn’t get what he wanted early in the lunch.
So he decided to leave.” — Steve Mosko, president of Sony Pictures TV
“I met my future husband [Jordan Roth, Jujamcyn Theaters president] at the
Tony Awards and made a date to have lunch at Trattoria Dell’Arte. His office
was in Midtown. I called and said, ‘Where are we going for lunch?’ He said,
‘I don’t go out in the rain, so if you want to see me, you have to come to me.’
What kind of person says, ‘I don’t go out in the rain, you have to come to
me?’ But what type of needy person would then actually go? It ended up
being the best business lunch I ever had. We didn’t talk business the entire
time. — Richie Jackson, executive producer, Nurse Jackie
YES!
Are you an agent?
“As a new manager with a new expense account, I met with a peer from a
production company at a place on Sunset. At the end, he asked if I wanted to
rock-paper-scissors for the bill. We did. I was relieved upon winning. He looked
at me and said: ‘Yep, you win. Guess you pay. I’ll get the next one.’ It wasn’t
until I was in the car that I realized I was paying either way.” — BenderSpink
co-founder Chris Bender, executive producer, The Hangover
“Several years ago, I was having lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel with Rob Lee,
who used to be a William Morris agent but is now the producer of Millionaire
Matchmaker. Suddenly I was choking on a bite of my hamburger. He started
screaming, ‘911, can anybody do the Heimlich?!’ I remember him lifting me
off the ground. The next thing I knew, the paramedics were standing above
me, and they told me that had they been 10 seconds later, my life would have
been over. Rob Lee saved my life that day. As much as I like the Polo Lounge,
I’m glad I wasn’t killed by their hamburger.” — Joanne Horowitz, manager
Are you talent?
NO.
The power plays, the faux pas (‘She fled to
the bathroom!’) and the fateful encounters
that these insiders will never forget
“When I was at Miramax, a friend of mine was eating at a Chinese restaurant
with a potential hire. When the pancakes came for the moo shu pork, the girl
daintily picked one up and wiped her face and hands with it. Apparently, they
were so thin and light-colored, she thought they were cloths for freshening up.
She had powder all over her face. The poor girl fled to the bathroom. When
she got back, she found a way to cleverly acknowledge it, and they all had a
big laugh. She got the job.” — Robin Jonas, executive producer, Swing Vote
Who
are you?
Start Here
There’s an unwritten system that determines exactly who lays
down the credit card. Just know the Hollywood food chain,
where agents always pay and the star forever gets a free meal
bender: ap photo/matt sayles. medavoys: elizabeth goodenough/everett collection/newscom. horowitz: kevin winter/getty images for afi.
How do you keep it short and sweet?
So … who’s
got the check?
executive
or
producer
To your agent
or to an
executive or
producer?
YES!
NO.
Are you with an agent,
lawyer, executive or manager?
FREE
LUNCH!
“I like to establish my dominance
at the beginning of the lunch by
not using silverware. I will just use
my hands, or just put my head in.
And that really gets the attention
of whoever I’m trying to impress.”
YES!
When in doubt 3 key principles to remember
1 If you did the
inviting,
you’re paying.
2 If you want
something,
you’re paying.
3 If you clearly
earn more money,
you’re paying.
NO.
With
talent?
“I like to get a shish kebab and
then just pull everything off and
stab the waiter in the arm with
it. And I’ll say, ‘Thank you. Bring
me another.’ ”
You’re
paying.
And...
Splitting is acceptable between
two representatives, unless one clearly
earns more than the other.
“If you need to cancel a lunch
and you want to be powerful at it,
just go, ‘I don’t feel like it.’ Just
like that.”
“I’m the king of getting free stuff.
At lunch, I’d be like, ‘Wrap up a
case of wine and a couple of
bottles of scotch. And I want your
waiter’s jacket.’ ”
www.thr.com | The Hollywood Reporter
| 57
The Pub at Golden Road
Burbank
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9641 Sunset Blvd.,
Beverly Hills
15 Craft
L.A
10100 Constellation Blvd.,
3 e. baldi
Hills
375 N. Canon Drive, Beverly
16 Mr Chow
9560 Dayton Way,
Beverly Hills
176 N. Canon Drive,
Beverly Hills
7 Barney Greengrass
9 Kate Mantilini
22 BLD
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9543 Culver Blvd., Culver Cit
9101 Wilshire Blvd.,
Beverly Hills
7450 Beverly Blvd., L.A.
23 Ago
10 Cecconi’s
8478 Melrose Ave.,
West Hollywood
8764 Melrose Ave.,
West Hollywood
24 Son of a Gun
11 Katsu-Ya
8370 W. 3rd St., L.A.
11680 Ventura Blvd., L.A.
434 N. Canon Drive, Beverly
Hills
25 Cafe Gratitude
d., L.A.
639 N. Larchmont Blv
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8221 Sunset Blvd.,
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shrimp with sriracha.
www.thr.com | The Hollywood Reporter
| 59