Lunch

— DIANE CLEHANE

Forget about the summer doldrums: Even though the sun's not shining today, Michael's was hot, hot, hot and so jam-packed I could barely get a bite in edgewise as I tried to keep up with the air-kissing action in the dining room. Despite the dreadful weather (and its dampening effect on rental prices in the Hamptons -- we can't relate but maybe we can score a bargain for August), the usual suspects were on the scene and downright chipper to mix and mingle with fellow media mavens.

I was thrilled to be lunching with my good pals Lisa Silhanek (who knows everyone) and IMG's Fern Mallis who, when she's not running New York Fashion Week, moonlights as a guest judge on Bravo's The Fashion Show with Isaac Mizrahi. We were joined by two charming and enterprising entrepreneurs, Fermin Perez and Carlos Lorenzo of Global Events, a worldwide event production company. The guys are producing the Spanish Mile in SoHo tomorrow night, where 1500 fashionistas are expected to tour all the Spanish-themed and owned businesses in the neighborhood. Fern is acting as 'ambassador' for the evening's festivities. Where does she find the time?

I just had to ask Fern how her fledgling career as a reality show star was going. "It's been great," she says. Incidentally, Fern wears her own clothes on the show (seems she's been getting emails from fans inquiring about her wardrobe). On Friday, Fern and the gang will be shooting the second to last episode at Cipriani downtown, where six finalists will stage a runway show before a full house (word is those plucky Housewives from New Jersey and New York will be there). Then, America will have 24 hours to vote on a winner, who'll be announced on the season finale next month. Stay tuned!

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Charlie Rose and pals

2. Jim Wiatt

3. Town & Country's Pamela Fiori with a striking silver-haired gal and a gent who looked so familiar, but we just couldn't place him...

4. Cosmo editrix Kate White (Long time no see!) with Linda Fairstein, who arrived sporting 'Cy Vance for DA' buttons on both lapels of her jacket. Linda (who hates Kindle, by the way -- "I'm an old fashioned book person") tells all about what it takes to churn out a book a year (she's written 11!) and how the Internet is marketing Mecca for aspiring writers everywhere in the latest installment of mediabistro.com's So What Do You Do? series.

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— DIANE CLEHANE

It was SRO at Michael's today, and although the place was filled to the brim with movers and shakers of every stripe, all eyes were on table one: Today's Hoda Kotb presided over a raucous lunch with a trio of Real Housewives from Bravo's compulsively watchable franchise. Tongues wagged aplenty as the crowd watched the reality TV stars saunter in. First to arrive was Tamra Barney (Orange County) with her husband Simon, followed by NeNe Leakes (Atlanta). Danielle Straub (New Jersey) was, of course, the last to arrive -- all the better to make a grand entrance. The gals have been guest-hosting Today's fourth hour this week, filling in for the vacationing Kathie Lee Gifford.

I just had to make my way over to their table to chat with the headline-making Danielle, who just last night precipitated a catfight for the ages on the season finale of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. As faithful fans of the series know, Danielle's former life as a stripper who ran with a bad crowd was chronicled in Cop Without A Badge, written, she says, by an ex-husband more than two decades ago. Since then, Danielle reinvented herself and settled in suburbia hoping to keep the past buried. Lucky for Bravo, her frenemies on the show discovered her story, and the fur started flying. Last night, things came to a head when Danielle confronted the other Housewives about their role in bringing the long-forgotten tome to town.

I asked Danielle if the Sopranos-style last supper where everyone gathered for a 'friendly' dinner had been staged. "Of course," she said. "Why else would I have been invited?" Things got really ugly when Teresa Giudice started letting the profanities fly in front of Danielle's two young daughters and the group ganged up on her. Despite putting up a strong front, Danielle told me the episode "ripped her apart" and afterward, she and her girls retreated to her home where they stayed curled up in her bed for a few days. "We were sick from it, and it was the one place we felt safe." But, like the tough survivor she is, the breakout star of the series is back with a vengeance with plans to write a book ("It will be something empowering to help women") and is being repped by Maura Teitelbaum at Abrams Artists Agency. According to Danielle, her daughters have adjusted to the limelight nicely. Her eldest, Christine, is fielding offers from modeling agencies, including Elite. And get this -- she says if Bravo wants a second season, she's there. "Oh my God, of course I'd do it!"

I was glad I was lunching today with my new friend Dr. Phillip Romero, who specializes in family and couple's therapy. Phil is currently hard at work on two books, Phantom Stress and The Art of Impermanence. I asked him why we like to watch these reality shows that are such spectacles of dysfunction. "It's voyeurism that makes us feel better about ourselves," says Phil. These days when "our collective anxiety is higher than at any other time in human history" because of the "sweeping changes occurring at all levels of society" Phil says these shows offer a diversion, "a media quick fix" that takes our mind off the serious issues at hand. Makes sense to me.

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Today's Hoda Kotb, producer Tammy Filler, Bravo's Real Housewives NeNe Leakes, Tamra Barney (with husband Simon), and Danielle Straub.

2. Andrew Stein with a distinguished dark-haired gent we didn't recognize

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong and Glamour editrix Cindi Leive rocking a LBD and pearls. Joe tells me he's off to Cuba on a 'humanitarian mission' for a few weeks. Safe travels, and we'll see you when you return!

4. Esther Newberg and Jeffrey Toobin. We caught Jeff on CNN the other day deconstructing the effect of David Letterman's joke about Sarah Palin's daughter. While the other pundits debated whether the former vice presidential nominee's daughters were fair game, Jeff weighed in by saying he thought Letterman crossed the line by calling Governor Palin's look 'slutty.' Chivalry is not dead after all...

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— DIANE CLEHANE

We heard we missed quite a scene yesterday when the dining room was filled with the likes of dirty joke diva Sarah Silverman, Pedro Almodovar, Harvey Weinstein and his oh-so-fashionable wife, designer Georgina Chapman, Ron Perelman and a long list of other movers and shakers. But there were plenty of fabulous folks to chat with today, so I made the rounds before they got down to business over their Cobb salads.

I was delighted to see 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong, who had been across the pond enjoying some time in London and missing from his regular perch at Michael's for several weeks. He's right back into the swing of things, having been at Sunday night's Tony Awards to see his friend Sir Elton John, who wrote the music for 10-time award winner Billy Elliot celebrate with the cast on their big night. Monday night Joe attended the benefit for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp hosted by Julia Roberts, Robert Redford and some other A-listers. "We raised $2.5 million," reports Joe, who volunteers at the camp every summer. "It's great to see all of Paul's work is still going strong." Joe was lunching today with the charming -- and funny -- Harold Ford, Jr., chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council who moonlights as a news analyst for MSNBC.

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. The 'Imber Gang': Dr. Gerald Imber, Jerry Della Femina, Jeff Greenfield and Andy Bergman.

2. A dapper duo: Nielsen Business Media's Gerry Byrne and Henry Schleiff. I stopped by Gerry's table to catch up since we last crossed paths at Showtime's party for Nurse Jackie and its star, Edie Falco. Coincidentally, Gerry, who is one of the greatest guys in the business, is getting a 'Made in New York' Award from the mayor's office next Monday night and his fellow honoree is none other than Edie. Small world.

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong and Harold Ford, Jr.

4. Stan Shuman with another gent we didn't recognize...

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— DIANE CLEHANE

Our invitation to tonight's party for Joel Grey hosted by Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborah Lee Furness, must have gotten lost in the mail. Oh well. The dining room was jam-packed with the Wednesday regulars in action, so there was plenty to keep us entertained. I was also happy to catch up with some pals I hadn't seen in a while. When my friend Andre Leon Talley swept through the door resplendent in a rose-hued Prada coat and "raspberry velvet" custom-made Manolo Blahnik sandals, I was thrilled that he had time for a chat before joining George Malkemus for lunch.

I just had to ask him what he thought about Morley Safer's segment on Anna Wintour that aired on 60 Minutes a few weeks back. "I was really impressed with their research," said Andre, who reported that the show spent weeks at Vogue's offices and trekked to Europe for the collections to cover Anna in action and get many of fashion's most famous faces to weigh in on her decades-long reign at the style bible. We both agreed that Morley sounded a wee bit contemptuous of the players and the game. The newsman's occasional barbs thrown into the piece -- including an observation that Karl Lagerfeld dressed like Count Dracula ("He's had that look for eight years!") and that all Vogue's young staffers have to be skinny -- were "a bit dismissive," said Andre. (I did love when Anna said that on a recent trip to Minnesota she found most of the folks resembled "little houses.") Andre reports Anna was "thrilled" with the piece. "It's 60 Minutes -- she was on the same show as Secretary Gates. It was fabulous," proclaimed Andre.

Today, he was taking a break between the resort presentations that designers were hosting around town in their showrooms this week. "The resort shows are fabulous," he reports. "It's become a much more interesting season where people are really doing some fabulous things." Among the highlights so far: Diane von Furstenberg's "Going to Rio"-inspired collection with everything a girl needs all packed into one bag ("It's her best collection in three years"), Zac Posen's ruched silk lame jeans and "major" shoes -- especially the sexy lace d'Orsay numbers. Andre also gave high marks to Michael Kors' batik prints. "There are a lot of great clothes and great items that women will want to buy." Music to a lot of retailers' ears, no doubt.

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Conde Nast's Lou Cona and the dashing Daniel Lalonde, president and CEO of Louis Vuitton, presiding over a table full of movers and shakers.

2. Peter Brown

3. Judith Verno

4. Stephen Swid and a blonde gal we didn't recognize

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— DIANE CLEHANE

We've been spoiled by the steady stream of A-listers we've come to meet during our weekly Wednesday visits. So you can imagine our disappointment when we heard we missed Gabriel Byrne, who was in the dining room a week or so ago on a Tuesday. (We know more than a few folks who are obsessed with his portrayal of the tortured but tender shrink on HBO's In Treatment.) But timing is everything, isn't it?

There weren't any stars of the big or small screen at Michael's today, but the place was packed with plenty of movers and shakers to keep things interesting. I was lunching with public relations guru Tom Goodman, president and CEO of Goodman Media. Tom is one of the busiest -- and nicest -- guys in the business. He started his firm in 1996 after toiling in PR for CBS and ABC (where he traveled with Peter Jennings). British Airways "put us in business," says Tom, and NBC, who tapped him to help launch MSNBC, soon followed. Tom is gearing up for a jam-packed summer promoting The World Science Festival in June (Harrison Ford is expected at the gala), Joe Torre's Safe at Home Foundation celebrity golf tournament at Trump National Golf Course in July and the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock with a weekend-long celebration in August at The Museum at Bethel Woods. Next month, the museum will also premiere an exhibit of photos -- many never before seen -- by photojournalist Gerry Deiter of John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's famous 1969 bed-in for peace. Sounds groovy...

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

2. Gerry Byrne and two well-dressed gents ...

3. Nicki Haskell and pals

4. Harper's Bazaar editrix Glenda Bailey and Evelyn Lauder. I'm told that Mrs. Lauder was making her second appearance of the week at Michael's, having hosted the First Lady of Panama for lunch yesterday.

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— DIANE CLEHANE

Maybe it was the gorgeous pre-Memorial Day weather, but the mood in the dining room at Michael's today was noticeably upbeat. The usual suspects were out in force, and it seems everyone has caught a whiff of the optimism in the air. A welcome change, to say the least.

I was lunching today with Linda Gaunt, who I first met during her days as EVP of communications for Giorgio Armani: She was nice enough to provide me with an original sketch of a dress Mr. Armani had designed for Princess Diana that she never got to wear. I used it in the forward of my book, Diana: The Secrets of Her Style, and it is one of my favorite images from its pages. Since launching her own firm on Madison Avenue five years ago, Linda Gaunt Communications, Linda has amassed an impressive roster of clients, including Donna Karan's Urban Zen, Versace, and The Whitney -- and she just signed Hanro and Chantelle. Her results-oriented approach to PR has done wonders for her luxury fashion and lifestyle clients. Rather than sit back and wait for what happens next, says Linda, it is a critical time for companies to get smart about public relations and go after market share with "a targeted approach that really understands what the consumer wants and give them a reason to buy." Sounds like good advice to us...

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Leslee Dart, Vanity Fair scribe Leslie Bennetts and Mary Alice Williams

2. The always dashing Henry Schleiff and Kerry Kennedy, who told me she is so excited about the online auction that's going on now through May 28 for The RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. Kerry has assembled a stellar list of lots for bidding, including a meet-and-greet with Oprah Winfrey and a day during Fashion Week with Vogue's man about town Andre Leon Talley. The money raised goes to aid the work being done on behalf of those in need in many areas including the Gulf Coast and in Darfur.

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong, George Farias and Fox News' Monica Crowley (loved the necklace!) Seems the Mayor felt like he needed some fortification since he was lunching with two staunch Republicans, so he brought along an Obama bobblehead doll (which was a dead ringer for the president, by the way) and placed him squarely on the table for support. It definitely got our attention! I was glad I stopped by to say hello to the talkative trio who was dining early because Monica had to be back at the studio and on air this afternoon. Did you know that she is a team member of the Council on Foreign Relations? Now you do ... George, who is always such a gentleman, had some good dish to share: He told me Nancy Reagan will be making a rare appearance at the Capitol on June 3 for the unveiling of a statue of President Reagan. Mark your calendars!

4. Barbara Walters (all in red!) and ABC Daytime head Brian Frons dishing about one 'hot topic' or another, I'm sure...

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— DIANE CLEHANE

It was a tasty mix of media mavens, social types and the random celebrity (Frank Langella was in the house!) on the menu at Michael's today: The dining room was so packed, they were shoehorning tables in everywhere. I was glad I got there early so I was able to grab some of the regulars on the way to their tables before they got down to some serious dining and dishing. Kathie Lee Gifford was one of the first to arrive, announcing, "Ah, springtime!" as she came through the door. She's got plenty to smile about these days as her latest book, Just When I Thought I'd Dropped My Last Egg (Ballantine), hit the New York Times bestseller list. I just has to ask Kathie Lee what she thought about her pal Joan Rivers winning The Celebrity Apprentice, besting her arch enemy poker player Annie Duke and the nasty showdown the women had on the finale. "I was thrilled for her. Anyone that knows Joan knows she's a friend to the end -- and any time a 75-year-old wins anything, it's good for all of us!"

I was lunching today with Alexandra Trower, Estee Lauder's executive vice president of global communications. This consummate public relations pro has been with the company just over a year now, having made the switch from banking (she was SVP of media relations for Bank of America) to the beauty biz. This week, Alex scored a major hit with a front-page story on Estee Lauder's new CEO Fabrizio Freda in WWD Beauty Biz. We had a terrific chat about the famous faces and captains of industry we've both come to know. It's amazing what a small world Manhattan can be!

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Today show twosome Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb with Kathie Lee's right-hand gal Christine and Hoda's chic pal Sunny

2. Literary lioness Lynn Nesbitt and Peter Brown

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong dining with Kerry Kennedy and her charming young daughter Michaela

4. Barbara Walters and Frank Langella

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— DIANE CLEHANE

Maybe it was because it finally stopped raining for five minutes, but the power-lunchers were out in force today at Michael's. There was a crowd gathering in the lounge before noon waiting for tables. Of course, most of the regulars breezed in at their appointed hours, making sure they had plenty of time for glad-handing before settling in for some serious dish. Harvey Weinstein and Barry Diller did their fair share of hand shaking before getting down to business at separate tables.

I was lunching today with public relations powerhouse Lisa Linden and Tom O'Brien, president and general manager of WNBC. Tom had plenty to talk about, since these days it seems you can't go anywhere without an NBC star beaming out from a TV set in a growing number of spots. Look for that to continue, says Tom. With the newscasts on WNBC-TV, the fledgling lifestyle channel New York Nonstop (now in 5 million homes), NBCNewYork.com and Taxi TV (in 5,500 cabs and growing), "We have the ability to get our content out across multiple platforms and reach people at any time of the day," says Tom. Now the network has gone underground with their latest digital out-of-home effort, NBC in Transit, with video of news and NBC Universal entertainment programming broadcast on PATH trains between NYC and New Jersey. "We're excited about this new way to reach an audience who isn't waiting for news. It's another great way for keeping people informed." Coming soon: more televisions on the platform in Newark. Stay tuned...

I told Tom I have a particular soft spot for those adorable spots with Jimmy Fallon and that cuddly bear cub that seem to be playing in every taxi I'm in. "He's doing very well," reports Tom, who says Conan O'Brien's new show is set to debut June 1 and there will be an announcement about Jay Leno's new primetime show in two weeks. We're all ears...

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. The 'Imber Gang': Dr. Gerald Imber, Jerry Della Femina, Michael Kramer and Andy Bergman

2. My new pal Susan Silver, Abby Ellin of The New York Times and Judy Twersky

3. Andrew Stein and a mystery gent...

4. Barry Diller and an unidentified young fellow. Here's a fun fact: Barry is a mogul on the move. I happened to catch him suiting up for a quick getaway after lunch as he slipped into a windbreaker and donned a helmet and sunglasses before revving up his Vespa and disappearing into midtown traffic.

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— DIANE CLEHANE

We missed Evander Holyfield by a day, but there was plenty of action to keep our attention in Michael's jam-packed dining room today. Between the surprise birthday party for Hearst Magazines president Cathie Black on Table One, a smattering of fashionistas, and the bumper crop of beauty industry bigwigs holding court here and there, I suspect there was a fair share of business being done between bites of Cobb Salad. I noticed another interesting trend from my usual perch at the bar: This crowd really likes their cocktails. "For some reason, we are doing a lot of different drinks today," said my friend Melinda, the bartender. Besides serving up some Shirley Temples, Melinda poured Pernod, Bellinis and Danish Murrays (That's Aquavit and Bloody Mary mix). One diner who sat down promptly at noon ordered a Johnnie Walker Black on the rocks straight away. It beats iced tea, I guess. Bottoms up!

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Hearst Magazines president Cathie Black celebrating with a table full of media mavens (and plenty of presents!), including Harper's Bazaar publisher Valerie Salembier and power players Jeannette Chang (long time, no see!), Michael Clinton, Ellen Levine and Donna Lagani.

2. Peter Brown, Paige Peterson and a handsome young gent.

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong and George Stevens. I was thrilled to see the mayor at his regular perch after his recent trip to Austin, where he's joined the board of his alma mater, the University of Texas. (He got both his law and journalism degrees there.) Joe was staying with his good pal Lance Armstrong, who, he told me, will be competing in this year's Tour de France and saddling up for the major 'Tour' race in Italy. Lance has completely "bounced back" from his shattered collarbone, reports Joe. Just thought you'd like to know...

4. Leonard Lauder and two well-dressed gals we didn't recognize ...

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— DIANE CLEHANE

Sure, it's fun checking in with the media mavens and moguls during our weekly Wednesday outings at Michael's, but sometimes it's the random celebrity sighting that can be the most entertaining. When I heard that Dolly Parton was coming today, I was really looking forward to chatting with her. I first sat down with her and Jane Fonda way back when there was some big anniversary for her breakthrough film, 9 to 5. Of all the celebrities I've interviewed over the years, Dolly was by far one of the least pretentious. The hair, the outrageous outfits, the nails -- the boobs -- it's all part of a perfectly calibrated persona that is as compelling today as it was back then.

When she arrived in the dining room, every head turned. Trust me, she's like no one you've ever seen. At 63, she looked like a living doll with her expertly made-up ageless face, Barbie doll suit (paired with sheer black leggings), that famous platinum mane, and shoes that no other human being could possibly walk in. When I stopped her to chat, she gave me a big smile and grabbed my hand. "Of course I remember you!" she drawled when I explained when we last spoke. I almost believed her -- she's that genuine. When I asked her how things were going with 9 to 5 set to debut on Broadway next week (she wrote 40 songs for the show; 16 made it into the production), she said, "We're working like crazy just tweaking little things until we get it right. We're working 'til midnight. I'm really enjoying myself!" Then she sailed in to meet her producer Bob Greenblatt (Showtime's president), Matt Blank and the rest of her table.

I was dining today with my good pal Kathryn Leigh Scott, who is one of the most prolific women I know. She's written so many books I've lost count (and is currently working on two -- one fiction and one nonfiction). But her really big news involves the article she's penned on "the star and the stalker" for Opera News, due out in August. Kathryn has left no stone unturned in the account of the downside of divadom, which chronicles the complicated and chilling relationship between legendary opera star Birgit Nilsson and her stalker, model Nell Theobald. Kathryn uncovers some startling details in her report, which has attracted the attention of some Hollywood bigwigs: "There's some interest in the dramatic rights," Kathryn tells me. Like they say in Tinseltown, stay tuned...

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Dolly Parton, Showtime's Matt Blank and Bob Greenblatt and Lee Resnick. There was also an imposing looking fellow at the table who, from the looks of things, keeps things running smoothly for Dolly. I'm guessing you wouldn't want to mess with him...

2. The first lady of New York, Michelle Paterson, and Jackie Rogers. For the moment, at least, it seems as if her husband's dismal poll numbers weren't top of mind: We spotted Michelle yukking it up as she enjoyed some white wine with her friend.

3. Dan Abrams and CNBC's Brian Steel (Glad to hear you're a 'Lunch' loyalist!)

4. Expectant father Les Moonves (congrats!) and Viacom's Philippe Dauman. When Michael McCarty offered the television titan a hearty greeting of "Dad!" Les looked a little sheepish and uttered, "I'm an old man." What's that old saying about kids keeping you young? Please extend our congratulations to the missus, Julie Chen.

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