Lunch

— DIANE CLEHANE

As much as we enjoy observing the social customs of the various media tribes during our Wednesday lunches at Michael's, we jumped at the chance to mingle with the natives last night as they roamed free from the pecking order in the dining room. Michael McCarty threw himself quite a blowout to celebrate 20 years at 55th & Fifth, and a few hundred of his closest friends came out to mark the occasion.

By the time I arrived a little after six there was a line out the door where I crossed paths with my good pals -- and Michael's stalwarts -- Lisa Linden and Nielsen's Gerry Byrne. "I thought I'd get here early and beat the crowd," Lisa told me. Nothing doing as we inched our way into the packed dining room. A camera crew from LX New York was there as the man of the hour personally greeted each guest at the door with a slap on the back (for the guys) and air kisses (for the gals). Michael's wife, the talented artist Kim McCarty, whose artwork adorns the restaurant's walls, beamed with pride. Just another fabulous night out in New York ...

Here's a rundown of the 'cool kids' who finished their homework in time to make it out Wednesday night.

Glamour editrix Cindi Leive (loved the leopard!) was chatting with attorney Lorie Almon ("She knows everybody!") about next Monday night's Women of the Year awards. Thanks for the invite; we can't wait. When I asked Cindi what keeps her coming back to Michael's she told me, "I like the food; I don't even have to look at the menu. And I get to see people in my world, so I can check off that box. I'm a creature of habit." Makes sense to us.

The fabulous fashionista, Fern Mallis sailed by, and I just had to ask her whether she'd heard if there was going to be another season of her reality show, The Fashion Show with Isaac Mizrahi. No word yet from Bravo, says Fern. Stay tuned.

I stopped by the bar to say hello to HarperCollins' David Hirshey and my old friend Michael Solomon, and we got into a lively discussion about our mutual obsession with Mad Men. The show's season finale airs Sunday, and we're all on the edge of our seats wondering if desperate housewife Betty will leave her unraveling husband Don Draper for that irksome Henry Francis. We decided that if it were up to us the couple would stay together unhappily ever after, but chances are series creator Matt Weiner has something else in store. Michael, who I got to know when we were both working for TV Guide, now toils for The Daily Beast as features director. After some catching up, we had a nice OTR chat about the good old days when people could still make a living as print journalists.

When I bumped into Investigation Discovery honcho Henry Schleiff, I offered my congratulations on his network's new show, On the Case with Paula Zahn, which is garnering some good reviews. Kudos!

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Before you start hurling four-letter words our way, hold on. Michael's is celebrating their 20th anniversary tonight, so Diane Clehane will have first-hand coverage of that event for FBNY tomorrow instead.

That means lots of big names and photos of any undercover elbow rubbing. Plus, with Diane on the scene, you can be sure this juicy dish will not be available on a certain Twitter feed.

Don't say we never gave you anything.

— DIANE CLEHANE

The biblical rain kept most of the moguls and media mavens away today. So, rather than people watch, I passed the time by flipping through the latest issue of Avenue featuring an ultra-glam Katie Couric on the cover. The glossy devotes eight (!) pages to the CBS Evening News anchor and photographed her dripping in diamonds and sporting gowns by red carpet favorites Alberta Ferretti and Monique Lhuiller. Interviewed by Law & Order SVU's Mariska Hargitay, Katie says, "Looking sexy is not my goal when I'm at work." Obviously, it's a different story when she's not sitting behind the anchor desk.

I lunched today with my longtime pal Trica Jean-Baptiste, who is the principal of her own public relations firm specializing in the travel and tourism industries. We met years ago through New York Women in Communications (NYWICI) where she served on the board. Trica brought along another NYWICI member, Ross Ellis, who works on the organization's tireless Matrix committee. We all agreed that Brian Williams will be a fabulous host for next year's Matrix Awards. Remember Rosie O'Donnell's disastrous expletive-fueled turn at hosting a few years back? We'll never forget it -- and we've tried. Besides working on Matrix, Ross helms the not-for-profit group, Love Our Children USA, which works to end abuse and educate families about stopping violence against children. The organization has been going strong for eleven years and Ross, who was an abused child herself, has garnered the support of an impressive roster of celebrities including Bette Midler and Elton John. Both have donated great items for the group's online auction going on right now at charityfolks.com. (Get your bids in soon, because it ends Friday.) These days, Ross is hard at work on next year's National Love Our Children Day which is scheduled for April 10. Mark your calendars!

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

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

2. Nielsen's Gerry Byrne and Fox5's Greg Kelly

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong and HarperCollins' publisher Jonathan Burnham. I couldn't wait to get some dish-y morsel about Sarah Palin's new book Going Rogue due November 17. "What was the most surprising thing about working with her?" I asked. Jon deferred with a wry smile saying, "My lips are sealed." I guess we're going to have to wait for her appearance on Oprah the day before the book is released for the scoop. Here's hoping the former governor includes a Wednesday lunch at Michael's on her itinerary for what's sure to be a whirlwind media tour.

4. Dan Abrams (in jeans!) and John Josephson

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— DIANE CLEHANE

They were dishing like it was 1999 today at Michael's where it was SRO at the bar and in the lounge and filled with movers and shakers of every stripe in the dining room. I got a serious case of whiplash trying to keep track of it all. Between keeping an eye on Anna Wintour, who seemed to swoon over Vivi Nevo's every word, and watching Brian Williams and Universal honcho Ron Meyer tuck into their lunch with unbridled gusto, I found the scene even more fascinating than usual. Another intriguing phenomenon was the steady stream of suits that poured into the restaurant until it nearly overflowed. Was there a noontime shuttle from Brooks Brothers? Or perhaps, in some circles, the expense account in making a comeback. Here's hoping...

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. A casually clad Charlie Rose, who explained why he was wearing Chuck Taylors with his pinstripe suit: "I worked out earlier this morning." The PBS talk show host was with two mystery guests.

2. Anna Wintour and Vivi Nevo. The Vogue editrix seemed completely enraptured by the Israeli venture capitalist. Whatever could have made her smile so much?

3. Hollywood casting agent Bonnie Timmermann with Law & Order SVU star Richard Belzer and literary agent David Vigliano. Belzer entertained his pals throughout lunch by reading stories aloud from a pile of old issues of Star magazine. I'm thinking Richard is considering writing a book based on some tabloid tales. Sounds interesting.

4. Glued to his Blackberry throughout the first half of lunch, a tie-less Harvey Weinstein with James Neaderlander and another business type. The group all gave Bonnie Timmermann a big 'hello.'

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For over four years now, FishbowlNY has been bringing you "Lunch at Michael's" (now known as just "Lunch"), the seating arrangements of some of New York's top media players at the socialite dining establishment. Today, food blog Eater pointed us towards Michael's Twitter account, which looks suspiciously familiar:

We'd feel more miffed if we didn't find imitation the most sincere form of flattery.

— DIANE CLEHANE

The power lunch lives! While budgets are being slashed all over town, if the media mavens at the top are feeling the pinch, they're determined not to show it. For the past several weeks, I've noticed that Michael's is back to its pre-Great Recession level of buzz with a packed dining room. The regulars were out in force today along with an impressive array of captains of industry who were no doubt doing a lot more than catching up with old pals.

I was lunching today with Andrew Heyward, who I got to know during his tenure as president of CBS News. Andrew is busier than ever these days consulting for a full slate of companies including Monitor Group and NBC News. I asked him how he felt when the New York Supreme Court's appellate division threw out Dan Rather's $70 million lawsuit against CBS last month. "I'm gratified by the appellate court's unanimous decision to dismiss the case," he told me. "I hope this is an opportunity for everyone involved to move on once and for all." Not everyone seems to share that sentiment. Dan's lawyer, Martin Gold, told TVNewser he plans to appeal.

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Producer Nick Simunek with, we're told, a table full of showbiz types including the fellow who wrote Love At First Bite.

2. Peter Brown, Shirley Lord, and two other distinguished gentlemen we didn't know.

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong and Glamour editrix Cindi Leive. Second seating: ICM's president Chris Silbermann.

4. Showtime's main man Matt Blank and attorney Alan Grubman. I caught up with Matt on the way out, and we chatted about Toni Collette's Emmy win for The United States of Tara. I also asked about one of my favorite shows, The Tudors. Matt tells me they just wrapped production and the show promises to deliver plenty of royal drama in its final season. We've been hearing rumors that Showtime's next dysfunctional dynasty to receive the star treatment will be the Borgias. We can't wait!

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— DIANE CLEHANE

The dining room at Michael's was buzzing as boldface names settled in to plot their next big move and dish over their Cobb salads. We overhead plenty of chatter about the David Letterman and 48 Hours Mystery producer Robert "Joe" Halderman scandal -- sorry, but it's all off the record. The one thing everyone agrees on is that this tawdry tale is far from over. "There's got to be a lot more to it," said one flack. "This is going to be interesting if and when it gets to court."

I was lunching today with Jason Allen Ashlock, who I first met a while back when he was toiling at The Marianne Strong Literary Agency. In January of this year, Jason struck out on his own and opened Movable Type Literary Group with his partner Meredith Dawson. Things have been going great guns for Jason despite the less than fortuitous timing for launching his business. "It was completely accidental, but because it was counter intuitive, I was able to meet with people and houses that would have otherwise been more difficult to get to, if for no other reason than they wanted to find out what I was doing," says Jason.

So far, he's inked 17 deals for his authors this year. Just last week he landed first-time author Adrienne Arieff a deal with Random House to publish her memoir, The Sacred Thread, which chronicles her decision to use a foreign gestational surrogate in India. Arieff decided to move in with the woman who was carrying her child, and the book chronicles their fascinating and unique bond. Jason also got that strangely fascinating husband and wife team of The Real Housewives of New York City, Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen, a deal from Sterling & Ross to pen their upcoming parenting tome, Little Kids, Big City due in March of next year. He brought me a copy of Robert Rave's novel Spin, which tells the tale of a wide-eyed publicist who finds himself working for one of Manhattan's most notorious divas. Robert, by the way, once worked for Lizzie Grubman. We're sure that's just a coincidence.

I asked Jason what he thought of the news that Tina Brown will be doing ebooks in association with her website, The Daily Beast. "Tina has said books are the new magazines. I worry about that. Look what's happening to magazines," Jason reasoned. "As books become more 'temporary,' we lose what they are most useful for: authority. Books that take time, that are well researched, and edited offer a comprehensive point of view on a subject that you can't get from a magazine article or on the Internet. Publishers can't just be printers."

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Producer Francine LeFrak with a bunch of 'suits' and surprise guests Joan Collins with her much younger husband Percy Gibson. Our favorite '80s TV villainess was doing her best Alexis Carrington by sporting a leopard print cowboy hat.

2. Peter Brown with a distinguished looking fellow we didn't recognize.

3. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong with Men's Health honcho David Zinczenko (Long time, no see!). Joe is just back from a humanitarian mission to Cuba where he helped deliver supplies to several orphanages. "These kids really need a lot of help," says Joe of the heartbreaking poverty he witnessed first-hand. He came brandishing a cane today because of some back trouble as a result of -- we're not kidding -- laughing too hard at a fellow Texan's joke recently. Here's hoping you're on the mend soon.

4. We would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for this one: Barbara Walters and Vernon Jordan. I noticed that several times during lunch this intriguing duo had their heads together and seemed to be amused at something or another as they observed the noontime crowd. One can only imagine.

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— DIANE CLEHANE

The flacks were certainly out in full force today at Michael's. It seemed anyone who was (or represents) anyone was out and about with something to spin. Well, at least it's a sign that life goes on in Manhattan no matter how bleak New York magazine says our financial future is. Although a pesky stomach bug kept me away last week, we hear things were really hopping with Michael Douglas holding court on Table One. (He's in town filming the sequel to Wall Street, in case you haven't heard.) Seems the Oscar-winning actor enjoyed several bottles of wine with a table full of 'masters of the universe' -- no doubt asking these insiders how his character, Gordon Gekko, would handle the new world order in the financial district.

I was lunching today with a real media powerhouse, Debbie Phillips, who has turned her career as a work-life coach into a bonafide cottage industry. In 2003, Debbie founded "Women on Fire," an organization whose mission she describes as "helping women achieve their dreams and desires." (She hates the outdated term 'networking'.) Having been a journalist, politico, and television producer for decades, Debbie brings plenty to the table. Among her many accomplishments: She was the first female press secretary in Ohio government, having worked for Governor Dick Celeste in the '80s. When Debbie "stepped out of the swirl," she somehow found herself coaching clients on life and career strategies before the now burgeoning industry even had a name. Although most of her clients by the mid-'90s were men, she saw her business take off in 2000 after deciding to focus on the needs of women. These days, the company's multi-media platform encompasses books, CDs and DVDs as well as biannual seminars, which she calls "tea parties,"in New York. She also holds events in Ohio, Michigan, and Boston. These members-only gatherings, says Debbie, are designed to get women of different backgrounds talking about their accomplishments and goals in a "judgment-free zone" and serve as a much needed dose of empowerment to get things going. Sounds like a great idea to us.

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. My pal Stu Zakim, who recently left his perch as Showtime's spinmeister, presiding over a "boy's lunch" with ABC News' Jeffrey Schneider, Tony Fox of Comedy Central, Patrick Reilly of Sirius Radio, publicist Peter Himler, Jeff Bercovici who is writing for AOL verticals these days, flack Matthew Hiltzik, and Matt Frankel, formerly of AOL. Stu told me the guys had gathered to "celebrate" Arnie Huberman who passed away earlier this summer.

2. Steve Rubenstein

3. Publicity maven Maury Rogoff, Oprah.com writer Jill Brooke , and Fox 5's Rosanna Scotto.

4. Richard Rubenstein

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— DIANE CLEHANE

On the menu at Michael's today: a tasty stew of media mavens and moguls with a heaping helping of famous faces on the side. We could barely keep up with the goings-on in the dining room, since every other minute there was some boldface name heading to the Garden Room for CNN's lunch to celebrate Christiane Amanpour's new show. We spied Gayle King, Cynthia McFadden, Joni Evans, Gloria Steinem, and Harry Evans among the scribes invited to cover the soiree. (Nice to see you, Steve Krakauer!) Our own TVNewser Kevin Allocca editor was there, too.

I was lunching today with Carrie Kania, senior vice president and publisher of It Books and Harper Perennial. It Books, HarperCollins' hip new imprint, is tapping into the zeitgeist with a fall list brimming with of-the-moment tomes including Twitter Wit (Who knew so many people could write such witty Tweets?) and the just released I Love Your Style by the uber stylish Amanda Brooks. "I love the book because it shows how fashion evolves," Carrie told me. I Love Your Style is full of fabulous images of timeless style icons like Jackie Kennedy, Ali McGraw and Charlotte Rampling as well as today's trendsetters like Natalie Portman. It's also got plenty of great ideas and tips on how to identify and develop a style that's truly one's own. Carrie is just as passionate about the classics on Harper Perennial's backlist. "So many 13 and 14 year-old girls have not read The Bell Jar; I want to help them find it." Seems like Carrie is on a mission to get everyone she can excited about publishing: she's also teaching the New York University graduate course 'Introduction to Publishing.' Says Carrie of her gig that spends eights weeks focused on books and another eight on magazines: "I take the students through every step from acquisition to marketing. The mentoring I got early on was invaluable to me, and I want to help people like that. There is no better business to be in."

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. My good friend, public relations maven Lisa Linden (Happy Belated Birthday!) and her partner, Steven Alschuler -- their firm, Linden, Alschuler & Kaplan works with plenty of Gotham's movers and shakers in real estate, government and philanthropy, in case you didn't know -- with former senator Nick Spano and his colleague from Empire Strategic Planning, Perry Ochacher.

2. Most of the 'Imber Gang': Dr. Gerald Imber, Jerry Della Femina and Andy Bergman. Where were Jeff Greenfield and Michael Kramer?

3. Diane Sokolow and a formidable-looking fellow we didn't recognize

4. Producer Bill Haber and television legend Norman Lear

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— DIANE CLEHANE

It's back to school for the cool kids as the usual suspects filed into 'the cafeteria' at Michael's to gear up for what will hopefully be a fruitful fall. Plenty of folks in the dining room had just come from Walter Cronkite's memorial service. 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong, who was hosting a birthday lunch for his great pal Kerry Kennedy on Table One, told me that it was a truly moving event. "It was great to see the high standards of journalism celebrated that way. Walter was truly one of a kind," said Joe.

Henry Schleiff, who stopped by to check in with me on his way to joining Kerry and Joe, was also celebrating plenty of his own good news. The new president and general manager of Investigation Discovery had just announced earlier today that his former Court TV colleague, Ed Hersh, joined the network as senior vice president of strategic planning. Henry is riding high these days since announcing the October 19 premiere of Paula Zahn 's new show, On the Case With Paula Zahn. On top of all that, ID went hi-def today and was recently moved up on the local dial to Channel 23, Court TV's former home. "Justice was served!" he laughed. "And you can quote on me that!"

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. The birthday gal Kerry Kennedy with 'Mayor' Joe Armstrong, Henry Schleiff, and a table full of revelers.

2. Showtime's main man Matt Blank with a casually clad fellow we didn't get a chance to meet.

3. A very dapper James Nederlanderwith producer Terry Allen Kramer. When we told her we were coveting her red ostrich bag all during lunch, she told us, "Mancini, Beverly Hills. I order everything on line and they send things to me!" Fab!

4. Teddy Forstmann and another formidale looking fellow.

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