Today was a busy, bustling day at Michael's under the brand-new Holiday decorations -- the place is festooned with wreaths, poinsettias, jaunty sprigs of pine and big happy red bows. All that is missing is mistletoe, which would probably make our "Lunch at Michael's" posts even more exciting. Even so, today was pretty hopping. So without further ado, the lineup:

Table 1 - "Bill Blass" author and grande dame/fashionista Helen O'Hagen, "What Becomes A Woman" author Peter Rogers and others who we didn't recognize.

Table 6 - Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg celebrated her birthday with ICM superagent Esther Newberg, and three or four other equally stylish women. Lots of presents and a birthday cake but no singing. Aw. Here's a Table 5-inspired song for you, Caroline! Happy Birthday!

Table 2 - Jack Myers of Media Village and Susan Lyne, President and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. No word on what she thought of the decor.

Table 18 - We're jumping a few tables ahead because this one's a biggie: Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State (and BFF of Christopher Hitchens - joke, obviously). It was Kissinger, I believe, who said that "power is the greatest aphrodisiac," but I didn't feel anything. Maybe the mistletoe will help.

UPDATE: We had originally reported that Kissinger was dining with Elizabeth Rohatyn (wife of Felix) was incorrect but a tipster corrects us: "I don't think Kissinger was with Mrs. Rohatyn, as she is quite
stylish/pretty/tall in Upper East Side sort of way (sorry!), and Dr.
Kissinger was with an older woman in fur trimmed suit who scribbled
notes the whole time..." At the end of lunch, said furry lady was seen giving him a wrapped gift with a card. Perhaps a biographer? Our tipster goes on: "Interestingly, when HK left, he passed by Caroline's table and did not look left or right, approach her, etc. I thought it would have been a great moment if they said hello, but did not."

Table 5 - Ex-Beatles manager (and current Michael's regular) Peter Brown.

UPDATE: We have since learned that Pete Brown was actually the assistant to the Beatles manager, one Brian Epstein.

Table 3 - "Mayor of Michael's" Joe Armstrong at his regular table. Who were you with, Joe?

UPDATE: Joe was with Charles O'Byrne, close friend of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the Kennedy family priest who conducted the funeral services for John F. Kennedy and Anthony Radziwill.

Table 4 - Owen Laster, head of the literary department at the William Morris Agency.

Table 11 - MTV president Judy McGrath, sweeping in to dine with a chic woman (looked like an anchor).

Table 8 - New York Social Diarist David Patrick Columbia, with a woman in a mink fur hat, thus answering Sondheim's age-old question: "Does anyone still wear a hat?" No word on whether they drank to that.

UPDATE: DPC's furry friend: Real estate agent Alice Mason.

Table l2 - A fresh-faced and glamorous Ivanka Trump. No biggie unless you're into that whole rich, fabulous supermodel thing.

Table 14 - Big-shot editor Alice Mayhew, rumored to be working with Judith Miller on her rumored upcoming book. Remember Judith Miller?

UPDATE: The Elizabeth Rohatyn mystery solved! The lovely wife of the former U.S. Ambassador to France was the unidentified companion of Ms. Mayhew. P.S. Alice Mayhew is Bob Woodward's editor. Remember Bob Woodward?

Table 15 - Mark Katz, founder of the Soundbite Institute and former Clinton jokewriter (not about Clinton, for Clinton - he was the presidential humorist). Dining with New York mag publisher Larry Burstein (and replacing the absent David Hirshey at his usual table).

Table 16 - Gerry Byrne, former publisher of Variety (until he ankled, natch). With Brenda Ryan.

Table 17 - Cindy Lewis, publisher of Hearst's Shop Etc..

Table 20 - Catherine Crier, anchor, Court TV, with Jill Brooke, former editor of Travel Savvy.

Tabel 21 - Daily News "Lowdown" scribe Lloyd Grove dining with the blonde and statuesque Chris Taylor of MacAndrew Forbes, resplendent in subtle pinstripes and a black and white Chanel bag. Reminded me of Brigette Wilson-Sampras. Lucky Lloyd. We credit the belt buckle.

Table 29 - David Borham, exec producer of "Dateline."

Table 26 - Neal Shapiro, former president of NBC News, dining with Anne Curry of "The Today Show," chatting amiably. Wonder if they discussed the whole "Will-Katie-Couric-go-to-CBS?" flap.

Table 23 - NATAS' Peter Price, with a woman in a purple jacket.

Table 19 - Author, biographer and commentator Pamela Keogh (who quite resembles Patricial Clarkson, I think), and who set off the décor charmingly in a cranberry-colored ensemble. With Joseph Montebello, art director extraordinaire and former HarperCollins honcho.

Table 25 - Our table - MB honcho/cyberhostess Laurel Touby, Freud Communications exec VP (and frequent MB lunch companion) Lisa Dallos, Freud business/legal affairs dynamo Cory Ryan and me, FishbowlNY editor Rachel Sklar, looking at Kissinger and longing for mistletoe.

Table 27 - Boston Consulting Group's John Rose and Tom Ryder, soon-to-be retiring Chairman and CEO of Reader's Digest.

Back room: Stephen Greenberg, son of "Hammerin' Hank" Greenberg, former Detroit Tiger and baseball's first Jewish superstar (and 6'4"! Oy, what genes!). Stephen is the CEO and founder of College Sports TV (CSTV), and a former attorney and minor-league ball player. We repeat: Oy! What genes.

We're adding some tweaks but that's the meat of it. Please send corrections and updates to rachel AT mediabistro DOT com or laurelT AT mediabistro DOT com.

Map of Michael's