# A brush with fame...



## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

So I don't think I told you guys about my most recent brush with fame. It was while I was on my honeymoon. On our wedding night we headed down to the Four Seasons Hotel (Chicago). As we were checking in I look to my left and do a total double take. Who is standing five feet next to me? Keanu Reeves (aka Neo). So what do I do? Like a bone head I immediately turn to my wife and say (in a somewhat loud voice) "Honey it's Keanu Reeves". After I said that she turns around and he is gone. Just as we are rounding the corner to the elevators my wife asks "Where did he go!" And right before us is standing Keanu. He was looking pretty upset that we were making such a comotion. Never said a word to us, and waited for another elevator instead of getting into the one with us







.

After we arrived in Greece we were waiting on a bus at the airport and standing right next to us was Matthew Broderick, and Sarah Jessica Parker. We actually ended up seeing them about three times since the vacationed in the same place that we did.

Other famous people on my list:
Paul Bocuse
George Blanc
Jeff Smith (Frugal Gourmet)
Kelly LeBroc
Telly Savalis
Denzel Washington

Would love to hear some other brush with fame stories.

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Thanks,

Nicko
ChefTalk Cafe Administrator
[email protected]
www.cheftalk.com "A food lover's link to professional chefs!"


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Kevin Bacon came to the Farmer's Market...was watching the cooking demo I was helping narrate...apparently his band was playing in St. Louis that evening.
My mom dated Mickey Mantle.


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

I went to school with Paul Newmans Daughters,Nell,Lissy and Clar, many moons ago.We used to go over Paul Newmans and Joanne Woodwards home about 5 times a year for parties. My uncle lives two homes from them.And my uncles wife is sister to Shiela Luckins.So There LOL


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

I met Paul Bocuse last year. He was in town for a conference and demonstration. Afterword he was available to meet people and sign his books.


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

As far as cooking goes, I did tableside carved turkey for Art Garfunkel last year and offered to do dinner for Gregory Hines in '94 after kitchen closing (he politely declined). Had breakfast once next to John Lithgow. I was staying at the Omni Berkshire in NYC back when SNL used to put up their hosts there. Watched the show the night before, had breakfast next to him the following morning. Also, met John Denver at one of my Dad's company parties once; he was nice, but seemed *really* burned out. As far as celebrities that I've met, he was the one I really wanted to talk to; one of my favorite memories of my childhood was sitting in my Father's lap driving down the Ventura Highway listening to a tape of John's album "Aerie". My Dad had borrowed the car from a friend who was also a friend of John Denver, who had given him the tape. I think the most important thing to remember about celeberities is that they are still just people; I could tell stories about John Denver that wouldn't portray him as the sunshine boy most would believe him to be, but why speak ill of the (unfortunately) dead.
Also, Tony Shalhoub (from Wings and Stark Raving Mad) and his brother Mike grew up with my Dad in Green Bay. One of my Dad's first jobs was working in the Shalhoub family grocery store.

[This message has been edited by Greg (edited 11-18-2000).]


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

My brushes is fame started as a baby. The mother of a young man who used to babysit me was dating Dean Jones (from Herbie the Love Bug fame) and he came over and helped babysit one night. Also have met Tipper Gore, Oprah (she did a show with one of her "Book of the Month Club" roundtable discussions at my restaurant), Billy Baldwin (major pain in the ***), most of the royal family of Monacco, the royal family of Brunei, can't count the number of football and basketball players. I lived with a guy who had many major parts in B-rated movies including "Pumpkin Head". Also Paul Bocuse.


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## cookm (Aug 8, 2000)

At various restaurants, we've served Matt Dillon, Jennifer Gray and George Stanafoupolis (I know the spelling is wrong. You know, Clinton's former advisor. They were going out at the time), Spike Lee (the maitre'd got him to stick his head in and say hi to us), Danny Glover (I've seen him shopping at Berkeley Bowl many a time and he is very nice.), Charles Brown the pianist, Harry Belafonte. We did a benefit backstage and Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Jackson Browne, and Bruce Hornsby stopped by before soundcheck. It was cool cause after dinner we got great seats to see the show.


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## jim berman (Oct 28, 1999)

Cool topic! Anyhow,I spent about 4 hours w/Julia Child doing a demo at a conference in Phili about 4 years ago. James Taylor used to hang-out in the restaurant I worked in in Santa Fe, but I didn't know who he was. Cooked for Ray Charles, Maseo Parker, The Yellowjackets, Asia, The Spin Doctors, Najee, The Rippingtons, Kathleen Turner, Stacy Keach, Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber.


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## david jones (Jan 15, 2000)

As a front guy, I had a lot of opportunities: Val Landsberg, Robert Redford, Robert DeNiro, Judd Nelson, Chris Farley, Bill Murray, Harold Ramus, Paul Reiser, Mel Gibson, Rocio Durcal, Paul Bocuse, Julia Child, Michael Jordan, Luke Longley, Oprah, Joan Kusak, John Kusak, Michael Richards, Paula Abdul, "Miles Silverberg" from Murphy Brown, the guy who played the SWAT team lieutenant on Hill Street Blues, and lots of politicians. (Sorry about the spelling errors!)

I was speechless when I met Bocuse and Julia Child.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Judith Ivey hung out with people in my college dorm at Illinois State University; I often saw her. John Malkovich was there at the same time, but I don't remember meeting him. Does it count if it's your parent who knew someone? My father was in radio in the 1930s in Iowa and worked with Ronald Reagan. (My father didn't think much of him as an intellect, and would have been terribly surprised to learn RR was president; my father died in 1954.) My father met many celebrities of the '30s and '40s doing on-air promos for movies, including Cesar Romero, Agnes Moorhead and W.C. Fields. I'm envious of those of you who've met Julia Child!!


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## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

havent had that many brushes with fame, so here goes:

cooked for the lead singer of a oz band called "the angels" nice guy, can hold his drink

mooned the aus prime minister for almost belting me crossing the road (or was it "brains" from "the thunderbirds")

Asked a TV presenter/chef what was he doing at the cookery school, "had he decided to do his apprenticeship?"

heheh, i tease too much.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

Acting teachers were Gary Sinise and Glenn Headly back when they were using Hale House as a Studio. They were lovely!
Did some time at the Goodman theater, bumped into Tennesee Williams just before he passed away. 
My cousin was Joan Hackett, she has a great head stone "Go away, I'm sleeping". She was a wonderful actress. She was married to Richard Mulligan, I met them when I was little and stayed with her when I was a teenager. 
Rather than go into theater, I chose Baking....What was I thinking? I am saving money on plastic surgery


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

I almost forgot about my time I got to hang out with the Bob Seager band (kind of). It was in Michigan and I was participating in an ice carving festival. For part of the festival there was an amateur ice carving competition in which different people got assigned to a professional ice carver, and a block of ice, and then they had to make an ice carving. I was assigned to two members of the BS band the drummer and keyboard player. They decided they wanted to do a train out of ice, and everything was going pretty well. I did most of the large cuts to get them started, but the funny thing is while I was cutting with my chainsaw I almost cut off the keyboard players finger. I asked him were he wanted me to make the cut, and he pointed to a spot on the ice which was right next to the blade. The saw blade caught his thick leather clove and shredded it. All I can say was it almost scared me to death. Thankfully he had on really thick gloves so there was no damage.

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Thanks,

Nicko
ChefTalk Cafe Administrator
[email protected]
www.cheftalk.com "A food lover's link to professional chefs!"


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

My girlfriend once sliced soppressata with Arthur Schwartz (Naples at Table). Does that count? BTW Isn't Geoff Smith more infamous than famous?


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

My girlfriend once sliced soppressata with Arthur Schwartz (Naples at Table). Does that count? BTW Isn't Geoff Smith more infamous than famous?


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

This is a great topic!

I lived with my sis about 10 yrs. ago, and she was working at Record Plant Studios in Manhattan. She was very close friends with Joan Jett, and she used to come over quite often. I also met the guys from the Hooters. 

Like shroomgirl, I brushed with Kevin Bacon at a huge benefit in Greenwich, CT, where the Bacon brothers were playing. He's hot! Ashley Judd was there too.

I've made an omelet for David Cassidy, and have seen many famous people in public, including Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen (who is actually much better looking in person), Debbie Harry, Fred Schneider from the B52's, and Johnny Depp!!!

I had a boyfriend in the 80's who lived in the same little studio apartment that James Dean lived in. He has pictures that prove it. I'm sure he will never leave that place, as small as it is. 

Jackie Mason used to live on my block...

My sister used to date the lead singer from Twisted Sister. She'd kill me if she knew I was posting this in public!

I guess that's enough for now.


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

momoreg, Dee Snidwer heh, I won't tell.Hey I see you are from Ct, Where do you work as pastry Chef? I am also from ct,Fairfield county
cc


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Dee from Twisted Sister? Sounds like I need to post that one on the ChefTalk homepage.

Too funny.










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Thanks,

Nicko
ChefTalk Cafe Administrator
[email protected]
www.cheftalk.com "A food lover's link to professional chefs!"


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## youla (Jun 4, 1999)

Hey Nick who was that oz prime minister..was it BOB HAWKE...MADE ME LAUGH... to see him mooned ..dont hear about that on the news..."WELL KNOWN CHEF MOONS DOWN UNDER PM!!!


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

Hello to everyone, I'm back from **** Week. I slept for 14 hours straight and fell like a new man. 
For this brush with fame everyone is talking about. Well, I've had my share of it. Probably more than I would like to know about. I can see that everyone here has had some good memories. But for myself, I've seen how some of these people live, and it's not pretty! 
I can only mention my past jobs for contract reasons. When I worked at Warner Hollywood Studios last year I cooked for cast & crew on such films as Little Nikki with Adam Sandler, The Cell w/ Jennifer Lopez, and Pearl Harber w/ Ben Affack (which will be out next Christmas). Privately, I've cooked for Elizabeth Shue and her mother, Renee Russo, Goerge Clonney and family, just to name some. 
I should write a book titled "The Misadventures of Chef David"

[This message has been edited by Chef David Simpson (edited 11-27-2000).]


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Bozo was Willard? That's too funny.


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

chrose, that link is hilarious!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Yep~ Farmer's Market is smack dab in the middle of Clayton running down the middle of North Central where Cafe Provencal adn Portabellos are.....opens May 12, 2001

I'm active in alot of St.Louis foodie events hollar when you come to town, or e-mail me if you want to get info on what's around town.


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Kostner. I can talk about it, because it wasn't my company who was catering. 
A new movie with some other good names in it. It's called "Dragonfly" I can't say what it's about, but if your a fan, you'll love it. It's said to be out in Summer 2001.


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