Many Hollywood movie and TV studios are now located over the hill, in the Valley, so it's hardly surprising that a local deli in Studio City is a popular lunch time spot for many stars.

Jerry's Famous Deli is located near CBS Studio Center (where "Seinfeld" is taped), and not far from NBC, Disney, Warner Bros, and Universal studios.

So with a name like Jerry's, wouldn't you expect Jerry Seinfeld himself to drop by now and then? If so, you'd be right. (He likes the lox pizza.) Other famous customers have included Tim Allen, Burt Reynolds, Ed Asner, Roseanne, Peter Falk, Milton Berle, Paul Sorvino, Jackie Mason, and Tom Arnold. Back when the hit sitcom "Taxi" was being made, comic Andy Kaufman used to work there as a bus-boy. He didn't need the money, of course...

There's another branch of Jerry's in West Hollywood (close to the Beverly Center mall), and coincidentally close to where Jerry Seinfeld lives. And it has its own celebrity following, including former Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal, who headed straight to the deli after every winning game, for a sausage-and-cheese omelette and pancakes.

Jerry's serves great pastrami sandwiches, matzoh ball soup and New York cheesecake, at reasonable prices (a bit high by deli standards, perhaps.) It tries for an East Coast feel, with red booths and dark wood inside. Dress is casual. And it's open 24 hours a day. Be warned, their sandwiches are big! (What do you expect from a deli with the slogan "Some is Good, More is Better, Too Much is Just Right..." ?)

Melissa Joan Hart ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") told the Los Angeles Times: "My friends and I go bowling a lot at Jerry's Famous Deli on Ventura in Studio City. There is a Sportcenter inside where you can order food and drinks, or just sit and bowl. It's great because we have some cast members who are under 21, and we can all hang out together there. After midnight, they turn on these black disco lights and it makes it more difficult to bowl. It's fun."

Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS (yeah, the one with the tongue) says he likes to go bowling there, then head to the bakery counter and gorge on pastries. Drew Carey and Ben Stein have also been spotted bowling there. Leonardo DiCaprio was seen in the video arcade.

And if the Valley is too far away, you you can try the other branches in Westwood Village, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, etc. The Westwood Village branch can be particularly good for star-spotting in the hours leading up to one of the many movie premieres held in the Village. Stars sometimes drop by Jerry's to kill some time before the premiere. For instance, eOnline reports that just prior to the premiere of "Million Dollar Baby", Renée Zellweger, Jack Black, Diane Lane and Josh Brolin were spotted dining at Jerry's. Adam Sandler, Halle Berry, Leonardo DiCaprio, Penny Marshall and Tori Spelling are among others seen there.

Getting there: Jerry's is located in the San Fernando Valley, on Ventura Blvd., just west of Whitsett Avenue (about two and a half miles west of Universal City.  

[For more information on this subject, you can access Jerry's official website at: http://www.jerrysdeli.com.]

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