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Seeing Stars: Where the Stars Dine..

113 N.
Robertson Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA. / (310) 274-8303
The
Ivy is one of L.A.'s leading celebrity hangouts, attracting a virtual
Who's Who of Hollywood stars and moguls. Since it is an open, patio
restaurant, there are often papparazzi camped out across the street, hoping
for photos of arriving celebs.
In September of 2003,
after Jennifer Lopez and
Ben Affleck
had postponed their wedding, they showed up at The Ivy together, and the
papparazzi got plenty of photos. Some reporters interpreted this appearance
as a deliberate move by the couple to put to rest rumors that they had
broken up.
The Ivy even starred in a scene in the 1995 movie "Get Shorty,"
in which Danny DeVito
takes a meeting with John Travolta
at the Ivy, orders an enormous amount
of food, and then leaves before it arrives.
And if you take a
close look at the 1992 hit "The Bodyguard", you'll note
there is a scene where Kevin Costner
and Whitney Houston
are coming out of a Beverly Hills restaurant, when they are stopped by
a little girl and her mother asking for an autograph. Kevin, the bodyguard,
tries to prevent this, but Whitney signs the autograph and poses for a
photo before getting into a white stretch limo. The patio restaurant in
that scene was, of course, the Ivy.
.A casual look around
on a typical day might be rewarded with sightings of Demi Moore
(it's her favorite restaurant), Kiefer Sutherland,
Anjelica Huston,
Tori Spelling,
Kevin Sorbo,
Rachel Hunter
or Tim Burton
doing lunch.
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Other recent sightings
include Brad Pitt, Lindsay
Lohan, Jennifer
Aniston, Renee
Zellweger, Lisa Kudrow,
Tom Cruise,
Conan O'Brien,
Penelope Cruz,
Madonna,
Melanie Griffith
and Jack Nicholson,
as well as Paris Hilton,
Nicole Richie,
Beyonce
and Mandy Moore.
The Ivy may well
be the only restaurant in Los Angeles surrounded by a white picket fence.
here's an enticing patio outside, framed by (what else?) ivy. Inside the
country cottage, its busy dining rooms are filled with rustic antiques,
lots of flowers, and folksy touches. The menu is American, but with a strong
emphasis on Louisiana/Cajun specialties and good desserts (the restaurant
began life as "L.A. Desserts" catering). Expect a lot
of schmoozing and table hopping during from the players during lunch.
Ray Romano
("Everybody Loves Raymond") likes to have dinner at the
Ivy on Saturdays. Faye Dunnaway
celebrated her 53rd birthday here. Peri
Gilpin ('Roz' on "Fraiser") likes their corn chowder.
Joan Rivers calls
it "French food without the attitude," and says "you always
see a star here."
On Easter of 2001,
Jennifer Lopez
and friends, plus Jacqueline Smith
were spotted by a reader.
In late 1998, the
trio of Steve Martin,
Kenneth Branagh
and Helena Bonham Carter
were spotted at the same table at the
Ivy. Olympic gymnist Kerri Strug
also likes the restaurant. So does Lakers boss Jerry
West. Lyle
Lovett prefers the inside to the patio.
NewsRadio's 'Matthew', Andy Dick,
says that a couple of times he ordered a glass of port for $60. Michael Jackson
was spotted dining here a few years back.
And it's been around for a while. Ashley
Judd used to work here... And comedian
Louis Anderson
tells of how he got his big break back in the 80's, after picking up the
$600 lunch check for Eddie Murphy
and his entourage at the Ivy.
But despite its French
rustic charm, this is a restaurant that caters to the stars, and prices
are very high. Even so, the restaurant once received a scathing review in the L.A. Times, which reported that
the food there was awful and the service lax. Apparently, the food is not
what The Ivy is all about. It's about seeing and being seen. (Sit outside
on the terrace in the summer, or near the fireplace in the front dining
room in the winter; just don't get put back in the second room.)
The Ivy is open daily
for lunch, from 11:30 to 3:30 PM, and for dinner, from 6 PM to 11
PM. It's semi-dressy, and naturally, there's (virtually mandatory) valet
parking. Reservations are essential.
(There is also a branch of The Ivy near the Santa Monica Pier. It's called
Ivy At The Shore, and can be found at 1541 Ocean Ave, in
Santa Monica. Phone: (310) 393-3113. The same fan who spotted Jennifer Lopez
at the Ivy on Robertson has also seen Sean
Penn, Peter
Fonda, Donald
Sutherland, Maria Schriver,
Danny DeVito and
Laura Dern
at Ivy At The Shore over the years.)
Getting
there: The Ivy is located just a few
blocks from the Beverly Center mall and the "Blue Whale," in
the center of the interior design district. / From Rodeo Drive,
take Wilshire Boulevard east about a half mile to Robertson Blvd. Turn
left (north) on Robertson and go about half a mile north (to between Third
Street & Beverly Boulevard). The restaurant will be on your left (west)
side.
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for something in particular? Search the Seeing-Stars website!
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