[Nicko]

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.

------------------
Thanks,

Nicko
ChefTalk Cafe Administrator
nicko@cheftalk.com
www.cheftalk.com "A food lover's link to professional chefs!"

[shroomgirl]

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.

Hmm, I already mentioned that I knew John Waters long ago - I didn't know him as well as some of his other Bawlmer standbys like Mink Stole, Divine, Miss Edy, Sue Lowe, Delores Deluxe, Mary Vivian Pierce, Paul Swift and Chris Mason. My kids were almost in Dangerous Living, but I must have sobered up <g>. My son is forever disappointed in that, while my daughter remains grateful.

Let's see, I used to date Pat Moran's brother-in-law; Pat did the casting for Homicide and other B-more based films. Morgan Llewllyn, the author, was at an event I catered. Some of my friends in the living history realm met Mary Tyler Moore and the other cast members when they were filming Lincoln, and they met Patrick Swayze when another bodice-ripper was being filmed.

I do remember Oprah when she was a local newscaster here . . . but I never met her. One of my neighbors had a, um, er, ahem, relationship (?) with Cal Ripkin.

Does my husband count? He's a legend in his own mind . . .

[cape chef]

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

[Isa]

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.

I once sliced roast beef (very rare) for Claude Atkins.

[Greg]

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).]

[Pete]

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.

I got to have a chat with Justin Wilson at a book signing. He of the Cajun Cookin' fame. He was very interesting and extremely intelligent. I was also very impressed with his wife. Young and pretty. Very cool guy.
He also speaks "normal" in real life. I can't believe I forgot this!!! I also got to make puff paste swans filled with roasted apple ice cream surrounded by angel hair sugar for Chris Burke. Corky on the old ABC show "Life Goes On." He and his folks came to our little Illinois backwater to raise money for Down Syndrome charities. Wonderful people!!!

[This message has been edited by mofo1 (edited 11-21-2000).]

[cookM]

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.

[Jim]

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.

[David Jones]

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.

[Mezzaluna]

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!!

[Nick.Shu]

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.

I once babysat for Jeff Bridges, waited on Ricky Schroeder, Jon Voight (and his daughter, Angelina Jolie), Joan Baez, Allen Ginsburg, the guy that wrote "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (cannot remember his name right now), Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Toto (the whole band), and Bill Clinton. (He couldn't decide what to order so he ordered TWO entrees, salmon and venison. The funny part is I had all of these "brushes" in good ol' Montana. I too am envious of the people that were able to meet the incredible Julia Child.

And Greg!!! Tony Shalhoub's greatest achievement was when he played the "artistic Italian chef" in "Big Night!!!" (Although I LOVED him in "Stark Raving Mad"! Do me a favor and find out what happened to it. WAAAAYYY too good to get canceled!)