Lunch at Michael's, Or: Glenn Frey's At the Bar ...



(image via fishbowlny)

For whatever reason Michael's, the lo ultimo of Manhattan media watering holes, was Popping today. Multimedia barons and baronets were scattered throughout the room. FishbnowlNY has the roll call of talent:

"1: Tom Brokaw, looking very Tom Brokaw-like, with George Stevens.

"2: MTV Networks development chief John Sykes.

".. 4: Arthur Schlesinger, Jr."

Good old indestructable Artie Schlesinger is still alive and kicking. Artie, once the life of the party at John Kennedy's Camelot -- where the drinks were stiff and JFK's "pipe" stiffer -- has now metamorphosed, in the Winter of his life, into the most distinguished living historian of these United States of Amnesia. And to think it all began with a flawed biography on The Age of Jackson, and is in the process of concluding-- ironically -- on the cusp of a new (but all-too-familiar to Jacksonian scholars) Era of Economic Nationalism and "America First" Populism (For further reference: see Senator Webb's Democratic response to the SOTU Adress last night).

".. 7: Joan Rivers, long-time agent Billy Sammeth and always-affable VH1 Best Week Ever producer Fred Graver."

Fred Graver?! No shit! That's a new one by Michael's intimate hierarchy. Tres Interessant. Does that mean Joan Rivers is thinking of doing something pop-cultural for Viacom's valuable cable properties? Is Graver wooing Rivers and her manager? Say Yes, Joan; Graver has the Midas Touch in the insular world of Cable Television (And he wrote some of the goddam best episodes of that significant 80s artifact, ""Cheers""). Stay tuned ...

"8: Second seating: Michael Gross with Sheila Weller, whose triple-biography of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon, Girl's Like Us, is due next year on Atrium. First seating: David Patrick Columbia, (Jayne Chase and Jen Goodkind).

From our favorite social chronicler, David Patrick Columbia, in NYSocialDiary: "I was lunching with Jayne Chase and Jen Goodkind who have a radio show every Wednesday morning at 9 on WGCH (1490 on the AM dial) in Greenwich (you can stream it out there in Wichita or Hong Kong) called 'The Fashionable Life.'



(image via nysocialdiary)

"... They spend about three or four of their weekdays in the City with their various enterprises and pursuits. During Fashion Week which begins February 5th, they’ll be broadcasting from the tents in Bryant Park where all of the major shows are held."

9: Former WNBC-TV anchor Felicia Taylor and 'her boss.' Taylor, in jeans, stopped by Table 3 to say hi to (Michael's "mayor" Joe) Armstrong and (Men's Health editor and abs afficionado David)Zinczenko.

"... 12: D. Fine (?) and NBC's Natalie Morales. Morales, in a skirt and black leather boots, also stopped by to kiss frequent Today show guest Zinczenko at Table 3."

"14: Neil Sedaka."

Sedaka? This is like a motherfucking Fellini movie. Which one of these is not like the others/ Which one of these just doesn't be-long ...

"15: HarperCollins editor and soccer-aficionado David Hirshey.

"... 19: ... ex-Seventeen editor and MySpace blogger Atoosa Rubenstein, in a shimmering, Kelly green attire."

Atoosa, so recently brutalized by Gawker. And:

"..At the bar: Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey. Also, our lunchmate, Page Six reporter Corynne Steindler, who had had too much caffeine."

Glenn "Smuggler's Blues" Frey? Of "Miami Vice" The Heat is On .... For the full story go to FishbnowlNY.