10 Questions for Matthew Broderick

November 28, 2006

$16 million is nothing to sneeze at. (Unless you have that stinking cold that circulating, then everything is something sneeze at.)

But I'm not sneezing because I'm talking to Matthew Broderick (AKA Mr. Sarah Jessica Parker) whose film, Deck the Halls, earn $16 million at the box office last weekend. Here he is in a fine picture from the premier with another "Sex & The City" alum, Kristen Davis (who is also in Deck The Halls).

I was on my way to the airport when I grabbed the ivory-skinned star of stage and screen to sprinkle some Broderick magicdust on Andy's Blog!

HEY MATTHEW!
Hey! Happy Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! WHAT WILL YOU DO TO CELEBRATE?
I will have dinner with my family -- we're doing my family for thanksgiving and Sarah's for Christmas.

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A Few of Andy's Favorite Things

November 28, 2006

Any day now, Oprah is going to spring her "Favorite Things" on us and red-blazered ladies coast to coast will freak out. Well, I am going to list mine here. Maybe nobody will shriek over my list of favorite things, but I hope they will guide maybe somebody to a good gift idea.

For the past couple years, I've really latched onto making people personalized photo books on my mac. I take pictures all year and then make people books of photos of themselves. Who doesn't want to get a book of great pictures of themselves in four seasons worth of Scoop Styles?

If you haven't been taking photos, but like the idea of personalized gifts, throw together some Mix CD'S and create personal cover art for the CD's from adverts out of W magazine.

If you are still interested in making something, but are bored by my other suggestions, consider the Potpourri Party Tape. Long before YouTube, there was the Potpourri Party Tape. Usually on VHS, but I suppose now buildable on DVD, the potpourri party tape is basically exented viral vids, from Lucy drunk on Password screaming "Mattresses!" at Carol Channing to Latin Superstar Iris Chacon singing "Gloria", you'd have to be a broken down loser not to love a potpourri tape!

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My Lost L.A. Weekend

November 20, 2006

Knowing what a weird weekend I had, I'm warning y'alls now that today's blog will be like reading an insane Cindy Adams column where names come out of nowhere and it only barely makes sense.

Friday night I walked out of Bravo, fighting what feels at this moment to be a premature Christmas Cult loitering by the Rock Center tree. I was on my way to the Tibor de Nagy Gallery on Fifth Avenue and got diverted by the candy that lured me into the Abercrombie flagship store. How was I the last to know that there are half naked model/sculpture/pod people in the entryway sending out laser rays to get you in the door?

I went in and found myself deeply considering A/F hoodies and washboards before coming to consciousness and remembering the sadness that will befall me should I wear A/F as an adult. The naked model/pod people don't seem to be for sale, by the way.

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Viewer Email Answered: Gays Take Over!

November 17, 2006

I have to give a shout-out to Andy's Blog reader DONALD, who cracked me up this morning when I read his posts from the last few days. Donald very aptly noticed that I am wearing the same blue pinstriped sportcoat in my headshot that appears on the top of this blog, PLUS in the picture with Amy Sedaris in Monday's blog AND in a picture with Bruce in last Friday's blog. He posted yesterday after my date blog and said: "I hope you wore your favorite blue pinstripe jacket. It seems to bring you good fortune."

Donald, it just so happens that I DID wear that jacket on the date and it did look swell. I can only wear it every few weeks at this point because it is easy to spot and I don't want people thinking I wear it every day. (I know you already think I do.) I learned from experience telling a teacher at Meramec Elementary school, "You already wore that dress this week," that people do not love to hear that. But I love that damn jacket, and paid more for it two years ago (at Seize sur Vingt on Elizabeth Street) than I ever have before, so I am not retiring it anytime soon.

Now that I have cleared up the most pressing Andy's Blog comment, let me move on to CRIS. CRIS was very upset with my comments in a blog called The Day After and apparently wants to strangle and kill me. He (she?) wrote with numerous mispellings (like me):

"Andy, I read your blog simply because, like a horrible car accident, I can not tear myself away from the consistantly ignorant statements that you, apparently, consider clever. Today, you have gone beyond the pale. Sophie's Choice, which you so flippantly cite regarding your (self-facinating) social schedule, was a heart-rending choice of which of her two children to save from certain death; a decision which ultimately led her to suicide. "Sophie's Choice" is thus a term used to describe a TRAGIC decision. The content of your blog suggests you are an insufferable, self-indulgent idiot. That you have gained a position of responsibility in the media is both frightning and abhorent given your apparent lack of basic knowledge, and lack of self-restraint. As they say on Project Runway, 'the taste-level just isn't there.'"

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10 Questions with Amy Sedaris

November 13, 2006

This is Amy and I pretending several years ago that we are a couple going through a very rough time.

I spent the weekend at a friend's house in Millbrook, New York, with Amy Sedaris. Amy has a new book out about entertaining called I LIKE YOU: HOSPITALITY UNDER THE INFLUENCE, so it was fitting that we both went to the estate/farm/compound of perhaps the greatest chef and hostess on the East Coast. I was zonked from Hawaii and Amy was just back from a 20-city book tour, so we were both in need of pampering, crackling fires, and naps. We got that and more. After our Saturday afternoon nap (and before dinner with a much-Oscar'd actress), I brought my computer into Amy's room, plopped on her bed, and jiffied up a good old fashioned Q&A for the blog.

WHAT DO YOU MOST COMMONLY WRITE IN PEOPLE'S BOOKS?
I write "Ching Chong" and draw a little guy with buck teeth, also I write "Good Times," "Drinking kills feelings," and "Go with what you know." And then for gay guys who say, "This is for my partner Tim," I always write: "Sorry you guys broke up."

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Who The Hell is Bruce?

November 10, 2006

Many, several, and some (but not none) have posted wondering who the hell my pal Bruce is. I have written about us at the Oscars, Emmys, in Paris, and at the Palm, but there's more. His great grandfather Pio Bozzi co-founded the Palm Restaurant on 2nd Avenue between 44th and 45th street in 1926. Now Bruce Bozzi, Jr. is EVP of the Palm
Restaurant Group, supervising 29 Palaces of Steak across the country. He is a ton of fun and has blue eyes like diamond jacuzzis.

BRUCE, YOU ARE THE SCION OF THE PALM RESTAURANT FAMILY AND NOW SPEND MUCH OF YOUR TIME LORDING OVER ALL OF THEM. DO YOU LACE THE STEAK WITH SOME SORT OF XANAX TO GET PEOPLE COMING BACK?
Yes, we do. Andy, how am I supposed to answer that?

WELL, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, PALM-MANIA CONTINUES TO OVERTAKE AMERICA. AND I BET YOU'RE NEAR A PALM RIGHT NOW? DONDE ESTAS, BRUCE?
I am in Tampa, Florida, sweetie.

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I'm in Hawaii, And You're Not

November 08, 2006

But I love to share ... so here are some photos.

Aloha, Hawaii!

Is that Tom with Olivia Neutron Bomb rehearsing for a promo that will feature them singing "You're the One That I Want"?

Season 1 chef Lee Anne Wong has worked behind the scenes on Top Chef 2 as the show's Supervising Culinary Producer. Last night she whipped up a bunch of mini Chocolate Cakes with chunks of BACON. When I first heard there were bacon cakes, I thought that someone was thowing a marijuana metaphor at me. It was real bacon and it was delicious.

The bacon cake!

No visit to Hawaii is complete without a Miss Hawaii photo-op!

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On the Way to Top Chef Finale in Hawaii

November 06, 2006

Last night I split Smell-A and flew to Hawaii for the Top Secret Top Chef Top Finale. Imagine my suprise when I was seated next to Magical Elves honcho and TC Executive Producer Dan Cutforth! "How perfect," I thought. "I have no blog for tomorrow so I will interview Dan about the behind the scenes goings on at Runway and Top Chef." Unfortunately for Dan and his legions of fan, Top Chef judge Gail Simmons boarded moments later and was seated in front of me. With Dan chirping in occasional comments, I interviewed Gail mid-flight.....

GAIL, EVERYONE IS DYING TO KNOW WHAT MAGAZINES YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU ON THIS FLIGHT....

The new In Style with Lindsay on the cover. You know which Lindsay I am talking about, right?

YES. LINDSAY BLOWHAN.

DAN: Lindsay Buckingham, of course.

GAIL: And I brought Real Simple.

I JUST BLEW THROUGH MY US AND PEOPLE. GAIL, I AM SURE YOU GET ASKED THIS CONSTANTLY, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE REESE/RYAN BREAKUP?

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From Top Chef to Top Design

November 02, 2006

First off, last night's Top Chef. I loved it when, out of absolutely nowhere Betty started in on Marcel. On those ugly couches in the fire station. Wow. You don't know what people are thinking until they tell you exactly what they are thinking to your face. The food pretty much all looked so good to me. I love it that the highbrow team was forced to take a step towards cooking for Americans. I even (and especially) would've eaten Michael's steak sandwich creme brulée thing.

I saw Tom Colicchio yesterday in LA. We talked about the chefs and the show and some other stuff. Is he becoming an international sex symbol? A national sex symbol?

I was on Ring My Bell yesterday. This is the internet talk show where people call in and chat. Some Andy's Blog regulars called in and one asked me to take my shirt off. I pondered it and was flattered but I actually stopped myself, proving once and for all live over the internet that I do have an edit feature in my brain. Also, three people from Bravo called in as did Graciela and Maxie Halston and someone from Colorado. And my ex boyfriend called two times. It was fun and they are posting an edited version of the show in a day or two. And I sang.

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Beyond Bells, Borat, Billionaires, Barbra and Brooke

November 01, 2006

Monday night I went to a screening of Borat at the Time Warner Center for a small crowd that can best be described as intense. There were two billionaires in my row, lemme put it that way. The movie is so freaking funny that it doesn't matter who you see it with -- just see it. I was obsessing afterwords about what in the film is real and what isn't. But its pretty obvious that all the stuff with the real Americans is as real as it gets. How do people still fall for it and not recognize him? I reckon that there are tons upon tons of people who don't get HBO and this is proof.

Oh hey, by the way, before I continue with today's rambler of a blog, lemme plug that I am on the internet chat show Ring My Bell this afternoon so call in between 11-12 PST or log on to RingMyBell.tv.

I am a big Halloween guy -- I usually love it but this year has been problematic for me, costume-wise. I flew to LA yesterday with an invite to Heidi Klum's annual Halloween Party in hand. The problem was that I had no costume. I wanted to go as a Cardinal but, in my crazed state the last few days, I did not procure baseball pants. I pondered taking the easy way out with a sharpie to my neck for an instant Jeff Sebelia, but I thought it was too low-concept. Not only did I not go to the party, I didn't even make it to Santa Monica Blvd to see the insanity. You know what, you can't do everything.

A hotel-bound night is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Beyond screening episode seven of Top Chef (loved it) and two episodes of "Real Housewives of Orange County" (which is better than last season -- can't wait for it to be on), I had some good phone time in which I inadvertantly got to the bottom of the Barbra Streisand drink-throwing incident at her concert Monday night in Ft. Lauderdale. It turns out I randomly kind of know the guy who threw the drink at Streisand. What are the chances of that?

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