Lunch at Michael's: August...You know what we mean

You didn't miss much today. Hope you were in the Poconos or Central Park or somewhere. The three new kids -- Domino, OK! and Shop etc. -- vied for mama's attention. Charlie Rose and Dan Rather nodded each other's way. Tina relaxed with the Telegraph's Andrew Neil. There was a gaggle of media reporters to witness the shenanigans, but (sigh), no shenanigans. This might be a good time to tee up your Fall by sending Loreal (the woman who decides what table you are assigned) a Baby Gift! We have heard that many people did, but if you haven't yet, you still have time. The baby's name is Sophia Grace Hazel Sherman. We urge you to heed our call and send cards, gifts, flowers, swag and what-not to: Michael's Restaurant, 24 West 55th Street, New York, NY, 10036. Phone: 212-767-0555. Feel free to correct us if we are wrong on anything by writing LaurelT AT mediabistro Dot Com. Table 1: Phil Ramone, Billy Joel's producer, with entertainment attorney big-wig Freddie Gershon, and a woman who arrived late, wearing a patterned blouse or dress. 2: Keith Kelly put out the red carpet for Bauer VP, Mark Pasetsky, who just happened to be quoted in the Post today on that very subject... 4: Literary agent Owen Laster, in the most wonderfully outrageous fuschia shirt, with Penguin's Dan Conaway, in a decidedly staid beige suit. 5: Dan Rather with Gil Schwartz. 3: A team of high-powered headhunters from Bentley & Farrell Executive Search were with Christian Toksvig, head of the so-far wildly successful OK! Magazine. Lots of male bonding rituals performed at this table. Loud guffaws, bawdy jokes and shoulder slapping. OK! must be hiring up! 6: Anna Perez, head of corp comm for NBC Universal (formerly worked for Condi Rice and Barbara Bush), sitting with two other women, one in khaki pants, with a blue thing on her ankle, in from LA. Anna seems to know everyone, Rather, Rose, Tina, and on. 7: George Malkemus, of Manolo Blahnik, with colleagues, most of whom were female and blonde. 8: Brooke Duchin (wife of Peter Duchin) with New York Social Diary's David Patrick Columbia. 11: Tina Brown, looking rested after some time abroad (Positano, England, etc.). She was in a beige, striped jacket (wearing a white t-shirt underneath. We approve!) and beige slacks by Michael Kors. Only Tina could be at a garden party chatting up the Queen "when alarms started going off everywhere!" It was the London bombing scare. Today, she was dining with Andrew Neil, formerly of the Financial Times, now at the Telegraph. No doubt doing research for her Princess Di book. 12: Shop etc. Publisher Cynthia Lewis, wearing very deep, brick-colored lipstick (we liked it) bemoaned the loss of Laurie when she sat down. Who Laurie is we don't know. But we overheard her tell her guest, a woman in a dark blue dress or suit, with a spidery blue-crystaled pin, "Laurie's leaving me.... Going to that woman we talked about!" Is Laurie her housekeeper? One of her sales execs? Tell us, if you know. [This just in from a reader: "Laurie is likely Lori Rhodes, Executive Marketing Director (and a great lady)."] 14: Jim Janowitz. That's all we know. 15: Movie Producer Stuart Rekant (Hidden Treasures). 16: Bob Gutkowski, the former owner of Madison Square Garden. 17: Dear Charlie Rose, who was reading the LA Times when we arrived and plopped down next to him at Table 11. He was sporting khakis and a dark blue jacket that could have been velvet. Looked heavy anyway. We thought we recognized him as a friend ("Hi" we waved and smiled) because we are fabulously bad at recognizing celebs posing as our friends. He was joined by a quite attractive blonde-haired, blue-eyed male. [This just in from a reader: The blonde gent was Justin Smith, President of The Week Magazine.] 18: The Tisch family matriarchs, Laurie and her mother Joan Tisch. Joan was in a very very bright hot-pink hip-length suit jacket. 19: Prouve Cedric, of Estee Lauder, with someone we didn't know. 20: Our table. 21: Jay Langner. 22: Linda Kloner, of Vanity Fair, with someone we don't know. 23: WWD reporter Jeff Bercovici, in blue jeans and a brown jacket with Domino's Amy Peck and Deborah Needleman (eic). Needleman was wearing Peter Som khaki pants with a navy polka dot blouse and funky glasses. 24: Eric Gioia, councilman of New York, with someone we didn't know. 26: The Daily News' Michael Cooke, (AKA "Cookie Monster," according to Keith Kelly), with Jen Bluestein, who is the chief spokesperson for Freddie Ferrer for Mayor. 27: Wunderman's David Sable, with a wild and wavy shock of gray hair, sitting with someone we didn't know. Also seen, but we don't know table numbers: Billy Kimball Regan Solmo Andrew Hearst IF you were at Michael's today (or any day) and would like to report in, or correct the record, please email LaurelT AT mediabistro.com Map of Michael's

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Lunch at Michael's: August...You know what we mean

Lunch at M's: Hope you were in the Poconos or Central Park or somewhere.

Laurel

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