Lunch at Michael's: Friday with Frank Gifford

It's a Friday in August, for God's sake. Let me namedrop. It's not the regular day for Lunch at Michael's, of course, but I was invited to dine there and who am I to turn down the opportunity for reportage, or to drop the word "reportage" into conversation and show off my authentic Canadian accent? Plus the Cobb salad is tasty and laden with delicious egg. It was pretty bustling, actually (at least for said Friday in August) and I was excited to ID all the media players amid the sea of faces I didn't recognize. Unfortunately after going from table to table with my notepad and politely inquiring as to their identities, I discovered that there weren't many media types there, after all. I kid, I kid! My companion was very in the know and Frank Gifford's Superbowl ring gives him away every time. But if we missed you and you would like your name boldfaced on this, our Blog of Blogs, please drop me a line at rachel@mediabistro.com and we'll set the record straight. Now, without further ado, we present Lunch at Michael's, aka The Abbreviated Friday Version Where We Probably Don't Quite Get The Tables Right. Table 1: Wayne Kabak, co-chief operating officer (CCOO) of William Morris Agency, with, we were told, "the President of NBC." Now, we're pretty sure we would have recognized Jeff Zucker (and besides, they would have just said "Jeff Zucker") so we've narrowed it down to one of Jay Ireland, President of NBC Universal Television Stations or Randy Falco (The Kommissar's in town, uh-uh-oh), President of NBC Universal Television Networks. Pick one! Table 1, late shift: Judy Collins and three happy, colorful companions. She gets a song, too. Table 8: Frank Gifford, looking very suntanned and wearing the aforementioned ring. He had the burger which came with just a mountain of delicious-looking fries. Like Bernie Kerik, he didn't eat many of them. Unlike Bernie Kerik, he didn't give us cookies. Don't know who he was with. Table 2: Susan Zirinsky, executive producer of CBS' "48 Hours," with, uh, someone. UPDATE: A tipster writes, "Zirinsky was lunching with the suave and debonair Jim Murphy, executive producer of the CBS Evening News. Amazed your spies don't know this..." What can I say, sorry - they were behind me and I didn't turn around, uh uh oh. Table 3: The Rachels - Rachel Sklar of FishbowlNY (hi) and writing/marketing/communicating triple threat Rachel Pine of Justice and Trader Monthly magazines, not to mention authoress of "Twins of Tribeca." We both had Cobb salads but I had mine without bacon. I admit it, I ate the roll. Oh fine, and half of the second one. Table 14: Uber-hotelier Jason Pomeranc, who came in wearing his shades all the way to the table, and put them on before getting up to go. He was with a pert little blonde woman. I think he ate the burger and fries. Jason, we thought you were pretty cute until we Googled you and found that you are to blame for the really annoying construction down the street from us. Okay, we still think you're cute. We're so weak, so very weak. This song's for you. Table 12: Three young, good-looking people. Two boys, one girl. No clue who they were. They looked very polished though. They must have some connection though - otherwise why Michael's? Table 18: A willowy, lovely blonde who stopped by Jason and Other Blonde's table to say hi and chit-chat. Apparently she works at Calvin Klein. We're fairly sure she didn't eat her roll. Other non-Wednesday Michael's sightings this week: Billy Joel on Wednesday late afternoon/early evening, with his wife. He read Hamptons Magazine while he waited for her. Hamptons, feh - Billy, we like you best on this one. Also: Designer Dana Buchman on Tuesday AND Thursday, clearly seeking to avoid the harsh glare of the Fishbowl limelight; New School University President Bob Kerrey, also Thursday; and New York Jets owner Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson and Jets President Jay Cross, also on Thursday, I think. That's it - we're out. Michael's table diagram after the jump. Laurel and Elizabeth will be back soon, we promise. Have a great weekend!

Fishbowl

Lunch at Michael's: Friday with Frank Gifford

Rachel

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