Lunch at Michael's: Les, Harry, Charlie, Keith!

Lots of TV types at Michael's today, from Les Moonves to Charlie Rose to Juju Chang. We were at the bar, except for a few brief but happy interludes visiting other people's tables (We were invited, of course!). Some of you have kindly written to invite us for lunch one day and we thank you. One day, we dream of a table of our very own... Table 1: Charlie Rose in deep discussion with Jeff Fager (60 Minutes executive producer). 2: Merry Keith Kelly, of the Post, planning the big March 17th Kelly Gang bash at Michael's (this year, it will take up donations for Katrina victims). With him were the charming Thomas Kelly (no direct relation to Keith) and real estate attorney William McCartin. Thomas Kelly was celebrating the publication of his novel Empire Rising. Looks good, Tom! They invited us over for cookies, so naturally we have to give the book a plug. 3: Head HarperCollins honcho Jane Friedman, in very cool glasses, with other big people in the book industry, including the president of Books-A-Million (BAM!), Sandy Cochran, along with BAM!ers Patsy Jones and Terry Finley. They're all from, where else, AlaBAM!a. Jane's son Stefan Friedman left the Post to become president of strategic communications at Knickerbocker. When Rupert asked Jane at an event last night why her son jumped ship, she responded "he has to make enough money to eat." Guess the starting salaries at HarperCollins are on their way up! 4: Les Moonves in the corner under the potted flowers with Stanley Shuman, media money guy at Allen & Co. (he's Rupert Murdoch's investment banker, among other things). Stan looked frankly senatorial as he stood up to hug some muckety muck or another who paid tribute at their table. He's VERY tall and broad-shouldered. We would like to have lunch with Stan. Can anyone hook us up? We want to sell for $100 mm like Daily Candy is going to -- and he may be just the guy who can help. 5: Jack Kliger (you love our boots and we love you back, Jack!), Pres & CEO of Hachette. He's also the guy who's leading the charge as chairman of MPA this year. He was with Greg Coleman, EVP of Yahoo! They're old buddies from Greg's printier days. Hmmm, do we smell a content deal a-brewin'? 6: The Birthday Table. Happy Birthday, Jeff! Jeffrey Leeds, the big A-List Bachelor who never made it onto the reality tv show, was in the house with his bevy of babes: Newsweek Contributing Editor Holly Peterson, Electra Toub (Adam + Eve Clothing), Juju Chang (ABC News 20/20 Correspondent) and Joanna Coles, managing editor of More magazine. 7: Brooke Duchin with someone else. [A little birdie later wrote: Brooke D was with Bill Rondina who owns Carlyle Fashions (and was probably the richest man in the room)]. 8: New York Social Diary's David Patrick Columbia with a woman. David is also editor of Quest magazine, which began suspiciously appearing in Michael's waiting area. A little birdie later wrote that the mystery woman was Susan Davis, director of public relations for Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. 9: MediaVillage.com's Jack Myers, who seems to know everyone in TV, with Lou Torre. 11: Herb Allen 12: Jackie Lividini, with someone else. 14: Gerald Schoenfeld with an actress. 15: Gil Schwartz with Patrick Riley. 16: Mark Rosenthal (former president and chief operating officer MTV) with someone else. 17: Author, media industry news columnist for The New York Sun and all around Connectrix Myrna Blyth (she wrote Spin Sisters) with Kim Till in a very fetching nubby wool plaid salmon suit. Till works in media & entertainment at Microsoft. 18: Famed photographer Harry Benson, with a dandy green pocket handkerchief. He was dining with a blindingly blonde woman who he introduced as "my fiancee." But somehow we think that was tongue in cheek. She was wearing a long black coat with large gold buttons and sporting huge bug-eyed glasses atop her sleek mane LA-style. near-21: Very attractive Joe Versace with Mary ? 21: Stuart Zakim, Vice President, Corporate Public Relations Showtime Networks Inc., with Tom Steinert-Threlkeld, EIC for Multichannel News. 22: Maer Roshan with pals Remy Stern and Youssef. 23: NATAS' Peter O Price with a highly attractive woman in a pale blue sweater who we later learned was Leslie Cauley, the media editor of USA Today. Second Seating: CBS's Steven Cohen with Choi Taylor and Erin Lanuti (sp?), both of Blink Entertainment. 24: A little birdie writes: "Across the room from Les Moonves were former CBS News Exec Mary Murphy and CNBC Exec Josh Howard." 26: The Post's Media Industry News Reporter Tim Arango. 27: Tom Freston with Allen Grubman Seen: Lindsay Reich, pr manager of LIFE Bill Shapiro, managing editor of LIFE Ed Erhardt Tom Brasches (sp?) of ESPN 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: Les, Harry, Charlie, Keith!

Laurel

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