Spago, Sidney Poitier and...me?
When covering the entertainment beat, sometimes really cool things happen unexpectedly. Wednesday was one of those days. I was invited to lunch by a new publicist friend, David, and he suggested we meet at Spago in Beverly Hills.
I must confess: I was still a Spago virgin.
So we walk in and are greeted by Wolfgang Puck himself who has been a longtime client of Davids and he stopped by our table later for a chat. We were seated at the table that was prefered by the late billionaire Marvin Davis, who ate a Spago several times a week. The hostess said, "The chair Mr. Davis used has been moved to another room." It was a special chair, very comfy.
I'm such an idiot. I blurt out:: "Oh, can you bring it in here for ME?
Dead silence.
Anyway, great meal (salmon) and David and I shared a few unbelievable desserts before we notice that sitting not too far away in a booth is...Sidney Poitier. THE Sidney Poitier. It was a biggest star sighting of the day, week and year - and that includes seeing just about every star in town at the Golden Globes a few days ago.
Today, things are back to normal though. I had a ham&cheese sandwich out of the vending machine and am swigging down a diet coke.
Well, it was fun to be part of the Spago crowd for a day.

Greg Hernandez has covered the entertainment industry for the Daily
News since 2001. He's considered a bit odd by some for his obsession
with box office numbers, has been known to camp out near the kitchen
at premieres for first crack at the hors d'oeurves, and Greg's never
seen a red carpet he didn't want to stroll down.