Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Dan Tana's in West Hollywood is apparently as hot as ever (and more expensive.) A piece in tomorrow's New York Times Sunday Styles by Hooman Majd (with a nice pic by Monica Almeida) says some of the regulars love it because it reminds them of places back in Brooklyn and Jersey. Which is a little odd since Tana, who defected from Yugoslavia in the 1950s, is neither Italian nor from New York. But even so, it's getting harder to get in, as Martha Stewart found out. Younger Hollywood likes it as much as Sumner Redstone's generation.
With its red-and-white checked tablecloths, plastic floral arrangements and hanging Chianti bottles, Dan Tana's hardly seems like one of the most sought-after reservations in town. But for 41 years that is exactly what it has been. Over time, regulars like Lew and Edie Wasserman have given way to Rick Yorn and his brother Pete; Johnny Carson to Jay Leno; Julie Christie to Cameron Diaz. And while 30 years ago Drew Barrymore was getting her diapers changed in one of the leatherette banquettes, these days you might see Leonardo DiCaprio seated a few tables away from Clint Eastwood, who could be next to Rupert Murdoch, whose table might be later occupied by George Clooney.[snip]
Craig Susser, the maître d'hôtel, who has worked there for 18 years, said he has to turn away four or five people for every reservation he makes and that the restaurant gives first priority to regulars. "Our best clients are the regulars who come at least once or twice a week," Mr. Susser said. "Even a studio chief might not get a booth at the last minute if they haven't been in for a while," he added....
So how do you become a regular, or at least someone who can get a table once in a while? Mr. Susser said it's simple. "You just have to be patient and flexible," he said. "If you can eat at 10 o'clock instead of 8, you're more likely to get in. Or if you're willing to sit in the back room instead of 'front-side' " (where the bar is). It also helps if you're generous; Phil Spector once left a $500 tip on a $50 tab.
Janelle Brown also has a Sunday Styles story on Valet of the Dolls, the all-woman parking service in L.A. with a goal to turn heads: "That is why the company has a makeup artist on staff, and why its valets show up for work, depending on the job, in tank tops and Capri pants, lacey camisoles, miniskirts or costumes: naughty Santas, ski bunnies and burlesque dancers are all in their repertory...[and] are encouraged to be playful and make conversation."