SALMAN RUSHDIE: Great impersonator of other writers (Martin Amis, Gore Vidal … ) MARY-LOUISE PARKER: For Aaron Sorkin gossip BILLY CRUDUP: Who doesn’t want to sit next to him? FRANK RICH: Less long-winded than his column—but just as smart KARENNA GORE AND DAVID SCHIFF: More fun than the parents WYNTON MARSALIS: Whenever he’s not touring HARVEY WEINSTEIN: Guaranteed fireworks HARVEY FIERSTEIN: Monday nights only
JULIANNE MOORE AND BART FREUNDLICH: She’s radiant, simply radiant! TOMMY TUNE: You need lots of legroom ISAAC MIZRAHI: To get on his show JOAN DIDION: Good rarity value GHISLAINE MAXWELL: Love the accent, and she does party tricks with a wig PATRICIA DUFF: A-list arm candy MICHAEL KORS: A younger, maler Vreeland HEIDI KLUM: Newly divorced DAVID ROCKWELL: For lighting tips AMY SACCO: VIP card to Bungalow 8 SIR HOWARD STRINGER: A good knight out ANN RICHARDS: Every good dinner needs a Texan LIZ SMITH: Or two HAMISH BOWLES: For his vintage- shopping tips RICHARD MEIER: For his renovating tips BIANCA JAGGER: The night’s still young ANDREW SOLOMON: For reciprocal invitations BILL CLINTON: Good for star wattage, bad for same reason—and you feel guilty not feeding the security detail
OPRAH: To get on hers JONATHAN FRANZEN: Just not at the same dinner JASON EPSTEIN AND JUDITH MILLER: He can test the pasta; she can test for sarin CHRIS ROCK: Funny and actually nice MALCOLM GLADWELL: A great first—and only—date JANE ROSENTHAL AND CRAIG HATKOFF: For tickets to Tribeca-festival premieres SIMON SCHAMA: Smart and sexy CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN: The ultimate walker DAVID KIRSCH, TRAINER: Makes you feel too guilty to eat MUFFIE POTTER ASTON: For the name alone JULIAN SCHNABEL: Maybe he’ll put you in his next movie MICHAEL BLOOMBERG: But no smoking ALAN CUMMING: He can always emcee INGRID SISCHY: Maybe she’ll bring Elton KATE AND ANDY SPADE: Just like the ads AGNES GUND: MoMA’s brainy grande dame MARIO BATALI: For a prime-time Babbo reservation JOSEPH STIGLITZ: For his Nobel cachet LAUREN DUPONT: Like a gay man, but she’s beautiful and a DuPont JACK BANKOWSKY AND MATTHEW MARKS: Art-world royalty ANDRÉ BISHOP AND PETER MANNING: Theater-world royalty JON ROBIN BAITZ AND JOE MANTELLO: More theater-world royalty RAY KELLY: For tips on window locks (and to get Greg Kelly’s phone number) WILLIAM WELD: A fun Wasp MARTHA STEWART: These days, she won’t dare sneer at your napkin holders THELMA GOLDEN: To appraise your art collection BJÖRK AND MATTHEW BARNEY: Just keep them away from the Vaseline DANIEL AND NINA LIBESKIND: Great glasses! MATT LAUER: Nice, and you know he’ll leave early JAZZY ADAMS: With or without Cindy ADRIEN BRODY: Entertaining—and he speaks in Ebonics NAN KEMPNER: The mouth on her! NAOMI CAMPBELL: And on her CHARLIE ROSE: “I’m an awful dinner guest— nobody invites me anywhere”
NEXT: The Hosts
The Dish on Dinner
A few of the city’s most fabulous hosts reveal their secrets.For the Full Dish…
Check out pics, plans, and the inside poop on the ultimate urban fetes.
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