Harrison Held's SceneAroundTown... Chef Ben Ford at The Grove...Tam O'Shanter Celebrates It's 90th Birthday In Style... The LA Beat Celebrates It's First Anniversary... Donna Spangler's Flexin' 4 Dollars Benefits OneMama.org.... August Wilson's "Jitney" Opens at the Pasadena Playhouse... & More... HH(:

Actor/Entertainment Reporter Harrison Held & Chef Ben Ford  Photo Credit Emily Ford

Chef Ben Ford  of Ford's Filling Station was on hand at The Grove for the 2012 Dole California Cook-Off  summer taste sensation where he prepared many of his famous dishes and judged a live cook-off competition with three other judges.  The fun feel good family event also  featured lots of Dole product samples, raffles and plenty of warm California sunshine.  Congratulations to Jeannette Nelson on her $10,000 first prize!  HH(:

Actor/Entertainment Reporter Harrison Held at Table 31...  Walt Disney's Favorite Table at The Tam O'Shanter

Atwater Village's famed Tam O'Shanter Restaurant celebrated its 90th birthday in style with family, celebrities, elected offiials, media and long time restaurant patrons.  The Tam is one of Los Angeles' oldest and favorite family run restaurants.  It was founded in June 1922 by Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp who also founded Van de Kamp's bakeries and Lawry's The Prime Rib Restaurant.  Some of the special guests on hand for the celebrations along with the Frank & Van de Kamp families was luminary Margaret O'Brien, Beverly D'Angelo, Kate Linder, Wedil David, Barbara Van Arden & husband Elton, Erin Murphy, Barry & Stanley Livingston, Glendale Mayor Frank Quintero, Senator Carol Liu, Supervisor Mike Antonovich, Assemblyman Mike Gato, Congressman Adam Schiff and many others.  Legendary British musician Ian Whitcomb did a great job MCing and performing Tin Pan Alley music with The Bungalow Boys while councilman Tom LaBonge did a great job MC'ing  the proclamation portion of the event.  The restaurant features the unique Storybook-style architecture of Hollywood set designer Harry Oliver.  Table 31 was Walt Disney's favorite table where he would sketch and doodle many of his cartoons.  The Tam also hosted the likes of  silent movie star Rudolph Valentino, Fatty Arbuckle, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Dorothy & Lillian Gish, Theda Bara, Gloria Swanson & many others.  Happy 90th "Tam"...  I'm looking forward to your Centennial in 2022!  Special Thanks to the Frank & Van de Kamp families, general manager John R. Lindquist & Roland Communications for a very memorable, tasty and enjoyable event...  HH(:

The South Coast Repetory's production of August Wilson's "Jitney" opened at the Pasadena Playhouse to an enthustiastic full house.  The award winning play takes place in Pittsburgh's Hill District - a neighborhood that legitimate cabs will not travel to.  Out of these circumstances gypsy cabs - jitneys - emerge to the drive the locals around.  The year is 1977 and the play is a dramatic & poignant flashback to that era....   HH(:

Donna Spangler's Flexin -4- Dollars

Celebrity Beauty & Fitness Expert Donna Spangler hosted the fun well attended Flexin-4-Dollars Summer Soiree at her Beverly Hills estate. The event was a fun fundraiser to benefit ONEMAMA.ORG (www.onemama.org) which helps women in Uganda deliver their babies safely.  Lots of fun people at this eVent... with good  food  courtesy of chef Reagan Moore Jr of Lola's, desserts from Celebrity Chef Kurt Ehrlich of the Hollywood Pasta Company, spirits from Lorimar Vineyards & Winery and H20 from Jeffrey Carrillo's Starfire Water....   Thanks to Roger Neal PR 4 the Invite....  HH(:

The LA Beat's Bob Lee, Elise Thompson & Happy Peaceful Guest (:

Good Times at the LA Beat's First Anniversary Party hosted by owners Elise Thompson & Bob Lee....  Congratulations on the first year of publication of your excellent online magazine! HH(: