When you've already amassed fame and fortune, what's next on your list of things to do? Get into the restaurant business, of course! Here are some eateries actually owned by the stars.
Celebrities are notorious for their strong personalities and devoted passions. Madonna loves going to the gym — Madonna builds her own gym. Jay-Z likes a club — Jay-Z buys his own club. And although fitness and music are popular hobbies of the glitterati, one thing everyone has in common is a love of food.
Whether your tastes lend themselves to macrobiotic Californian vegan cuisine or rich sauces and fresh pasta just like Grandma used to make, there's a restaurant out there for you. And when you're a celebrity, what's to stop you from buying the joint after a particularly satisfying meal or building one to reflect whatever sets your taste buds ablaze?
The Italians
Hollywood is home to plenty of Goodfellas, so it should come as no surprise to see so many celebrities bringing the flavours of Italy to the US of A. Francis Ford Coppola owns not one but two fine Italian restaurants in California: Cafe Zoetrope and Cafe Rosso & Bianco. But the godfather of gorgonzola doesn't stop there. At his bistros, prepare for a wine list featuring several beautiful Napa wines ... from Coppola's own vineyard.
Robert De Niro is another film-star-cum-restaurateur and the proud owner of two New York-style Italian joints, Ago and Rubicon. But De Niro's palate is slightly more global, as his is the cash behind internationally-acclaimed Nobu, the favoured new Japanese lunchspot for gallivanting glitz. A final standout for pasta sauce, family-style, is Dominick's in Los Angeles. This affordable, ambient kitchen leaves the hype and fuss at the West Hollywood door but is actually owned by Rose McGowan, Ben Harper and Laura Dern.
Go south
You might be hosting award shows in Tokyo, laying tracks in London and getting papped in Los Angeles on any given day, but when you get back to Manhattan all you really want is ... a slab of ribs, just like Ma used to make? Tennessee native Justin Timberlake certainly thinks so. The former boy bander saw a dearth of home cookin' options when he took up residence in New York, so he opened his own — Southern Hospitality. On the heels of its huge success (just try and get a table after Friday night drinks, I dare you), he diversified his palette and bought Destino, a fine dining option. Because a boy can't eat apple pie and fry-ups alone — not with those abs.
Greens, please
You'd expect the majority of celebrity green eateries to be on the west coast, but actually America's eastern seaboard boasts quite a few. Moby tries to turn the vegan lifestyle cool in his cafe and coffee shop, Teany, in downtown Manhattan. "I want it to be a vegetarian cafe that non-vegetarians like to go to as well.", said the musician. Paul Newman is another celeb who has gone philanthropic with his fork and created Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant in Connecticut. The game in that dressing room is "healthy, sustainable and culturally significant" food. Hmm, how culturally significant can a salad be?
When Irish eyes are smiling
Dublin is quite a cosmopolitan city, but Bono and the Edge from rock band U2 try to keep the focus local at the Clarence, the hotel, pub and bistro they own downtown. They source all the food they serve locally from sustainable Irish farms. Expect all things potato on that snack list.
Thug life
Rap stars are notorious for their antics at the hottest clubs around the world. Well, one rapper didn't think the scene was up to snuff — at least not for his B. Jay-Z opened exclusive Club 40/40 and there is not a trainer or puffy jacket in sight. Clientele dressed to the nines get the VIP treatment at Jay-Z's and his venture has been so successful that he now has Club 40/40s in New York, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Macau.
Raw celebrity
The sushi craze is in full effect, from Santa Monica to the Sunset Strip. Julian Lennon owns wildly successful Blowfish Sushi. I wonder if he got his hankering for California rolls during the time he lived with Yoko Ono in New York? Another gaggle of A-listers are the silent investors in Sushi Roku and Katana in Los Angeles — Ryan Seacrest, Brett Ratner, Rob Lowe and Tori Spelling among them.
South of the border
Two of the Cuban-American community's most dedicated contributors didn't stop with music; Gloria and Emilio Estefan opened Lario's on the Beach in their hometown of Miami to serve Cuban favourites to the throngs of South Beach. So it is no surprise that Jennifer Lopez came to the kitchen and opened Madre's, which specialises in cuisine from her Puerto Rican background. Caliente!
Yank appeal
Several celebrities like their meals the American way — that is to say, deep fried. Chris Noth, better known as Mr Big, runs Cutting Room in New York, where you can expect performances from the likes of Norah Jones and Kid Rock to be served with your fries. And it's easy to guess what's on the menu at Dolly Parton's Dollywood — cheese balls, anyone? Ashford and Simpson serve red beans and rice as well as live jazz, R&B and soul at their NYC establishment, Sugar Bar. And who can forget the big noise (and big flop) of Planet Hollywood, whose original shareholders are Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone?
So the next time you travel and encounter a bite you particularly like, consider bringing a taste of your holiday home and theming up your kitchen. Who knows, your sideline as a chef might mean you can one day quit your day job under the bright lights and watchful eye of the paparazzi.
Ever encounter a celeb's sideline venture — restaurant, hotel, theme park — and have a story to tell about it? Was it up to snuff?
