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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September > 10 > Entry
Life’s moving fast, but she’s not saying no
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In order to get to our old pal Paula Deen over the weekend, a security guard and a publicist led us through a maze of promoters, publishers, personal assistants, magazine, kitchen appliance and ham hawkers, hair and makeup personnel, producers and bodyguards backstage at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center.
The Savannah Lady and Sons restaurateur was in town for two “Paula Deen Live” shows. About 9,400 fans packed in for the performances.
When a smiling, poufed and primped Miss Paula finally emerged in the doorway of her dressing room with trademark Diet Coke in hand, we immediately informed the Food Network goddess: “Girl, Madonna has a smaller entourage.”
At which point, everyone on Deen’s payroll immediately imitated an oil painting.
Laughing, Deen guided us into an empty adjacent dressing room for a private chat. The TV cook conceded that the rock star atmosphere is taking some getting used to. After all, nearly a decade ago, Deen’s first book signings here consisted solely of sprinklings of folks who had eaten at her folksy little Savannah meat-and-three.
Between shooting new episodes of her two Food Network series, Deen has been in New York to film a guest shot on “Iron Chef America” (“I swore I would never do ‘Iron Chef’ because I lived it for years”) and started a new cookbook for children (“It was inspired by my grandbaby Jack”).
So, is the merry-go-round going too fast for Deen these days?
“It’s going pretty fast,” she allowed. “I haven’t learned how to say no. But after where I’ve been in my life, it’s hard to look a gift horse in the mouth. I realize it could all be gone in a minute.”
The frankness of Deen’s recent memoir, “It Ain’t All About the Cooking,” caused some to wonder if there’s such a thing as too much honesty.
But Deen says she doesn’t regret a word of the book.
“People have to know how down you can be and still get back up,” she explained. “I had no interest in prettying it up. If the self-righteous people out there don’t like it, so be it.”
While Deen was fetching as much as $65 for “Live” tickets, it became evident she was earning every cent. For one thing, some of her more boorish fans felt entitled to scream during the entire 120-minute program.
Deen took it all in stride, even while Buzz was tempted to find out how much of a red mark a reporter’s notebook could leave on an offender. One particularly pesky gentleman, proclaiming to be Deen’s “illegitimate son,” managed to get into both a pre-event meet-and-greet and onstage during her show.
Perhaps those bodyguards are a good idea …
‘Beaches, peaches’ and Usher in love
While Usher and his new wife managed to skirt the cameras and recorders on the red carpet Saturday night at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards, when WSB TV anchor Monica Pearson included his marital status in her introduction of him, he couldn’t help but address it: “I guess it’s a cool thing to be married, huh,” the Atlanta R&B superstar said before his rendition of “Georgia on My Mind.” Then he unleashed that megawatt grin: “It is a cool thing. … We don’t have beaches, but we do have peaches.” (For the uninformed, Buzz is pretty certain Usher was referring to the slang for pretty Southern women, not the fruit. Meanwhile, we’re still trying to figure out who in the black-tie crowd was screaming his bride’s name “Tameka!” in the middle of the new inductee’s acceptance speech. Of course, in the midst of his thank-yous to Antonio “L.A.” Reid (who presented him with his honor), Jermaine Dupri (“a true Atlanta idolmaker”), his mother and many others, he did recognize his “lovely, beautiful wife. … I’m truly humbled by this experience.”
Rathbun racks up another rave review
The accolades continue to roll in for Inman Park’s latest dining destination, Kevin Rathbun Steak. In its October issue, lad mag Details names the moo emporium as “One of the Best New Steakhouses in America.”
Raves Details: “Chef Kevin Rathbun’s new Inman Park place is a big, bustling joint with a menu that delivers all the steakhouse crowd-pleasers.”
In a statement e-mailed to Buzz on Monday, Rathbun said: “We have the staff to thank for it. They work extremely hard and are dedicated to providing the best quality and service possible.”
We have just a tiny quibble with the above. On Saturday morning, when we called to make reservations for two that night at Rathbun Steak, an almost gleeful gal told us we had only two options: 5:30 or 9:30 p.m. The line is standard in the eatery industry for current “it” restaurants with strong walk-in business that want to avoid overbooking. Our solution? We charred some cow at home. After all, it’s one thing to be the most popular girl in school. It’s quite another to laugh at the folks who ask for a Saturday night dinner date.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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