So we understood a certain Hollywood type's been in town, carrying on a torrid romance.
(No, not Josh Duhamel and the floozy tabloid mags say he's been keeping time with.)
We speak of the meaningful relationship between director Jason Reitman and Fat Matt's Rib Shack at 1811 Piedmont Ave. Reitman, known for such flicks as "Thank You for Smoking" and "Juno," kept Twitter followers updated on his every move during his recent trip to Atlanta. That meant lots of tweets about Fat Matt's, including Twitpics of the restaurant and its fare with captions like "I'm in heaven" and "Falling off the bone."
So great is his ardor, in fact, that Reitman has George Clooney's character mention Fat Matt's in the film "Up in the Air," which hits theaters next month. As a thanks for this zillion dollars of free pub, owners Matt and Kelly Harper presented Reitman with a card entitling him to a "lifetime of ribs." The director shared his good fortune with the Twittersphere, naturally, commenting, "Better than winning the Lotto, an Oscar and the Superbowl!"
Buzz in our ear
With a little redesign and redecorating, the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead now has an in-house spa. The hotel converted about half of the guest rooms on the ninth floor (now known as the Spa Level) into the "The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Buckhead." Andrea Isaac came from the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation property to serve as manager, and the spa opened quietly a couple of months ago. We hear it's already attracting a steady stream of high-profile guests...Radio/television personality Steve Harvey and wife Marjorie embody the "giving" in "Thanksgiving," celebrating the holiday by providing more than 6,000 turkeys to needy families across the country. "Steve Harvey's Big Turkey Give Day" will team up with local Sam's Club locations and numerous radio affiliates, including Classic Soul 102.5 FM WAMJ in Atlanta. "I'm in the help portion of my life," Harvey said. "It feels great to have an opportunity to make an imprint instead of just jokes." For giveaway locations and times see www.steveharvey.com.
Say what?
"An onion ring institution in downtown Atlanta."
- How former New York Times dining critic Frank Bruni describes the Varsity in "Born Round." A choice morsel in the new memoir details Bruni's tanglings with brash restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, who operated Maxim Prime in the Glenn Hotel in downtown Atlanta for about five minutes.
Overscene
Local tennis phenom Melanie Oudin stopped by Mori Luggage & Gifts at the Forum shopping center in Norcross recently, and selected some cute Vera Bradley bags, compliments of the store in recognition of all she's achieved. "We are so excited for her," president John Mori said. "She's very impressive."...Lee Daniels, director of "Precious," and the film's star, Gaby Sidibe, were spotted at the W Atlanta Buckhead on Wednesday. (Incidentally, Buzz is currently reading "Push," the novel by Sapphire upon which the movie, presented by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, is based. It's tough sledding, we won't lie. Anyone else reading it?)
Celebrity birthdays
Actress Madeleine Sherwood ("The Flying Nun") is 87. Producer-director-actor Garry Marshall is 75. Country singer-songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard is 63. Actor Joe Mantegna is 62. Actress Sheila Frazier ("Superfly") is 61. Actress Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under") is 56. Actor Chris Noth ("Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "Sex and the City") is 55. Actress Whoopi Goldberg is 54. Actor Rex Linn ("CSI: Miami") is 53. Actor Neil Flynn ("Scrubs") is 49. Trumpeter Walter Kibby of Fishbone is 45. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel is 42. Actor Steve Zahn ("Happy, Texas," "That Thing You Do!") is 42. Actress Aisha Hinds ("True Blood") is 34. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes is 31. Actress Monique Coleman ("High School Musical") is 29.
Contributing: news services
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