The Daily Truffle: The Los Angeles Social Diary | Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and the Malibu Colony » Caroline M. Roman

Iowa, Schmiowa — Let’s discuss Mitt Romney’s sons

Caroline M. Roman — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:17:06 +0000

Josh Romney, Craig Romney

Whoa. We have our political views, which along with religion, we keep to ourselves but we break our vow of silence and manners to say — Whoa! Mitt has hot kids, no? You are looking at Josh and Craig, but there is also Tagg, Matt, and Ben. Major distaction.

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Tagg & Jen

Taggart (Tagg) Romney

-Born: 1970
-Married to Jennifer
-Has three children
-Managing Partner at Solamere Capital
-Lives outside Boston
-Enjoys the music of Billy Joel

Source: saintanselm

Jennifer and Tagg. Source: @tromney

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Matt R

Matt Romney

-Born: 1971
-Wife Laurie
-Children: 3
- Job: SVP, Capital Markets at Excel Trust, Inc
-Location: San Diego
-Find him: Matt’s Myspace page

Source: myspace.com

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Josh & Jen

Josh Romney

-Born: 1975
-Wife: Jen
-Children: 3
-Job: Real estate developer and owner of Romney Ventures
-Location: Salt Lake City
-Best campaigner for Mitt
Find him: Josh’s Myspace page

(Getty Images / Kevork Djansezian). Source: drakeu

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Ben Romney

-Born: 1978
-Married to Andelyne
-Does not have children
-Doctor of Internal Medicine
-Lives in Boston
-Has a yorkie-poodle mix that Mitt calls his “grand-dog”
-Ben’s Myspace page

Source: talkradionews

Ben’s Myspace photo. Source: myspace.com

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Craig & Mary

Craig Romney

-Born: 1981
-Wife: Mary
-Children: 2

-Location: San Diego (recently moved from New York City)
-Works in Real Estate
-Believes that Tina Fey modeled Jack Donaghy’s hair off of his father’s.
-Was smart enough to make his Myspace page private.

(AP / Charles Rex Arbogast)

Source: maryromney.com

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MORE PICS OF THE ROMS ….

Craig Romney with Adam's Wine Locker at The Capital Grille - Tampa

(L-R) Josh Romney, Ann Romney, Matt Romney. (AP / Charles Rex Arbogast)

Craig Romney, Mary Romney, Parker Romney & Miles Romney in 2010 -- pic via Mary Romney

Matt, Laurie, and their kids in 2006.

Source: myspace.com

Sox game w bros

Source: myspace.com

(L-R) Matt, Ann, Josh, Mitt, Craig and Tagg. (AP / Charlie Neibergall)

How to Open Champagne with a Sword — Lessons now available

Caroline M. Roman — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:00:31 +0000

A few nights ago we caught with something spectacular, and surprisingly not that dangerous, which is the art of Sabrage. We’ve seen it, but never done it or had any idea how to do it, and we weren’t even sure it was legal. However, according to Christofle it is.

#TruffleNotes: Champagne swords available in their Dayton Way store now

The Beverly Hills Women’s Club, which has owned their own Benedict Canyon property for almost a century, welcomed members to learn the art in time for New Year’s from Christofle’s CEO Nicolas Krafft who flew in from New York headquarters for the occasion.

Christofle, which was founded as a French custom silversmith in the 1800s, has cornered the market on champagne swords (sabres) and the instruction of using them. Safety first! For around $70 per person (depending on the details) they will come to your party and teach your guests the simple art (but there is a trick!)

They also offer quick courses and supervision if you have a highly special occasion; oh I don’t know, like say, the delivery of new 777s from Boeing or perhaps if you were on the January crossing of the new Queen Elizabeth.

Call the Beverly Hills store for bookings and tell them we sent you.

http://champagnesabrage.com/home

The Daily Truffle would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new Beverly Hills Women’s Club president Jill Collins who is taking over for Claudia Deutsch who was the club president for 4 years. Claudia remains on the board with her new title “ex-Officio” and is also the Chairman of the Advisory Board (a newly founded board for the club). Presidents before Claudia were Leslie Minniti (during which time Claudia was Vice-President), and before that Fabienne Guerin.

Several BHWC members tried ”Sabering” while others looked on and took pictures. Those successful (and all who tried, were) received a course certificate and box for their champagne cork & cut off glass top. The champagne from the bottle was poured around to other members.

Nicolas Krafft, Ron Howard of the Beverly Hills Hotel

Nicolas taught the class to another group at the California Club downtown and then to a collection of Rodeo Drive GM’s from all the stores including Ron Howard from the Beverly Hills Hotel who sabred (see his photo and Certificate!), Chris George from Van Cleef (who also sabred!), Eric Holtzman from Mont Blanc, Elizabeth Anwar from Wolford, Daniel Nahari from David Yurman, Worthy from Cartier, Elizabeth from Bon Point, Maureen Pollack & Bill Wiley from Two Rodeo, and Mary De Hoyos, Julie Wagner & Kimberli Samuel from the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau — who FYI are getting a new facility caddy-corner to the Annerberg Center on little Santa Monica which is expected to open sometime time next year.

Nicolas returns to L.A. this January for a tête-à-tête at the L’ermitage in Beverly Hills.

This is a highly Truffle Approved concept for entertaining your guests at parties, weddings and christenings of any kind in 2012.

New ASPCA x Forever 21 Animal Rescue Tees and Sweatshirts!! Cute!

Caroline M. Roman — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:52:30 +0000

"I WOULD NEVER EAT YOUR HOMEWORK"

"ALL DRESSED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO"

"IN SEARCH OF A BFF"

"I WISH I HAD SOME YARN"

BUY HERE: Forever21.com

Petrossian Caviar Brunch

Caroline M. Roman — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:27:06 +0000

Young Hollywood studio at the Four Seasons expands, gets an item on the menu

Caroline M. Roman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:49:02 +0000

My grandmother always said you haven’t made it in this town until you get your own item on a menu. Well, we’d like to take a moment to congratulate ‘friend of the Truffle’ RJ Williams, founder of Young Hollywood and permanent Four Seasons hotel resident, who recently had his own salad added to the hotel bar menu over the summer.

RJ’s “Young Hollywood Salad” – named after his celeb interview site, which also has its full-time broadcast studio housed inside the hotel – is made with mesclun greens, California blueberries, strawberries, avocado, tomato, cucumber and hemp seeds. He can now join the ranks of legendary entertainment attorney Neil McCarthy (who has the McCarthy Salad at the Polo Lounge), producer Jerry Weintraub (who has the Spaghetti Clams at Il Piccolino), Nicky Hilton (who has a Chopped Salad at Dan Tana’s) and Gigi Delmaestro (who has the Gigi Salad at The Palm).

Within the Four Seasons Los Angeles, tucked away on an upper floor with red curtains and glowing blue lights (that you can even see from the street), lies YoungHollywood.com‘s broadcast studio and VIP lounge, which includes a room for edit bays and a newly added movie screening/green room.

Few people could work a deal with a high-status entity like the Four Seasons to convert a row of hotel suites into such an elaborate shop, but it helps to have forward thinking partners. Four Seasons Los Angeles owners Robert & Beverly Cohen have always been entertainment friendly; the hotel is widely known for being the industry’s go-to for film junkets, media events, awards suites, agency holiday parties, and is infamous for opening their kitchen to celebrities at all hours of the night and serving Larry Flynt 3 meals a day for over a decade — gold wheelchair and all.

When you enter the Young Hollywood Studio, you walk into the first suite that boasts a greeting area and lounge (including a full bar, which is open at all times). To the left (or South) is a second room where interviews are conducted on a regular basis with A-List actors, musicians, athletes and others, and is rigged with high-definition cameras and production equipment, impressive custom lighting, and a YH-branded white leather couch and back-drop. To the right (or North) is a full functioning edit bay, where a team of editors work on a daily basis to cut content with music and logos, then they upload segments to YoungHollywood.com and distribute to sites that license their content – such as YouTube, Yahoo, Hulu.

Young Hollywood studio in the Four Seasons Los Angeles

RJ’s plans for the conversion of the fourth hotel room, which is adjacent to the current edit bay and just completed (pictured above) were to add a proper green room to his studio beyond what the entry lounge offers.

“We needed a cool, fun room for the reps and entourages that talent brings along with them. They can now watch their client’s interview happening in real-time on a monster 80-inch flat screen TV, relax, recharge, and even use the room as a dressing room for clients to prep before interviews. In addition to the flat screen, we put video games in there, a giant comfortable leather couch, tons of candy, a popcorn machine, etc. It’s the ultimate hang-out spot in a chill, intimate setting.” — RJ Williams

RJ also told us he plans to utilize the room for exclusive movie nights and intimate cocktail events, turning the studio into more of a clubhouse for colleagues in the industry. The converted suites are also stocked with vitaminwater and smartwater refrigerators, Coffee Bean machines, Samsung gadgets and a huge selection of EA video games – all of which have been brand partners of Young Hollywood.

#Trufflenote: RJ also has complimentary twice-daily housekeeping, where they even refresh the little soaps and bottles.

You can also expect to see more of Young Hollywood when their new YouTube Channel launches on January 16th — www.youtube.com/younghollywood – as part of YouTube’s huge push for its new original channels initiative. This is beyond that of YouTube’s current content of cat videos and user-generated music videos you currently see now — in January 2012, YouTube will roll out a roster of new channels that have regularly scheduled shows — just like TV — the programs will be proprietary original content on YouTube. YH struck a deal to become one of YouTube’s first pre-programmed channels – along with the likes of Hearst, WWE, Wall Street Journal, and more.

In addition to the studio, RJ also keeps his own residence in a completely separate suite at the hotel. Think Chuck Bass and the Empire or Dylan McKay and the Bel Age (now The London) or perhaps Eloise and The Plaza. It is a Truffle dream to one day live in a hotel full time so we had to question RJ profusely about the pros and cons of hotel living. Additionally we love to talk to L.A. natives about their upbringings and their life path from grade schools to making it in the industry. We always find out the best stuff about our own town through the eyes and ears of our fellow natives — We asked RJ about being a child actor, a Crossroads grad, a USC alum, his Brentwood roots and running one of the most successful and innovative celebrity brands in town — including his new YouTube channel, newly expanded studio, and of course the salad.

YHS studio inside the Four Seasons Los Angeles

YHS edit bay inside the Four Seasons Los Angeles

YHS Studio inside the Four Seasons Los Angeles

#TruffleNotes: This is what a FS hotel room looks like in the hotel before you convert it into a major operation

QUESTIONS:

DT: Which area of Los Angeles did you grow up in?

RJ: Brentwood

DT: Where did you go to high school?
RJ: Crossroads

DT: Coolest famous person you met as a child?

RJ: I was a child actor so I met a ton, but I’d probably have to say working with Johnny Carson was pretty cool

DT: Favorite Mulholland moment?

RJ: Attending the movie screening parties at Mulholland Estates.

DT: Oh, you must be referring to the elusive Bel-Air Screening Circuit? One of our favorite LA secrets!!

RJ: Ha, yes.

DT: What was on your mixed tape as a senior?

RJ: Dr. Dre, Tribe Called Quest, Notorious B.I.G, Boyz II Men, Tom Petty

DT: High School car? RJ: Mitsubishi 3000GT SL. It was dope at the time. Black on black with limo black tint.

DT: Tell us about your child acting? What TV show(s) were you on? RJ: I started acting at age 4 and continued until I was 16. I did several movies but also had recurring roles on television shows such as General Hospital and Full House– I also guest starred on some classics like Magnum PI, 21 Jump Street, Love Boat, TJ Hooker and Star Trek.

DT: What was your major at USC? RJ: Film school

DT: When and how did you get into celebrity interviews?

RJ: I started interviewing celebrity friends for fun and ended up turning it into a show called VIP Access and sold the series to Showtime in 2003.

DT: How do you make money off your site?

RJ: We have several partnerships in place and have worked with a variety of brands, including EA, Coca-Cola, Intuit, Samsung, AT&T, BlackBerry and others. We work with advertisers in a variety of ways, mainly to integrate their products into our content or get products in the hands of the right people – i.e. talent playing an EA video game or drinking a Coca-Cola product like vitaminwater, all of which is incorporated into the video segment. In essense, we offer brands alignment with high profile celebrities, high-quality video content, product placement, and creative customized ways of integrating, educating, and interacting with their products (often before a product launches) both on and off camera.

DT: Tell us about your NEW YouTube Channel? YouTube is doing a major overhaul to create their own regularly scheduled content like a TV station. Congrats on having them invite you to have a channel

RJ: On January 16th we launch the Young Hollywood Network (YHN) with lots of cool new shows in the pipeline.

Here’s a rundown of the programming we’ll be launching on our channel:

STUDIO SECRETS: Our version of 60 Minutes for the next generation. Celebrities from all genres will visit the Young Hollywood Studio at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles for an exclusive, intimate, one-on-one interview. YHN will frequently incorporate YouTube interaction encouraging talent to personally answer selected viewers’ most-desired questions submitted via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube commenting. Studio Secrets in the YH Studio will allow viewers to personally connect and get to know their favorite stars as they listen to their stories and secrets in a relaxed and intimate setting.

CELEBRITY TREND REPORT: Young Hollywood always has its finger on the pulse of the hottest new trends and buzzed about current topics. They also get the scoop straight from the stars themselves about what’s in, what’s hot, and what’s now, so don’t forget to tune in each week so you can stay in-the-know and become the influencer among your friends.

GUEST LIST ONLY: See and be seen. We take you inside some of the most exclusive hot spots and VIP parties – including restaurants, nightclubs, store openings, celebrity birthdays and more. Part the velvet rope as we give you insider access inside the most buzzed about, hottest spots around.

THE POWER PLAYERS: Everyone is familiar with the famous faces on the screen and the voices on the microphones, but how did they get there? We introduce you to the industry’s network of behind-the-scenes power players that are closing the deals and making the magic happen. We turn that spotlight on the producers, studio heads, publicists, managers and agents who give your favorite celebs their moment in the spotlight. We also get to know the most buzzed about media moguls and tastemakers in the entertainment and digital space who are truly moving the needle. With their creative input running as deep as their pocketbooks, the stories are more fun from the trenches… trust us.

QUIET ON THE SET: Viewers get the chance to watch YHN crews tag along with a celebrity “at work” where outside cameras are usually not allowed. We’re with the biggest stars backstage, on set, at photo shoots and more. We’ll take our viewers behind the scenes and show them “where the magic happens.”

FS black card - mock up

DT: Tell us about the legendary Four Seasons black card. We’ve heard it allows free and all access valet and only certain people get it?

RJ: I cant speak for others but it is a nice perk to have a card with my initials on it that allows for all access parking.

DT: So what’s it like to live in a hotel? What’s the best and worst parts about it?

RJ: The best part is it really is the most efficient and effective use of my time. You leave the room? Housekeeping cleans it. Hungry? Room service brings you whatever you want. Ever need a driver to take you somewhere last minute? The house car is on call. Ever need something taken care of urgently and your assistant isn’t available? The concierge will take care of it. Need to get a workout in? Just walk downstairs to the newly renovated gym. Feeling tense? Just go downstairs to the spa. I also love the new complimentary iPads they put in all the rooms – so many cool things to do on them like ordering whatever you need at a certain time, or even telling valet you need your car ready when you get downstairs. The fiber optics that the hotel installed make my work that much easier. The service at the hotel is spectacular, and we really have great relationships with all the staff, as they’ve become like a second family to my team and I. Even though it might not seem like the most economical way to live, it really has been for me considering my commute to work is only a few steps away and the opportunities that have come my way from being here have been invaluable. The people you meet on a daily basis are people you would never expect to meet in your lifetime. Everyday is a new different adventure – and that’s what is so exciting. I have meetings last minute that I otherwise would never be able to get with people who happen to be at the hotel. Most importantly, being a part of the Four Seasons has been a game changer for my business and I couldn’t be happier with how far we’ve come and the exciting things to come in the near future.

Now onto the worst part – everything is at your disposal, so it’s hard to ever leave the property! Also, anytime someone visits the hotel they expect you to be available at all times – I’ll have people calling me at all crazy hours asking if they could come by to see the studio or telling me to come down to the bar. Recently on a Sunday night one of my agents called me around 7pm and asked if I was available for a meeting with someone that happened to be staying at the hotel –I was actually at one of the “Mulholland Movie Nights” and said I wouldn’t be back till around midnight – sure enough, I arrived back at the hotel and the guy was waiting for me in the lobby— we ended up having the meeting until 2 am! To someone else this would be abnormal, but I’m so used to it now that it’s just a typical night for me. Being here makes me really work 24/7, but I’m having such a blast doing it and building my company that I don’t mind. Plus, being able to do it all from one of the best resorts in the world makes it that much easier.

RJ & Tracy in the Four Seasons elevator -- en route to the Young Hollywood floor

YHS entrance

YHS entry

“Vogue 100″ ladies host Dior party in BH [SLIDESHOW]

Caroline M. Roman — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:58:37 +0000

Class was in session at the Dior store on Rodeo Drive thanks to Vogue and the magazine’s ambassadors — co-hosts Angelique Soave and Christine Chiu, both part of the Vogue 100.

What is the Vogue 100, you ask? Well, 100 women around the US who Vogue finds intriguing and represents the modern day Vogue woman. Vogue 100 women are tastemakers, stylemakers, and influencers living the Vogue lifestyle; they are usually actively involved in the arts, fashion, and of course, philanthropy. Vogue 100 members are asked to host Vogue events throughout the country, and invite their friends. Monthly “care packages” are sent to the ladies containing handbags, accessories, beauty products, and even clothing from the Vogue closet. The Vogue 100 women do change from year to year (as some women fall in and out of vogue .)

Dior’s Art of the Dress presentation has been touring the country — this BH party was held in November — but the tour also just made a debut at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York this week (and was hosted by Susan Fales Hill). A vintage curated flown in from Chicago explained how Christian Dior’s original threads in fashion — and those of Dior’s successor Yves Saint Laurent in the 50s — have been continuously reinvented by the house up through John Galliano‘s tenure and even after his termination last spring (the new collections are being designed in-house while Dior is finding a permanent replacement since his gaff at a New York bar last February).

A slide show of hallmark Dior micro-trends can be seen in our slideshow above.

Trends:
Bows
A-lines
Opera neckline
Pleats
Flowers
Print embroidery
Ruffles
Tulle
Cinched waist
Y-necks

Food: Divinity Catering (who seem to be catering all of the parties up and down Rodeo Drive lately — including a Versace dinner held in the store this fall).

Students: Dr. Gabriel Chiu & Christine Chiu, Angelique Soave, Galina Sobolev, Joan Dangerfield, Barry Fox, Kimberly Bini, Christos Garkinos, Anastasia Soare, Abigail Spencer, Kristen Jones, Patrick Herning, actress Abigail Spencer, stylist George Kotsiopoulos, designer (and Truffle blogger) Magda Berliner, N.J. Goldston and Kathryn Lebowitz from the Blonde and the Brunette, Catherine Cristall, Cindy Canzoneri, Donanne Kasikci, Carlye Samatas, Gabrielle Samatas, Ana Itkin, Larissa Sabadash, designer Yotam Solomon, Lydia Ng, Justin Han, and more.

#LA Real Estate vol 5: “Unreal Estate” aerial tour of BH, Holmby Hills & Bel Air [VIDEO]

Caroline M. Roman — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:55:38 +0000

==
From the man that brought you ’740 Park’ comes the LA version with 10 LA estates detailed — including the families, scandal and history that lived there … UNREAL ESTATE by Michael Gross.
Book available on Barnes & Noble website: Unreal Estate: Money, Ambition, and the Lust for Land in Los Angeles

Introducing Rossano Ferretti HAIR SPA, and some notes from the salon scene in Beverly Hills

Caroline M. Roman — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:00:31 +0000

This is like old news in Italy, but for us Rossano Ferretti is the latest Beverly Hills salon. And the newest Italian addition to Canon Drive, largely known for it’s Italian stores and restaurants — the Drago brothers opened Enoteca Drago, Via Alloro and Il Pastaio … Jean Leon, Wolfgang Puck and Peter Garland opened Italian ristorantes La Scala, Spago and Porto Via, and let’s not forget Il Trammezzino, Mulberry Pizza and Caffe Roma (which has some serious BH roots we’ll get into another time). Making the street even more Italian is the longstanding Italian leather maker Puruti, who is very in the know … For many years fellow hairdressers and Italian compatriots Umberto and Giuseppe Franco in Le Grande Passage ruled Canon Drive’s beauty business. Now the street has made some room for Rossano Ferretti’s new team and philosophy …

Many will understand this when I say and some who travel more will already know – but Los Angeles is what is consider to be a ‘color town’. This is sort of our worst nightmare at the Truffle as we are always bringing out the best in L.A. and trying desperately to compartmentalized the worst but it is no shock to anyone, I am sure, that we are actually known as a ‘color town’. The alternative is to be a ‘cut town’, meaning the cut, shape and style is the focus. Because LA is very color happy — those entering into the beauty world get lots of training in color, color, color. In Italy on the other hand, it’s all about the cut. Rossano actually told me that he had to import all his cutters where as finding top colorists locally was a snap.

#TruffleNotes: Another interesting reason most salons hire locally — each city has it’s own idea of what “blonde” is … all over the US there is a great difference between a NYC blond, a Miami blond, a Texas blond or a LA blond (the last being the blondest) … so hiring a NY colorist to do blond in LA could wind up in disaster.

Rossano’s goal is to help make every town – even LA – a cut town. Rossano has about 30 locations in Italy and one in each New York and Miami. He wanted to move to Los Angeles for quite some time but wasn’t sure about a location. He came out to look and didn’t find anything. He was heading to lunch at Il Pastaio when he noticed the location where Celebrity Vault use to lie directly next door to Mulberry’s Pizza. There was something about the location that grabbed him and he phoned his realtor (no, not Jay Luchs, but close) from the restaurat to give him the address – 345 North Canon Drive. Although it was not listed on the market, Rossano’s realtor called him back 20 minutes later with surprise news he had received via an internal email updating current listings in their MLS database — and that address was on it.

Rossano began to build immediately – as he does with all his salons; his first love was architecture and brings much of his craftsmanship in building to his hair cuts. All his salons are designed with the priority of using natural light. His salons in Venice, Verona and his hometown of Parma are particularly of note to his skill in design. Each location in the world (he also has a few other locations in Dubai, Mumbai and London) are geared towards the natural aesthetic of each town — in Los Angeles, he chose to build three privee cutting stations in a 2nd floor space that offer only natural lighting and will double as a Rossano school when they launch their LA training program in January (they currently have schools in London, Paris, Parma and Madrid). The program is designed to teach students of the hair the method Rossano’s uses to cut hair which basically is all about going with the flow. He is a believer in straight lines only so far as the the eye can see – what he does with the scissors is blend, blend, blend with the hair in a way I have not yet seen. He wants it to look like a straight line, but it is not a straight line.

If you get bangs cut, you will be more familiar with this idea. Lots of people have cowlicks and therefore cannot have straight bangs and hairdressers will explain how to deal with them so pieces don’t fly around or stick up … the same philosophy can be extended here to the entire head. Rossano goes with the hair so that each piece is always the correct lenght for it’s location on your head and the direction in which it grows. The cut appears like a simple staight hair cut but it’s better because it moves, has life and volume and basically always looks rawwwther model-ly no matter what’s going on up there.

I know this from living with a Rossano hair cut for the last month. It was actually quite a major honor to be one of two people in Los Angeles to get my hair cut by Rossano. We went upstairs to their 2nd floor and had a long talk about his father who use to cut hair in the town square in Parma where he was born. He told me about his aspirations to be an architect but that working with his father led to a different passion. He told me about his girlfriend of many years who is the subject of his look books and a helpful hand in opening new salons and running the day to day business. I explained The Daily Truffle and had cappuccinos. I was also introduced to Christian Serafini who is 100% Italian and will be moving from their New York location to manage the BH salon and run the school which will take place in the second floor space in the evenings.

We at the Truffle turn down complimentary gifts and offers 90% of the time but when we got a call from these Italianos, an interesting thing happened in my house … A certain member in my family, who doubles as my personal Beverly Hills salon historian and has been on salon boycott since the close of Maurice-Jose in the late 80s, raised a brow upon hearing the name: Rossano Ferretti. This certain member of my family is incredibly well known by certain hairdressing old-timers in BH who have spread out to various salons over time and with whom she can still recount the days of Camelot when being a hairdresser in Beverly Hills was like being royalty, and Hollywood made movies about the women who went, and the men actually came in and watched and paid and sometimes even invested in the salons. Those were the days when you only had 5 hairdressers to choose from and every salon was a scene where you’d see girlfriends, movie stars, and young men from France sweeping up curls and bustling around with champagne and coffees. This certain member of my family had done her research and found this Italian newcomer with a salon empire back home in Italy to be refreshing and intriguing.

We both went in together a second time to discuss color – after all, it is a color town.

I’d met a woman named Nancy Braun the first time I went in who was the former chief colorist for L’Oreal and had joined Rossano’s team. I always like to question colorists about natural color alternatives, as chemicals used for beauty are one of my pet peeves. Usually the only answer I get back is Henna — which doesn’t take out gray or make brown hair blonde — but Nancy surprised me and told me she likes to use L’Oreal Professionnel INOA Hair Colour - which is nothing new, but for several reasons has yet to catch on.

“I.N.O.A.” sort of stands for ‘Innovation No Ammonia’ — and covers up 100% of white or grey hair, is 100% odor free, and is 100% ammonia free (for the rookie – ammonia is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction and is 10x worse than it’s evil twin peroxide). A 2010 New York Times article questioned “Can INOA Make Ammonia-Free Hair Dye Mainstream” … the answer may be no — I shall explain.

The threat of no ammonia immediately raises questions like: Will the color be as dark? Will the color hold as long? Will it wash out?, and things like that. The color in INOA is defined by how well your colorist and shampoo-er stick with the process they should have learn from their training with L’Oreal. If mistakes are made in the INOA shampoo process – the color may not come out as well as it could. Many salons do not promote or support the product because they are afraid to wind up with unhappy customers that might not return if the color fades. Usually the shampooing task is farmed out since washing hair does not require the time and skill of a colorist and what has been happening is that some of the shampoo girls aren’t INOA trained even when your colorist may be.

We can vouch for the process at Rossano Ferretti so just do it with them.

The final step of the INOA process actually uses another TRUFFLE MUST called Shu Uemura Oil Cleansing Shampoo. This is used as a final step because its oil base enables it to lift excess dye off the skin around your forehead and ears but it’s more common and intended use is simply for regular shampooing — we got a sample of this along with our cappuccinos.

L’Oreal Professionnel INOA Hair Colour
website

Rossano Ferretti HairSpa
345 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA
(310) 598-6780
metodorossanoferretti.com

#Trufflenote: You can park in back.

xoxo
Caroline

Beverly Hills Women’s Club invites you to “Harlow in Hollywood” — TONIGHT — Thursday, Dec. 15

Caroline M. Roman — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:23:10 +0000

L.A. Daily Photo: Beverly Hills Cab gets fancy with new Prius

Caroline M. Roman — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:00:54 +0000

This is hilarious and reminds me of when the BHPD switched their reg standard police cars to ML’s and Tahoe’s. Only in LA folks.

*We unfortunately do not use BH cab because Taxi Magic (BEST APP EVER) only runs off of Yellow Cab, which also accepts credit cards*

Inside Mr. Greentrees, one of LA’s oldest Christmas tree lots

Caroline M. Roman — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:10:29 +0000

Greenacres on Benedict Canyon" src="http://www.thedailytruffle.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/greentrees-christmas-trees-2-los-angeles-2011-greenacres1.jpeg" alt="" width="605" height="456" />

Mr. Greentree's delivery -> Greenacres on Benedict Canyon (aka Ron Burkle's house)

Welcome to the home of Mr. Greentrees, one of LA’s longest lasting Christmas tree stores … and a second generation business that was handed down mother to daughter. This is the same lo-cal that also brings you Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch during Halloween and we’ve been asking them for ‘bunny land’ at Easter, but we’ll see … Rebecca Campbell who started the company, and works on a CHRISTMAS TREE FARM (!!) up in Oregon, is like a young Mrs. Claus with fluffy blonde hair (it’s almost tinsel silver!) and a pretty face and tons of stories about Christmas — and LA families who buy her trees (now her daughter’s trees).

She can tell you anything — like why you can’t find a silver tip, the Rolls Royce of xmas trees, in Los Angeles anymore (it’s because they grow at much higher elevations and are therefore much more expensive than lower elevation trees and of course the popular preference is a more bushy tree), but she also knows about LA people and what kind of trees they like. We spotted a few interesting name tags going to LA homes like Ms. Huffington (she actually had 2 tagged!!) and Greenacres — a Benedict Canyon estate currently owned by billionaire Ron Burkle who has been known to throw quite the ragers at his home with A list entertainment like Mariah Carey.

#TruffleNotes: The original owner of the house, silent movie film star Harold Lloyd, had a room dedicated for Christmas all year round and has a fully decorated Christmas tree 365 days of the year.

Mr. Greentrees was formerly located on Wilshire in Holmy Hills. Their first Christmas open, the property owner said the lot would be developed for condos the following year but it took a decade to get permits and so Mr. Greentrees remained there for ten years

Today they are on Doheny just above Santa Monica Blvd and give out gift certificates to the neighbors to please excuse them for the noise and extra traffic and general Cirque du Noel they bring along each year. The entire staff lives out of trailers along the white tent that looks like a big top and one employee is dedicated to keeping a small hot dog cart up and running for the 20+ employees working the lot from Nov. 25 – Dec. 25 each year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Tell them the Truffle sent you!!

702 North Doheny Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.276.9827 or info@mrgreentrees.com
Open daily from 9 AM to 9 PM.
http://mrgreentrees.com/

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Mr. Greentree's -> Greenacres on Benedict Canyon

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Carolina Herrera Bridal Sample Sale TODAY ONLY – DEC, 10th

Caroline M. Roman — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:10:37 +0000

Hey you blushing soon to be brides. Our friends at the Carolina Herrera store on Melrose Place are having their one-day only sample sale on bridal gowns today!!

This incredibly special event takes place only one day a year! Upon arrival each bride’s name is added to the list and helped on a first come first serve basis! All gowns up through the current collection are in excellent condition and will be offered at 50-%-70% off! Ask for Bridal Specialist Caitlin Sleichter or her assistant Miranda Warman — and tell them the Truffle sent you!

All pre-fall gowns (that are perfect for the holidays) have gone on sale too — Ask for Tyler March and tell him we say hi! xoxo

#TruffleNotes: That’s March as in Barbara March as in the March of Dimes, fyi.

Carolina Herrera Melrose Place
8441 Melrose Place, West Hollywood, CA
(323) 782-9090
carolinaherrera.com

RIP: Marvin Saul — Junior’s Deli

Caroline M. Roman — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:28:25 +0000

Marvin Saul — owner of Los Angeles Landmark Junior’s Delicatessen and general local celebrity – passed away Thursday morning from a heart attack leaving a wake of L.A. history and nostalgia among those he knew, catered for and served at the deli. Services will be held tomorrow (Sunday, December 11, 2011) at 9am at Mount Sinai / Forest Lawn in Burbank with a reception held at the Saul family home afterwards with catering from Juniors. All are welcome — Marvin’s friends from years past, and friends of the deli, are encouraged to attend.

Marvin opened Juniors 50 years ago, and has served all of Hollywood and L.A. including Mel Brooks (one of his long time friends), Danny Thomas, Milton Berle, Anne Bancroft, Armand Hammer (who use to sit at the counter), Jerry Perenchio, and many more.

Food critic Jonathan Gold of LA Weekly and the LA Times once wrote: “People have always dressed for lunch at Junior’s the way they do when they, say, shop at Neiman-Marcus.”

Marvin Saul came to LA from New Jersey on a coin toss — it was either the City of Angels or a uranium mine. Upon arriving, he began his career in restaurants working along La Cienega’s ‘restaurant row’ as a valet.

Marvin Saul had numerous cameo appearances on TV shows and generations of Jewish kids in L.A. grew up on Junior’s. Today his sons David and Jon run the deli.

Caroline M. Roman — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:52:54 +0000

Weekly Juice — Anderson Cooper, Queen Noor, Andrea Bocelli in town, Eric Garcetti fundraiser, Miss Golden Globe 2012 announced, Angie’s directorial debut

Caroline M. Roman — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:00:27 +0000

Angie meets Queen Noor in 2009

Thursday. LOS ANGELES. Next year’s Miss Golden Globe will be announced tonight (yaayyyyy!!) at an extremely early GG pre-party at Cecconi’s — past appointees of this position, who are responsible for walking Globe winners on and off stage and are always picked from Hollywood legacy, include Lily Costner, Kathryn Eastwood, Dakota Johnson, Lorraine Nicholson, Rumer Willis, Mavis Spencer and Jodie Foster back in the day. UPADTED: Andie McDowell’s Daughter, Margaret Qualley, has been named 2012 Miss Golden Globe.

#TruffleNotes: Golden Globes will be on January 15 this year and held at the Beverly Hilton as usual

Queen Noor is in town (I LOOOOVE HER!!) from Jordan to attend The UNICEF Ball at the Reg Bev Wil. Lionel Richie is co-hosting.
#TruffleNotes: Nicole Richie is the new face of Halston.

Angelina Jolie‘s directorial debut ‘In The Land Of Blood And Honey’ also premieres tonight at the ArcLight — this movie is about the Serbian/Bosnian war in the 90s and the fall of Milicevic – the released date for Angie’s film is December 23. Angie is expected to attend.

Anderson Cooper will host the annual HERO AWARDS at the Shrine — this is the awards show for everyday people who do extraordinary things.

—

Some friends of the Truffle are also hosting a fundraiser tonight at Greystone Manor for Eric Garcetti’s 2013 run for L.A. Mayor and you are invited to support

Event hosts: Marc and Jessica Mitchell, Aldo LaPietra, Cameron Mitchell, Chris Hopkins, Darnell Strom, Eric Ortner, Jamie Kantrowitz, Kevin Parker, Matthew Bilinsky, Nicholas Buford‐Crews, Ramon Wilson, Sarah Brown, and Tara Church.

When: Thursday, December 8, 2011

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm
Where: The Greystone Manor 643 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, California

Tickets: Host $1,000, VIP $250 (VIP reception 6:30-7), Supporter $50. RSVP at ericgarcetti.com and reference the event in the Notes section

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Later this week … Susan and Alan Casden will host a dinner for CHANEL Fine Jewelry on Rodeo Drive, the Medvoys (Irena & Mike) are being honored Friday and Andrea Bocelli will be in town to launch his new charity at the Bev Hilton. UPDATES: The truffle hearts Chanel, dinner and Beverly Hills … those who turned up at the Chanel Fine Jewelry dinner held on their Rodeo Drive rooftop under a clear tent include: Susan & Alan Casden, Monique Lhuillier, Joni Smith from the LACMA Costume Council, Jennifer Hale from C magazine, Kevin Lee (Lisa’s wedding planner from the REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS), Sari Tuschman from L.A. Confidential, Chanel’s Annie Meyers-Shyer, and more.

Rebecca Taylor makes her West Coast debut, now open on Robertson Blvd

Caroline M. Roman — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:51:08 +0000

If clothing lines were debs and store openings were deb balls, Rebbeca Taylor had her West Coast ‘coming out’ last night. Pretty in bows, jumpsuits and booties, Mrs. Taylor enlisted the help of LA girls to suit up in some of her hallmarks designs. Those girls included Rashida Jones in a navy RB jumpsuit, and Kristen Bell — who both who created one-of-a-kind tote bags that were (silent) auctioned off at Rebecca Taylor’s opening.

The proceed benefited Dress for Success. Several other celebrities designed additional tote-bags including Jessica Alba, Michelle Tractenberg, Selena Gomez and Sarah Michelle Gellar (are we all watching Ringer right now??). Also spotted at the opening were Grant Shapiro who DJ-ed, Rebecca Taylor PR Specialist Amanda Garrett, Bismarck Phillips’ Renata Faiman, Marcy Medina from WWD, Melissa Magsaysay from the Los Angeles Times, Sari Tuschman from LA Confidential, stylists Ryan Hastings, Nicole Chavez and Nicolas Bru, actresses Emma Roberts, Busy Phillips, and Rebecca Taylor herself.

Also spotted — Veuve Cliquot champagne, Belvedere Vodka cocktails, Jacques Torres Chocolates, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Cosabella (undergarments), Chan Luu (Scarves), Claeson (T-shirts), and Vale (jewelry) which will be available exclusively at all RT stores including the Robertson location.

Rebecca Taylor
107 South Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048
310.734.0599

Tonight in #LA: Mitt Romney at the Beverly Hills Hotel, G Star opens on Rodeo, and Sherlock Holmes 2 premieres in Westwood — and duh, Morty Coyle’s annual 28th again

Caroline M. Roman — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:42:40 +0000

Tuesday — LOS ANGELES: Competing soirees tonight should divide the city rather evenly … while the grown ups are heading over to Mitt Romney’s fundraiser at the Beverly Hills hotel — or the pink hotel as some like to call it — the kids will be over at the opening of the new G Star on Rodeo Drive. Elsewhere … our Hollywood contingency will be at the Sherlock Holmes 2 premiere at the Village Regency in Westwood with Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law and Rachel McAdams. And let’s not forget friend of the Truffle DJ Morty Coyle’s annual 28th again birthday at Canter’s Kibitz Room tonight as well. 10pm. Live music all night. Morty is a long time L.A. DJ on the Tabble Manners label.

Expected guests at Mitt Romey fundraiser: event hosts Eva and Marc Stern (who run the LA Opera), Josh Friedman (hedge fund manager) and his wife Beth, Tracy and Gene Sykes (Goldman Sachs) and event organizer Harry Sloan (former MGM chief who is now an investor). Tickets began at $2,500.

– READ ABOUT THIS EVENT

Expected guests Sherlock Holmes premiere: Warner Bros execs, Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Guy Ritchie.

– READ ABOUT THIS EVENT

Expected guests at G-Star: DJ Mark Ronson who will perform, Priscila Martinex who moved over from ID PR, secondary PRs for the party including Andy Gelb of Slate PR and Sunny Jenkins from Nike Communication, French actress and model Clémence Poésy (Harry Potter), Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), George Kotsiopoulos (Fashion Police), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire, and an LA native) and more.

– READ ABOUT THIS EVENT

Expected guests at Morty’s b-day: Obvi Morty’s lovely wife Jodie Sweetin (who you remember from playing Stephanie Tanner on Full House), along with support from those involved in the Tabble Manners label, and MC’s long time friends made during career as a DJ and growing up in L.A. Many people first took notice of Morty during his long run with the Spazmatics at Dragonfly and his 80s jams.

Fail of the Moment: Texts from Bennett

Caroline M. Roman — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:09:21 +0000

This blog was not funny — but the fact that it has gotten soooooo much news coverage and hype over if it’s real or fake has made it newsworthy. It’s shocking how something so uninteresting has captured the interest of so much media — and therein lies our interest. Here is one of the better entries (right) and as you will see, it’s just ok. We don’t recommend reading through the entire thing but if you have heard about the site or noticed your friends posting about it on Facebook and want to investigate for yourself, here is the link.

Pluses include: We like the idea of using screen captures of convos between friends as a form of blogging and we are very familiar with the ‘white guy who thinks he’s gangster’ syndrome. And some of it is mildly funny.

The Smoking Gun and several other media outlets are reporting the blog owner claims that Bennett is a real life cousin but that the father of the blogger says it’s all invented. Way to blow his ride, dad.

Gossip Girl Vocab vol. 4

Caroline M. Roman — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:00:20 +0000

Gossip Girl

If you regularly watch GG, you know the references and cameos that are straight from the real fashion world and Upper East Side — here were some from last night’s episode:

Karen Finley — Lily explains that her sister hired this performance artist to take her place when she was suppose to make her grand debut at her deb ball — Karen was the recipient of a federal arts grants that was reneged because her work was too vulgar (remind you of the recent MOCA gala anyone??).

Matthew Lynch from Women’s Wear Daily — This true life fashion/party journalist came to the Empire to cover Charlie’s coming out party. Rufus introduces him to Charlie before swooping him off the bar to get a drink (don’t you love how into Lily’s social life he can get?). Matthew asks Charlie who she is wearing and she replies Badgley Mischka. You can follow ML on his Twitter and Tumblr here (@mbradylynch) and here (http://certifiedgangsta.tumblr.com). PS – what’s with Charlie’s funky white blazer she wears out of the party? #fail

Camp Allen — A retreat for the most amazing people on the planet much like the Skull and Bones retreat seen in The Good Shepherd or the Bohemian Club fraternity retreats at Bohemian Grove in Northern California – as noted by Chuck’s reaction to Nate’s announcement that “Grandfather” was taking him. “World domination by day, debauchery by night” — Chuck says of those invited to attend.

Addendum from last week’s episode — Chuck’s weird party was actually held at Punchdrunk’s immersive theater experience Sleep No More in New York (this interactive theatre sets up in NY and London every year and half and has a 5 or 6 month run — tickets sell out, groups of 20 are allowed in at a time, those white masks with the long noses are mandatory and handed out and people are encouraged to engage with the props and sets — one friend of ours dug through a wardrobe which turned out to open into the back side of a fire place in the next room).

#TruffleNotes: Leonardo di Caprio took Blake Lively on a date in real life here when they were dating. Coincidence?? I think not.

BONUS SECTION: Real Housewives Notes

Bruce Jenner’s ex was at Brandi’s Malibu beach party along with a cast member from Dr. Drew’s sober house

Did we all note the driver’s arm in the window lighting Tay’s cig?? #hilar

Kim preffered to sit on a washing machine eating a plate of cheetos than go to Brandi’s party

Bravo using the caption ‘Brandi’s Friend’s house’

Kevin Lee is actually a very well known and well used florist among the Beverly Park world and is very tight with Beverly Cohen, owner of the Four Seasons along with several other BH ladies

Annual Motor4Toys Car Show

Caroline M. Roman — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:50 +0000

One of L.A.’s best kept secrets is the annual Motor4Toys car show held each year in the valley to collect Christmas presents toys for Toys for Tots. Major L.A. car owners and enthusiast are well aware of this annual holiday tradition that includes pulling out their own most impressive ride and carravanning over the 405 and 101 freeways with all the others headed that way.

The parking lot of this event is said to be on par with Pebble Beach or Villa D’este — and that’s not even the cars on show.

Here is where you will find the who’s who of the L.A. car community.

One of the things that makes this show special is that it’s not just about the most expensive … Along with exotic and luxury cars, you will find a ton of hot rods, classic car and truly interesting self-built or converted cars you wouldn’t even believe like a suped-up school bus, or a yellow submarine looking thing with wheels or this adorable little Subaru 360 pictured below — an LAPD helicopter lands, a SWAT van is parked in front, a military grade Humvee comes through … The FBI, Shriefs Department and CHP also have things on display.

The same people come year after year with some of the coolest cars on the planet.

The entrance admission price? One unwrapped toy.

This years sponsor was the Auto Gallery based in Beverly Hills.

pics via here here and here