::: George Christy ::: From the Beverly Hills Courier

ÒNine days of intense pain, but we got it all together, and everyone was in high spirits,Ó says Adam Shankman, HairsprayÕs director-choreographer, who was talking about the sensational dance-a-thon finale in the movie adapted from the Broadway hit thatÕs adapted from the original movie. Surrounded by industry heavyweights during New LineÕs premiere at MannÕs Village Theatre, Adam was praised nonstop, with Anne and Arnold Kopelson echoing the audienceÕs upbeat mood,ÒWe love this movie.Ó New LineÕs Bob Shaye reminded that the John WatersÕ 1988 movie starring Ricki Lake became the goldmine Broadway musical thatÕs still running, with Lance Bass taking over the Corny Collins role this summer. James Marsden is Corny Collins (who knew he could sing and dance?). Corny hosts the BaltimoreÕs TV dance party show that Tracey Turnblad, played by the fireball Nikki Blonsky, vows to integrate every day, not only on Negro Day. For l4 months, John Travolta dodged Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced the award-winning Chicago, before conceding to take on the role of TraceyÕs mom, Edna, in a fat suit with bosoms bigger than watermelons and a butt built like a Hummer, a role created by the late transvestite Divine in the 1988 movie and then by the Tony-winning Harvey Fierstein on Broadway. Both Harvey and Divine were of the bellow-it-out school, while JohnÕs a cutie-pie, Òa smoothie like Miss Piggy,Ó as critic David Denby assesses in the New Yorker. ÒWait till you see this bitch dance,Ó shouts Adam Shankman about John, who laughs that he was pinched and groped during the filming Ð ÒdidnÕt know the incredible power women have.Ó ICMÕs Toni Howard foresees JohnÕs nomination for a Golden Globe. Men have played women in ancient Greece, Japan and during ShakespeareÕs era. Besides John, Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, Nathan Lane have sashayed in high heels. In fairness, letÕs acknowledge not only Nikki, but the performances of Michelle Pfeiffer as the villainous Velma, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle, and fabulous Taylor Parks as her daughter Little Inez. As her son Seaweed, Elijah Kelley registers as a screen presence, with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron developing a Sammy Davis Jr. movie for him. Chris Walken, Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron, Brittany Snow round out the cast, with New LineÕs CinemaÕs Christina Kounelias predicting audiences will find the movie a joy, great fun and Òadorable.Ó Goran Milic and wife Vanja are among our best-looking couples in the restaurant business, and are infanticipating their firstborn in November. A water polo champion, GoranÕs a native of Montenergro, where the women are beauties and the men are athletic studs and good manners prevail, thanks to old-fashioned parenting. After working in our local Italian restaurants, he opened Divino on Barrington Court in Brentwood 11 years ago to a rewarding success, with both Goran and his sister, Dusanka Rizzo, cooking, and polite service from his European and Hispanic staffers. The Mediterranean-esque food began attracting regulars such as UniversalÕs Ron Meyer, Larry Gordon, Stephen Bing, Jane and Michael Eisner, Clint Eastwood, Shera Danese and Peter Falk, Mitzi Gaynor, Helen and Greg Kinnear, Jane and Marc Nathanson, Kathleen Turner, world travelers Merle and Peter Mullen, Getty Museum directors. GoranÕs mother, Vera, who lives here part of the year, was a nurse in a Montenegro orphanage, and GoranÕs playmates during his youth were the boy orphans. HeÕs never forgotten that period of his childhood. He visits the orphanage every year, and then goes to Italy to meet and work with chefs of all ages and bring back new specialties. This summer heÕs realizing a dream heÕs had for a long while, but needed the wherewithal to put it in motion. At the end of July, heÕll travel to Montenegro to train six orphans, ages 16 to 18, who aspire to chef-hood (if there is such a word), and heÕll bring them to Italy for more experience with chefs from Umbria and other areas that applaud his vision. ÒWeÕll take care of expenses, reward them with some spending money, and IÕll bring two of them here to work in our kitchen, and then rotate the others. I like to think this may spur others to do the same, to give these young men without parents a job that excites them. IÕm grateful to this country for the success itÕs bestowed on me, and I want to see others benefit. Americans are the most generous people, many hail from immigrant cultures, and were helped with AmericaÕs selflessness when they were putting down their new roots.Ó Goran himself is a fine chef, continually inspired by dishes that he discovers abroad, caters dinners for Mary and Reese Milner, the Peter Mullens and others, helms chartered sailing voyages along the beautiful Dalmatian Coast for such as PatinaÕs Christine and Joachim Splichal and sons Nick and Stef. He was among the first to serve flavor-rich and nutritious vegetable soups that are dairy-free Ð the tomato soup is a savorful thick puree with sweet tomatoes and gentle seasonings best described as oh-so-good. GoranÕs risotto Ortolana with seasonal vegetables has no butter, and heÕll share his clever secret for binding the rice. Spaghetti with fresh asparagus and blue crab is a signature dish, the agnolotti Numana (a town in Italy) is filled with seasonal vegetables accompanied with clams and shrimps in a light broth sprinkled with poppyseeds. Also favored is the pappardelle with braised portions of osso buco with natural juices. Another specialty from GoranÕs birthplace is the crespelle of baked pasta filled with spinach and ricotta in a light carrot sauce. The Mediterranean branzino often sells out, as do the langoustines. DivinoÕs pizza with its thin crust is a treat, simple and delicious -- face it, thereÕs lots of lousy pizza in Los Angeles, much of it thickly Òbready,Ó and weÕre talking about clunky pies that critics hyperventilate over. You wonder why critics who are well-traveled donÕt know any better -- are they soused, as we hear about several of them, boozing sometimes being a criticÕs weakness (maybe a vocational hazard?). My advice is to check out Naples, purportedly the birthplace of the classic pizza Margherita. Besides the choices of pizzas, Divino standbys include carpaccio and the caprese, and a carnivore-loving friend rates DivinoÕs aged prime T-bone steak Fiorentina cooked in a pizza oven with high marks. Goran knows his wines, the selections are excellent. A patio for al fresco diners faces Barrington Court, and within, the high-ceilinged room is of an intimate scale, the walls hung framed vintage photos of seaside scenes. Two upstairs rooms will accommodates private parties for 24 and 16. DivinoÕs staff is kind and accommodating Ð no snooty attitude here, often encountered elsewhere from those usual suspects of out-of-work actors. GoranÕs second in command is Goran Petrovic, who serves as host during GoranÕs night off, and thereÕs Augustin Garcia, Boyan Miric, Serge Milenkovic, Nemanja Mladenovic. A luncheon menu is served daily, brunch on Sunday, and the dinner menu IÕve described is offered nightly. Valet parking. At 11714 Barrington Court in Brentwood. Telephone: (310) 472-0886. The carpetbagger chefs are arriving in Los Angeles. New Yorker Tom Colicchio was encouraged by CAAÕs Bryan Lourd, most likely an investor, to open his $8 million West Coast version of Craft in Century City. Tom says heÕs bringing Òquality experienceÓ to Los Angeles. As if we donÕt have quality ingredients from our Farmers Markets all over town? ManhattanÕs BLTÕs Laurent Tourondel (B for Bistro) is Òbringing steakÓ to Los Angeles at the refurbished Le Dome, where any dŽcor change will be an improvement over that depressing green color of the past. IsnÕt there great steak in such popular dining rooms as Dan TanaÕs that jumps with the high spirits from its hot crowds, Cut, the Pacific Dining Car, RuthÕs Chris Steakhouse, Jar, etc.? BritainÕs Gordon Ramsay, whose restaurant, London, in New York, disappointed New York TimesÕ Frank Bruni, is heading here next year, as is Todd English, whoÕs latched onto Eva Longoria for a fancy Mexican endeavor. Heading West with their indispensable knives, theyÕre seeking a slice of our California money pie. We wish them the best success. From the City of Slots comes this bewildering tale. Over a recent weekend, our charming BH Courier receptionist Sanna Heshmati attended a wedding in Las Vegas. She and several friends opted one evening to party at Pure, the club that some say our ubiquitous Paris Hilton has an interest in (no doubt gifted to her by the owners for publicity purposes). The crowd waiting at Pure was huge, and a joker strolled down the aisle to tip off the waiting folks that for $1,000 heÕd jump them Òto the head of the line, but no guarantee youÕll get in.Ó Sanna and friends declined. WhereÕs the sheriff to butt-kick this scam? Or is some Òmonkey businessÓ going on? Just asking. Online at www.bhcourier.com.