09-07-2007 Article by George Christy Published in: The Beverly Hills Courier | The San Marino Tribune Early this evening, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson will launch Passport to a Grecian Holiday, the ninth annual event on the Grand Plaza grounds of the Saint Sophia Cathedral in the Byzantine Latino Quarter at the corner of Normandie Avenue and Pico Boulevard. The event is free tonight, from 5 PM to 11 PM, with $5 admission on Saturday and Sunday. Youngsters under 12 are admitted free all weekend. Jan and Ted Pastras serve as the festival directors, with the Rev. Father John Bakas noting, ÒWe welcome one and all, not only to the Fete but into our beautiful Cathedral during their visit.Ó An architectural marvel and landmark, Saint SophiaÕs must be seen, with extensive tours being offered. St. SophiaÕs was the setting for Tom and RitaÕs Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony, and for the sacred baptisms of FoxÕs Ann and Jim GianopulosÕ daughters, Alexia and Nicoletta. Home-cooked favorites are served all weekend at fair prices. From the saganaki, the flaming cheese dish, to pastitsio (a lighter version of lasagna), spanakotiropita (spinach-cheese pie in phyllo pastry) to calamari. Along with favored desserts such as baklava and galaktoboureko (rather like a cr�me brulee). ÒDishes from Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes will be featured,Ó says Jan Pastras, and raffle prizes include a trip for two to Greece. A Sports Bar at one end of the Grand Plaza will broadcast weekend football games and other sporting events, with Greek beers and wines served along with feta fries and loukanika (Greek sausage) sandwiches. ÒWeÕre proud that our Greek Fest has become a blockbuster event in our City of the Angels,Ó adds Ted Pastras. ÒFree and secure parking is available, as is shuttle service from nearby lots.Ó Year after year, the loyal festival friends find it a hospitable weekend of savoring the best of Greek cuisine, folk music and dancing. Families look forward to it, along with Grecophiles and newcomers seeking a pleasurable adventure. Howard BragmanÕs become the L.A. TimesÕ go-to PR tipster, appears on KABC with late- night host Peter Tilden, and dishes Hollywood on CNN. For these past months, heÕs shopped his book proposal, WhereÕs My 15 Minutes, about the whys and wherefores of the PR trade, and lately returned from New York with Penguin Press as his publisher. After leaving the successful Bragman, Nyman and Cafarelli agency, Howard opened his firm, 15 Minutes, with clients such as Ricki Lake, Rikki Klieman (Mrs. Bill Bratton), Ford Motor Company, and is now guiding the controversial Isaiah Washington of GreyÕs Anatomy through the treacherous waters of his anti-gay slur against series colleague, T. R. Knight. HowardÕs booked Isaiah on the Larry King Show, arranged print interviews plus other outlets. HeÕs corralled a staff of 15 for his 15 Minutes offices, and was congratulated on the sale of his book one weekend evening, when he hosted a birthday barbecue at his Hollywood Hills estate for equestrian Chuck OÕDonnell, who owns four horses and looks after 20 thoroughbreds for his clients. Joining the guests were the brand-new Fortitude AgencyÕs Ben Press, with wife Paula (they bonded at ICM, when Paula was in the mail room, Ben was an assistant, and Paula was teased Òabout sleeping her way downÓ). Ben hails from the classy menÕs clothing dynasty, J. Press, opened by his great-grandfather, that best-dressed Yalies and preppy colleagues frequent in New Haven, Cambridge, Washington and Manhattan (those striped silk rep neckties from my college days remain in mint condition; J. Press quality is forever). Ford Motor CompanyÕs Al Uzielli, whose mom is Anne Ford, the daughter of auto tycoon Henry Ford, was among the friends Ð AlÕs partnered in the popular vintage Italian dining room, La Dolce Vita, in Beverly Hills that was Frank Sinatra and George RaftÕs watering hole, and now a hangout for designer Tom Ford and photographer Bruce Weber. Award-winning celebrity photographer Greg Gorman was back from a 90-day trip across country, with one 30-day segment spent filming Americans from every state and from all walks of life for a Disney project. ÒMuch better than wrangling with celebrities, agents, managers, publicists, relatives, hand-holders, make-up personnel, stylists who only want their outfits to be worn Ð really invigorating to photograph down-to-earth people.Ó At HowardÕs, we visited with Dr. Gary Cohan, whose popular KABC Medical Show airs every Sunday from 11AM to 1PM, and is chockablock with valuable information Gary dispenses to callers. He winks that his is Òthe only doctorÕs office open for brunch on Sundays.Ó Lorna Luft said sheÕs soon heading back to London after her successful run in Babes in Arms Ð sheÕll star in White Christmas, the stage musical based on 1954 Bing Crosby film. Catering by Greg served the barbecued chicken, ribs and tri-tip, and Whitney Dineen was applauded for her top-hat-tall birthday cakes, one chocolate and one vanilla, and for her chocolate chip cookies, ginger snaps and coconut macaroons. And Crystal Valet service did an outstanding job parking the cars in a hilly neighborhood, where another huge party was being hosted next door and jammed the streets. Holding forth were Tommi and Peter Tilden, Bernie Lewinsky, a kind man whoÕs the father of the victimized Monica, producer Cathy Schulman. Ricki Lake, Esai Morales, David Sager, Brian Churchill, Graham Kaye, Jackie Mazarella, John Adams. Steve Dontanville informed heÕs joined forces with former ICM colleague Frank Fattaroli in their D/F Management Agency based in Culver City (clients include Frances McDormand, Lisa Kudrow, Benjamin Bratt, Michelle Monaghan). HowardÕs neighbor, James Krank, son of the iconic Beverly Garland, whoÕs appeared in innumerable television shows and films and is a neighbor, explained that it was his dad, Fillmore Krank, who developed the neighborhood in that tucked-away enclave off Mulholland Drive. James manages the properties. The night before, Laura Dern, featured in the current issue of W, was talking about her young ones, son Ellery and daughter Jaya, with musician Ben Harper. She was praising the cleaner seaside air in Santa Monica, where theyÕve relocated from Hollywood, and the excellent Italian cuisine at her favorite Amici Brentwood, as was her dining partner Janie Lemons, whoÕs developing properties for Courteney Cox and David Arquette. Janie refutes what one reads about Courteney and David not getting along. The tabloids have it wrong, she says, claiming that Jennifer Aniston was with them on their Hawaiian holiday as a buffer Ð Ònot only was Jennifer, but many other party pals were having fun.Ó Laura notes that mom, Diane Ladd, who for years has pursued starring as Martha ÒThe Mouth of the SouthÓ Mitchell in the screenplay DianeÕs developed, may find it coming to fruition. FinancingÕs just about completed. Martha was the wife of convicted Attorney General John Mitchell during Richard NixonÕs Watergate scandal. Laura concurs that you canÕt go wrong at Amici Brentwood. Maria Shriver and Governor Arnold are regulars with their family, as are Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer, Peter Berg, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Jack Bender, Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy, Cuba Gooding Jr. with wife Sarah, Dabney Coleman, Michael Keaton, and Nancy Davis Rickel hosts birthday parties for herself and friends. Owned by the tall and handsome Tancredi DeLuca and his beautiful wife Nina, who also own Trattoria Amici in Beverly Hills, Amici Brentwood is looked after by the statuesque Pietro Smargiassi of the Roman coin profile. The dining room with its nicely spaced tables, contemporary art and high ceiling offers a relaxing ambiance and the foodÕs consistently delicious. Chef Gerber TobarÕs popular items include the artichoke salad, thin-crust pizzas, dairy-free vegetable soups, cheese-and-artichoke ravioli with shaved black truffles, pasta with crab, Dover sole, branzino, langoustine, veal Milanese. Lunch weekdays and Saturdays, dinner nightly. At San Vicente Boulevard and 26th Street. Telephone: (310) 260-4900. VogueÕs September cover girl, Sienna Miller, tells Sally Singer that she was bored with her identity as the poster girl for boho chic and the wronged girlfriend of Jude Law. She didnÕt make friends with the folks in Pittsburgh when she called that great city of three rivers with a nasty name that offended many. ÒIÕm free-spirited and it gets me into trouble. Hard to be yourself and be accepted in the world I move in. I look around and see a lot of miserable people. IÕm lucky in that IÕm really happy and looking for civility in my romantic life.Ó Online at www.bhcourier.com.