Yesterday, I spent an enjoyable morning at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills for the dineLA press conference. Don’t worry - I can mention other hotels here. I know who’s number one in my heart. But I, of course, had to go incognito. If you were there, do you remember a devilishly handsome gentleman who had the city’s best and brightest hanging on his every word?

That was me. Yes, I know how to blend in. It comes from my time in Berlin during the Cold War. Don’t ask.

Now, for those in the know, dineLA is a legendary tradition in Los Angeles: every year, for two years now, hundreds of the city’s best restaurants get together and, in the interest of broadening their customer base, offer special set menus at affordable prices. Why people order off the menu in the first place, I don’t know. I certainly never do. I like making up what I want for dinner on the spot, you know, to keep the restaurant staff on their feet. I love the mayhem I can cause with one simple request for fresh lizard’s tail baked in a BBQ spinach aioli. Hilarious! You should have seen Wolfgang’s face!

But so I spent an hour or two at this lovely press conference, giving each of the chefs terrible advice on how to make their restaurant more competitive with our resto Twist. Unlike these lazy bums, our own chef Antonio Moreno was, oddly enough, back at Twist actually working. Imagine that, chefs of dineLA? And what are you doing, if I may ask? Oh, you’re promoting your restaurant through this great LA program.

Here’s a few shots I took at the press conference. Who’s that in the middle? The mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa? I’ll never tell…

This is Bruce, signing off.

A few weeks ago, Michael Ausiello came to Hollywood for the 25th Annual Paley Festival, and hosted TV Guide’s The Ausiello Report from our very own hotel, the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa.

While the videos ran on TV Guide’s website and on Ausiello’s vodcast, we wanted to put these videos up right here on the blog, just to make sure you get a chance to see them. Watch (link) Ausiello interview Heroes’ Greg Grunberg about the hit NBC show and his new movie, hear (link) Ausiello digging for all the dirt from the stars at the Paley Fest’s red carpet, or witness (link) Ausiello invent his own martini at Twist Restaurant with Marriott’s “Cocktail Culture.”

We’re happy Ausiello had so much fun while he was here, and we hope to see him next year. Keep watching this space for more info, because there’s another film festival coming up soon, and we’re helping out again…

This is Bruce, signing off.

This last week we had the pleasure of having Michael Ausiello – the man, the legend, the flying trapeze artist* - of TV Guide’s popular and highly esteemed The Ausiello Report in our lobby and delivering his weekly sermon on entertainment industry news and gossip.

Michael was in town for the week-long Paley Festival, a big-time movie/TV to-do, if you know what I mean, covering such high-profile TV series such as Gossip Girl and the big Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reunion. His special wrap-up podcast for the PaleyFest can be seen here.

At first we thought he might be moving in to the hotel permanently, so that he could hunt his Hollywood prey in their natural habitat. After all, there are few places better to spot a TV star rambling about their super-monologue on CSI-Green Gables than the lobby of the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa.

Here’s a shot from the Cocktail Culture Shoot with TV Guide. In the picture is Michael, second from the right, with a few of our staff members: Carlo DeQuina, Twist & Lobby Bar Manager, Nicole Buehrer, cocktail waitress, and Jose Gongora, bartender.

Sadly for both me and for our staff, Michael decided to return to New York, where he will recover strength and regain agility for his next trip to the Western Portal of Culture (aka Los Angeles).

While he was here though, our Twist bartenders concocted a little something in honor of Michael’s stay: the Ausholetini, our Cocktail of the Day:

The Ausholetini Martini
1. Vodka
2. Sweet
3. Shake well and pour over ice, adding fresh seasonal berries.

So, Michael Ausiello is back in New York. We’ll miss him, but you can check out his column for TV Guide here.

*No, really. Ask him.

This is Bruce, signing off.

I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time: I finally get to talk about the new Spa Luce that’s opening in 2008. We broke ground right after last year’s Oscars (I give the edge to No Country for Old Men over last year’s winner, The Departed, but not by much) and ever since, we’ve been developing this place.

I mention this because we just gave our first tour of the premises to the media. And this wasn’t just any reporter or journalist; this was Liz Mazurski of Spa Magazine. Now, I know very little about the spa industry, but some little bird told me, and I quote, “She’s is the industry. She’s royalty. Why don’t you know this, Bruce? We told you this five times already.” Why people abuse my good name I don’t know, but apparently Liz is important.

Anyway, Liz came out and got a full-on Hardhat Tour of Spa Luce. It was pretty fabulous. We got to see all the elegant treatment rooms, the excellent showers, the post-treatment Tea Rooms… We only call it the Tea Room to please Helen Storer, our Spa Director; she’s English and she just insists on it. Doesn’t she know that we drink coffee here in America? Oh, I’m being told I’m wrong, that people going to spas like tea. Am I expected to know this?

Here are some spa details: At over 5700 square feet, Spa Luce will have seven distinct treatment rooms; much of the spa will be lit entirely by natural light (thank you, SoCal); and will feature at least two signature massage treatments, the Japan Ritual and the Hammam Ritual. Through these personally customized treatments, Spa Luce will offer a level of celebrity-inspired pampering all Renaissance guests deserve.

After the Hardhat Tour, we took Liz to Twist and we got to sample the tasty little morsels that will make up the spa menu. Everything was delicious, healthy, light – perfect for a little post-spa nibble.

Liz plans to include our spa in the May issue of Spa Magazine, so look for it on newstands. Time to wrap this up, preferably with this tasty Ahi Spring Roll. Yes, I will have another… Delicious.

This is Bruce, signing off.

Yes, just like last year and the year before, Valentine’s Day sneaks up on us, hiding in the bushes, just waiting for us to relax from the hectic holiday months, and then it pounces! Caught off guard, we flounder, casting our nets wildly in hopes of collaring some vagrant boxes of chocolate or a dozen forgotten roses. But to no avail!

Does this sound remotely familiar? If not, go away; you’re clearly a robot. If yes, then maybe consider an easy alternative to the upcoming scramble this February 14th: a romantic evening at Twist, our hotel’s humble yet obviously fantastic top restaurant, with a special Valentine’s Day menu for you and that special someone.

Okay, enough with the foreplay. Start with a glass of champagne and a duo of appetizers – Seared Scallop with mango relish and lotus root chip, and Braised Boneless Shortrib Beef with potato puree and cocoa sauce – followed by a choice of entrees: Grilled Skin on Wild Salmon with a cocunut curry broth, a Petite Filet with mashed pancetta taro root, or a Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with sundried tomato cous cous. And then something about a chocolate cake dessert – I hear it’s popular with the kids these days – Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Tart… Does sound good? Is it a good alternative to a broken heart? Histrionic or no, I say yes, yes, yes!

So, I hope to see you there, even if you plan ahead and already bought the flowers and chocolates. Heck, even robots need romance in their lives.

This is Bruce, signing off.