The Fancy Restaurant Club met at a place tonight I’d already eaten at twice, the Rosa Mexicano across the street from Lincoln Center, and I feared the magic might be gone. But the food was excellent as usual and do you know who was sitting a few tables over from us, embedded in a large entourage? Janet Jackson.
I can tell you she’s very short, divalike and sports a ponytail the size of a firelog. We heard-tell she was in the area shooting a segment for BET and we definitely noticed she changed her clothes in the restaurant’s restroom, which wasn’t all that unusual until you consider:
- Two men, each the approximate size of a phone booth, were stationed at the door and wouldn’t let anyone in until she exited.
- It was the men’s room.
Janet was in there awhile and a long line of guys formed outside, guys likely becoming less and less impressed (if they ever were) that it was Janet Jackson impeding their pee, even with the chance she would improve the smell in the stalls by her perfumed presence. As for the Club, we were not even clear why Janet was at Rosa Mexicano to begin with.
Don’t get me wrong: the place is fancy and we are not called the Fancy Restaurant Club for nothing. It’s also ranked among the Zagat Survey’s top-20 most-popular restaurants this year, although it’s not necessarily celebrity popular. In other words, real people such as you and I eat there, the service is prompt and polite, there isn’t a month-long waiting list, the chef isn’t a loudmouthed penis, and the entrees are very reasonably priced for the neighborhood.
Perhaps Janet was there on a multi-restaurant tour to fuel gossip and gain celeb-sighting column-inches in order to inspire mentions of her album 20 Y.O., available in stores nationwide tomorrow. Look for Janet to appear suddenly at an Olive Garden near you. Don’t take any guff from her bodyguards.