I had dinner with Gwyneth Paltrow...

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U2@NYC

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Well, well, well, this happened like four years ago, but for some reason it came to me today that I never relayed this story to the forum, so here it goes.

When I used to live in NYC, my father had come to visit me from home since he had some business to do in Manhattan. My dad happens to be a fancier of nice restaurants so, for dinner that night, I picked a trendy spot in Tribeca, named Da Silvano's (Zagat called it a fabulous spot for northern Italian cuisine).

We got there around 9:00 p.m. or so and got seated in a very tiny table in the middle of the restaurant (for those of you unfamiliar with NYC restaurants, let me tell you that tables are so close to each other that you can literally eat the food from your neighbor's plate). On one side, we had a nice old couple (whom we find out were record executives) and the table on the other side was empty.

Soon after ordering our appetizers, my father looked dazzled at the door (I could not see anything since I was facing the other way). So I asked what was going on and he said "I... think that is Gwyneth Paltrow, right?". I looked back and there she was, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and wearing absolutely no make up. It was great timing also, since this was like 2 months after she had won the award for best actress for "Shakespeare in Love".

So the restaurant's owner comes out to greet her and says to her "I'm sorry, Gwyneth, but the only table open is this tiny one right here, would you mind?"

And yes, you guessed right, it was the table right next to us.

She graciously said "no" and sat right next to me, with her friend (who I found was an editor in a fashion magazine) next to my dad.

As you may imagine, that was the end of our focus on whatever food we were eating. I honestly could not care less about what I was eating since I had Gwyneth Paltrow seating right by my side.

So I looked at my dad and said, "ok, if we do not say anything we would be the most stupid people of the world"... but then we could not figure out what to say without looking silly. By that time, she had ordered her meal and was discussing with the people on the other table what wine to get.

And there went my dad, all of a sudden, and without a warning...

"I know a great red that would go very well with that risotto".

I was surprised, since my dad is, normally, very shy.

Gwyneth smiled back and said, "sure, what can you recommend us?". And my dad rambled on and recommended some random wine...

I started to realize that I looked stupid without saying anything so I simply introduced myself to her and her friend. She said "hi, nice meeting you, my name is Gwyneth".

Like I did not know.

And that was the beginning of a 2-hour conversation throughout dinner with the two ladies. Most funny of all, 90% of it was in Spanish as I soon as she found out where I was from she started speaking it, mentioning that she had spent a year in Talavera de la Reina, close to Madrid, as an exchange student.

Towards the end of the meal, I felt that I did not want to ruin the nice chat, but still thought that I needed to get some proof of my encounter to my friends (otherwise, they would never believe me). So I gave her one of my business cards and kindly asked "Gwyneth, I hate asking you this, since you have been so nice, but can you just scribble something in here so I can remember this night?".

She smiled and wrote "Un beso, con mucho carino" ("a kiss, with lots of love") and signed her name.

Afterwards, and as they left, we gave them both our cards and said that if they ever needed some advice on visiting our homeland, they should call us to get some tips. Before they left, someone from another table (Ron Silver, who is, apparently, someone in showbiz) paid their bill... in relation to this, Gwyneth's friend told me: "the great thing about going out with Gwyneth is that we never pay our bills".

Shortly after, they left. And both me and my dad still remember that night like it had been yesterday. And, believe me, I was not that crazy about Ms. Paltrow before that dinner, but her simplicity and charm made me one of her biggest fans ever since.

As they say, this could only happen in New York. :yes:
 
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aww, that's a really nice story. gwyneth seems to have it all- looks, talent, money, baby, hubby (chris martin, yum!)- so it would be easy to be jealous and say mean things... ;) but it's nice to hear that she's a friendly person! :)
 
By any chance during the conversation did you mention that "Apple" sounded like a good name for a child? You might ultimately be the cause of that!:wink:
 
True, she might have been Plum because she definetly worked for Vanity Fair...

And, no, no mention of Apple for a baby name... maybe she really enjoyed her dessert? :)
 
Ah, celebrity encounters. I remember mine as though it happened yesterday although it was nearly twenty years ago.

I had dropped out of college to persue a life of slope side leisure in Park City, Utah and found employment bussing tables at the Claimjumper Steakhouse on Main Street. One evening Hal Linden (Barney Miller tv show for those too young to remember) and Ted Knight came by with a party of about eight to dine.

They were awaiting after dinner cordials as I discretely tried to remove a tray of dirty dishes from a nearby waitress station and failed to notice a broken handle that caused me to drop all the dishes on the floor with a loud crash. Just then, Mr. Knight bellowed, "and stay out!" to the amusement of his guests as though he were reprimanding Danny Noonan for taking liberties with his niece in "Caddyshack."

I really should have been embarrased but I was still laughing at the maitre d for earlier informing them, "Mr. Baxter, your table is ready".
 
Hewson said:
Actually if she has a friend named Plum, that goes a long way towards explaining Apple.

I'm slightly worried if Gwyneth and Chris have more kids - I mean, is Apple going to have a brother called Banana and a sister called Orange..?:huh: Nah, I'm being stupid here, do excuse me! I've just spent a day baking and cooking with my mother so you can't blame me for having thoughts like these...

But it was such a wonderful story, thanks a lot for sharing it with us U2@NYC!!! I'm sure you and your dad will always remember that night. :)
 
I knew Gwynneth is an excellent, excellent actress. Now I know that she's a great person, too. I expected about as much. I'm a big fan of both her acting and her husband's band's music.
 
I passed her on the street once. She is a naturally beautiful woman without make-up. Just perfect skin. Now I'm wondering if that was Chris with her...it was a few years ago and I was too busy admiring her skin to get a look at the man she was with.:huh:
 
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