8 Restaurant Chefs Boast About Their Biggest Celebrity Fans, From Chrissy Teigen to Ryan Reynolds
Here's where to dine like the stars.
Celebrities will travel near and far in search of an amazing meal. Sometime they become regulars at a favorite restaurant, showing up frequently and getting to know the staff and chef. And other times, they might visit once for a memorable dinner and give a shout-out to the chef.
Either way, these eight restaurant chefs adore their star fans. Want to dine out like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds or Chrissy Teigen and John Legend? Read on to find out where they love to nosh—and what they like to order.
1. Aziz Ansari at Butcher Bar
“As we all have learned from the first season of Master of None, Aziz Ansari is a huge foodie and BBQ fan! He learned about our full pig roasts that we offer at the LIC Flea and Astoria location—on occasion—and wanted a taste for himself. Since we slow roast the pig for hours on end, he thoroughly enjoyed it and decided to have us in the second season of Master of None. You’ll see my debut in the Smorgasburg scene as ‘Tickler’s BBQ’ serving up our famous pig roast.” – Matthew Katakis, Executive Chef & Owner of Butcher Bar in Astoria, NY
2. Michael Buble at Patsy’s
“Michael Buble is a longtime Patsy’s customer. He’s like family to us. His favorite dishes are our famous Stuffed Artichokes, Meatballs, Tortellini with Meat Sauce, and Three-Color Salad. Every time Michael is in town, he comes to eat with people in the industry but also his family, wife, grandmother, kids. Even though he’s such a big celebrity, Michael is a humble and appreciative person. He is a true gentleman.” – Sal Scognamillow, Executive Chef of Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in New York City
3. Christie Brinkley and Alexa Ray Joel at Boulton & Watt
“Mother daughter duo Christie Brinkley and Alexa Ray Joel have been super fans of Boulton & Watt since we opened in 2012. Christie absolutely loves the Crispy Quinoa Salad. Alexa lives in the city and probably orders delivery from us four days a week. It's truly impressive! She rotates between her mom's favorite, our amazing mac & cheese, homemade burrata, and the vegetarian spaghetti and meatballs. We love when they visit! – David Rotter, Executive Chef at Boulton & Watt in New York City
4. Chissy Teigen and John Legend at Fish Cheeks
"Chrissy Teigen and John Legend dined at Fish Cheeks with a group of friends. We were lucky, because we opened in her old neighborhood before she moved to LA—and her favorite street to boot. They were so low maintenance, easygoing, and super kind, and they literally ordered the entire menu. Chrissy gave compliments following the meal, noting that she especially loved the Nam Tok Pork, and that it reminded her of her mom's cooking." – Chat Suansilphong, Chef & Partner of Fish Cheeks in New York City
5. Jane Lynch at Honey Butter Fried Chicken
“Jane Lynch came in after appearing on a local news show segment and was super cool and friendly. We were all starstruck and tried to keep our cool and give her space. She came up to me after eating and said she loved her food, and said ‘hi’ to all of our staff. Later that day she tweeted to her followers that Honey Butter Fried Chicken was the best chicken in Chicago! Needless to say, we were pretty psyched.” – Josh Kulp, Chef & Owner of Honey Butter Fried Chicken in Chicago
6. Guy Fieri at Rebelle
“Guy and Robert [Irvine] were staying [at The St. Anthony Hotel]. Guy came into the bar and had some drinks. He saw the chicharonnes come out of the kitchen, and he headed back to give his pro tips on chicharrones. I've always acted out, so, when Guy came into Rebelle's kitchen and delivered a 10-minute lecture, I couldn't resist giving him some s***. And, as any good cook does, he gave me a solid push to the chest. It was pretty great. This is the kitchen I love—where you can be young forever, if not in body, then in spirit. I was, and I know my crew were grateful for Guy and Robert’s words of wisdom. Talking to Guy earlier in the day, he mentioned he's a flat-out workaholic. So, you can bag and trash him all you want, but if you ever worked more than 60 hours in a week for a decade it's hard not to relate. Especially never being able to do it in anonymity. That's a whole 'nother nightmare." - Stefan Bowers, Chef at Battalion in San Antonio, TX
7. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively at O Ya
"Ryan and Blake have been coming into O Ya for years now and we love both of them. They actually credit O Ya Boston as the place where they first fell in love! They celebrated Ryan's 35th birthday at O Ya Boston a few years back, and then last fall they celebrated his 40th at the New York restaurant. Blake loves to cook—she's pretty great at it—and has spent some time on the line with our chefs in the kitchen. She even came in and cooked family meal for our staff once—a Southern meal with corn pudding, tomato pie, and this really memorable homemade ice cream." - Tim Cushman, Chef & Co-Owner of O Ya in Boston
8. George Clooney and Ewan McGregor at Pinoli
"George Clooney and Ewan McGregor ate at Pinoli while they were filming The Men Who Stare at Goats. They came in with other lesser-known actors to have dinner. George ordered the halibut and Ewan McGregor enjoyed the filet of lamb.” – Christian Darcoli, Chef at Pinoli Ristorante in Puerto Rico
