A Man For All Seasons
Award-winning actor Hector Elizondo has had a successful career spanning 40 years that includes film, television, theater and radio. In 1997, Elizondo won the prestigious Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Dr. Phillip Watters on CBS’ “Chicago Hope.” For six years on the show, Elizondo delivered a heartfelt and poignant performance that earned him four Emmy nominations, while creating a character that will be etched in television history for a long time to come. More >

Versatile actor, writer, director, and producer Jon Cryer has been a force in Hollywood for years. Since bursting on the scene with his critically acclaimed performance opposite Demi Moore in 1984’s No Small Affair, Cryer has gone on to star in such blockbusters as Pretty in Pink, Hot Shots!, Hiding Out, as well as Robert Rodriguez’s latest family film, Shorts. More >

Dr. David S. Boyer helped co-pioneer the formation of Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group in Los Angeles amost 30 years ago, and since then the group has grown in size and stature. Now, with seven other doctors and four other locations (including one in Beverly Hills, the practice has become a nationally recognized leader and continues to serve communities in Southern California. More >

The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) is the largest manager of charitable assets and the leader in planned giving solutions for Greater Los Angeles Jewish philanthropists. It combines the best attributes of a bank, trust company, investment firm, and nonprofit agency and provides donors with the flexibility to give to a wide array of causes. Created by The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles in 1954, The Foundation is notable for its enduring stability, which has enabled assets to grow to $700 million. More >

Rex Reed is arguably the most well-known, well-respected, and most- feared film critics of all time. Known for his caustic wit, beautiful prose, and incorruptible integrity, filmmakers practically live and die by his word. A positive review by Reed, rare as it is, can make a film. A negative one, however, can be devastating.

Beverly Hills [213] recently spoke with Mr. Reed recently about the current state of film today.

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At age 84, Hal Holbrook is experiencing an exciting redirection of his illustrious career. Beginning with 2007’s Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award and an Academy Award, Mr. Holbrook is now getting roles that Hollywood never thought to offer him before.

Perhaps best known for his one-man show Mark Twain Tonight (for which he won a Tony), Mr. Holbrook has appeared in over 50 films. He recently spoke to Beverly Hills [213] about his latest project, the very personal and riveting drama, That Evening Sun.

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MR CHOW and MRS CHOW

MR CHOW has been known as THE place to see-and-be seen in Beverly Hills since 1974, and shows no signs of letting up. The ultra-modern dining room fits hungry guests clamoring to dine on the many authentic Chinese classic dishes the kitchen offers up. In honor of [213]’s annual restaurant guide, Mr. and Mrs. Chow, the dynamic co-restaurateurs, spoke with us to discuss their thoughts on running the incredibly successful CHOW franchise, now found in cities across the world (and soon to be in many more).

Michael Chow

BH [213]: How does your training in architecture and painting affect your philosophy in your restaurants?

Michael Chow: Well, everything’s connected, especially in architecture, which is a creative process. You need a theme to start with, then design, and then you have a discipline of the structure. A restaurant is a theatre, the way I look at it—the kitchen is the backstage, the front has the audience. The concept of all these things you are saying all share a common mythology and philosophy, so one practices these things on a daily basis, and they’re all one.

Please describe your journey from being a child in Shanghai to becoming a famous restaurateur in Beverly Hills?

MC: I left China very young, around 13 or 14, and I always longed for a desire to bridge the East and West. Sounds corny, but it’s true. So I appointed myself the cultural ambassador of China. So I opened a restaurant to show the West how great Chinese culture can be, in this case, the food. And by charging a dollar more, it gets a little bit more respect. Ad since I lost my country and my culture, it’s a platform for me to recapture and gain back what I lost. The restaurant has become a symbol for my lost youth, so to speak.

Please tell me about any new and /or exciting dishes at MR CHOW.

MC: For MR CHOW Miami, opening August 1 at the W Hotel, we will introduce our new menu, and soon after, all of our other restaurants will adopt the new menu. Eva [Mrs. Chow] has been working very closely with me on this.

Is there a similar theme in all of your restaurants?

MC: All of the them are designed by us, so while each one has its own architecture differences, the theme and feeling is the same.

Eva Chow

BH [213]: What is your daily routine like?

EC: I don’t have such a thing as a routine. Between traveling between the restaurants in London, New York, Vegas, running the house, and being a mother, “routine” is not how I would describe my days.

What do you love about running the restaurant?

EC: It’s a people thing, I really love it. I go to the restaurants and see people really enjoying it, having people tell me they had their 20^th birthday party there and now their kids are having their birthday parties there as well is very rewarding. We want to make it as fun, enjoyable, and as delicious as we can to all people. And there’s never a dull moment.

How does your experience as a fashion designer and artist influence what you do now?

Fashion designer is a 24-7 kind of work, so you really have to love what you do. I think being a restaurateur is the same. It’s not something you go to the office from 9 to 5; you have to be doing it constantly, thinking about it, work for it all the time, and the amount of energy it takes for the details is extraordinary. If you don’t have the passion for it, you can’t really do it, because it’d be too hard.

Please tell me about your experiences with LACMA.

EC: I’m on board of trustees for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I love it because they do such a great thing for the community, and I am trying to put as much as I can in order to be a small part of it. The leader, Michael Govan, is an incredible director and he does an amazing job. It’s very exciting what they’re doing.

What are some of the daily challenges you face at MR CHOW?

EC: The restaurant business is not something you do once, like the way an artist can paint one picture and it’s great forever. In the restaurant business you have to be great every day. We’ve been in Beverly Hills since 1974, and the challenges are still on-going. It’s challenging because we always want to do our best job. We have such a great clientele and such a great following, and I enjoy it so much. We feel very fortunate.

-Adam Albright-Hanna