This week, lunch at the Grill was totally booked, except for Friday when everyone disappeared for the long weekend. Pete Peterson was here only one day--he must have been too busy talking about the deficit! I'm surprised we're so busy for the time of year, but all of our events have sold out, too. On Thursday we held a private tasting for Brunello di Montalcino by Mastrojanni, a delicious Italian red wine. We had a lovely time--too much of a good time, with all that wine!

Ralph Lauren was here on Wednesday. So was Ms. Stewart and the actor Chris O'Donnell. Geraldo Rivera, who did his last wedding with us, also came in for lunch, and on his way out, he hugged Bill O'Shaughnessy, who was looking very charming as usual (but still no haircut!). On Thursday Tory Burch was here with a guest I didn't recognize, who was very stylish, of course.

We hosted a breakfast for Henry Kissinger, where he spoke at length about China and his new book. It was fabulous--the most well-attended breakfast in Four Seasons history. It shows that Mr. Kissinger is still in charge. Mr. Obama, you should listen to him!

Over the weekend, MasterChef Australia filmed at the Four Seasons, and I was one of the judges along with Paul Liebrandt and David Chang (Wylie Dufresne was supposed to come but he got sick!) We didn't even start filming until eleven o'clock at night, and were there until six a.m. but it was a lot of fun. The people who won made a chocolate gold cake.

I also got outside the restaurant this week--can you believe it? On Tuesday night someone invited me to Elaine's, two days before it closed. We drank bottles of 1996 Cheval Blanc that were outrageously inexpensive, and there were so many people I knew that I started to go around taking their orders--I was playing the maitre'd, and everyone thought I worked there! The best part about the night was the food. The last time I was at Elaine's was ten years ago, but the food was excellent. I had a steak that's as good as the one we serve in the Grill (don't tell anyone). I'm sad Elaine's closed--it's the end of an era. But at least I got to be there.

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Joe Lieberman was here on Friday in a bright green tie, dining with Mort Zuckerman. The former governor of Utah Jon Hunstman was also here having lunch with his beautiful wife. He hasn't announced it yet, but I'm sure he will run for president. Everyone was clamoring for Mr. Hunstman! And Bill O'Shaughnessy was holding court at Philip Johnson's table. I think Mr. O'Shaughnessy needs a new hairstyle. We need to send him over to Fred Fekkai. Judy Taubman, the former Miss Israel, was here without her husband, Al, and I told her that Mr. O'Shaughnessy is Al's replacement! Maybe after we get his hair cut.

On Saturday I watched the Yankees play the Red Sox. Lately there have been no Yankees at the grill--we used to have Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter coming in, but that was a long time ago. Then on Sunday I made a movie with Richard Gere called Arbitrage. He is such a professional actor--unbelievable! He was here from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. without ever stopping, and he was very friendly, putting everyone at ease. I played myself. The scene was based on the Four Seasons. They told me to be myself, so I had little fun and did what I always do. A few years ago I also had a part in Inside Man, with Denzel Washington. Where is my SAG card?

Speaking of Hollywood, last night, we had a huge party to celebrate Too Big to Fail, the HBO movie based on Andrew Sorkin's book. They put a gigantic silver bull on top of a pile of money in the pool! Everyone was having pictures taken in front of it. Warren Buffet and George Soros were here. We had Donna Karan, James Woods, Armand Assante, Richard Plepler, Matthew Modine ... Mariska Hargitay and Cynthia Nixon were both looking stunningly beautiful. Stunning! It is really a great movie. It didn't have me in it, but you can't have everything.

Last weekend we had a private tasting for a very rare Louis XIII cognac with our best customers--just twenty people! Mary McFadden was there with Gregory Speck. We also had a cooking class. I had to get in early for that, because we make a full lunch and serve it with wine, and some people get really wasted.

On Monday we had a party for PR maven Peggy Siegal. Later in the week, Barbara Walters had a long lunch with Judith Giuliani. RFK Jr. came in, and of course Pete Peterson has been here. He always makes it in unless he's in Washington.

At the end of the week there was some drama. The prince came in on Friday and we didn't have his table. Oh, he was furious! He never shows up on time, but thinks he'll always get the same table. The matire'd said he called me every name in the book! But of course he didn't leave; instead he ate lunch in the Pool Room. On his last day before vacation! Can you believe it? What a going-away party! When I went to see he said to me, "You don't belong here; you belong on the other side." I had to pay him back, so when his guest arrived, I escorted him through the kitchen, through the private dining room and down the main staircase into the Pool Room. The prince doesn't know who he's dealing with!

At least he'll be in Paris for a few months, where he can cool off. But he'll be back--our prince always comes back.

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On Monday night we had an intimate dinner and wine-tasting with Francis Ford Coppola--you know he's now the Godfather of oenophilia--and we tried all of his best varietals, except for the 1959 Inglenook, which we were all waiting for but which Mr. Coppola must have lost on the way to the Four Seasons. We were very disappointed. I sat next to Mr. Coppola and he told me that when I come to visit him in Napa, he'll open a bottle of 1953 Inglenook--it's a pinot noir from the year I was born! At the end of the evening, we had a magnum of Dom Perignon that was outstanding. Of course, it did not come from Mr. Coppola's vineyard.

Mike Ovitz was back on Thursday telling everyone what a crazy guy I am. Can you imagine?! How could I be crazy when he is the one who started everything!

Late last week, Henry Kissinger lunched with Bob Rubin--maybe they were discussing the budget over some appetizers.

Then we had our media group: Gina Sanders, the lady behind Lucky magazine (and behind Steven Newhouse), came for lunch on Monday, and literary agent Lynn Nesbit dined with Lally Weymouth, who was wearing that fabulous black leather jacket again. She must have just worn it for me because it was too hot outside to justify leather. And, of course, Cathie Black was back--twice actually. Once for the Cancer Research cook-off last Sunday night (during which a Lady Gaga impersonator floated right through the pool, much to the amusement of the guests, including Tony Bennett, Mayor Bloomberg and Aerin Lauder) and then later in the week for lunch with PR magnate Robert Dilenschneider. God knows she could use some advice from him.

The prince is also back! He left after we didn't have his usual table ready for him two days in a row, but then after less than a week he reappeared. He said it was because we have the best food, but I'm sure it's actually because no one else would put up with him. He came in on Monday in a camel-colored suit and matching scarf and ate oysters alone at his banquet.

We recently celebrated Argentine musician (and heartthrob!) Diego Garcia with dinner in the Pool Room. This was right after his performance at Joe's Pub, where I made a bit of a spectacle. Last year, at my birthday party in the Grill, Diego serenaded me with a heartfelt ode called "Julian, It Is Your Fucking Birthday." I loved it so much that I couldn't help but yell, "Diego, it's my birthday!" from my seat on the balcony (it wasn't my birthday, but I wanted to get his attention). I was so loud that he paused the show to dedicate a song to me, a cover of "Strange Effect" by the Kinks. I clapped and danced all night!

Michael Steinhardt is coming in on Thursday with Warren Buffett. I can't wait to hear about who picked up the check!

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We had quite the legal showdown in the Pool Room last Thursday, as Page Six reported earlier this week. The Grill was booked, so Michael Ovitz, who came with the new Goldman Sachs bigwig, Gary Cohn, was very angry that I had to seat him in the Pool Room. He said, "Let's go somewhere else." So then Mr. Ovitz had his lawyer, I. Really Cheatham, draw up a complaint alleging that Mr. Ovitz suffered "significant physical, emotional and financial injury," due to his seating arrangement. At first I thought it was real, because he was so angry, but then I showed the letter to my wife and she said, "That's not a real law firm! That's from the Three Stooges!" So, relieved, I reciprocated with a letter from my lawyer, Pinkie Plushbottom.

Then one of Donald Drapkin's guests was being very rude, and I told him to please behave himself, and so he got in my face and told me, "You don't fuck with me, do you know who I am?" I told him I didn't care who he was, and at the end of the meal he came over and apologized.

It's the end of an era, the prince has stopped dining with us. We didn't have his table ready twice in one week, so he walked out and said he's not coming back.

But in losing an Arab prince, we gained an Israeli politician! President Shimon Peres came for lunch last week. It was quite the ordeal; we had to seat him upstairs on the balcony because he needed total privacy. His security took over the whole restaurant and they bugged the place! Can you imagine? It was very intense.

We also had our annual Cigar Aficionado party, which raised money for prostate cancer. People were smoking cigars everywhere! It's the one day of the year that people can smoke inside the restaurant. We get a permit from the city annually since we have a special ventilation system to dispel the smoke. It's all very scientific.

Then last Monday was a balmy spring day, which brought out all the heavy hitters: the Rudin family, Steve Rattner, Sandy Weill and Leonard Lauder with a man from Mexico (don't get excited, it wasn't Carlos Slim).

Lally Weymouth also came by for lunch recently wearing a black leather jacket, and she looked hot! I've never seen her look so good. And you know why she's wearing black leather, don't you? It's because she moved downtown, so she's very hip now. Like me!

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Peter Brandt was also here, looking very sharp in a gray pinstriped double-breasted suit--no wonder he's back with his gorgeous wife! The whole week has been a Condé Nast bonanza; on Thursday we had Si Newhouse eating with Leonard Lauder, and on Monday CEO Chuck Townsend lunched with former Vogue publisher Tom Florio. And nearby Richard Beckman was eating with Alan Grubman!

Dolly Lenz was here, sharing crudités with two dark-suited gentlemen. She came in last week with Howard Lorber, but it was so crowded I had to have them wait 15 minutes for a table! They must have been discussing something important because they were drinking a really good red wine, which is a lot to handle in the middle of the day.

The prince arrived at his usual time, but he didn't like any of the tables that were available so he just shook his head and turned around and left. I think he went shopping. He was wearing a suit the color of split pea soup with a pale green tie and matching pochette--like a leprechaun!

Bethenny Frankel finally came but left the camera crew at home. She and her husband, Jason Hoppy, celebrated their one-year anniversary with a very quiet romantic dinner in the Grill--just the three of us, hee-hee. They drank pink Champagne, and she was all elegance in a cashmere sweater dress and pearls--but don't worry, I reminded her about the ice bucket and made sure it was available at all times.

Daphne Guinness was here on a date with her boyfriend, Bernard-Henri Lévy. I think he was celebrating his New York Times article about how he was responsible for rescuing all the Libyans. Ms. Guinness' blond hair looked like a crown, and she was wearing the most amazing shoes--they had no heel! Speaking of sartorial splendor, later this week I'm going in for a fitting for my starring role in Arbitrage at Michael Reslan's atelier. I can't wait--Richard Gere is going to look so shabby next to me in my fresh suit!

Two tables down, Anthony Weiner had a very long lunch with another gentleman. The possible mayoral candidate drank iced tea and wore a pale gray suit with a blue shirt and no tie. Mr. Weiner greeted people as they filtered out, including Bill Rudin, who stopped for a few minutes at the politician's table.

We also had a senator from Washington State here on Monday. Her name is Maria Cantwell, and she must be a Democrat because she was here with Leo Hindery and he doesn't give money to Republicans.

Bethenny Frankel was supposed to come on Monday morning to celebrate her one-year anniversary on camera for her show Bethenny Ever After. (Remember when she got married here and peed in my wine bucket? I do.) But at the last minute, they had to fly to the West Coast. Maybe they are making a Bethenny movie!

Last week Ralph Lauren came in. He likes meat, so he usually orders a hamburger. While he was waiting for Barry Diller to arrive last Wednesday, Joel Klein said hello to fellow diners including Donald Marron and Pete Peterson, who was eating with Phoenix House founder Mitch Rosenthal. It was quite the literary week, with Simon and Schuster magnate Michael Korda lunching with Mary Higgins Clark, and Tuesday, Lynn Nesbit brought Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize-winning economist!

The prince has been coming every day. On Monday, he arrived in a brown coat with mink trim and was so unhappy sitting alone that he left in the middle of his meal. On Tuesday, he had learned his lesson, so he brought a friend, a Lebanese gentleman.

I'm very happy that finally everyone is back from spring break, and it's getting to be the time of year that people start going out again. Even though it's freezing outside, we have our cherry blossoms up and our spring menu is in full swing. Last week a group of six young women came in for lunch and squeezed in at one table. They were celebrating a birthday and drank Dom Pérignon Rosé Champagne. I served them an enormous cotton candy, and they took it to go in a giant white plastic bag. Can you imagine!? Then they invited me to join them to drink Cristal in their white limousine outside.

Mary Boone has been coming almost every day. I think she is getting a little competitive with Arne Glimcher. I told you that last Tuesday she brought Eric Fischl, and everyone was so excited that he was here. Then I realized why they were all so excited--everyone in the room owned a painting by him (well, practically!). Mr. Fischl was the first person to wear jeans in the Grill since Mick Jagger many years ago. Mary Boone actually asked me, "Why did you let him in then?" And I told her, "Why do you think I let him in!?" Unbelievable!

We really had the art world in our crosshairs this week. Larry Gagosian stopped by for a tasting as well. We are hosting a big party for him here for the opening of his Malevich exhibit on March 3. We planned an all-white menu. Very chic!

The prince is here every day now. I've trained him to call ahead to tell me when he's coming. He usually just shows up and wants his corner banquet table. Can you imagine? Now he calls my cell phone to alert me. On Friday, he arrived for lunch at almost 2 p.m. wearing a bright green scarf, with his usual hunter green suit. He still has red wine, but he has started drinking his Coca Cola here. He usually drinks 12 of the little glass bottles a day! On the other side of the room was the Barefoot Contessa. Sort of like royalty bookends!

NPR pundit Bill O'Shaughnessy came in twice last week, once with a friend and once with his son.

Pete Peterson sent me the 2011 Pirelli Calendar photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. There were naked women and even some naked men! Why did he send it to me? I don't know; he's a very generous guy. Also probably because he knew I would make a fool of myself and show it around the restaurant!

He was here earlier in the week like everyone else. But by Friday, they had all left for the long weekend. Pete Peterson left for Florida that afternoon. Everyone is either going to Florida or to Aspen.