May 18, 2005

Dean & Deluca: protecting celebs from paparazzi

Just how celebrity friendly is the Dean & Deluca shop on Rockefeller Center?

Well imagine you're Lindsay Lohan, hoping to pop in for a coffee and look-see at the salad bar. As you emerge from your giant black SUV on Monday evening around 5:30 with two friends, you are hounded by two paparazzi. One follows you into the shop, pushing customers out of his way and nearly knocking an elderly lady to the ground. As your friend yells at this heathen, the manager comes to your rescue and physically hauls the guy outside. Undeterred, the mean paparazzi man sticks his foot-long lens up to the glass, running from window to window to see if you will actually put food to your lips.

The true test of the store's celebrity friendliness rating? Each time the man with the camera is in position, the Dean & Deluca counter staff frantically wave their arms around to screw up his shot.

Eventually you'll have to leave the safety of Dean & Deluca, head back to your giant SUV and watch in the side mirror as the pudgy man with the camera runs after you along 49th Street.

But with customer service like that, you'll surely be back.

Dean & Deluca is located at 9 Rockefeller Plaza, on 49th Street near 5th Avenue.

May 18, 2005 02:27 PM in Foodology

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