LAWRENCE BENDER: Mari Vanna

It was such a delight to meet famed producer Lawrence Bender.

Lawrence Bender & guest Lawrence Robbins

Of course at New York City’s top Russian Restaurant, it is not uncommon for celebrities, high profile people and fashion designers to be spotted frequently. Partner Sasha Poline treated everyone to a an array of fantastic Russian food in a classic ambiance “Grandmother’s Kitchen” feeling. Stuffed with Chilean Sea Bass, Chicken Kiev, Salad Olivier, Beluga Vodka, caviar, cured raw salmon, red wine, the list goes on and on to this feast of kings. The only thing missing were people literally spoon feeding everyone while receiving a massage at the dinner table. I wonder if that is a good idea, massages while having dinner. Interesting concept for a restaurant perhaps in Moscow where excess is not enough. And in fact, this Russian attitude has crossed over to Mari Vanna where it seems attractive customer service is still very much alive.

According to one of my favorite sources, Wikipedia: “In the 1980s, he worked as a grip on the syndicated anthology series Tales from the Darkside. In 1989, he produced the film Intruder, in which leading roles are Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. His films to date, including such hits as Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting, have been honored with 29 Academy Award nominations, including three

Partner Sasha Poline & guest Anna Huzar

for Best Picture, and have won 6. His film An Inconvenient Truth, which raised unprecedented awareness about climate change, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. His latest documentary, Countdown to Zero, features Tony Blair, Presidents, Musharef, Gorbachev, De Klerk and Carter among others, details the urgent risk posed by proliferation, terrorism, and accidental use of nuclear weapons. Other films include, From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), Anna And The King (1999), The Mexican (2001), Innocent Voices (2004), and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (2004).