Chef Francis Dimitrius of Villa Blanca Talks to B-Side Blog

Lisa VanderPump isn’t the only person at Villa Blanca making a splash on TV. The restaurant’s executive chef Francis Dimitrius recently appeared on Food Network’s Extreme Chef, the show which tasks chefs to brave the elements and concoct a meal in just thirty minutes. Francis, who Lisa VanderPump told me on Sunday was almost a …

Ep. 19: Banter with Ben and Lisa

We’re baaaaaack. After a brief hiatus, Lisa and I have recorded a new episode of Banter with Ben and Lisa. On this latest edition, we talk about exercise, and yes, I speak at great length about my current torture: P90x. The two of us discuss the program, especially the grueling yoga portion, as well as …

BIG BROTHER PHOTOCAP: Rachel Gets Told Hoff

There’s nothing better than when a silly, inconsequential luxury competition sets off a chain reaction on a reality show. We’ve seen it happen umpteen times on Survivor, and on last night’s Big Brother, it happened again. Here’s how it all went down: to hype up the premiere episode of Same Name, the producers arranged a …

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NYC PHOTOCAP: The Season Ends on a Curious Note

Well, it’s over. The fourth season of The Real Housewives of New York City managed to survive the departure of Bethenny Frankel by serving us an extra helping of catty in-fighting for sixteen glorious episodes. I think just about everyone fought with everyone… except for Kelly, who emerged as the most mature and level-headed woman …

BIG BROTHER PHOTOCAP: Introducing Super Safari Chenbot

Every season, the Chenbot dazzles us with an outfit so unconventional, so bizarre that it becomes instantly legendary. There was her sparkling astronaut pantsuit one year. And there was her orange jumpsuit another year. Last night, Julie defied expectations and busted out her first ever cape. That’s right: Chenbot wore a CAPE. As in, the …

THE GREAT FRESH TEST: Episode 2

Last week, I stuffed my crisper drawers full of fresh veggies and herbs in an effort to test out Clearly Fresh bags, which promise to keep produce fresh for up to 50% longer than ordinary bags. Well, it’s been just over a week; so yesterday, I examined the produce to see if there had been …

BIG BROTHER PHOTOCAP: Drama in Rachel’s Bush

Let me get this straight: we’re only in week two of Big Brother? The amount of scheming and in-fighting early on this season has been quite lovely, and while we’ve yet to see our first giant fight, tension has been brewing, as evidenced by a brief tiff between Rachel and Jeff last night. Yes, the …