The Bachelor – Page 2 – IAMNOTASTALKER

February 4, 2010February 4, 2010

Brenda and Dylan’s Palm Springs Hotel from “Beverly Hills, 90210”

Another Beverly Hills, 90210 location that I stalked recently was the Hyatt Westlake Plaza which stood in for both Brenda’s hotel – the Desert Palm Mirage – and Dylan’s hotel – the Desert Mirage – in the Season One episode entitled “A Fling in Palm Springs” (aka “Palm Springs Weekend”). Why that particular episode has two different names I’m not entirely sure, but I digress. I found this location thanks to Geoff over at 90210 Locations who posted the address a few weeks back. The “Palm Springs Weekend” episode has always been one of my favorites (mostly due to the charades game played at the end during which Dylan points to Brenda to convey the movie Pretty Woman to the rest of the gang – SO CUTE!), so when I saw that Geoff had tracked down the hotel featured in it, I just about started screaming. I had literally wanted to stalk that location for as long as I can remember. So, I immediately dragged my fiancé right out to the Valley to do some long overdue “Palm Springs” stalking, Beverly Hills, 90210-style.

And while the exterior of the Hyatt Westlake Plaza looks EXACTLY the same today as it did when 90210 was filmed there over 18 years ago,

sadly the interior has been extensively remodeled in recent years and looks quite a bit different today.

In the “Palm Springs Weekend” episode, Kelly and Donna mistakenly drop Brenda off at the Desert Palm Mirage hotel to meet Dylan for a romantic rendezvous, but as fate would have it Dylan is actually staying at the similarly named Desert Mirage hotel. And because Brenda has misplaced her wallet and can’t get ahold of Kelly or Dylan (how did people ever survive without cell phones???), she is forced to spend the night on a cot in the hotel’s broom closet. God, I miss 90210! The areas used in the episode include the main entrance;

the front desk,

and the pay phone station, which is now an Enterprise Rent-A-Car office. As you can see in the above screen captures and photographs, the interior of the hotel is virtually unrecognizable from the episode. 🙁

But I did manage to dig up a few old pictures of the hotel from the Here Comes the Guide website (YAY!) and as you can see in the above screen captures and photograph, the former front desk matches the one that appeared on 90210 exactly.

Another thing I noticed while looking at old photographs of the hotel was that up until the recent remodel, a piece of furniture seen in the background of the “Palm Springs Weekend” episode was still on display in the Hyatt’s lobby. So cool! If only I had stalked this place two years ago! UGH! 🙁 You can take a virtual tour of the former lobby area here.

Later on in the episode, Brenda shows up at Dylan’s hotel only to find him hanging out with a random girl named Janie. The Hyatt Westlake Plaza also stood in for Dylan’s hotel in the episode.

After catching him with Janie, Brenda has a minor meltdown (during which she actually screams “Bogus!” LOL) in front of the Hyatt’s elevators, which I am happy to report look EXACTLY the same today as they did on 90210. 🙂 So darn cool!

And while I didn’t recognize much of the Hyatt Westlake Plaza from the “Palm Springs Weekend” episode of 90210, what I did recognize it from – pretty much immediately upon entering – was another television series – ABC’s The Bachelor! As it turns out, the Hyatt Westlake Plaza is the very hotel where the contestants are put up for a few days pre-show before they move into the mansion. And, in this particular season’s opener, quite a bit of filming was done on location at the Hyatt. The areas used in that episode include the inside of several of the girls’ hotel rooms;

the lobby;

and the main entrance. And according to the February 1st issue of US Magazine, part of the alleged affair between booted contestant Rozlyn Papa and former Bachelor producer Ryan Callahan took place at the hotel where the girls were staying pre-show – which we now know is the Hyatt Westlake Plaza. 🙂 The Bachelor is FABULOUS this season, by the way, and as always I am ABSOLUTELY addicted to Reality Steve’s coverage of it. 🙂 If you’re not watching, you really should be!

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Big THANK YOU to Geoff over at 90210 locations for finding this location.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Hyatt Westlake Plaza is located at 880 South Westlake Boulevard in Westlake Village. You can visit their website here.

June 15, 2009June 14, 2009

Pig N’ Whistle Restaurant

Last week, before seeing the Dirty Dancing stage show, my fiance and I grabbed a bite to eat at the historic Hollywood restaurant named the Pig N’ Whistle. I had wanted to visit the celebrated Hollywood eatery ever since it appeared on a Fourth Season episode of The Bachelor back in 2003. 🙂 And, let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. 🙂

The Pig N’ Whistle first opened it doors on Hollywood Boulevard on July 22, 1927. The restaurant was part of a small chain of twelve cafes that dotted the West Coast from Los Angeles to Seattle. The Hollywood location was designed by renowned architectural firm Morgan, Walls & Clements, who were also responsible for building the El Capitan, Wiltern, and Old Globe Theatres. The restaurant was built in an elegant Gothic style, featuring hand-painted tiles, carved wooden ceilings, and stained glass windows. The Pig N’ Whistle was so beautiful that it was even featured in a 1928 issue of Architectural Digest. The restaurant, which was built before the days of movie theatre concession stands, was located directly next door to the famed Egyptian Theatre. It became popular with theatregoers who wanted to grab a pre- or post-show ice cream or drink at the restaurant’s soda fountain or some candy at it’s candy counter.

During its heyday, which ran from 1927 to 1949, the Pig N’ Whistle was extremely popular with the Hollywood set. Stars like Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Barbara Stanwyck, Spencer Tracy, Howard Hughes, Loretta Young, Jane Wyman, and even Elizabeth Short, aka The Black Dhalia, were spotted dining there.

But that all changed when the restaurant closed its doors in 1949. The former Pig N’ Whistle space went through a succession of different owners, including a Numero Uno pizzeria and a clothing store, and a succession of remodels until two restaurateurs decided to rescue it and restore it to its former grandeur. In 1999, Chris Breed and Alan Hajjar (the team who was also behind the wildly popular Sunset Room restaurant and bar) masterminded a two year, $1.5 million restoration of the former restaurant. The duo unearthed the building’s original hand-carved ceilings, stained glass windows, and molded sconces. The new Pig N’ Whistle opened its doors once again in March of 2001. And it is an absolutely beautiful place!!!!!

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The restaurant is also no stranger to the silver screen. 🙂 On the Fourth Season of The Bachelor, the Pig N’ Whistle hosted a group date for Bachelor Bob Guiney and five female contestants. The group partied in the restaurant’s back room and even competed in a small karaoke contest. 🙂 According to our waitress, the Hollywood restaurant is featured constantly in productions, but, unfortunately, she could not remember which ones. Isn’t that always the case?? What is wrong with these people? LOL

The Pig N’ Whistle is a FABULOUS restaurant and I HIGHLY recommend stalking it. Besides the beautiful Old Hollywood ambiance, the restaurant serves up some GREAT food in HUGE portions. The French Fries and Cobb Salad were to die for!! I absolutely cannot wait to eat there again!!!! 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Pig N’ Whistle is located at 6714 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. A DJ is on hand every Thursday through Saturday night from 9 p.m. onward, so if you were hoping for a quiet meal, make sure you arrive before that time. 🙂 You can visit the Pig N’ Whistle website here.

March 17, 2009March 17, 2009

POP Champagne Bar

This past weekend I dragged my boyfriend out to stalk Pasadena’s newest hot spot – a little place called POP Champagne & Dessert Bar which opened its doors about three months ago. Being that champagne is my (and my girl Marilyn’s) fave cocktail, I have been dying to stalk this place ever since it opened back in December. Sadly I didn’t get around to it until this past Friday night. But let me tell you, it was worth the wait. I think POP might just be my new favorite bar. : )

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POP is absolutely adorable inside. It has a very New York City feel to it. The decor is made up of exposed brick, huge leather booths, dark wood paneling, and sparkling crystal chandeliers. It’s exactly the kind of place you want to escape to after a long day at work (or in my case, a long day of stalking). 🙂 And while no movies have been filmed there yet, I can pretty much guarantee that it won’t be long before location scouts come a-knockin’!

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POP’s wine menu is quite extensive. In fact, I’ve never seen anything like it! They serve over 50 varieties of wine by the glass, including Merlot and Chardonnay for those of you who aren’t champagne drinkers. Their menu is A-MA-ZING and they serve up huge portions at reasonable prices. During their happy hour, which runs from 5 to 7 pm daily, mimosas, bellinis, and draft beers are only $4 a glass and most appetizers are 20% off. And on those rare days in Southern California when it rains, POP extends its happy hour to an all day affair. How cool is that? And – my personal favorite POP special – every single Wednesday they serve up glasses of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne (the BEST champagne ever) for only $10! That’s like unheard of! LOVE IT! You can bet I’m going to be hanging out at POP pretty much every Wednesday night from now on. LOL

But my favorite item on the menu? The “Room Service for Mr. Lewis” appetizer which consists of a selection of fresh strawberries and two glasses of Gloria Ferrar Blanc de Noir champagne. If the words “Room service for Mr. Lewis” sound familiar to you, it’s because they should. They were uttered in one of the most famous romantic comedies of all time – Pretty Woman. In the movie Edward Lewis, aka Richard Gere, orders up some champagne and strawberries when he first arrives with Vivian at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. He tells Vivian that strawberries bring out the flavor in the champage. 🙂 Movie references on a menu? LOVE IT! In fact, I think it’s safe to say that there’s nothing about POP that I don’t love! 🙂

As I always do when visiting new places, I asked our bartender if any celebs had been spotted at POP. Well, let me tell you, I almost fell right off my bar stool when he told me that douchbag Bachelor Jason Mesnick and girlfriend Molly Malaney had just been there the previous week! I couldn’t figure out what the heck those two would be doing in Pasadena, until I remembered that ABC usually puts the current Bachelor up at the Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena when they come to town for press events. I know this because a good friend of mine used to work at the hotel back when it was owned by the Ritz Carlton. 🙂 Well, after I heard that Jason and Molly had stopped in, I had about a million and one questions for our bartender. LOL Turns out he didn’t pay all that much attention to the pair because he “doesn’t really care about them”. LOVE IT! But he did mention that Molly was SUPER skinny. Like disgustingly so. He said that Molly and Jason were meeting up with some friends at POP which begs the question, who in the heck do those two know in L.A.?? They were probably meeting up with Bachelor producer Mike Fleiss to toast the big payoff (the After the Final Rose special was the most watched in Bachelor history!) from the scam they pulled this season. LOL Anyway, our bartender said that Jason and Molly didn’t stay long as Jason wanted to try out the Vertical Wine Bistro (owned by Terminator producer Gale Anne Hurd) located just around the corner from POP. Jason was probably hoping to run into Gale so that he could give her a headshot – now that his Bachelor fame is waning he needs a new day job. LOL Our bartender said that quite a few celebs have stopped into POP since its grand opening, but unfortunately he didn’t know any of them by name.

I HIGHLY recommend stalking POP!!!! It is a very fun place to grab a drink, even if you are not a champagne fan! You can bet I’ll be stopping in regularly in the months to come. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: POP Champagne and Dessert Bar is located at 33 East Union Street in Pasadena. You can visit their website here. POP is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

March 4, 2009March 4, 2009

Jason Mesnick’s Bachelor Pad

Monday night’s episode of The Bachelor was all that RealitySteve promised it would be – and more! The show played out pretty much EXACTLY as he said it would and I completely agree with him that the finale’s “shocking twist” was a set-up from the get-go. Something about Molly’s reaction during the After the Final Rose program just didn’t ring true for me. I mean, come on, she got dumped two months ago on national TV, then Monday night she finds out that the girl she was dumped for just got dumped herself (also on national TV), and then the dumb-ass guy asks her if he can have another chance???? Anyone with half a heart would need at least an hour or so to process all that information! Not Molly, though – she had her lips on Jason’s before they could even cut to a commercial break. And we’re supposed to believe that was her “real” reaction? Come on, ABC! No woman in her right mind would react that way! I mean doesn’t she find it just a wee bit unsettling that Jason has now proposed to three different women, none of whom it’s worked out with?? Hello – red flag! But I must say that as obvious of a set-up as the whole thing was and as horrible as I felt for poor Melissa, damn if that didn’t make for some good TV. I was absolutely glued to my television set for the entire three hours! And I have to admit I have a new found respect for Melissa. LOVED when she called Jason a bastard. LOL LOL LOL You go girl! Anyway, since earlier this week I stalked the house the women lived in on this season of The Bachelor, today I thought I’d blog about Jason’s pad.

During the first half of this season’s Bachelor, Jason Mesnick lived in a red adobe style home that looked like it belonged in Arizona or New Mexico rather than in L.A. Jason’s son Ty, who someone on RealitySteve’s site commented looks just like Eddie Munster LOL LOL LOL, also lived in this house during the filming – notice the jungle gym in the above screen caps. This house was the site of Jason’s infamous camping date with Molly where the two supposedly stayed up all night “talking” in their tent. Yeah right! About halfway through the season, Jason moved out of this house and into what was supposedly his Seattle home. In reality, though, that house (like everything else on the show) was a fake and didn’t truly belong to him.

Ironically enough, I first started searching for this home when it appeared on an episode of the new 90210 series earlier this year. The home was featured in the episode entitled “Love Me or Leave Me” in which Annie and Ethan take a little overnight vacay to Palm Springs. In the episode the two spend the night in Annie’s grandmother’s house, which just happens to be the very same home Jason lived in on The Bachelor. When the home first appeared on 90210, I believed it was actually located in Palm Springs. It wasn’t until I recognized it a few weeks later on The Bachelor that I realized it had to be located somewhere in the L.A. area, most likely Malibu.

I am sad to say that it took me much longer than it should have to find this house, being that it is located ON THE SAME STREET as the house the women lived in on The Bachelor. LOL In fact I drove right by it the other day while out stalking the women’s house, but just didn’t realize it. I’m oh so observant! So when I finally found the house today after doing some cyberstalking, I could have kicked myself! I knew the two Bachelor homes had to be located fairly close to each other, but I had no idea they’d be on the very same street less than a mile apart. LOL

Sadly, not much of the home, which is named Rancho Cielo, is visible from the street. You can see just enough of it to recognize it as The Bachelor house, but even so I wouldn’t make any sort of special trip out there to see it. I’d stay home and cybertsalk it instead.

According to the sign out front, besides being available for filming, Rancho Cielo is also currently used as a wedding venue. And while Jason didn’t have much luck in the love department while living there, it still looks like a beautiful place to get married. LOL You can visit the home’s wedding website here.

On a side note – if you didn’t catch Jason’s appearance on Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, you really need to watch it! I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t hear it with my own ears, but on the show Jason actually said – and I am quoting here – “I think at some point her [Melissa] and I will be friends again.” WOW! Seriously???? Jason, you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought! LOL Jimmy Kimmel’s reaction to that quote was absolutely priceless! LOL LOL LOL

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Jason Mesnick’s Bachelor pad, aka Rancho Cielo, is located at 430 Kanan Road in Malibu.

March 2, 2009April 2, 2010

“The Bachelor” Mansion

I just about died this past Friday afternoon when my US Magazine arrived in the mail and looming out at me was the headline “Is The Bachelor Fake?” I have been absolutely enthralled with The Bachelor this season – and not because I am a fan of Jason Mesnick. I think the guy is pretty much a tool. But there was just so much drama this season that I absolutely could not tear myself away from the TV. And from the look of things, more drama is yet to come on tonight’s Final Rose Ceremony and After the Final Rose presentation. According to this week’s US Magazine article, a blogger named Steve Carbone, from RealitySteve.com, blew the lid right off of tonight’s shows! According to Steve (whose website I am now addicted to!) Jason is going to propose to contestant Melissa Rycroft at the end of tonight’s Bachelor finale. But (and here is where things get juicy!) during tonight’s After the Final Rose show (which was pre-taped six weeks ago) Jason is going to dump Melissa for second runner up Molly Malaney. And, the icing on the cake, supposedly Jason has been seeing Molly behind Melissa’s back ever since filming was completed – not that he will ever admit to that! What a snake! Steve believes in his heart of hearts that ABC concocted this whole scenario to increase their ratings and I have to say I agree with him. I started having my doubts as to the reality of The Bachelor way back during Season Two when my boyfriend’s boss spotted Bachelor Aaron Buerge on a date with contestant Gwen Gioia. Apparently not only were make-up artists fixing Gwen’s hair and make-up during the date, but producers were constantly stopping the filming to re-shoot certain segments. LOL Needless to say I cannot wait for tonight’s episode. I am sure I will walk away from it thinking Jason is an even bigger douchebag than I did before. LOL

Thanks to my buddy Whitney over at ZillowBlog, who alerted me to this article back in October, I was able to stalk the Bachelor house this past weekend. Ever since it was built in 2005, the Malibu area home pictured above has been featured on numerous seasons of The Bachelor. The mansion’s front entrance was used repeatedly as the famous limousine drop-off area where the past few Bachelors and Bachelorettes have welcomed their contestants during the first episode of each season. In fact, not only was the mansion’s entrance the very spot where Jason first met Deanna last season, but it was also the same locale where Jason welcomed the women of the show this season. The home’s living room area has also been the site of the numerous rose ceremonies of seasons past. But this season, not only was the home used for rose ceremonies and the big limo welcome, but it was also where the women lived during the filming. So I was pretty excited to stalk it! 🙂

Orignally priced at $13 million and later dropped to $8,750,000, The Bachelor house is currently for sale at the bargain price of $6,750,000. Apparently being “The Bachelor house” isn’t that great a selling point. LOL The six bedroom, nine bathroom Tuscan style manse measures a whopping 8,000 square feet and sits on almost ten acres of land! The home has a four car garage, a gourmet kitchen, an infinity pool with a swim-up barbeque and bar, and a detached 4,000 square foot studio/office area! To put it in Bachelor speak, the house is simply “amazing”! Ever notice how often they use that word on the show? LOL Somebody really needs to get the contestants a thesaurus – stat! Unfortunately, not much of the home is visible from the street, but it was still extremely exciting to stalk it knowing all the drama that took place there back in November.

Be sure to tune into tonight’s Bachelor Season Finale. It is sure to have “the most dramatic rose ceremony . . . ever”! And if you haven’t yet, you simply must check out Reality Steve’s blog – it’s enthralling!

UPDATE – This very same mansion was recently featured in the Season 2 episode of The Mentalist entitled “The Red Box” as the home of photographer Hopper Banks.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Bachelor house is located at 2351 Kanan Road in Malibu. You can visit the home’s real estate website here. You can also visit the owner’s website here.