Spago, 1114 Horn Ave., L.A. Matzah balls made with 65 eggs and club soda courtesy of Judy Gethers of the Ratners restaurant family of New York; foie gras in port; matzah topped with chile oil, shallots or thyme and Parmesan cheese; braised Moroccan lamb; apricot-coconut macaroons for dessert.
It's the second night of Passover and the "food helps the moment."
So says Barbara Lazaroff who, with her husband Wolfgang Puck, has been convening a traditional (though hardly kosher) Seder at Spago, the landmark Los Angeles eatery, for the past eight years. (Actually, the matzah is so good it's found in the bread baskets all year round.) The price per person at this now-famous Hollywood ritual: $ 135, with the proceeds from the 250 participants donated to Mazon, the Jewish charitable organization that feeds Jews and non-Jews alike.
There's no best table in the house on this night of all nights: They're all brought together, and movie stars and producers sit shoulder-to-shoulder with doctors and lawyers and plumbers and postmen. There are only two rules for the guests: Come on time, and leave your cellular at home.
"And you don't get dessert," warns Lazaroff, "unless you stay to sing Had Gadya.'"