Celebrity Chatter: Stars Dine On Caviar At SAG Awards

Ever wonder what are on the dinner plates when you see awards shows of celebrities sitting around at tables? What do the stars get to dine on at such classy events?

At Sunday night's 9th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, dinner was a "classic mix of flavors, textures, and species, designed to be an elegant, yet hearty menu," said Chef Gary Arabia.

Giant shrimp cocktail was served as an appetizer, then a tower of cured smoked salmon and black Russian caviar. For the main course, a mushroom dusted smoked filet of beef with Dijon horseradish was served with grilled winter asparagus and oven roasted baby carrots drizzled with white truffle oil. I'm not sure what the vegetarians out there ate. Oh, well.

There were plenty of beverages at the tables including white and red wines and champagne from sponsor Taittinger. Taittinger Brut La Francaise was the champagne that toasted everyone's wins from Renee Zellweger's Best Actress SAG for "Chicago" to Daniel Day Lewis's applaud for "Gangs Of New York."

How about some food statistics?

1,200 filet mignons were ordered, that's 600 lbs. of prime filet beef

1,200 or 400 lbs. of giant tiger prawns

200 lbs. of smoked salmon

14 lbs. of Russian caviar

100 lbs. of chanterelle mushrooms

150 lbs. of Idaho potatoes

225 lbs. baby carrots

Check, please? Give it to Melissa ("Little House On The Prairie") Gilbert, she's the president of SAG.

There's another perk to being a celebrity. (How many can there be?) The latest fads are "Talent Retreats" backstage. This is where you can rest your weary celebrity feet while waiting for rehearsals or show appearances. That's where you can pick up your goodie bag full of fabulous, expensive freebie treats. More on those later.

Think of the Talent Retreat as a high-class Green Room. This year, Lois Esformes Interior Design Inc. created a sitting room that dripped glamour. Backstage at the Shrine Auditorium, blue sapphire satin drapes provided a backdrop for a cream colored satin and linen sofa. Don't want to sit on satin? How about a mahogany Donatello chair or a red Collete chair covered in faux leopard velvet? A Macassar ebony and glass coffee table will hold your champagne, while you munch of caviar and crackers.

A second sitting area featured a faux alligator covered desk in the style of Louis XIV if you'd like to get caught up on your fan mail. Three lounge chairs surrounded the desk. Check your makeup and one-of-a-kind designer clothes in a full length mirror.

Meanwhile, the Shrine Auditorium got a little interior design boost for the SAG awards. 34,000 square feet of black and gray carpeting was ordered to turn the auditorium into a high-class supper area. The interior Shrine entrance was draped with 700 yards of camel fabric and the room's walls were covered in 6,775 yards of black drape.

According to the art directors of the SAG Awards, the idea was to create a look that was less auditorium and more like an intimate dinner setting.

We love to talk about the presenter bags, those upscale gifts given to the celebrities who have to look glamorous and announce "The Actor Goes To…" This year, you can get in on bidding for the presenter gifts. SAG is using an auction to raise money for some of its charitable causes. Want a peek or maybe bid on one of the pricey items? Click here to bid.

Now it's time to get ready for Oscars. Already female celebrities are being courted by top designers to get them to wear one of their knock-out dresses. And this year, expect plenty of diamonds. It's the 75th anniversary of the Oscars and you know what 75 years means? It'll be a diamond anniversary. We'll have all the dish about the diamonds just in time for Oscar. Stay tuned.

Madonna Goes Hip Hop

When you're a pop idol who do you idolize? In Madonna's case, it's rappers Eminem and Missy Elliot. According to recent reports, Madonna has been chatter with Miss Missy about the world of hip hop.

The 44-year-old mother of two reportedly has even re-entered the recording studio to remix a version of her new single "American Life" to have more of a hip-hop flavor.

You may remember her entrée into rapping on her hit "Vogue."

"Madge wants to get some street cred," a source told a London newspaper.

Nicole As A Stepford Wife?

John Cusack and Nicole Kidman are in talks to appear in a remake of "The Stepford Wives" for the big screen. Tom Cruise are you listening?

Cusack's sister, Joan, will also star in the movie as "a hostile, sarcastic, cranky woman who is out of shape and enjoys drinking but gets transformed into a robot," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie will begin shooting in June.

New Actress To Join "Friends" Cast

Can it be that a new "Friend" will be added to the cast of the NBC hit show for its final season? Sources say that actress Aisha Tyler will play a woman torn between Ross and Joey. In the show's 10-year history, there has never been a consistent African-American presence, and black actors have only had bit parts on the show.

Tyler hosts a chat show on the E! entertainment cable channel and had a small part in the film "The Santa Clause 2."

"Friends" has been criticized for its lack of ethnic diversity. It is the sixth most-watch show among whites, but it comes in 65th with African-Americans, according to ananova.com.

Michelle Solomon's gossip column, Celebrity Chatter, appears each Monday. Comment, question? Michelle Solomon@Celebrity Chatter.