A recap of 2022 in Conn. gossip and celebrity sightings THE DISH
Who was seen — and who was on the scene — in Greenwich in 2022?
From presidents to movie stars to sports legends, here's a recap of the year in celebrity news in Greenwich, Stamford and beyond.
American fashion designer Christian Siriano was seen having dinner at Viva Zapata Mexican Restaurant in Westport.
Siriano, a Westport resident, also opened The Collective West at 940 Post Road E. in Westport. Seen at the grand opening were actresses Debra Messing, Laura Linney and Katie Holmes as well as Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha.
Rick Pitino, head basketball coach for the Iona Gaels at Iona College was seen dining at Tony's at the J House. Other celebrities also dropped by the Riverside establishment: NBC sportscaster and primetime host of this year's Olympics Mike Tirico and NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst and retired Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey; hockey great and Greenwich resident Mark Messier; NBA star and Utah Jazz point guard Donovan Mitchell ,a Greenwich Country Day School graduate; former Canadian NHL player Stéphane Matteau; Brent Montgomery, CEO of Wheelhouse in Stamford; and NBA star Nerlens Noel, formerly of the New York Knicks and now the Detroit Pistons.
“Breaking Bad” stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul partied with customers at Bistro V on Greenwich Avenue.
Director Ron Howard and his wife, author Cheryl Howard, Greenwich residents, dined al fresco at Eastend on Greenwich Avenue.
Actors Scott Foley and Marika Dominczyk, who are married and live in Westport, dined at Gabriele's of Westport. Other diners at that restaurant include ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky; ESPN Radio's “GameDay” hosts Jordan and Shae Cornette; New Canaan resident and Sirius XM radio host Mike “Mad Dog” Russo; actor and Fairfield native Michael Weatherly; broadcast journalist and Westport resident Alisyn Camerota; Westport resident and crooner Michael Bolton; former White House Director of Communications Anthony Scaramucci; actor/producer
Mark Feuerstein and his wife, producer Dana Klein, a New Haven native; Tony Award-winning Broadway star Wilson Germaine Heredia; NBC “Today” co-host Craig Melvin and his wife, FOX Sports host Lindsay Czarniak, who live in Westport; co-anchor of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and “Sunday Today” anchor Willie Geist; and MLB Hall of Famer Ron Darling, who lives in Rowayton with his wife Joanna.
Darling was also seen buying cupcakes at Forever Sweet Bakery in Norwalk.
Melvin and Czarniak were also seen dining at chef Brian Lewis‘ restaurant The Cottage in Greenwich. Lewis also appeared on the “Today” show before Christmas preparing a Linzer Torte with Melvin.
Greenwich resident and TV producer, “Good Morning America” co-host Lara Spencer shopped at Zara on Greenwich Avenue.
Greenwich resident and ESPN sports anchor Hannah Storm was seen shopping at the Fjord Fish Market in Cos Cob.
Storm also dined at Michelin-starred Chef JeanGeorges Vongerichten's latest venture, Happy Monkey, at 376 Greenwich Ave. Also seen there were Stewart, Judge Judy Sheindlin, Spencer, Camerota, former NBA star and Greenwich resident Allan Houston and his wife Tamara; 710 WOR radio host Mark Simone aka “Mr. New York;” and Gary “Baba Booey” Dell'Abate, executive producer of “The Howard Stern Show.”
Newsmax TV anchor and WABC radio host Greg Kelly and his wife Judith were seen celebrating his birthday at Valbella restaurant in Riverside with Simone. Also seen dining at the popular Italian eatery that evening was “Mad Dog” Russo and his family.
Greenwich residents Judge Judy Sheindlin and Judge Jerry Sheindlin were seen dining at Pasta Vera on Greenwich Avenue.
The Sheindlins also dined out at La Cremaillere in Bedford, N.Y.
Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo who now serves on the board of Amazon, dined at Ruby & Bella on Greenwich Avenue.
British actress Emily Blunt and her husband, actor John Krasinski, were seen dining with their daughters at the The Inn at Pound Ridge by JeanGeorges
in nearby Pound Ridge, N.Y.
Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Paul Simon and his wife, singer/songwriter Edie Brickell sold their New Canaan Georgian mansion for $10.8 million to former Pound Ridge, N.Y. resident and actor Richard Gere and his wife Alejandra who also purchased a home in North Salem, N.Y. last year.
Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart was seen in Westport at the "Giant Tent Sale" at Furniture on Consignment II owned by her friend Jim Klinko. Klinko also went to “The Great American Tag Sale with Martha Stewart” at her estate in Bedford, N.Y.
Stewart also celebrated the opening of her new restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart, at the Paris Las Vegas in Nevada.
Facebook CEO and White Plains native Mark Zuckerberg dined with executives at Le Penguin on Lewis Street in Greenwich.
CBS News' “60 Minutes” Emmy Award-winning executive producer and Greenwich resident Bill Owens served as the 2022 commencement speaker at Greenwich High School. Owens' son and daughter are 2020 and 2021 GHS graduates.
French celebrity stylist Frederic Fekkai was seen at CAVE gentlemen's salon on Greenwich Avenue, where he visited the salon's owner Paulo Lanfredi.
Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon, his wife Luciana and their children were seen having dinner at Truck in Bedford, N.Y. The actor and his wife purchased an $8.5 million estate on Clinton Road in Bedford Hills, N.Y. last June.
TV screenwriter Shonda Rhimes purchased a $15.17 million mansion in Westport. The 52-year-old known for the TV medical drama “Grey's Anatomy” bought the home from Doug and Melissa Bernstein,
founders of the Melissa & Doug toy company.
James O'Donnell, the director of music at Westminster Abbey performed at Christ Church Greenwich at a celebration concert of the church's recently installed Harrison & Harrison organ.
Greenwich resident John J. Filippelli, president of production and programming and executive producer of the YES Network, was awarded the “Slugger Award” for his work as a “heavy hitter” at Aaron Judge's ALL RISE Foundation Gala at Cipriani in New York City.
Actress and model Leyna Bloom was seen shopping at The Marketplace by Fofie & Mia on Mill Street in Greenwich.
Norwalk native and NBA Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy, currently a member of the Houston Rockets' AT&T SportsNet TV broadcast team, was seen at Joe's 507 Café in Norwalk.
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were seen dining at Basso56 on King Street in Chappaqua, N.Y., the town where they live.
“Jersey Shore” stars Vinny Guadagnino, Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino were spotted shooting a scene lat The Wheel restaurant at The Village in Stamford.
Former NBA star and Greenwich resident Isiah Thomas was seen playing a round of golf and dining outside at the Cobber North at the Griffith E. Memorial Golf Course on King Street in Greenwich. Former New York Yankees center fielder and musician Bernie Williams, a Westchester County, N.Y. resident, was also seen dining at Caren St. Phillip's restaurant.
Actor Bradley Cooper filmed scenes for the Netflix movie “Maestro” at a private home on Dunham
Road in Fairfield.
Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski, formerly of the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hung out at Cisco Brewers at The Village in Stamford's South End with former teammates Niko Koutouvides and Shane Vereen. They were in town to participate in the NFL Alumni Association CT Chapter's Charity Golf Classic at the Country Club of Darien. Later in the day, the popular rock band Green Eyed Lady performed on the Brewers' rooftop and met up with “Gronk” for a photo.
Former heavyweight champion “Iron Mike” Tyson stopped by Lobalbo Brothers Auto Body in Stamford to say hello to his friends, brothers Sal and Al Lobalbo.
Actor and Scarsdale native Noah Schnapp, star of the Netflix horror series “Stranger Things,” was seen at Gofer Ice Cream in Greenwich.
TikTok star and comedian Samantha Ramsdell ,a Stamford resident who broke a Guinness World Record for being the woman with the largest mouth, was seen dining at MIKU Sushi Bar and Restaurant on Greenwich Avenue.
Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, founding member of Run-D.M.C., delivered the commencement address to the 90 graduates of the Class of 2022 at Greens Farms Academy in Westport.
Boston Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck ,a Greenwich resident, was seen having dinner at Terra Ristorante Italiano on Greenwich Avenue.
Actress, comedian, author and producer Alexandra “Ali” Wentworth appeared at a book signing at The Village in Stamford.
Actor Kevin Pollak, known for his roles in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “A Few Good Men,” visited Stew Leonard's in Norwalk to promote the Pizza Cupcake, a new product the store has been selling and in which Pollak is an investor.
Former “Today” show co-host and longtime Riverside resident Kathie Lee Gifford served as master of ceremonies at Greenwich Hospital's annual fundraising benefit honoring private practitioner and former GH chief resident Dr. James A. Brunetti, a Greenwich native; Arthur C. Martinez, former chairman of the hospital's Board of Trustees and former chief executive officer of Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and Greenwich Hospital fundraising volunteer Elizabeth Martinez.
Gov. Ned Lamont ,DGreenwich, dined at The Lion Brasserie in Greenwich.
Actor Peter Bergman, best known for his roles on the popular soap operas “All My Children” and “The Young and the Restless,” was seen grocery shopping at Stop & Shop in Greenwich
Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano was seen giving an impromptu figure skating lesson to Jonny Moseley, an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle skiing, at the rink at Chelsea Piers in Stamford during a break from broadcasting the Olympics from the NBC Sports studios in Stamford. Mosely and Ashley Wagner, who won bronze in the team skating event at the Sochi Olympics, were also seen practicing a dance sequence for NBC Sports' “Olympic Ice” show.
Fox News legal analyst and commentator Gregg Jarrett was seen shopping on Greenwich Avenue after Christmas with his wife and daughter.
The Greenwich International Film Festival awarded Lin-Manuel Miranda its highest honor at a private event in Greenwich after the award-winning creator of the famous musical “Hamilton” had to cancel his appearance at the festival's annual gala. However, his father, Luis Miranda, “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, “Today” co-host Jenna Bush Hager, Jessica Darrow, who voiced the character of Luisa Madrigal in the Oscar-winning “Encanto,” Warren Egypt Franklin and Renee Elise Goldsberry, who originated the role of Angelica Schuyler in “Hamilton,” did attend the original gala.
Bush Hager was also seen having lunch at L'escale restaurant in Greenwich.
Olympic figure skaters Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski reportedly stayed at the Delamar on Steamboat Road in Greenwich while covering the Beijing Olympics for NBC Sports.