Neal Justin: Cigars, but no match, at a Hollywood bash

LOS ANGELES - Turns out that the "Millionaire Matchmaker" isn't always interested in making matches.

August 3, 2011 at 3:22PM
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LOS ANGELES - Turns out that the "Millionaire Matchmaker" isn't always interested in making matches.

At an NBC/Universal party at the elegant SLS Hotel, I struck up a flirty conversation with a single woman who claimed to be friends with another party guest: Patti Stanger, best known as the host of Bravo's "Millionaire Matchmaker."

We decided to let Stanger decide whether we should arrange a date. The results were less than satisfying.

"You're not 6 [feet] 2, and you don't have enough muscles," said Stanger, who dismissed me like an off-key baritone on "The Voice."

Sigh.

On the plus side, I did get to enjoy smoking cigars with Aidan Quinn, catching up with Minnesota actor Brain Baumgartner of "The Office," exploring the nuances of stand-up comedy with Al Madrigal, joking around with "Parenthood" stars Peter Krause and Lauren Graham and basking in the shadow of the elegant Elle McPherson.

Also at the party: Hank Azaria, Ben Folds, Chris Matthews, Chevy Chase and the cast of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

Patti Stanger enjoys her flavorful signature cocktail created by New York mixologist Stephanie Schneider.
Patti Stanger enjoys her flavorful signature cocktail created by New York mixologist Stephanie Schneider. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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