“Before we begin, you must all be warned nothing here is vegetarian. Bon appétit.”

One would expect nothing less from Dr. Hannibal Lecter in NBC’s new drama “Hannibal.” After all, the serial-killer psychiatrist, made most famous by Anthony Hopkins in 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs,” cemented his love for human flesh with the iconic line, “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”

The love for the forbidden meat is front and center in the primetime series based on Thomas Harris’ novels. Lecter, played by Mads Mikkelsen, is an adept chef with a penchant for unusual ingredients.

“What he eats is what defines him,” explained Toronto-based food stylist Janice Poon who, along with chef José Andrés, creates the stunning, lush and creepy meals for “Hannibal.”
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“What do I have to do to get on your dad’s jerky list?”

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that entreaty; my father’s beef jerky has quite the reputation among friends, family and acquaintances.

But this is a tale of lying, thieving, hoarding and conniving by humans and four-legged creatures, all in the name of Joseph Cavalluzzi’s jerky.
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Sean Robins has a long list of foods he doesn’t eat. “No beef, no pork, no lamb, no veal, no mushrooms, no cold cheese, no white sauces. That means no sour cream, no cottage cheese, no mayonnaise, no milk, no eggs. It’s not allergies - all preferences.”

Nonetheless, a picky palate didn't impede Robins from dining at every one of the over 2,000 restaurants listed in the 2011 Los Angeles Zagat Restaurants Survey.
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Fame Bites goes inside the belly of the entertainment beast. We're dishing out where the celebrities are eating, what they're eating and who they're eating with.

The Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles is a frenzy of activity. The Grammys held last weekend, followed by the NBA All-Star Game yesterday, means staffers at Staples Center are working around the clock. Each event alone is an enormous undertaking, but coupled together you have a double-headed beast.

At the center of it all is Pilar Sanchez, the Executive Chef at Staples, lifelong Lakers fan and the ring leader of the culinary circus, so to speak. We caught up with her the Friday before the Grammys outside the executive suites. In the background, you could hear Rihanna and Drake rehearsing their current hit “What’s My Name?” for Sunday night’s performance. Sanchez had assembled some of the items her staff would be serving in the coming week.
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