D.C. Diners Worried by Saudi Ambassador Plot; 'Lone Ranger' Rides
Welcome to the Smart Set. Every morning we bring you the gossip coverage, filtered. Today: D.C. power-lunchers wonder about the eatery targeted by in the Saudi ambassador plot, Ron Burkle isn't happy with neighbor David Geffen, and The Lone Ranger movie is back on.
Justice Department officials didn't name the Washington restaurant that was to have blown up as part of the alleged plot by the Iranian government to assassinate Saudi ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir, but the eatery in question "sounds like Café Milano" in Georgetown. al-Jubeir "has been known to hang out at the Georgetown restaurant, a see-and-be-seen favorite for jet-setting types and A-list pols" and according to the Justice Department's official press release, a DEA confidential informant informed suspect Mansour Arbabsiar that "U.S. senators who dine at the restaurant" could also be killed in any attack. [The Reliable Source]
Ron Burkle says he suspects his neighbor David Geffen was the source of anonymous, unflattering quotes about Burkle's relationship with Bill Clinton that ran in Vanity Fair in 2008, according to Michael Gross's upcoming book about Los Angeles real estate. The logic is that Geffen, a Barack Obama backer, wanted to weaken Hillary Clinton's chances of securing the Democratic presidential nomination. Gross suggests tensions between the two started when Burkle was close to selling his house to Paul Allen, but according to Realtor Bruce Nelson Geffen allegedly "bad mouthed" the house in conversations with Allen causing the Microsoft co-founder to back out of the deal. [Gatecrasher]
Design house Jean Paul Gaultier has designed a "one-off gold bar" for the French gold investing company CPoR Devises that will go on sale Friday. One side of the one-ounce bar has been engraved with Gaultier's name across a heart, which is adorned with the brand's trademark stripe design. [Women's Wear Daily]
Disney's film version of the The Lone Ranger is reportedly back on after being shut down over budget concerns in August. At the time, Disney was worried the film would end up costing somewhere between $250-$270 million, but star Johnny Depp, director Gore Verbinski, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer all "made concessions" on their fees and the script was revised in order to bring the budget "down to a more manageable figure in the $215 million range." [Deadline]
Slate economics reporter Annie Lowrey is joining The New York Times. According to a message Lowrey posted on Twitter, she'll be joining the Times' Washington bureau next month after marrying Washington Post pundit and blogger Ezra Klein, and will remain on the economics beat. [FishbowlDC]
